hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Preserving Medicare Advantage for all Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2104
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care quality
Health programs administration and funding
Medicaid
Medicare
Performance measurement
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Preserving Medicare Advantage for all Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2015

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) temporarily prohibit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid from terminating a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan contract solely because the MA plan fails to achieve a certain minimum quality rating, provided that the MA plan achieves a quality rating of at least two out of five stars; and (2) establish a demonstration project to provide funds to MA organizations for the development or expansion of programs or services to improve health care delivery and outcomes for enrollees of low socioeconomic status.
 
To qualify for demonstration project funding, an MA plan must meet specified requirements with respect to quality ratings and the percentage of plan enrollees either eligible for a low-income subsidy or dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. MA organizations receiving funds under the demonstration project must use those funds to target improvement by the MA plan with respect to certain quality rating measures.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Help Find the Missing Act

Bill: 114-s-2105
Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Child safety and welfare
Crimes against children
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Justice
Evidence and witnesses
Government information and archives
Law enforcement administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Billy's Law or the Help Find the Missing Act

 
This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ), through the National Institute of Justice, to maintain public databases, known as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), of missing persons and unidentified remains.
 
It requires DOJ to facilitate information sharing between the NamUs databases and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. DOJ must update the online data entry format to allow criminal justice agencies, medical examiners, and coroners to simultaneously submit information to NamUs and NCIC. DOJ must also promulgate rules that protect confidential, private, and law enforcement sensitive information. 
 
The bill amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require a law enforcement agency that submits a missing child report to NCIC to also submit such missing child report to NamUs.
 
It directs DOJ to establish a program to award matching grants to law enforcement agencies, coroners, and medical examiners to facilitate information reporting to the NCIC database and NamUs databases to help locate missing persons and identify unidentified remains.
 
DOJ must report: (1) to medical examiners, coroners, and law enforcement agencies on best practices for data collection and analysis; and (2) to Congress on the status of the NCIC database and NamUs databases. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Wounded Warrior Employment Improvement Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2106
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Department of Veterans Affairs
Disability and paralysis
Employment and training programs
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government studies and investigations
Mental health
Neurological disorders
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Wounded Warrior Employment Improvement Act
 
of 2015

 
Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and publish an action plan for improving the training and rehabilitation services and assistance provided by the VA for veterans with service-connected disabilities.
 
Requires such plan to include: 
 
 
a comprehensive analysis of, and recommendations and a proposed implementation plan for remedying, workload management challenges at VA regional offices, including steps to reduce counselor case loads of veterans participating in a rehabilitation program;
 
a comprehensive analysis of the reasons for the disproportionately low percentage of veterans with service-connected disabilities who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, who opt to participate in a VA rehabilitation program relative to the percentage of such veterans who use their entitlement to VA educational assistance;
 
recommendations and a proposed implementation plan for encouraging more veterans with service-connected disabilities who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, to participate in VA rehabilitation programs; and
 
a national staff training program for vocational rehabilitation counselors, that includes the provision of training to assist counselors in understanding the very profound disorientation experienced by warriors because of their injury, training to assist counselors in working in partnership with veterans on individual rehabilitation plans, and training on post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions and on moderate to severe traumatic brain injury that is designed to improve the ability of such counselors to assist veterans with such conditions.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-11-18
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-252.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Building a Health Care Workforce for the Future Act

Bill: 114-s-2107
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Dental care
Education programs funding
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
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare
Mental health
Nursing
State and local government operations
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Building a Health Care Workforce for the Future Act

 
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award matching grants to enable states to implement scholarship programs to ensure an adequate supply of health professionals.
 
HHS may award grants to assist medical schools in developing and strengthening primary care mentorship programs and cultivating leaders in primary care among its students.
 
HHS must award grants to medical and other health professions schools to promote priority competencies that are selected annually by the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry, in order to foster curricular innovations to improve the education and training of health care providers.
 
