hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Automatic IRA Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-245
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Department of Labor
Department of the Treasury
Employee benefits and pensions
Federal preemption
Financial services and investments
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Income tax credits
Securities
Small business
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: 

Automatic IRA Act of 2015

 
 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require certain employers who do not maintain qualifying retirement plans or arrangements to make available to their eligible employees a payroll deposit individual retirement account (IRA) arrangement (automatic IRA arrangement) which grants such employees the right to opt-out of participation; (2) require the Secretary of the Treasury to provide employers with a model notice for notifying employees of their opportunity to participate in an automatic IRA arrangement and to provide participants with an annual statement setting forth payments, earnings, value, and other specified information; (3) impose a penalty on employers who fail to provide eligible employees access to an automatic IRA arrangement; (4) allow employers who do not have more than 100 employees a tax credit for costs associated with establishing an automatic IRA arrangement; and (5) increase the dollar limitation on the tax credit for small employer pension plan startup costs. 
 
Establishes an Automatic IRA Advisory Group to make recommendations regarding automatic IRA investment options
 
Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Labor to jointly conduct feasibility studies on: (1) extending spousal consent requirements to automatic IRA arrangements; (2) automatically transferring amounts saved by employees in retirement bonds into alternative, private sector, diversified investments when employees' automatic IRA balances reach a certain dollar level; (3) using investment data to notify individuals with multiple small balance retirement accounts of consolidation options; and (4) using investment arrangements associated with automatic IRAs to assist in addressing the problem of abandoned accounts.
 
Directs the Secretaries to prescribe administrative guidance for the use of multiple employer plans by December 31, 2015. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Expatriate Terrorist Act

Bill: 114-s-247
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2015-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Citizenship and naturalization
Due process and equal protection
Terrorism
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: 
 
Expatriate Terrorist Act

 
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include among the grounds for loss of U.S. nationality by a native-born or naturalized citizen: 
 
 
taking an oath or making a declaration of allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization after attaining the age of 18; 
 
entering, or serving in, a foreign terrorist organization; 
 
becoming a member of or providing training or material assistance to a foreign terrorist organization; and 
 
 accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state, a political subdivision, or a foreign terrorist organization if the person knowingly has or acquires the nationality of such foreign state, or an oath, affirmation, or declaration of allegiance to the foreign state, political subdivision, or designated foreign terrorist organization is required for such office, post, or employment.
 
 
 The Passport Act of 1926 is amended to:
 
 
prohibit the Secretary of State from issuing a passport or passport card to an individual who is a member, or attempting to become a member, of a foreign terrorist organization; and 
 
direct the Secretary to revoke a passport or passport card previously issued to any such individual. 
 
 
 A person who is denied issuance of a passport or passport card or whose passport or passport card is revoked or otherwise restricted may request a due process hearing not later than 60 days after receiving notice of the nonissuance, revocation, or restriction.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-248
Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Federal-Indian relations
Indian lands and resources rights
Labor-management relations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: 

Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015

 
 Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that any enterprise or institution owned and operated by an Indian tribe and located on its lands is not considered an employer (thus excluding such enterprises or institutions from coverage by such Act).
 

action_date: 2015-09-10
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015

 
(Sec. 2) Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that any enterprise or institution owned and operated by an Indian tribe and located on its lands is not considered an employer (thus excluding such enterprises or institutions from coverage by such Act).
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-10
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 220.
action_date: 2015-09-10
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso without amendment. With written report No. 114-140.
action_date: 2015-09-10
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso without amendment. With written report No. 114-140.
action_date: 2015-06-10
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported favorably.
action_date: 2015-04-29
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-105.
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-249
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2015-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Africa
Foreign aid and international relief
Guinea
Income tax exclusion
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Liberia
Military operations and strategy
Military personnel and dependents
Sierra Leone
Wages and earnings
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: 

Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2015

 
Provides for a tax exclusion of compensation paid to a member of the Armed Forces serving in Operation United Assistance in the Ebola virus disease outbreak area (i.e., Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and any other region designated as experiencing a widespread Ebola virus disease outbreak). Requires that such service member undergo a program of at least 21 days of controlled monitoring upon return from the outbreak area. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Former Vice President Protection Improvement Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-250
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2015-01-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Protection of officials

