hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year Act

Bill: 114-s-2750
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2016-04-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Charitable contributions
Employee benefits and pensions
Financial services and investments
Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
Sales and excise taxes
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Tax-exempt organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: 

Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year Act 

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify several tax provisions affecting charitable contributions and tax-exempt organizations. 
 
The bill excludes from the gross income of an individual who is at least 70-1/2 years of age up to $100,000 in distributions from an individual retirement plan to a donor-advised fund (DAF). 
 
(A DAF is a fund or account that is separately identified by reference to contributions of a donor or donors. The account is owned and controlled by a sponsoring charitable organization, while the donor retains advisory privileges with respect to the distribution and investment of funds in the account.) 
 
Sponsors of DAFs must disclose in their returns specified details regarding: (1) policies on inactive or dormant funds, and (2) average aggregate contributions to and grants made from the funds during the most recent three-year period. 
 
The bill reduces from 2% to 1% the excise tax on the investment income of private foundations and eliminates a provision that reduces the rate to 1% if a foundation meets certain distribution requirements. 
 
Tax-exempt organizations must file their returns in electronic form, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must make the returns available to the public in a machine readable format as soon as practicable. The IRS may delay the requirement for up to two years for certain small organizations. 
 
The IRS may determine the standard mileage rate for deducting the cost of using a passenger automobile for charitable purposes (currently set by statute at 14 cents per mile), and the rate may not be less than the rate for medical purposes (19 cents per mile for 2016). 
 
The bill exempts certain philanthropic business holdings from the tax on excess business holdings of private foundations if a foundation meets requirements for exclusive ownership, donating all profits to charity, and independent operation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Support Startup Businesses Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2751
Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2016-04-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Intellectual property
Marketing and advertising
Research and development
Small business
Technology transfer and commercialization

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: 

Support Startup Businesses Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize a small business concern receiving a Phase II award (grants of up to $1 million, for up to 2 years, to facilitate expansion of Phase I startup results) under the Small Business Innovation Research program, for FY2017-FY2019, to use up to 5% of the Phase II award for commercialization-related services, including market validation, intellectual property protection, business model development, market research, and other reasonable services that support market entry.
 
These services may be performed directly by the small business concern or obtained from a public or private nonprofit organization, a state agency, or another state-funded entity that facilitates or accelerates the commercialization of technologies or assists in the creation and growth of private enterprises that are commercializing technology.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Preventing Iran's Access to United States Dollars Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2752
Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL]
Introduced: 2016-04-06 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Congressional oversight
Currency
Foreign and international banking
Foreign property
Iran
Licensing and registrations
Middle East
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Sanctions
War and emergency powers

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: 

Preventing Iran's Access to United States Dollars Act of 2016

 
This bill prohibits the President from issuing a license that permits a person to: 
 
 
conduct an offshore U.S. dollar clearing system for transactions involving the government of Iran or an Iranian person, or 
 
provide U.S. dollars for any offshore U.S. dollar clearing system conducted by a foreign government or a foreign financial institution for transactions involving the government of Iran or an Iranian person.
 
 
The Department of the Treasury shall report to Congress:
 
 
a list of financial institutions operating or participating in an offshore U.S. dollar clearing system that conducts transactions involving the government of Iran or an Iranian person, and 
 
an assessment of Treasury efforts to prevent such transactions. 
 
 
The President shall block and prohibit all transactions in property and property interests of any listed institution if the property and interests: (1) are in the United States, (2) come within the United States, or (3) are or come within the possession or control of a U.S. person. The President may impose additional sanctions pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
 
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 is amended to subject to sanctions: (1) u-turn transactions (fund transfers from a foreign bank that pass through a U.S. financial institution and are then transferred to a second foreign bank), and (2) book transfers (fund transfers for the benefit of an Iranian financial institution made between accounts of the same financial institution).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Elevating Educator Preparation Through Innovation Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2753
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2016-04-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Licensing and registrations
Special education
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: 

Elevating Educator Preparation Through Innovation Act of 2016

 
This bill amends title II (Teacher Quality Enhancement) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions related to the Teacher Quality Partnership grant program. Specifically, the bill:
 
 
modifies requirements regarding which types of entities must, or may, be included in a grant-eligible partnership;
 
eliminates the requirement that a teaching residency program must culminate in the attainment of a master's degree; and
 
expands the purposes for which grant funds may be used.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Iran Cyber Sanctions Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2756
Sponsor: Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]
Introduced: 2016-04-06 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Computer security and identity theft
Congressional oversight
Foreign property
Iran
Middle East
Sanctions
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: 

Iran Cyber Sanctions Act of 2016

 
This bill requires the President to report to Congress at least every 180 days regarding significant activities undermining cybersecurity conducted by Iranian persons against the United States or U.S. persons. The reports must: (1) identify Iranians involved in such activities; (2) describe their conduct; (3) assess the Iranian government's or other foreign governments' material support for such activities; and (4) provide a strategy to counter efforts by Iranian persons to conduct such activities, which shall include engaging foreign governments to halt the capabilities of such Iranian persons.
 