HHS must seek to enter into a contract whereby the National Academy of Medicine (formerly known as the Institute of Medicine) studies the documentation requirements for cognitive services (evaluation and management services) required under Medicare and Medicaid and through private health insurers. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S7048-7049)
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Preserving Patient Access to Post-Acute Hospital Care Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2108
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health facilities and institutions
Hospital care
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Preserving Patient Access to Post-Acute Hospital Care Act of 2015

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to delay by two additional years the application of negative payment adjustments under the &quot;25-percent rule&quot; to certain long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and satellite facilities. This rule reduces payments to a long-term care facility that admits proportionately more patients from any single hospital.
 
The bill also continues for two additional years the moratorium, for the purposes of Medicare, on establishing new LTCHs or increasing LTCH beds.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Women's Pension Protection Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2110
Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Consumer affairs
Employee benefits and pensions
Family relationships
Financial literacy
Financial services and investments
Government information and archives
Temporary and part-time employment
Women's employment

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Women's Pension Protection Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to: (1) extend spousal consent requirements to defined contribution pension plans, and (2) allow certain long-term part-time workers to participate in pension plans that include either a qualified cash or deferred arrangement or a salary reduction agreement. 
 
Financial product or service providers who sell retirement financial products or services must provide purchasers of their products or services an easily accessible link to the website of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to obtain information relating to retirement planning or later life economic security. 
 
The Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor shall award grants to certain community-based organizations to improve the financial literacy of women who are working age or in retirement. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S7049)
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Higher Education Innovation Act

Bill: 114-s-2111
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Education programs funding
Higher education
Performance measurement
Student aid and college costs
Student records
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Higher Education Innovation Act 

 
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a voluntary, alternative accreditation system for higher education providers. 
 
The Department of Education (ED) must establish a process for approving innovation authorizers to authorize institutions of higher education or other providers that: promote student success outcomes and cost-effectiveness, agree to outcome-based oversight and reporting requirements, meet performance metrics, and comply with other specified requirements. 
 
To apply to be an authorizer, an entity must agree to publicly disclose certain data and submit to ED details regarding its: 
 
 
experience and capabilities, 
 
 financial ability to meet the requirements, 
 
 authorization process,
 
 educational or subject matter focus,
 
 membership and relationship with industries and businesses, and 
 
 conflict of interest controls.
 
 
An authorizer must use performance metrics relating to student learning, completion, and benefit to the student and affordability. The minimum threshold for each metric must meet or exceed the 60th-percentile student outcome.
 
Providers authorized using this process are eligible for Pell Grant and other federal funding, subject to specified funding requirements and allocations. An authorizer must agree to pay ED at least 25% of the annual balance of student loans that are in default and held by current or former students of providers that the authorizer approved. 
 
Providers that meet the requirements of both an innovation authorizer and a recognized accrediting agency may hold both the accreditation and authorization or select which entity to use.
 
The authority for the alternative authorization system expires five years after enactment of this bill. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Walter Scott Notification Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2112
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Justice
Firearms and explosives
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Mental health
Racial and ethnic relations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Walter Scott Notification Act of 2015

 
This bill requires a state that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to report certain data on deadly shootings by law enforcement officers. It reduces by 10% the JAG allocation of a state that fails to comply.
 
Additionally, the bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to modify requirements under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. During the four-year period following enactment, the Department of Justice (DOJ) may give preference to a COPS program grant applicant from a state that reports data on deadly shootings by law enforcement. Beginning in the fifth year, DOJ must reduce by 20% the COPS allocation of a state that fails to report such data.
 
DOJ, in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, must issue guidance to standardize data collection on deadly shootings by law enforcement. DOJ must also audit and review data reports, determine compliance with requirements, and publish such data.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2113
Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: General science and technology matters
Government information and archives
International scientific cooperation
Public participation and lobbying
Public-private cooperation
Research administration and funding
Science and engineering education
Scientific communication
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act of 2015

 
This bill authorizes each federal agency, or multiple federal agencies working cooperatively, to use crowdsourcing and citizen science approaches to conduct activities designed to advance the agency's mission or the joint mission of the group of agencies.
 
&quot;Citizen science&quot; means a form of open collaboration in which individuals or organizations participate in the scientific process in various ways, including developing technologies and applications and making discoveries.
 
