hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to rename the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking of the Department of State the Bureau to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and to provide for an Assistant Secretary to head such Bureau, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-1876
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2015-07-28 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Department of State
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Human trafficking

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: 
Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to: (1) redesignate the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking as the Bureau to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, and (2) require an Assistant Secretary to head the Bureau.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require the Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Planned Parenthood, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-1877
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Introduced: 2015-07-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Abortion
Appropriations
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding
Organ and tissue donation and transplantation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: 
This bill directs the Attorney General to request that a division of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia appoint a special prosecutor to: (1) determine whether any action taken by Planned Parenthood Federation of America or any other entity that receives federal funds and conducts abortions or that provides funds to any other entity that conducts abortions violated any federal law relating to abortion, including the inappropriate change of abortion procedure, the use of fetus tissue following an abortion, or the use of federal funds for abortion; and (2) prosecute, if warranted, any such violation.
 
The bill rescinds the unobligated balance of any federal funds provided to the Planned Parenthood and any affiliate state or local office and makes such amounts available to the special prosecutor to carry out activities under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6077)
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Introduced in Senate
Helping Veterans Save for Health Care Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1880
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-07-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Disability and paralysis
Health care costs and insurance
Income tax deductions
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: 

Helping Veterans Save for Health Care Act of 2015 

 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a veteran receiving hospital care or medical services for a service-connected disabililty is not disqualified from participating in or contributing to a tax-preferred health savings account. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to prohibit Federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Bill: 114-s-1881
Sponsor: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
Introduced: 2015-07-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Abortion
Family planning and birth control
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding
Sex and reproductive health
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: 
This bill prohibits federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America or its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-03
text: Motion by Senator McConnell to reconsider the vote by which cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure was not invoked (Record Vote No. 262) entered in Senate.
action_date: 2015-08-03
text: Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 46. Record Vote Number: 262. (consideration: CR S6227-6228; text: CR S6227)
action_date: 2015-08-03
text: Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S6215-6228)
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (consideration CR S6161; text: CR S6161)
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration CR S6161-6164, S6166-6180)
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 169.
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2015-07-28
text: Introduced in Senate
Childhood Cancer STAR Act

Bill: 114-s-1883
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Cancer
Child health
Congressional oversight
Department of Health and Human Services
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Drug therapy
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Home and outpatient care
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medical education
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mental health
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Research administration and funding
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2015 or the Childhood Cancer STAR Act
 
 
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide support to collect the medical specimens and information of children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer to improve the understanding of these cancers and of the effects of treatment.
 
The national childhood cancer registry is reauthorized through FY2020 and revised to require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to states to improve tracking of childhood cancers.
 
This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require manufacturers and distributors of investigational drugs to publish policies for compassionate use of the drugs.
 
The Department of Health and Human Services must: (1) support pilot programs to develop or study models for monitoring and caring for childhood cancer survivors throughout their lives, (2) convene a Workforce Development Collaborative on Medical and Psychosocial Care for Pediatric Cancer Survivors, (3) establish a task force on standards for high-quality childhood cancer survivorship care, and (4) carry out a demonstration project to improve care coordination as childhood cancer survivors transition to adult care.
 
The NIH must support research on: (1) outcomes for, and barriers faced by, pediatric cancer survivors within minority or medically underserved populations; and (2) follow-up care for pediatric cancer survivors, including research on the late effects of cancer treatment and long-term complications.
 The Government Accountability Office must make recommendations to address barriers to childhood cancer survivors obtaining and paying for adequate medical care.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6138)
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1884
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Department of Health and Human Services
Medicare
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2015
 
 
This bill amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to offer one or more Medicare-operated prescription drug plan options. In doing so, CMS must: (1) negotiate prices with drug manufacturers; (2) establish an appeals process for denials of plan benefits, including the option for external review and determination by an independent entity; and (3) establish and apply a formulary and formulary incentives. In general, a Medicare-operated drug plan must meet the same requirements as apply to any other prescription drug plan.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6139-6140)
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Veteran Housing Stability Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1885
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Homelessness and emergency shelter
Low- and moderate-income housing
Performance measurement
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Veteran Housing Stability Act of 2015

 
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide: 
 
 
intensive case management interventions for veterans enrolled in the VA's homeless registry and the annual patient enrollment system, and 
 
 case management services to improve housing retention by veterans who were previously homeless and are transitioning to permanent housing and veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless. 
 
 
The VA housing assistance program is expanded to include: (1) veterans and their families who are at risk of becoming homeless, and very low-income veteran families; and (2) assistance for acquiring and transitioning to, and maintaining occupancy in, permanent housing.
 
The VA shall: 
 
 
conduct outreach to realtors, landlords, property management companies, and developers to educate them about the housing needs of veterans and the benefits of having veterans as tenants; and 
 
establish and operate a National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans which shall carry out research into the causes of and contributing factors to veteran homelessness, assess the effectiveness of VA homeless veterans programs, and serve as a center for the exchange of information regarding activities carried out by the VA and by other federal and non-federal entities for veteran homelessness.
 
 
Each year the VA shall review each grant recipient and eligible entity that received a per diem payment for furnishing services to homeless veterans to evaluate its performance with respect to: 
 
 
the success of the grant recipient or eligible entity in assisting veterans to obtain, transition into, and retain permanent housing; and 
 
increasing the income of veterans by helping them obtain either employment or appropriate income-related benefits.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-06
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-242.
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6182-6183)
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
REBUILD Act

Bill: 114-s-1889
Sponsor: Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Appropriations
Child health
Community life and organization
Crime prevention
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Economic development
Employment and training programs
Executive agency funding and structure
Firearms and explosives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health programs administration and funding
Housing and community development funding
Indian social and development programs
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Law enforcement administration and funding
Mental health
Public housing
Racial and ethnic relations
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
Small Business Administration
Small business
Unemployment
Veterans' medical care
Violent crime
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Rebuilding Urban Inner Cities Is Long Overdue Act of 2015 or the REBUILD Act 

 
Provides FY2015 supplemental appropriations for the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 
 
Designates each amount provided by this bill as an emergency requirement, pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Provides that the funds are only available if the President subsequently designates the amounts. (Emergency spending is exempt from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules.) 
 
