hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Christopher's Law

Bill: 114-s-1958
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Bankruptcy
Consumer credit
Disability and paralysis
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act or Christopher's Law

 
This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act to require a private student loan lender to disclose clearly and conspicuously in writing a cosigner's obligations regarding a private student loan. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) must publish a model form for such disclosure.
 
 The bill prohibits a private student loan lender from taking an adverse action against a borrower (e.g., placing a loan in default or accelerating a loan balance) upon a cosigner's death, disability, or bankruptcy. It also prohibits adverse actions against a cosigner for a borrower's death, disability, or bankruptcy. 
 
 The CFPB must establish and a private student loan lender must disclose criteria for releasing a cosigner from a private student loan obligation.
 
A private student loan lender must also: 
 
 
 provide prompt notice of a cosigner's release; 
 
allow a borrower to designate a legal representative to make decisions upon the death or disability of such borrower; and 
 
 
ensure a borrower and cosigner receive comprehensive counseling on the terms, conditions, and responsibilities of a private student loan. 
 
 
Additionally, this bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the required elements of entrance counseling for a federal student loan borrower to include: 
 
 
conditions for loan discharge upon the death or disability of a borrower,
 
options for loan repayment and forgiveness upon the death or disability of a borrower or cosigner, and
 
obligations of a borrower or cosigner upon the death or disability of a borrower.
 
 
It requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of a student's option to designate a legal representative to make decisions about a federal student loan upon such student's death or disability. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Close the Revolving Door Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1959
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional officers and employees
Congressional oversight
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
House of Representatives
Members of Congress
Public participation and lobbying
Senate

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Close the Revolving Door Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the federal criminal code to impose a lifetime ban on any former Senator, Member of the House of Representatives, or elected officer of the Senate or House of Representatives lobbying any current Member, officer, or employee of Congress or any employee of any other legislative office. (Currently the ban is for two years after a Senator leaves office and one year after a Member of the House of Representatives leaves office). The ban is extended from one to six years for officers and employees of the Senate, personal staff of Members, committee staff, leadership staff, and other legislative offices.
 
A registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal may not be hired for a six-year period by a Member of Congress or a congressional committee with which the lobbyist or agent has had a substantial lobbying contact. 
 
This bill also amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to:
 
 
 direct the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives to maintain a joint lobbyist disclosure Internet database for information required to be publicly disclosed by that Act,
 
 require a substantial lobbying entity to file with Congress a list of each employee of, contractor with, or paid consultant to the substantial lobbying entity and who is a former Member of Congress or another highly-paid covered legislative branch official, and
 
 increase the civil penalty for violations of the disclosure or reporting requirements of such Act.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to establish a statute of limitations for certain actions of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-1960
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Banking and financial institutions regulation
Civil actions and liability
Financial services and investments
Government studies and investigations
Securities
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 
Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to establish a 10-year statute of limitations governing an action or proceeding by the Securities and Exchange Commission for a civil monetary penalty. 
 
Tolls this statute of limitations any time an alleged violator is either absent from the United States or has no reasonably ascertainable place of abode or work within it. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6386)
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Improving the Treatment of the U.S. Territories Under Federal Health Programs Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1961
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: American Samoa
Caribbean area
Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Guam
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health technology, devices, supplies
Hospital care
Medicaid
Medicare
Northern Mariana Islands
Poverty and welfare assistance
Prescription drugs
Puerto Rico
U.S. territories and protectorates
User charges and fees
Virgin Islands

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Improving the Treatment of the U.S. Territories Under Federal Health Programs Act of 2015

 
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to: (1) terminate limitations on general Medicaid funding, as well as the specific federal medical assistance percentage, for U.S. territories ; (2) extend to additional U.S. territories the authority to waive or modify certain Medicaid requirements; and (3) establish a formula for Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments to the territories.
 
Federal financial participation shall generally not be available to a territory for medical assistance for an individual whose family income exceeds 100% percent of the official poverty line for a family of that size.
 