&quot;Crowdsourcing&quot; means a method to obtain needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting voluntary contributions from a group of individuals or organizations, especially from an online community. 
 
Each federal agency engaged in a crowdsourcing or citizen science project shall make public and promote it to encourage broad participation of consenting participants. 
 
The General Services Administration shall identify and develop relevant products and services to facilitate the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to correct inconsistencies in the definitions relating to Native Americans in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Bill: 114-s-2114
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2015-10-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Comprehensive health care
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health programs administration and funding
Indian social and development programs
Minority health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: 
This bill amends title I (Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to add a definition of &ldquo;Indian.&rdquo; This definition includes individuals of Indian descent who are members of an Indian community served by the Indian Health Service and individuals considered by the Department of Health and Human Services to be Indian for purposes of eligibility for Indian health care services, including California Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, or other Alaska Natives. 
 
Individuals included in the above definition are eligible for special monthly enrollment periods on health insurance exchanges and elimination of cost-sharing under individual health coverage for those whose income is not more than 300% of the poverty line. (Currently, only members of Indian tribes are eligible for these benefits.)
 
Indians are exempted from the penalty for not maintaining minimum essential health coverage.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Targeted Employment Areas Improvement Act

Bill: 114-s-2115
Sponsor: Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2015-10-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Economic development
Employee hiring
Foreign labor
Rural conditions and development
Unemployment
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: 

Targeted Employment Areas Improvement Act

 
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase the number of fiscal year EB-5 (employment creation) visas for qualified immigrants who invest in a new commercial enterprise which, in addition to creating jobs in a targeted employment area, will invest the required capital in such area.
 
Designation of a high unemployment area as a targeted employment area shall be valid for renewable five-year periods.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to prevent certain discriminatory taxation of natural gas pipeline property.

Bill: 114-s-2117
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2015-10-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Federal district courts
Government liability
Industrial facilities
Intergovernmental relations
Jurisdiction and venue
Oil and gas
Pipelines
Property tax
State and local taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: 
This bill prohibits states, political subdivisions, and any other taxing authority from: (1) assessing natural gas pipeline property at a value that has a higher ratio to its true market value than the ratio used to assess other commercial and industrial property in the same assessment jurisdiction, (2) levying or collecting a tax on such an assessment, (3) levying or collecting an ad valorem property tax on natural gas pipeline property at a rate that exceeds the rate applicable to other commercial and industrial property in the same assessment jurisdiction, or (4) imposing any other tax that discriminates against a natural gas pipeline providing transportation or storage subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
 
The bill: (1) grants jurisdiction to U.S. district courts to prevent violations of this Act, and (2) sets forth criteria governing relief for claims relating to violations of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7103-7104)
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Ensuring Enhanced Access to Primary Care Act

Bill: 114-s-2118
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2015-10-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Medicaid
Medicare
Mental health
Neurological disorders
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: 

Ensuring Enhanced Access to Primary Care Act

 
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) extend the application of the Medicare payment rate floor to certain primary care services furnished under the Medicaid program, and (2) apply the same payment rate floor to primary care services furnished under the Medicaid program by certain other providers.
 
A payment rate floor reflects the minimum rate of payment for applicable services. Under current law, the Medicare payment rate floor for primary care services also applies under the Medicaid program to primary care services furnished in 2013 or 2014 by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine. The bill establishes an additional two-year period in which the floor shall apply to services provided a physician with one of these primary specialty designations or with a primary specialty designation in psychiatry, neurology, or obstetrics and gynecology. However, the floor shall apply only if the physician self-attests to being Board certified in the applicable specialty.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans Justice Outreach Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2120
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2015-10-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Lawyers and legal services
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mental health
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: 

Veterans Justice Outreach Act of 2015

 
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a program to support veterans in contact with the criminal justice system by discouraging unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and other nonviolent crimes. 
 
The program shall be carried out in partnership with local law enforcement, judicial, and community-based treatment and legal assistance organizations. 
 
 The VA shall establish coordinators to provide program outreach.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Introduced in Senate