Provides appropriations to DOJ for: the Office of Justice Programs, including State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Juvenile Justice Programs; and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). 
 
Provides appropriations to the SBA for Entrepreneurial Development Programs and the Business Loans Program Account. 
 
Provides appropriations to Labor for the Employment and Training Administration. 
 
Provides appropriations to HHS for the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 
 
Provides appropriations to HUD for Public and Indian Housing, Community Planning and Development, and the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. 
 
Requires HUD to extend current Moving to Work agreements of previously designated participating agencies until the end of FY2028, subject to specified requirements and restrictions. (Moving to Work is a demonstration program that provides HUD and local Public Housing Authorities flexibility to test alternative policies for providing housing assistance through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and the public housing program.) 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6182)
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Coal Royalty Fairness Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1891
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Coal
Congressional oversight
Energy prices
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Coal Royalty Fairness Act of 2015

 
Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require the coal lease royalty to be at least 12.5% of the assessment value of federal coal (currently, 12.5% of the value of coal as defined by regulation), which value shall be established by the Secretary of the Interior within one year after enactment of this Act. 
 
Defines "assessment value" as: (1) the price of federal coal paid by the purchaser at final sale, or (2) a price imputed by the Secretary based on the coal price index. Defines "coal price index" as the schedule of average market prices of federal coal paid by the purchaser at final sale, based on the quality and type of the federal coal, as determined by the Secretary.
 
Directs the purchaser of federal coal to annually submit a report containing such information as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to examine the records of any person engaged in the purchase, sale, transportation, or marketing of federal coal. Directs the Secretary to: (1) compile the assessment values of coal by type and quality of coal in the coal price index, and (2) publish such index at least quarterly. 
 
Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) determining and assessing royalties for the export of federal coal, (2) compiling in a transportation cost index the average costs of transporting coal, and (3) determining the amount of any applicable transportation cost deduction on the basis of such index. Requires the Secretary to publish such index at least twice annually.
 
Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress every 3 years over a 15-year period on a review of the federal coal program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6140; text of measure as introduced: CR S6140-6141)
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Teacher Loan Repayment Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1892
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Higher education
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Teacher Loan Repayment Act of 2015

 
This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the financial aid programs for teachers.
 
Specifically, it terminates the authority of the Department of Education (ED) to: (1) award new grants under the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program and (2) enter new loan forgiveness agreements under the under the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program.
 
The bill authorizes and directs ED to administer a new loan repayment for teachers program. To qualify, a borrower must be a full-time teacher in a low-income school or location and meet other requirements. ED, on behalf of a qualified borrower, makes $250-$400 direct monthly payments on Federal Family Education Loan or Direct Loan program Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and, in certain circumstances, Consolidation Loans.
 
To remain eligible for loan repayment, a borrower must continue to be employed in the school or location of initial eligibility.
 
The total maximum loan repayment amount is $23,400 over six years. A borrower must repay the remaining principal and interest.
 
An individual who currently participates in the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program may continue participating in such program or enter the new loan repayment for teachers program. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Downwinders Compensation Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1895
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Arizona
Cancer
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Civil actions and liability
Digestive and metabolic diseases
Nevada
Nuclear weapons
Radiation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Downwinders Compensation Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to expand eligibility for restitution relating to atmospheric nuclear testing to individuals who were present, during the periods of testing, in any part of Clark County, Nevada, or any part of any county in Arizona that has a part north of the Grand Canyon.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6143)
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Payroll Fraud Prevention Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1896
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Labor
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Labor standards
Performance measurement
Personnel records
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Unemployment
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Payroll Fraud Prevention Act of 2015

 
 This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to require every person (including every employer and enterprise) that employs an employee or non-employee who performs labor or services, including through an entity such as a trust, estate, partnership, association, company, or corporation, to: (1) classify such individuals accurately as employees or non-employees; and (2) notify each new employee and new non-employee of his or her classification as an employee or non-employee, together with information concerning their legal rights.
 
Makes it unlawful for any person to: (1) discharge or otherwise discriminate against an individual (including an employee) who has opposed any practice, or filed a complaint or instituted any proceeding related to this Act, including with respect to an individual's status as an employee or non-employee; and (2) wrongly classify an employee as a non-employee.
 
Doubles the amount of liquidated damages for maximum hours, minimum wage, and notice of classification violations by an employer. Subjects a person who: (1) violates such requirements (including recordkeeping requirements) to a civil penalty of up to $1,100; or (2) repeatedly or willfully violates such requirements to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation.
 
Directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to establish a single webpage on the Department of Labor website that summarizes the rights of employees and non-employees under the FLSA and this Act.
 
Amends the Social Security Act to require, as a condition for a federal grant for the administration of state unemployment compensation, for the state's unemployment compensation law to include a provision for: (1) auditing programs that identify employers that have not registered under the state law or that are paying unreported compensation where the effect is to exclude employees from unemployment compensation coverage, and (2) establishing administrative penalties for misclassifying employees or paying unreported unemployment compensation to employees. 
 
Requires any office, administration, or division of DOL to report any misclassification of an employee by a person subject to the FLSA that it discovers to the Department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Authorizes the WHD to report such information to the Internal Revenue Service.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate