hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Board of Visitors Enhancement Act

Bill: 113-hr-4144
Sponsor: Rep. Grimm, Michael G. [R-NY-11]
Introduced: 2014-03-04 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Department of Transportation
Executive agency funding and structure
Higher education
Military education and training
Transportation employees

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: 
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Board of Visitors Enhancement Act - Amends federal shipping law to: (1) expand the membership of the Board of Visitors to the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy, and (2) specify requirements for the presidential appointees.
 
Authorizes certain Board members to designate another individual to serve as a substitute member of the Board, on a temporary basis, to attend or participate in any activity the Board member is unable to attend or participate in.
 
Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to select a Designated Federal Officer to support the performance of the Board's functions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-06-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces.
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Introduced in House
Elder Care Tax Credit Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-4145
Sponsor: Rep. Israel, Steve [D-NY-3]
Introduced: 2014-03-04 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Adult day care
Income tax credits
Tax treatment of families

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: 
Elder Care Tax Credit Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the tax credit for dependent care expenses for parents (or ancestors of such parents) of the taxpayer who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care, regardless of whether such a parent has the same principal place of abode as the taxpayer for more than one-half of the taxable year.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Introduced in House
Preservation Enhancement and Savings Opportunity Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-4146
Sponsor: Rep. Paulsen, Erik [R-MN-3]
Introduced: 2014-03-04 in the House
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Housing finance and home ownership
Housing supply and affordability
Low- and moderate-income housing
Residential rehabilitation and home repair

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: 
Preservation Enhancement and Savings Opportunity Act of 2014 - Amends the Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident Homeownership Act of 1990 (LIHPRHA) with respect to a plan of action the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may approve for extension of the low-income affordability restrictions on any eligible low-income housing.
 
Entitles the owner of a property subject to a plan of action or use agreement to distribute:
 
 
 annually all surplus cash generated by the property; and
 
 any funds accumulated in a residual receipts account, upon request made to the Secretary and notwithstanding any conflicting provision in the use agreement, but only if the individual is in material compliance with the use agreement.

 
Requires an owner distributing any such amounts to:
 
 
 continue to operate the property in accordance with the affordability requirements of its use agreement for its remaining useful life;
 
continue to renew or extend any project-based rental assistance contract for at least 20 years, as required by the property's plan of action; and
 
have the option to extend the contract to a 20-year term, if he or she has an existing multi-year project-based rental assistance contract for less than 20 years. 
 
 
Declares that neither LIHPRHA, nor any plan of action or use agreement implementing it, shall restrict an owner from obtaining a new loan or refinancing an existing loan secured by a low-income housing project, or from distributing the proceeds of such a loan, except that, in conjunction with such refinancing:
 
 
 the owner shall provide for adequate rehabilitation pursuant to a capital needs assessment to ensure long-term sustainability of the property satisfactory to the lender or bond issuance agency;
 
 any resulting budget-based rent increase shall include debt service on the new financing, commercially reasonable debt service coverage, and replacement reserves as required by the lender; and
 
 rent increases for units not covered by a project-based rental subsidy contract or tenant-based rental subsidy shall be limited to 10%. 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Introduced in House
Student Veterans IT Upgrade Act

Bill: 113-hr-4147
Sponsor: Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]
Introduced: 2014-03-04 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Educational technology and distance education
Government information and archives
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: 
Student Veterans IT Upgrade Act - Directs the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in coordination with the Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity, to submit to the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees a report on the VA's information technology system that is used in connection with the administration of educational benefits by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
 
Requires such report to include: (1) the status of such system, (2) the system plan submitted to Congress, (3) an action plan describing how the CIO and the Deputy Under Secretary intend to finalize such system, and (4) the anticipated cost of upgrading such system.
 
Directs the CIO and the Deputy Under Secretary to update the Committees at least annually on any progress made in upgrading the system.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-25
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2014-03-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-04
text: Introduced in House
Humane Cosmetics Act

Bill: 113-hr-4148
Sponsor: Rep. Moran, James P. [D-VA-8]
Introduced: 2014-03-05 in the House
Policy area: Animals
Subjects: Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Product development and innovation
Product safety and quality

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: 
Humane Cosmetics Act - Prohibits: (1) any entity from conducting or contracting for cosmetic animal testing in the United States, in or affecting interstate commerce, effective on the date that is one year after enactment of this Act; and (2) selling, offering for sale, or transporting in interstate commerce any cosmetic if the final product or any component was developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing conducted or contracted for after such date, effective three years after this Act's enactment.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
Help Hire our Heroes Act

Bill: 113-hr-4149
Sponsor: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Introduced: 2014-03-05 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Appropriations
Department of Veterans Affairs
Employment and training programs
Executive agency funding and structure
Government trust funds
Oil and gas
Pollution liability
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Water quality

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: 
Help Hire our Heroes Act - Amends the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 to extend through September 30, 2014, the veterans retraining assistance program.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to transfer funds for such program from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
action_date: 2014-03-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
Veterans Employment and Training Service Longitudinal Study Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-4150
Sponsor: Rep. Cook, Paul [R-CA-8]
Introduced: 2014-03-05 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Employee hiring
Employment and training programs
Government studies and investigations
Performance measurement
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: 
Veterans Employment and Training Service Longitudinal Study Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to enter into a contract with a non-governmental entity to conduct a longitudinal study of a statistically valid sample of each of the following groups of individuals over a period of at least five years: (1) veterans who have received intensive job counseling, training, and placement services; (2) veterans who did not receive intensive services but who otherwise received services; and (3) veterans who did not seek or receive services.
 