The President must include on the Office of Foreign Assets Control's specially designated nationals and blocked persons list (which identifies individuals and entities whose assets within the United States are blocked from being accessed and with whom U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions) Iranian persons who are: (1) identified in such reports; or (2) indicted by the Department of Justice in connection with such activities undermining U.S. cybersecurity, unless the President submits an explanation for excluding such a person from that list.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Iran Financial System Access Limitation Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2757
Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]
Introduced: 2016-04-06 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Foreign and international banking
Foreign property
International monetary system and foreign exchange
Iran
Licensing and registrations
Middle East
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: 

Iran Financial System Access Limitation Act of 2016

 
This bill expresses the sense of Congress that Congress must act to preempt any move to grant licenses resulting in Iran's access to the U.S. dollar. 
 
The President may not issue a license to an offshore dollar-clearing entity to conduct a transaction in U.S. dollars with an Iranian financial institution. 
 
A U.S. person may not process (in a U-turn transaction) any transfer of funds to or from Iran, or for the benefit of persons in Iran or the government of Iran, even if the transfer arises from, and is ordinarily incident and necessary to give effect to, an underlying transaction.
 
The President shall block and prohibit transactions in all property and property interests of any foreign financial institution that serves as an offshore dollar clearing entity to conduct a transaction with an Iranian financial institution in U.S. dollars if such property and property interests are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a U.S. person.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Introduced in Senate
PROP Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2758
Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI]
Introduced: 2016-04-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Drug therapy
Health care quality
Hospital care
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: 

Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing Act of 2016 or the PROP Act of 2016

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to exclude certain pain-related measures for purposes of calculating incentive payments under the value-based purchasing program (VBP). (VBP is a program that links hospital payments to the quality of care provided.)
 
Specifically, VPB measures shall not include measures based on a patient's assessment of: (1) the patient's need for pain medicine during a hospital stay; (2) how often, during the stay, the patient's pain was well controlled; or (3) how often, during the stay, hospital staff did everything they could to help manage the patient's pain.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Credit for Caring Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2759
Sponsor: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
Introduced: 2016-04-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance
Income tax credits
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: 

Credit for Caring Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an eligible caregiver a new tax credit for 30% of the cost of long-term care expenses that exceed $2,000, up to $3,000 in a taxable year. The bill defines &quot;eligible caregiver&quot; as an individual who pays or incurs expenses for providing care to a spouse or other dependent relative with long-term care needs and who has earned income for the taxable year in excess of $7,500. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Introduced in Senate
SAFE Lending Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2760
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2016-04-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Computer security and identity theft
Congressional oversight
Consumer credit
Economic development
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government studies and investigations
Indian social and development programs
Licensing and registrations
Minority and disadvantaged businesses

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: 

Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic Lending Act of 2016 or the SAFE Lending Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) to declare that a remotely created check may only be issued by a person specifically designated in writing by the consumer to the insured depository institution at which the consumer maintains the account from which the check is drawn.
 
 A remotely created check is a paper or electronic check that:
 
 
is not created by the financial institution that holds the customer account from which the check is to be paid; and
 
does not bear a signature applied, or purported to be applied, by the account holder.
 
 
A consumer may revoke authorization for remotely created checks at any time. 
 
The bill prohibits issuance of any payment order in response to a consumer's exercise of federal consumer financial rights.
 
Any voluntary electronic fund transfer to repay a small-dollar consumer credit transaction shall be treated as preauthorized under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA).
 
The TILA is amended to require registration with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by any small-dollar lender that facilitates, brokers, arranges, or gathers applications for small-dollar consumer credit (of up to $5,000, adjusted for inflation) extended pursuant to an open-end, non-open-end, or other CFPB-determined credit plan meeting specified criteria.
 
Small-dollar consumer credit transactions must comply with state law where the consumer resides.
 
The EFTA is amended to:
 
 
declare unlawful overdraft fees charged on a general-use prepaid card; and
 
authorize the CFPB to prohibit fees for declined transactions involving such a card. 
 
