hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Veterans TRICARE Choice Act

Bill: 114-s-448
Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
Military medicine
Military personnel and dependents

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Veterans TRICARE Choice Act

 
 Allows an individual who is eligible to participate in the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed health care program) to: (1) elect to be ineligible to enroll in such program, (2) make tax deductible contributions to a health savings account during the period such individual elects to be ineligible for TRICARE coverage, and (3) enroll in the TRICARE program at a later date during a special enrollment period.
 
Requires DOD to: (1) submit to the Internal Revenue Service information on each TRICARE-eligible individual who makes such election for purposes of determining such individual's eligibility for a health savings account; and (2) report to Congress, annually, on elections by TRICARE-eligible individuals under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to reduce recidivism and increase public safety.

Bill: 114-s-449
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Government studies and investigations
Juvenile crime and gang violence
U.S. Sentencing Commission

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 
Directs the Attorney General to: (1) evaluate best practices used for the reentry of federal prisoners released from custody, (2) select an appropriate number of federal judicial districts to conduct federal reentry demonstration projects using such best practices, and (3) report on the impact of reentry of prisoners on communities in which a disproportionate number of individuals reside upon release from incarceration.
 
Amends the federal criminal code to require a presentence report to include: (1) information about the defendant's history of substance abuse and addiction; (2) information about the defendant's service in the Armed Forces and veteran status; and (3) a detailed plan that the probation officer determines will reduce the likelihood that the defendant will abuse drugs or alcohol, will reduce the defendant's likelihood of recidivism by addressing the defendant's specific recidivism risk factors, and will assist the defendant in preparing for reentry into the community. 
 
Requires the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to: (1) establish a five-year recidivism reduction and recovery enhancement pilot program, premised on high-intensity supervision and the use of sanctions for noncompliance with program rules; and (2) conduct an evaluation of the pilot program and report to Congress on the results of the evaluation. Sets forth requirements for participation in the pilot program. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-450
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Inflation and prices
Sales and excise taxes

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2015

 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the excise tax on tobacco products, to tax pipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco products, and large cigars at the same level as cigarettes. Revises the definition of "tobacco products," for purposes of such tax, to include any other product determined to be a tobacco product by the Food and Drug Administration. Makes smokeless tobacco products sold in discrete single-use units subject to an excise tax of $50.33 per thousand. Provides for an inflation adjustment in calendar years beginning after 2015 to the dollar amounts of tobacco products subject to the excise tax. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced CR S927-928)
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-451
Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Computers and information technology
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Rural conditions and development
School administration
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2015

 
Replaces part D (Enhancing Education Through Technology) of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) with a new part D (Achievement Through Technology and Innovation).
 
Directs the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to strengthen state and local technological infrastructure and professional learning that supports digital learning.
 
Allocates grant funds among states in proportion to each state's share of school improvement funds under part A of title I of the ESEA.
 
Requires states to use at least 90% of their grant to award subgrants to LEAs. 
 
Requires LEAs to use: (1) at least 40% of those funds to support the acquisition of technology that addresses their technology infrastructure and access needs; and (2) at least 40% of those funds to provide digital age professional learning opportunities for teachers, principals, school leaders, paraprofessionals, library and media personnel, specialized instructional support personnel, technology coordinators, and administrators.
 
Allows states to form purchasing consortia with other states, and allows LEAs to form purchasing consortia with other LEAs, to carry out grant and subgrant activities, including the purchase of technology.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Defense of Ukraine Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-452
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Conflicts and wars
Congressional oversight
Europe
Foreign aid and international relief
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Military operations and strategy
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Russia
Ukraine

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Defense of Ukraine Act of 2015

 
This bill authorizes the President to provide lethal weapons to the government of Ukraine in order to defend itself against Russian-backed rebel separatists in eastern Ukraine.
 
The President is directed to submit to Congress: (1) a comprehensive U.S. strategy to provide lethal weapons to the government of Ukraine so that it may defend itself from Russian-backed rebels, and (2) a strategy implementation assessment every 90 days.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S928-929; text of measure as introduced: CR S929)
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-453
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Emergency medical services and trauma care
Health care coverage and access
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Licensing and registrations
Medical education
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2015

 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration program for states with a shortage of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to streamline state requirements and procedures to assist veterans who completed military EMT training to meet state EMT certification, licensure, and other requirements. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
ExaSCALE Computing Leadership Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-454
Sponsor: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Biological and life sciences
Computer security and identity theft
Computers and information technology
Department of Energy
Electric power generation and transmission
Manufacturing
Materials
Public-private cooperation
Research administration and funding
Research and development

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 
 
Exascale Computing for Science, Competitiveness, Advanced Manufacturing, Leadership, and the Economy Act of 2015 or the ExaSCALE Computing Leadership Act of 2015

 
 Renames the Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 as the Exascale Computing for Science, Competitiveness, Advanced Manufacturing, Leadership, and the Economy Act of 2015.
 
Defines &quot;exascale computing&quot; as computing through the use of a computing machine that performs near or above 10 to the 18th power floating point operations per second.
 
Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to:
 
 
conduct a research program to develop exascale computing machine architectures to promote DOE missions;
 
establish national laboratory partnerships with industry partners and institutions of higher education (IHEs) for the research and development of exascale computing systems across all applicable DOE organizations;
 
provide, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, access for researchers in U.S. industries, IHEs, National Laboratories, and other federal agencies to the exascale computing systems developed under this Act;
 
select members for such partnerships through a competitive, peer-review process; and
 
execute the program through an integration of application, computer science, and computer hardware architecture using those partnerships to ensure that exascale computing machine architectures are capable of solving DOE target applications and broader scientific problems.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-09
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Innovators Job Creation Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-455
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Employment taxes
Income tax credits
Research and development
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Innovators Job Creation Act of 2015

 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a qualified small business to elect to use a portion of its tax credit for increasing research expenditures as an offset against its payroll tax liability under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. 
 