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: 

Former Vice President Protection Improvement Act of 2015

 
Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly and willfully threatening to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon former Vice Presidents or members of their immediate families.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Prescribe A Book Act

Bill: 114-s-251
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-01-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Books and print media
Child health
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Language arts
Preschool education
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: 

Prescribe A Book Act

 
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of Pediatric Early Literacy Programs, through which:
 
 
health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer parents developmentally appropriate recommendations and strategies for doing so;
 
health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and
 
health care facilities create literacy-rich environments that include gently used books for waiting room use or volunteer readers to show parents the techniques of reading aloud to young children.
 
 
Requires that the books provided to children under the programs be obtained at a discount.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S467)
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Tax Transparency Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-252
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2015-01-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: General taxation matters
Income tax rates
Legislative rules and procedure

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: 

Tax Transparency Act of 2015 

 
Requires legislation, including conference reports or amendments, that modifies federal tax law to contain a statement describing the general effect of the modification on federal tax law. Provides that failure to provide such a statement shall give rise to a point of order during consideration of such legislation in either chamber of Congress. Sets forth procedures for consideration of such a point of order. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S467-468)
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-254
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2015-01-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Comprehensive health care
Employee benefits and pensions
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Income tax deductions
Sales and excise taxes
Small business
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: 

Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015

 
Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that: (1) impose fines on large employers (those with 50 or more full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage, and (2) require large employers to file a report with the Department of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees.
 
Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that: (1) limit the annual deductible on health plans offered in the small group market, (2) deem catastrophic plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements for certain individuals, and (3) impose an annual fee on health insurance entities.
 
Deems high deductible health plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements if the enrollee has established a health savings account.
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal the limitation on premium rate variance by age in the individual or small group market.
 
Repeals the prohibitions on payments for over-the-counter medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements.
 
Repeals the $2,500 annual limit on employee contributions by salary reduction to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.
 
Allows a health plan to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan regardless of any modification to cost-sharing, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits. Makes this allowance effective as if included in PPACA. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Introduced in Senate
FAIR Act

Bill: 114-s-255
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2015-01-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Currency
Customs enforcement
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Evidence and witnesses
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government trust funds

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: 

Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act of 2015 or the FAIR Act 

 
This bill modifies general rules governing civil forfeiture proceedings to: (1) ensure that a person contesting a civil forfeiture has legal representation without regard to whether the property subject to forfeiture is being used by such person as a primary residence; (2) increase the federal government's burden of proof in civil forfeiture proceedings to clear and convincing evidence; (3) require the government, in addition to showing a substantial connection between the seized property and an offense, to establish by clear and convincing evidence that the owner of any interest in the seized property used the property with intent to facilitate the offense or knowingly consented or was willfully blind to the use of the property by another in connection with the offense; and (4) expand the proportionality criteria used by a court to determine whether a civil forfeiture was constitutionally excessive. 
 
To remove incentives for carrying out civil forfeitures, the bill requires proceeds from the disposition of seized property to be deposited into the General Fund of the Treasury, rather than to Department of Justice accounts for law enforcement activities. 
 
The bill adds a scienter requirement (i.e., a knowing violation) to the prohibition against structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements.
 
The bill requires: (1) a court to conduct a probable cause hearing to determine if there is a violation of the prohibition against structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements involving a monetary instrument and to return such instrument if probable cause is not established, and (2) the Attorney General to specify in reports to Congress and the public on forfeitures the amounts received from criminal and civil forfeitures.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-01-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-256
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2015-01-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Housing and community development funding

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: 

Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2015

 
 Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to redefine "homeless," "homeless individual," or "homeless person."
 
 Modifies requirements relating to an individual or family who will imminently lose their housing, including housing they own, rent, or live in without paying rent. 
 
Revises criteria for unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other federal statutes to require that they:
 
 
 are certified as homeless by the director or designee of a program funded under any other federal statute; or
 
have been certified by a director of a program funded under this Act or a director of a public housing agency (PHA) as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, which shall include: (1) temporarily sharing the housing of another person due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or other similar reason; or (2) living in a room in a motel or hotel.
 
 
Requires the information provided to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from a collaborative applicant about project sponsors in a community-wide homeless management information system (HMIS) to be made publicly available on HUD's website in aggregate, non-personally identifying reports, and updated at least annually.
 
Prohibits the Secretary, in awarding grants for continuum of care programs, from considering or prioritizing the specific homeless populations intended to be served by the applicant if the applicant demonstrates that the project: (1) would meet the priorities identified in the applicant's plan, and (2) is cost-effective in meeting the overall goals and objectives identified in that plan.
 
Repeals certain requirements regarding collaborative applicants.
 
Modifies requirements for selection criteria for the award of grants through a national competition between geographic areas.
 
Requires annual reports to Congress on housing assistance for the homeless to include data: (1) required to be made publicly available in the HMIS report, and (2) on programs funded under other specified federal statutes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S543; text of measure as introduced: CR S543-544)
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) Act

Bill: 114-s-257
Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-01-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Department of Health and Human Services
Health care coverage and access
Health personnel
Home and outpatient care
Medicare
Rural conditions and development

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: 

Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) Act

 
 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to state that, except with respect to high-risk or complex medical services requiring direct levels of supervision, if the Secretary of Health and Human Services requires supervision by a physician or non-physician practitioner for Medicare payment for therapeutic hospital outpatient services, that requirement is met if such services are furnished under the physician's or non-physician practitioner's general supervision.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish a process for designating therapeutic hospital outpatient services for which direct supervision may be required for the entire service or direct supervision during the initiation of the service followed by general supervision for the remainder of the service.
 
Declares without force or effect in law regarding Medicare requirements for direct supervision by physicians for therapeutic hospital outpatient services a specified restatement and clarification under the final rulemaking changes to the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system and calendar year 2009 payment rates, which was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2008.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-258
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-01-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Hospital care
Medicare
Rural conditions and development

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: 

Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2015

 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the 96-hour physician certification requirement for inpatient critical access hospital services under which a physician must certify that a patient may reasonably be expected to be discharged or transferred to a hospital within 96 hours after admission to the critical access hospital.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to modify the efficiency standards for grid-enabled water heaters.

Bill: 114-s-259
Sponsor: Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]
Introduced: 2015-01-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources
Consumer affairs
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Government information and archives
Lighting and heating
Lighting, heating, cooling
Public utilities and utility rates

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: 
 Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to provide additional energy conservation standards applicable to grid-enabled water heaters for use as part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program (a program that enables customers to reduce or shift their power use during peak demand periods).
 
Requires annual reports from: (1) manufacturers of such water heaters regarding the quantity of the products shipped each year, and (2) utilities and other demand response and thermal storage program operators regarding the quantity of products activated for their programs. 
 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to publish analyses of data collected from such reports and to establish procedures to prevent product diversion if sales of the products exceed by at least 15% the quantity activated for use in the demand response and thermal storage programs annually. 
 
Maintains the standards and publication procedures established by this Act until the Secretary determines that: (1) such water heaters do not require a separate efficiency requirement, or (2) procedures to prevent product diversion for non-program purposes would not be adequate to prevent such product diversion.
 
Requires the Secretary to consider the impact of EPCA electric water heater standards on thermal storage and demand response programs, including on energy savings, electric bills, peak load reduction, electric reliability, integration of renewable resources, and the environment. 
 
Directs the Secretary to require the water heaters be equipped with communication capability to enable the grid-enabled water heaters to participate in ancillary services programs if the technology is available, practical, and cost-effective.
 
Makes it unlawful for any person to:
 
 
activate an activation lock for a grid-enabled water heater with knowledge that it is not used as part of such program,
 
distribute an activation key for such a water heater with knowledge that it will be used to activate a heater that is not used as part of the program,
 
enable such water heater to operate at its designed specification and capabilities with knowledge that it is not used as part of the program, or
 
knowingly remove or render illegible the label of a such water heater.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-01-27
text: Introduced in Senate