 
The TILA is further amended to prohibit a person from certain activities, including distributing sensitive personal financial information, in connection with a small-dollar consumer credit transaction, if that person (&quot;lead generator&quot;) does not itself grant the credit directly to the consumer.
 
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) shall study: (1) the availability of capital on Indian reservations, and (2) the impact on tribal economic opportunity and wealth of small-dollar consumer credit extensions to tribal members through Internet and non-Internet means.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1811-1812)
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Introduced in Senate
FAA Community Accountability Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2761
Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
Introduced: 2016-04-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Air quality
Aviation and airports
Community life and organization
Congressional oversight
Department of Transportation
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Land use and conservation
Noise pollution
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: 

FAA Community Accountability Act of 2016

 
This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in considering flight paths or procedures as part of the implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, to limit negative impacts on the human environment near airports. The FAA may give preference to overlays of existing flight paths or procedures to ensure compatibility with land use.
 
The FAA shall appoint an FAA Community Ombudsman for each of its regions to:
 
 
act as a liaison with communities regarding problems related to the impact of commercial aviation on the human environment; 
 
 monitor the impact of System implementation on communities near affected airports; 
 
 make recommendations to address community concerns and improve the use of community comments in FAA decisionmaking; and 
 
 report periodically on the impact of commercial aviation on the human environment and on FAA responsiveness to community concerns. 
 
 
The FAA, in implementing the System, may not treat the establishment or revision of a flight path or procedure as covered by a categorical exclusion if an Ombudsman or airport operator submits notification that: (1) extraordinary circumstances exist, or (2) the establishment or revision will have a significant adverse impact on the human environment near such airport. The FAA, before treating such establishment or revision as covered by a categorical exclusion, shall provide notice and an opportunity for comment to persons affected. 
 
The bill requires the FAA to: (1) reconsider a flight path or procedure established or revised after February 14, 2012, as part of the implementation of the System if an Ombudsman or airport operator submits written notification that the establishment or revision is resulting in a significant adverse impact on the human environment near the airport, (2) provide notice of such reconsideration and an opportunity for public comment, (3) assess the impacts on the human environment, and (4) report on comments received, assessment results, and changes to be made.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Introduced in Senate
RECOUP Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2762
Sponsor: Sen. Coats, Daniel [R-IN]
Introduced: 2016-04-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: 

Recovering Erroneous Credits from Outlaws and Unlawful Persons Act of 2016 or the RECOUP Act of 2016 

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the full recapture of advance payments of refundable tax credits for health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, if the payments were made to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States or are incarcerated. The bill also specifies that the premiums of certain incarcerated individuals for whom a taxpayer is allowed a deduction for a personal exemption (including the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or dependents) must be excluded from calculations of premium assistance credit amounts. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Cyber AIR Act

Bill: 114-s-2764
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2016-04-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Aviation and airports
Computer security and identity theft
Congressional oversight
Department of Transportation
Telephone and wireless communication
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: 

Cybersecurity Standards for Aircraft to Improve Resilience Act of 2016 or the Cyber AIR Act

 
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to require domestic or foreign air carriers and manufacturers of aircraft or electronic control, communications, maintenance, or ground support systems for aircraft to disclose to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) any attempted or successful cyberattack against any system on board an aircraft or against any maintenance or ground support system for aircraft.
 
The FAA shall use the information obtained through such disclosures to: (1) improve the regulations (to be prescribed by DOT) to incorporate requirements relating to cybersecurity into the requirements for obtaining an air carrier operating certificate or a production certificate; and (2) notify air carriers, aircraft manufacturers, and other federal agencies of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in systems on board an aircraft or maintenance or ground support systems for aircraft. 
 
In prescribing such regulations, DOT must require: (1) all entry points to the electronic systems of each aircraft operating in U.S. airspace and maintenance or ground support systems for such aircraft to be equipped with reasonable measures to protect against cyberattacks; and (2) the periodic evaluation of, and updates to, such measures for security vulnerabilities using best security practices.
 
The FAA must report to Congress annually on attempted and successful cyberattacks against any system on board an aircraft and against maintenance or ground support systems for aircraft.
 
The Commercial Aviation Communications Safety and Security Leadership Group shall: (1) be responsible for evaluating the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of certain broadband wireless communications equipment designed for consumer use on board aircraft; and (2) require the implementation by air carriers, manufacturers, and communications service providers of technical and operational security measures it deems necessary to prevent cyberattacks that exploit such equipment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2016-04-07
text: Introduced in Senate