hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Integrating Behavioral Health Through Technology Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2691
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2016-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Mental health

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: 

Integrating Behavioral Health Through Technology Act of 2016

 
This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)to establish a pilot program in up to five states under which incentive payments may be provided to clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, and behavioral health facilities for the adoption and use of certified electronic health records technology.
 
SAMHSA must give priority to states that have implemented a health information exchange that includes behavioral health data.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Countering Information Warfare Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2692
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2016-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Asia
China
Cultural exchanges and relations
Department of State
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
International exchange and broadcasting
News media and reporting
Russia

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: 

Countering Information Warfare Act of 2016

 
This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: 
 
 
foreign governments, including the governments of the Russian Federation and China, use disinformation and other propaganda tools to undermine the national security objectives of the United States and key allies and partners; 
 
the U.S. government should develop a comprehensive strategy to counter foreign disinformation and propaganda and assert leadership in developing a fact-based strategic narrative; and 
 
an important element of this strategy should be to promote an independent press in countries that are vulnerable to foreign disinformation.
 
 
The Department of State shall establish a Center for Information Analysis and Response to: 
 
 
lead and coordinate the collection and analysis of information on foreign government information warfare efforts; 
 
 establish a framework for the integration of critical data and analysis on foreign propaganda and disinformation efforts into the development of national strategy; and 
 
 develop and synchronize government initiatives to expose and counter foreign information operations directed against U.S. national security interests and advance fact-based narratives that support U.S. allies and interests. 
 
 
When selecting participants for U.S. educational and cultural exchange programs, special consideration shall be given to students and community leaders from populations and countries deemed vulnerable to foreign propaganda and disinformation campaigns.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Lifesaving Gear for Police Act

Bill: 114-s-2694
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2016-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Firearms and explosives
Law enforcement administration and funding
Military facilities and property
Terrorism
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: 

Lifesaving Gear for Police Act

 
This bill invalidates any regulation, rule, guidance, recommendation, or policy issued after May 15, 2015, that limits the sale or donation of excess federal property to state and local law enforcement agencies unless enacted by Congress.
 
Additionally, it prohibits the use of federal funds to implement such regulation, rule, guidance, recommendation, or policy.
 
Property that was recalled or seized on or after May 15, 2015, must be returned, replaced, or reissued to the state or local law enforcement agency.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Anti-Trust Freedom Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2695
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2016-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Competition and antitrust
Contracts and agency

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: 

Anti-Trust Freedom Act of 2016

 
This bill prohibits the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act from being construed as prohibiting, banning, or otherwise extending to any voluntary economic coordination, cooperation, agreement, or other association, compact, contract, or covenant entered into by or between any individual or group of individuals.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Protect Small Business Jobs Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2696
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2016-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: 

Protect Small Business Jobs Act of 2016

 
This bill requires a federal agency, before any enforcement action is taken on any sanction on a small business for any violation of a rule or pursuant to an adjudication, to: (1) notify the small business that it may be subject to a sanction at the end of a six-month grace period following such notification; (2) delay further action for 15 days after such notification; (3) defer further action for the six-month period (allowing an additional three-month period upon application by the small business demonstrating reasonable good-faith efforts to remedy the violation or other conduct giving rise to the sanction); (4) make a further determination at the end of the applicable grace period as to whether the small business would still be subject to the sanction; and (5) upon a negative determination, waive the sanction. The grace period shall be inapplicable with respect to a violation that puts anyone in imminent danger, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Any sanction imposed in violation of the requirements of this Act shall have no force or effect.
 