The bill also amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the SSAct to: (1) revise the formula for the Medicare inpatient hospital services payment rate for hospitals in Puerto Rico to increase the applicable federal percentage from 75% to 100%, (2) apply Medicare HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) payments to certain hospitals in Puerto Rico, (3) establish a formula element for calculating Medicare DSH payments under the inpatient prospective payment system for certain hospitals in Puerto Rico, (4) allow residents of Puerto Rico to enroll under Medicare hospital services, (5) increase the geographic adjustment practice expense index for Puerto Rico, and (6) alter how U.S territories are treated under Medicare Advantage and the Medicare prescription drug benefit.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to authorize 2 additional district judgeships for the district of Colorado.

Bill: 114-s-1962
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Colorado
Federal district courts
Judges

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 
This bill requires the President to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, two additional district judges for the district of Colorado.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Board Enhancement Act

Bill: 114-s-1963
Sponsor: Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Consumer affairs
Consumer credit
Executive agency funding and structure
Financial services and investments
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Board Enhancement Act

 
 This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish: (1) a Small Business Advisory Board to advise and consult with the CFPB in the exercise of its functions under the federal consumer financial laws regarding financial products or services provided for use by consumers primarily for personal, family, or household purposes and to provide information on emerging practices of small businesses that provide such products or services; and (2) a Credit Union Advisory Council and a Community Bank Advisory Council to advise and consult with the CFPB on consumer financial products or services that impact credit unions and community banks, respectively.
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Family Stability and Kinship Care Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1964
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Child safety and welfare
Family services
Indian social and development programs
Performance measurement
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Family Stability and Kinship Care Act of 2015

 
This bill amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) (renamed by this Act Federal Payments for Foster Care and Permanency) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to give states the option of providing certain time-limited family services, including parenting and family skills training and counseling, to a child meeting certain criteria or the child's parents or kin caregivers.
 
SSAct title IV part B is also amended to:
 
 
eliminate the time-limit for family reunification services,
 
increase the mandatory funding authorization for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program, and 
 
extend funding for Family Connection Grants for one year. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6386-6387)
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
MERCY Act

Bill: 114-s-1965
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Child health
Child safety and welfare
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Detention of persons
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Mental health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Maintaining dignity and Eliminating unnecessary Restrictive Confinement of Youths Act of 2015 or the MERCY Act

 
Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the use of room confinement at a juvenile facility for discipline, punishment, retaliation, or any reason other than as a temporary response to a covered juvenile's behavior that poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm to any individual, including such juvenile.
 
Defines: (1) "room confinement" as the involuntary placement of a juvenile alone in a cell, room, or other area; and (2) "covered juvenile" as a juvenile who is being proceeded against for an alleged act of juvenile delinquency or who has been adjudicated delinquent under such provisions, or who is being proceeded against as an adult in U.S. district court for an alleged criminal offense.
 
Requires a staff member of a juvenile facility: (1) before placing a covered juvenile in room confinement, to attempt to use less restrictive techniques, including talking with the juvenile in an attempt to de-escalate the situation; and (2) upon deciding to place such juvenile in room confinement, to inform the juvenile of the reasons for the confinement and that release will occur immediately when the juvenile regains self-control or otherwise within either 3 hours if the juvenile poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm to others or 30 minutes if the juvenile poses a risk of physical harm only to himself or herself.
 
Requires that if a covered juvenile continues to pose a serious and immediate risk of physical harm after the applicable maximum period of confinement has expired: (1) the juvenile shall be transferred to another juvenile facility or internal location where services can be provided without relying on room confinement; or (2) if a qualified mental health professional believes the level of crisis service needed is not currently available, a staff member of the juvenile facility shall initiate a referral to a location that can meet the juvenile's needs.
 
Prohibits the use of consecutive periods of room confinement to evade the spirit and purpose of this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6387-6388)
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Hunger Free Summer for Kids Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1966
Sponsor: Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Child health
Elementary and secondary education
Food assistance and relief
Nutrition and diet
Rural conditions and development

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Hunger Free Summer for Kids Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish electronic benefit (EBT) cards and off-site consumption as two alternative delivery options for schools and service institutions in the summer food service program for children.
 
These options shall be available to a child only if the child lives either in a rural area or outside of an area in which poor economic conditions exist, or, in the case of off-site consumption, if the summer program is available to the child at a congregate feeding site but the site is inaccessible, as specified by the bill. A state may not operate the EBT card option and the off-site consumption option simultaneously in the same area.
 
