hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Health Insurance Freedom Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1348
Sponsor: Rep. Ellmers, Renee L. [R-NC-2]
Introduced: 2015-03-10 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Insurance industry and regulation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: 

Health Insurance Freedom Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to allow health insurance that meets state and federal benefit requirements as of October 1, 2013, to be sold on health insurance exchanges. Such insurance fulfills an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage but is not eligible for premium assistance and is not treated as a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plan. Currently, health insurance must provide the essential health benefits to be sold on health insurance exchanges and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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: 2015-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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: 2015-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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: 2015-03-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: Introduced in House
United States-Israel Anti-Tunnel Defense Cooperation Act

Bill: 114-hr-1349
Sponsor: Rep. Graham, Gwen [D-FL-2]
Introduced: 2015-03-10 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Arab-Israeli relations
Congressional oversight
Foreign aid and international relief
Gaza Strip
Intellectual property
Israel
Middle East
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Military operations and strategy
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Palestinians
Research and development

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: 

United States-Israel Anti-Tunnel Defense Cooperation Act

 
 This bill authorizes the President, upon request of the government of Israel, and acting through the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State, to: 
 
 
carry out research, development, and test activities on a joint basis with Israel to establish an anti-tunneling defense system to detect, map, and destroy underground tunnels from Gaza to the territory of Israel or other countries that share a border with Gaza; and 
 
provide assistance to Israel for an anti-tunneling system. 
 
 
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act may be obligated or expended until the President, acting through the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State, makes specified certifications to Congress regarding: 
 
 
fund use by Israel, 
 
sharing of research and development costs, and 
 
the rights to any intellectual property developed under the cooperative research and development projects.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 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: 2015-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 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: 2015-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 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: 2015-03-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: Introduced in House
Homeowners' Defense Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1351
Sponsor: Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
Introduced: 2015-03-10 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Disaster relief and insurance
Government corporations and government-sponsored enterprises
Housing finance and home ownership
Life, casualty, property insurance
Securities

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: 

 Homeowners' Defense Act of 2015

 
 Establishes the National Catastrophe Risk Consortium, as a non-federal, non-profit entity, to ensure the availability and affordability of homeowners' insurance coverage for catastrophic events. 
 
Directs the Consortium to: (1) maintain an inventory of catastrophe risk obligations held by state reinsurance funds, state residual insurance market entities, and state-sponsored providers of natural catastrophe insurance; (2) issue, on a conduit basis, securities and other financial instruments linked to catastrophe risks insured or reinsured through Consortium members; (3) coordinate reinsurance contracts; (4) act as a centralized repository of state risk information accessible by certain private-market participants; and (5) establish a database to perform research and analysis that encourages standardization of the risk-linked securities market.
 
 Shields the federal government and the Consortium from liability for Consortium actions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-10
text: Introduced in House
PATIENT Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1353
Sponsor: Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Promoting Access for Treatments Ideal in Enhancing New Therapies Act of 2015 or the PATIENT Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend to five years the three-year marketing exclusivity period provided to certain new drugs that include an active ingredient that was already approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
 
A drug is provided this extended exclusivity period if it is approved for a new indication or use, or the drug has been reformulated or redesigned to:
 
 
promote greater patient adherence to an approved treatment regime,
 
reduce the public health risks associated with the drug,
 
reduce side effects or adverse events,
 
provide benefits to the health-care system, or
 
 provide other comparable patient benefits. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
Permanently Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1354
Sponsor: Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Housing finance and home ownership
Low- and moderate-income housing

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Permanently Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 to repeal its sunset date December 31, 2014 (thus making the Act permanent). 
 
This bill restores and revives such Act, the provisions of law amended or repealed by it, and any regulations promulgated pursuant to it, as were in effect on December 31, 2014, as if the sunset had not taken effect.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
Small Business and Community Investments Expansion Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1355
Sponsor: Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Credit and credit markets
Housing and community development funding

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Small Business and Community Investments Expansion Act of 2015

 
 Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to authorize Federal Home Loan Banks to make long-term secured advances to their members to provide funds to community development financial institutions.
 
Requires a Bank, at the time of origination or renewal of a loan or advance, to obtain and maintain a security interest in collateral eligible pursuant to any secured loan for any community development financial institution. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1356
Sponsor: Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Department of Veterans Affairs
Employee performance
Federal officials
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Medical education
Personnel records
Right of privacy
Sex and reproductive health
State and local government operations
Veterans' medical care
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2015

 
Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) establish standards to ensure that all VA medical facilities have the structural characteristics necessary to adequately meet the gender-specific health care needs of veterans at such facilities, including privacy, safety, and dignity; (2) integrate such standards into its prioritization methodology with respect to requests for funding major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases; and (3) report on such standards, including regarding the facilities that fail to meet such standards and the costs of projects and leases required to meet them.
 
Requires the VA to: (1) use health outcomes for women veterans furnished health care by the the VA in evaluating the performance of VA medical center directors, (2) publish on its website information on such performance and on health outcomes for women veterans for each VA medical facility, (3) ensure that every VA medical center has a full-time obstetrician or gynecologist, and (4) carry out a pilot program to increase the number of residency program positions and graduate medical education positions for obstetricians and gynecologists at VA medical facilities in not less than three Veterans Integrated Service Networks.
 
Directs the VA to develop procedures to share information that includes military service and separation data, personal email addresses and telephone numbers, and mailing addresses of veterans with state veterans agencies in electronic format as a means of facilitating the furnishing of assistance and benefits to such veterans. Allows a veteran to elect to prevent their information from being shared.
 