Requires the study to include the collection of specified information for each individual who participates in the study, including: (1) the average number of months served on active duty, (2) the distribution of disability ratings, (3) unemployment benefits received, (4) the average number of months employed and average individual and household annual income, (5) employment status, (6) whether the individual believes that any service received helped the individual to become employed, (7) use of educational assistance, (8) participation in a vocational rehabilitation program, (9) conditions of discharge or release from the Armed Forces, and (10) demographic information.
 
Directs the Secretary to submit annual reports on the outcomes of the study that include any information the Secretary determines is necessary to determine long-term outcomes of the individuals in such groups.
 
Amends the Social Security Act to grant the Secretary access to new hire information reported by employers. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-25
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2014-03-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
Veterans Education Survey Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-4151
Sponsor: Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Introduced: 2014-03-05 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Performance measurement
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: 
Veterans Education Survey Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into a contract with a non-government entity to conduct a survey of a statistically valid sample of individuals who have used or are using their entitlement to veterans educational assistance to pursue a program of education or training.
 
Requires: (1) the survey to be submitted to the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees not later than one month before the collection of data begins, and (2) the entity to conduct the survey electronically or by other appropriate means and to complete the survey and submit the results to the Secretary not later than 180 days after entering into the contract.
 
Requires the survey to be designed to collect specified types of information about each individual surveyed, including: (1) demographic information, including the highest level of education completed, military occupational specialties while serving in the Armed Forces, National Guard, or Reserves, and whether the individual has a service-connected disability; (2) the individual's opinion regarding participation in the transition assistance program and the effectiveness of the program; (3) the nature of the individual's experience with the VA's education benefits processing system; and (4) the individual's employment status and whether such status differs from the individual's status prior to enrolling in the program of education or training.
 
Directs the Secretary to report to the Committees on the results of the survey, including an unedited version of the results submitted, and any recommendations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-25
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2014-03-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
414 Plan Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-4153
Sponsor: Rep. Forbes, J. Randy [R-VA-4]
Introduced: 2014-03-05 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Transportation
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental regulatory procedures
Pedestrians and bicycling
Public contracts and procurement
Roads and highways
Transportation programs funding
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: 
414 Plan Act of 2014 - Declares that federal laws and regulations (including prevailing rate of wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act) shall not apply to any federal-aid highway or highway safety construction project, except those relating to: (1) the safety or durability of a highway facility, or (2) public or workplace safety. 
 
 
Repeals the prohibition against approval of federal-aid highway projects or regulatory actions that will result in the severance of an existing major route or have significant adverse impact on the safety for nonmotorized transportation traffic and light motorcycles, unless the project or action provides for a reasonable alternative route or such a route exists.
 
 Defines &quot;transportation alternatives&quot; as any of the following activities when carried out as part of an authorized or funded federal-aid highway program or project, or as an independent program or project related to surface transportation for the construction, planning, and design of: (1) transportation projects to achieve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; or (2) infrastructure-related projects and systems that will provide safe routes for nondrivers, including children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities to access daily needs. 
Repeals the authorization for states to use certain funds for construction of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities.
 
Eliminates the requirement that statewide transportation plans and statewide transportation improvement programs provide for the development of accessible pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that states, federal agencies, localities, and private stakeholders should take steps toward increased cooperation to further expedite surface transportation projects.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
Russia Visa Sanctions Act

Bill: 113-hr-4154
Sponsor: Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2]
Introduced: 2014-03-05 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Conflicts and wars
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Europe
Immigration status and procedures
Military operations and strategy
Russia
Sanctions
Ukraine
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: 
Russia Visa Sanctions Act - Directs the Secretary of State, except to meet treaty obligations regarding United Nations (U.N.) headquarters, to deny a visa to, and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to deny U.S. admission to, all government officials and employees of the Russian Federation until the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that: (1) Russian military intervention into Ukraine has ceased; and (2) the Russian Federation respects the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine in accordance with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances. 
 
States that this certification requirement shall not apply to military bases of the Russian Federation in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula operating in accordance with the 1997 agreement on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet Stationing on the Territory of Ukraine.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-04-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
Fight Russian Energy Exploitation (FREE) Act

Bill: 113-hr-4155
Sponsor: Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2]
Introduced: 2014-03-05 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Armenia
Asia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bulgaria
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Congressional oversight
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Economic performance and conditions
Estonia
Europe
European Union
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Finland
France
Georgia (Republic)
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Netherlands
Oil and gas
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Tajikistan
Trade restrictions
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Uzbekistan

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: 
 Fight Russian Energy Exploitation (FREE) Act - Amends the Natural Gas Act to deem consistent with the public interest an expedited application and approval process for the importation or exportation of natural gas to either the member states of the European Union, or to the former Soviet states of Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
 
Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress on: (1) how the economic policies of foreign countries with natural gas resources and reserves relate to the development and production of their natural gas resources and reserves, as well as the extent and status of their natural gas resources and reserves; (2) the potential of such countries to export their natural gas production to the global market, including the impact of such exports upon the global market; and (3) U.S. actions to foster natural gas exports to foreign countries having an interest in importing natural gas from the United States.
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-04-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.
action_date: 2014-03-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-05
text: Introduced in House