Each state desiring to participate in the summer food service program shall include in its annual management and administration plan the state's plans for using one or both of these alternative delivery options.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide for the conveyance of land of the Illiana Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Danville, Illinois.

Bill: 114-s-1967
Sponsor: Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Department of Veterans Affairs
Educational facilities and institutions
Health facilities and institutions
Higher education
Illinois
Land transfers
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to convey to the Danville Area Community College of Danville, Illinois, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to certain real property, including improvements, known as Building Number 48, which is part of the VA Illiana Health Care System. 
 
As consideration for such conveyance the VA shall require the College to convey to the United States all right, title, and interest in and to certain real property, including improvements, near the College Library Building.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1968
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Business ethics
Business records
Corporate finance and management
Crimes against children
Foreign and international corporations
Government information and archives
Human rights
Human trafficking
Labor standards
Securities
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Sex offenses
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015

 
This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) legislation is necessary to provide consumers information on products that are free of child labor, forced labor, slavery, and human trafficking; and (2) businesses and consumers, by means of publicly available disclosures, can avoid inadvertently promoting or sanctioning these crimes through production and purchase of raw materials, goods, and finished products that have been tainted in the supply chains.
 
The bill amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), within one year after enactment of this Act, to promulgate regulations requiring any covered issuer of a registered security to include in its mandatory annual report a disclosure of whether the issuer has taken any measures during the year to identify and address conditions of forced labor, slavery, human trafficking, and the worst forms of child labor within the issuer's supply chains. The term "covered issuer" means an issuer that has annual worldwide global receipts in excess of $100 million.
 
The regulations shall mandate that the required information be disclosed on such issuer's Internet website through a conspicuous and easily understandable link to the relevant information labeled "Global Supply Chain Transparency."
 
The SEC must make available to the public in a searchable format on its website: (1) a list of covered issuers required to disclose such information, and (2) a compilation of the information disclosed.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Democracy Day Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1969
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Commemorative events and holidays
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Democracy Day Act of 2015 

 
 Designates Federal Election Day, the next Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even-numbered year, as a legal public holiday.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Raising Enrollment with a Government Initiated System for Timely Electoral Registration (REGISTER) Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1970
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Government information and archives
Right of privacy
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

Raising Enrollment with a Government Initiated System for Timely Electoral Registration (REGISTER) Act of 2015

 
This bill requires each state to designate agencies (including motor vehicle authorities) to transfer electronically to state or local election officials source information on individuals for automatic voter registration for federal elections, unless an individual disclosing information to the agency opts out of automatic registration.
 
Such information must be transferred in a format that can be reviewed by state or local election officials and uploaded into a computerized statewide voter registration database.
 
Registration of eligible voters not previously registered, and who have not opted out, is mandatory.
 
A state must publish and enforce privacy and information security standards meeting specified requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate
California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act

Bill: 114-s-1971
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2015-08-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Advisory bodies
California
Historical and cultural resources
Indian lands and resources rights
Land transfers
Land use and conservation
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Monuments and memorials
Pacific Ocean
Parks, recreation areas, trails

Summary:
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: 

California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act

 
This bill expands the boundary of the California Coastal National Monument to include specified federal lands in Humboldt, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties in California. 
 
The Department of the Interior shall amend the Monument management plan for the long-term protection and management of the federal land so added.
 
 Interior may acquire nonfederal land or interests within or adjacent to the added federal land only through exchange, donation, or purchase from a willing seller. 
 
Interior must ensure the protection of Indian sacred sites and traditional cultural properties in the Monument and provide access by members of Indian Tribes for traditional cultural and customary uses.
 
The Monument shall be managed as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. 
 
Interior shall establish an advisory council for each unit of the added federal land to advise on the implementation of the management plan.
 
 Certain rocks, pinnacles, reefs, and islands in the Pacific Ocean within a mile of the coast of Orange County, California, are made part of the California Coastal National Monument, and their current temporary reservation is repealed. 
 
 Likewise repealed is the lighthouse reservation with respect to the San Juan and San Mateo Rocks and the two rocks in the vicinity of Laguna Beach, off the coast of Orange County. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-08
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 114-490.
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6388)
action_date: 2015-08-05
text: Introduced in Senate