The bill requires: (1) agencies to report annually to the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman on the implementation of the requirements of this Act, and (2) the Ombudsman to include such information in a currently-required annual report to Congress.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Preserving Consumer Health Accounts Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2698
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2016-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions
Health care costs and insurance
Sales and excise taxes
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: 

Preserving Consumer Health Accounts Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the excise tax on excess benefit employer-sponsored health care plans any amounts contributed to an Archer medical savings plan, a tax-exempt health savings account, or a health flexible spending arrangement by an employee or an employer through salary reduction contributions. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
FAIR Act

Bill: 114-s-2699
Sponsor: Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
Introduced: 2016-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Inflation and prices

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: 

Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act of 2016 or the FAIR Act

 
This bill increases by 5.3% in FY2017 the rate of basic pay for federal employees under the statutory pay systems (relating to the General Schedule, the U.S. Foreign Service, and the Veterans Health Administration) and for prevailing rate employees. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2016-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicaid Program Integrity Enhancement Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2701
Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Department of Health and Human Services
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government studies and investigations
Intergovernmental relations
Medicaid
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

Medicaid Program Integrity Enhancement Act of 2016

 
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require a state Medicaid agency to establish a process by which a provider may appeal a decision by the agency to suspend payment to the provider on the basis of credible fraud allegations.
 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must revise specified regulations related to such suspensions in order to comply with due process requirements established by the bill. 
 
Specifically, a state Medicaid agency may not suspend payment until the agency: (1) consults with the state's Medicaid fraud control unit or, if the state has no such unit, with the state's attorney general; (2) certifies that it has considered whether the suspension will jeopardize beneficiary access and whether there is good cause not to suspend payment; and (3) furnishes the provider with the agency's reasons for finding no such good cause. 
 
Furthermore, the agency must periodically evaluate whether there is good cause to discontinue a suspension for which an investigation is pending. With specified exceptions, such good cause shall be deemed to exist if the investigation remains unresolved after a suspension has been in effect for 18 months.
 
CMS must also revise specified regulations to provide that an allegation of fraud shall be considered credible only if the allegation has indications of reliability and the state Medicaid agency: (1) has reviewed all allegations, facts, and evidence carefully; (2) acts judiciously on a case-by-case basis; and (3) has considered the potential impact a payment suspension may have on beneficiary access to care.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
ABLE to Work Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2702
Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Disability and paralysis
Employee benefits and pensions
Income tax credits
Income tax exclusion

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

ABLE to Work Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to ABLE accounts (tax-exempt savings accounts for persons with a disability), to allow: (1) an ABLE account beneficiary to make contributions to an ABLE account equal to the lesser of such beneficiary's compensation or an amount equal to the federal poverty line for a one-person household, and (2) a retirement savings tax credit for contributions to an ABLE account. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
ABLE Financial Planning Act

Bill: 114-s-2703
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Disability and paralysis
Higher education
Income tax exclusion
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

ABLE Financial Planning Act 

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-free rollovers of amounts in qualified tuition programs (529 plans) to qualified ABLE programs and from qualified ABLE programs to qualified tuition programs. (Tax-favored ABLE [Achieving a Better Life Experience] accounts are designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save for and pay for disability-related expenses.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
ABLE Age Adjustment Act

Bill: 114-s-2704
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Disability and paralysis
Income tax exclusion

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

ABLE Age Adjustment Act

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to qualified ABLE programs, to increase the threshold for eligibility for such programs from age 26 to age 46. (Tax-favored ABLE [Achieving a Better Life Experience] accounts are designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save for and pay for disability-related expenses.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2705
Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Aquatic ecology
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Economic performance and conditions
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Research administration and funding
Rural conditions and development
Travel and tourism

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act to authorize the 12 federal agencies on the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, which includes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to carry out, either individually or cooperatively, prize competitions that promote coral reef research and conservation. The prize competitions should be designed to help the United States achieve its goal of developing new and effective ways to advance the understanding, monitoring, and sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. 
 
Priority is given to establish programs that address communities, environments, or industries that are in distress due to the decline or degradation of coral reef ecosystems.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act

Bill: 114-s-2707
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Labor
Labor standards
Small business
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act

 
This bill declares that the proposed or the final rule of the Department of Labor entitled "Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees" shall cease to have any force or effect. The rule revises the &quot;white collar&quot; exemption of executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees from minimum wage and maximum hour, or overtime, requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). 
 