Directs the Government Accountability Office to carry out an examination of whether VA medical centers are able to meet the health care needs of women veterans.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
Veterans Beneficiary Fraud Enforcement Act

Bill: 114-hr-1357
Sponsor: Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Department of Veterans Affairs
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Life, casualty, property insurance
Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Veterans Beneficiary Fraud Enforcement Act

 
This bill prohibits a Veterans' Group Life Insurance insuree from designating as a beneficiary any Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employee who is in a position of trust with the insured. (Such prohibition includes any doctor, caregiver, or caseworker working directly with the insured, unless such employee is the insured's spouse, child, parent, or other next of kin.)
 
The VA shall refer to an appropriate legal authority any incident of suspected or alleged fraud relating to a beneficiary designation under any Veterans' Group Life Insurance.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
Armor-Piercing Bullets Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1358
Sponsor: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Firearms and explosives

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Armor-Piercing Bullets Act of 2015

 
Amends the federal criminal code to provide that: (1) a .22 caliber projectile that would otherwise constitute &quot;armor piercing ammunition&quot; shall be considered to be primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes (and thus excluded from the definition of &quot;armor piercing ammunition&quot; for purposes of federal firearms provisions) if the projectile weighs 40 grains or less and is loaded into a rimfire cartridge, and (2) a projectile that would otherwise constitute &quot;armor piercing ammunition&quot; shall be considered to be primarily intended to be used for a sporting purpose if the projectile is loaded into a cartridge for which the only handgun that is readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade is a single shot handgun. 
 
Defines a &quot;single shot handgun&quot; as a break-open or bolt action handgun that can accept only a single cartridge manually and that does not accept or use a magazine or other ammunition feeding device, excluding a pocket pistol or derringer-type firearm.
 
Authorizes the Attorney General to treat a projectile as not primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes if substantial evidence exists that the projectile is not primarily intended to be used for such purposes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
American Dream Accounts Act

Bill: 114-hr-1359
Sponsor: Rep. Fattah, Chaka [D-PA-2]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Congressional oversight
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Financial literacy
Higher education
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

American Dream Accounts Act

 
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to eligible entities so each can establish and administer American Dream Accounts for a group of at least 30 low-income public school students who, at the time the entities apply for a grant, are attending a grade no higher than ninth grade.
 
Lists as eligible entities: (1) state educational agencies; (2) local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that operate as their own LEA; (3) charter management organizations or charter school authorizers; (4) institutions of higher education (IHEs) or Tribal Colleges or Universities; (5) nonprofit organizations; (6) entities experienced in educational savings or assisting low-income students attain higher education; (7) consortia of two or more of these entities; and (8) consortia of one or more of these entities and a public, charter, or Indian school.
 
Describes an American Dream Account as a personal online account for low-income students that monitors their progress toward higher education and includes a college savings account.
 
Requires American Dream Accounts to provide students with opportunities, either online or in person, to: (1) attain financial literacy; (2) learn about preparing for enrollment in an IHE; and (3) identify their skills or interests, including career interests.
 
Requires grantees, subject to federal privacy laws and regulations, to allow vested stakeholders to have secure Internet access to an American Dream Account, but not the college savings account portion of that Account.
 
Prohibits grantees from using their grant to provide the initial deposit into the college savings account portion of a student's American Dream Account.
 
Prohibits the funds in those college savings accounts from being considered in making federal student financial aid determinations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
action_date: 2015-04-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
Medicaid HOME Improvement Act

Bill: 114-hr-1361
Sponsor: Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Housing finance and home ownership
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicaid

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Medicaid Home Owner Maximum Equity Improvement Act or the Medicaid HOME Improvement Act

 
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act with respect to the denial of an individual's eligibility for nursing facility services or other long-term care services if the individual's equity interest in his or her home exceeds $500,000.
 
The state option to increase such threshold amount to $750,000 is eliminated.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
Medicaid REPORTS Act

Bill: 114-hr-1362
Sponsor: Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government information and archives
Intergovernmental relations
Medicaid
State and local finance

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Medicaid Requiring Expenditures for Public Objectives to be Reflective of Total Spending Act or the Medicaid REPORTS Act 

 
 This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to require each state to report each source of funds, each entity providing such funds, and the amount of funds from each source, used by the state to finance the non-federal share of expenditures under Medicaid.
 
The Secretary must make the information reported publicly available through publication on the Internet site of the Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
No Hungry Kids Act

Bill: 114-hr-1363
Sponsor: Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-4]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Child health
Elementary and secondary education
Food assistance and relief
Fruit and vegetables
Nutrition and diet
Poverty and welfare assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

No Hungry Kids Act

 
Nullifies the rule published by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) on January 26, 2012, establishing nutrition standards for the school lunch and breakfast programs. (This rule is summarized as requiring most schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat fluid milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat and trans fat in meals; and meet the nutrition needs of school children within their calorie requirements.)
 
Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to prohibit USDA's minimum nutritional requirements for school lunches from being construed as establishing a calorie maximum for individual school lunches or prohibiting a child from eating a lunch provided by the child's parent or legal guardian.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act

Bill: 114-hr-1364
Sponsor: Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Federal-Indian relations
Intergovernmental relations
Nuclear power
Radioactive wastes and releases
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act

 
This bill prohibits the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from authorizing construction of a nuclear waste repository unless the Secretary of Energy has entered into an agreement to host the repository with the following entities:
 
 
the governor of the state in which the repository is proposed to be located,
 
each affected unit of local government,
 
any unit of general local government contiguous to the affected unit if spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste will be transported through that unit of general local government for disposal at the repository, and
 
each affected Indian tribe.
 
 
Furthermore, any agreement to host the repository must meet the following conditions:
 
 
it must be written and signed by all parties,
 
it must be binding on the parties, and
 
it shall not be amended or revoked except by mutual agreement of the parties.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House