Defines "qualified small business" as a corporation, a partnership, or a person other than a tax-exempt organization that had gross receipts of less than $5 million for the taxable year and that did not have gross receipts for any period preceding the five-taxable-year period ending with such taxable year. 
 
Limits: (1) the number of years a taxpayer may elect to offset payroll taxes under this Act to five, and (2) the annual amount of such offset to $250,000.
 
Allows an offset of research tax credit amounts against alternative minimum tax liability. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Civil Rights Voting Restoration Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-457
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Law enforcement administration and funding
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Civil Rights Voting Restoration Act of 2015

 
 Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because the individual has been convicted of a non-violent criminal offense, unless, at the time of the election, the individual is serving a sentence in a correctional facility or a term of probation. 
 
Restores the right to vote of an individual on probation: (1) on the date the term of probation ends, if such term is less than one year; or (2) one year after the date the individual begins serving the term of probation, if such term is one year or longer.
 
Directs the Attorney General to determine and establish a list of the criminal offenses under federal and state law that are non-violent criminal offenses.
 
Provides for enforcement of, and remedies for violations of, this Act.
 
Sets forth requirements for state and federal notification of individuals of their voting rights pursuant to this Act.
 
Prohibits a state, local government, or other person from receiving or using federal grant amounts to construct or improve a place of incarceration unless that person has in effect a program under which each incarcerated individual is notified, upon release, of his or her rights under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Provider Tax Administrative Simplification Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-459
Sponsor: Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Department of Health and Human Services
Housing for the elderly and disabled
Intergovernmental relations
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicaid
State and local taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Provider Tax Administrative Simplification Act of 2015

 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to approve a waiver of the uniform tax requirement (whether or not the tax is broad based), regardless of whether the state concerned satisfies certain requirements, for any state with a provider tax that does not apply to continuing care retirement communities or life care communities that: (1) have no beds certified to provide medical assistance under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, or (2) do not provide services for which Medicaid payment may be made.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Drinking Water Protection Act

Bill: 114-s-460
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental technology
Government information and archives
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health information and medical records
Water quality
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Drinking Water Protection Act 

 
This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and submit to Congress a strategic plan for assessing and managing risks associated with algal toxins in drinking water provided by public water systems. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, have the ability to produce cyanotoxins, or algal toxins. When certain conditions are favorable, algae can rapidly multiply causing blooms, or dense surface scums, that may be toxic. 
 
The plan must include steps and time lines to:
 
 
evaluate the risk to human health from drinking water contaminated with algal toxins;
 
 establish, publish, and update a comprehensive list of algal toxins that may have an adverse effect on human health;
 
 summarize the known adverse human health effects of algal toxins and the factors that cause toxin-producing cyanobacteria and algae to grow rapidly and make toxins; 
 
determine whether to publish health advisories for algal toxins and establish relevant guidance; 
 
recommend feasible treatment options; and 
 
enter into cooperative agreements with, and provide technical assistance to, affected states and public water systems to manage risks associated with algal toxins. 
 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Safe and Secure Drinking Water Protection Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-462
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental health
Environmental regulatory procedures
Government information and archives
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Water quality
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Safe and Secure Drinking Water Protection Act of 2015

 
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and publish within 180 days a health advisory with recommendations on: (1) the level of microcystins (toxins produced by freshwater cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae) in drinking water that is safe for human consumption; (2) feasible treatment techniques and other means for achieving a safe level; and (3) standardized procedures for testing for microcystins in drinking water. 
 
The EPA must report annually on: (1) the status of the EPA's efforts to determine whether to regulate microcystins in drinking water, (2) the steps taken by the EPA to promote testing of drinking water for microcystins in areas that have been affected by harmful algal blooms, and (3) an analysis of available treatment techniques and other means for addressing microcystins in drinking water. The EPA must submit its first report within 180 days.
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to prohibit the paying of premium subsidies on policies based on the actual market price of an agricultural commodity at the time of harvest.

Bill: 114-s-463
Sponsor: Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural insurance
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 
This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to prohibit the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation from paying a premium subsidy for a crop insurance policy that is based on the actual market price of an agricultural commodity at the time of harvest. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-468
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Birds
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Forests, forestry, trees
Mammals
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act of 2015

 
This bill provides a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for a vegetation management project by the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service involving removal or treatment of any Pinyon or Juniper tree to conserve or restore the habitat of the greater sage-grouse or mule deer.
 
Under NEPA a categorical exclusion is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations. Therefore, neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is required.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Safeguarding Classrooms Hurt by ObamaCare's Obligatory Levies

Bill: 114-s-470
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2015-02-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Comprehensive health care
Congressional oversight
Elementary and secondary education
Employee benefits and pensions
Government studies and investigations
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Higher education
Sales and excise taxes
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-12
text: 

Safeguarding Classrooms Hurt by ObamaCare's Obligatory Levies
 
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude any elementary or secondary school, state or local educational agency, and institution of higher education from the definition of "applicable large employer" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide health care coverage for employees.
 
Directs the Secretary of Education to study and report on the impact of the employer health insurance mandate on educational agencies and institutions before and after the enactment of this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-12
text: Introduced in Senate