If the proposed rule is a final rule on the date of enactment of this bill:
 
 
Labor shall not enforce it based on conduct occurring before that enactment date,
 
an employee shall not have any right of action against an employer for the employer's failure to comply with the final rule at any time before that enactment date,
 
any regulations that were amended by the final rule shall be restored and revived as if the final rule had never taken effect, and
 
nothing in this bill shall be construed to create a right of action for an employer against an employee for the recoupment of any payments made to the employee before the enactment of this bill that were in compliance with that final rule.
 
 
Labor may promulgate any substantially similar rule only if it has completed certain required actions; but the rule shall not contain any automatic updates to the salary threshold for purposes of exemptions to minimum wage and maximum hour requirements under the FLSA.
 
The requirement that definitions applicable for such exemptions be defined and delimited from time to time by Labor regulations shall be construed to:
 
 
require Labor to issue a new rule through notice and comment rulemaking for each change in any salary threshold it has proposed; and
 
exclude any rule that would result in changes to any salary threshold for multiple time periods, including through any automatic updating procedure.
 
 
Labor may not promulgate any final rule that includes any revision to duties tests for exemption from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements unless specific regulatory text for the provision was proposed in the proposed rule.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-05-11
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-676.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Religious Persecution Relief Act

Bill: 114-s-2708
Sponsor: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Human rights
Immigration status and procedures
Middle East
Racial and ethnic relations
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Religion
Syria

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

Religious Persecution Relief Act

 
This bill declares that Syrian nationals who are religious minorities in their country of origin: 
 
 
shall be classified as refugees of special humanitarian concern, 
 
shall be eligible for priority two processing under the refugee resettlement priority system, and 
 
 may apply directly to the U.S. refugee admissions program for admission to the United States. 
 
 
The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to authorize, in addition to the current worldwide refugee resettlement quota, the refugee admission of up to 10,000 religious-minority Syrian nationals for each of FY2016-FY2020. 
 
The Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1990 is amended to establish as a protected refugee category persons who: 
 
 
 are or were nationals and residents of the Syrian Arab Republic; 
 
as members of a religious minority in Syria, share common characteristics that identify them as targets of persecution in that state on account of religion, creed, or ethnicity; and 
 
have been underrepresented in the U.S. refugee resettlement program during the five-year period ending on September 30, 2015, when compared to their representation in the Syrian population as a whole.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1594-1596)
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Contractor Accountability and Transparency Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2709
Sponsor: Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Government information and archives
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

Contractor Accountability and Transparency Act of 2016

 
This bill requires the head of each executive agency to post each covered contract (i.e., a contract for the procurement of property or services with a value greater than the simplified acquisition threshold) entered into by that agency on a publicly available website in a searchable format. The agency head may redact sensitive or classified information, trade secrets, or other proprietary information in such contracts.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2710
Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Higher education
Minority education
Minority employment
Science and engineering education
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Women's education
Women's employment

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2016

 
 This bill requires the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out the activities specified below in order to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
 
 An eligible entity that receives a grant shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities designed to increase the participation of women or minorities underrepresented in science and engineering, or both: 
 
 
 online workshops, 
 
 mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students, 
 
 internships for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, 
 
 outreach programs providing elementary and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM fields, and
 
programs to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1596)
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Native American Education Opportunity Act

Bill: 114-s-2711
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Indian social and development programs
Minority education

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

Native American Education Opportunity Act

 
This bill amends the Education Amendments of 1978 to require the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to reimburse states for grants made to education savings accounts for eligible students who: (1) attended or will be eligible to attend a BIA-funded school, (2) live on the reservation of a tribe, (3) will not be attending a BIA-funded school or other public elementary or secondary school for the applicable school year, and (4) meet applicable eligibility requirements.
 
From education savings accounts, parents may purchase goods and services related to students' educational needs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-09-07
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2016-04-06
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-287.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1596-1597)
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate