hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Safer Officers and Safer Citizens Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1897
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Employee leave
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Performance measurement
Photography and imaging
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Safer Officers and Safer Citizens Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to award matching grants to states, local governments, and Indian tribes to purchase body-worn cameras. 
 
The Bureau of Justice Assistance must give preference to grant applications from jurisdictions that: (1) have comprehensive policies and procedures related to implementation of a body-worn camera program, (2) have high percentages of officers without access to body-worn cameras, (3) have violent crime rates above the national average, and (4) agree to submit metrics on the use of body-worn cameras. 
 
To offset the cost, it requires the Office of Personnel Management to issue regulations to limit administrative leave for federal employees to 20 days per year, unless approved individually by the agency head. The Office of Management and Budget must ensure each agency adjusts the number of authorized full-time equivalent employees to reflect lower personnel requirements due to increased available work hours per employee. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Sanctuary Regulatory Fairness Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1898
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Animals
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Animal and plant health
Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Department of Health and Human Services
Mammals
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: 

Sanctuary Regulatory Fairness Act of 2015

 
 Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to promulgate a final rule revising federal regulations regarding the importation of nonhuman primates (i.e., chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, macaques, and numerous other species) to expand the categories of uses for which nonhuman primates may be imported and distributed to include live nonhuman primates imported into the United States by a certified primate sanctuary for purposes of providing lifetime shelter and care.
 
Requires such rule to establish a process for the certification of facilities as primate sanctuaries for purposes of the importation, shelter, and care of nonhuman primates.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1899
Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Foreign labor
Immigration status and procedures
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Department of Homeland Security to authorize employment for an asylum applicant who is not in detention and whose asylum application has not been determined to be frivolous.
 
Employment authorization shall be: (1) for a period of one year, and (2) renewable for additional one-year periods for the entire period necessary to adjudicate the applicant's asylum claim.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
JOBS Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1900
Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Employment and training programs
Higher education
Student aid and college costs
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 
 
Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act of 2015 or the

 JOBS Act of 2015
 
This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish the Job Training Federal Pell Grant Program. The Department of Education must award job training Federal Pell Grants to eligible students. 
 
An eligible student is one who does not have a degree, attends an institution of higher education (IHE), is enrolled in a job training program at such IHE, and meets all other eligibility requirements for a Federal Pell Grant. 
 
The maximum job training Federal Pell Grant award is 50% of the discretionary base maximum award specified in annual appropriations law. 
 
Any period during which a student receives a job training Federal Pell Grant counts toward that student's Federal Pell Grant eligibility period.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6189)
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Access to Capital Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1901
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Appropriations
Business investment and capital
Credit and credit markets
Government lending and loan guarantees
Manufacturing
Small business
State and local finance

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Small Business Access to Capital Act of 2015
 
Amends the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 to extend for an additional eight fiscal years the State Small Business Credit Initiative to assist participating states to give collateral support and other innovative credit access and guarantee initiatives for small businesses and manufacturers. 
 
Prescribes allocations of federal funds to participating states. 
 Authorizes the Department of the Treasury to award, on a competitive basis, up to a total of $1 billion in two tranches, according to specified criteria, to participating states and consortiums of participating states for use: (1) for making federal contributions to, or for the account of, an approved state program; or (2) as collateral for a qualifying loan or swap funding facility. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Layoff Prevention Extension Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1902
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Unemployment
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Layoff Prevention Extension Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 with respect to state short-time compensation programs that allow employers to reduce the workweek of their employees in lieu of layoffs. The bill: (1) extends federal financing of the programs for an additional two years; and (2) extends through December 31, 2016, the deadline for a state to submit to the Department of Labor its application for a short-time compensation program grant.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6189-6190)
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Reducing Disparities Using Care Models and Education Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1903
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health
Congressional oversight
Government studies and investigations
Health care quality
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Medical research
Minority health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Reducing Disparities Using Care Models and Education Act of 2015

 
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to contract with the National Academy of Medicine (formerly known as the Institute of Medicine) to study health disparities, existing programs and policies intended to reduce disparities, and priorities for, and expansion of, programs targeting disparities.
 
HHS must develop guidelines for entities to develop and implement programs to reduce health disparities. HHS must incorporate these guidelines into its activities.
 
HHS may award grants for programs to reduce health disparities.
 The Innovation Center of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must test a payment and service delivery model that includes incentives for reducing health disparities.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Social Security 2100 Act

Bill: 114-s-1904
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Aging
Disability assistance
Employment taxes
Government trust funds
Inflation and prices
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Self-employed
Social security and elderly assistance
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Social Security 2100 Act

 
This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to:
 
 
increase the primary insurance amount formula factor from 90% to 93% for all eligible beneficiaries, beginning in 2016; 
revise computation of cost-of-living adjustments to use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers; 
increase the special minimum primary insurance amount for lifetime low earners based on years in the workforce. 
 
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to increase the gross income threshold for taxation of Social Security benefits from $25,000 to $50,000 for single taxpayers and from $32,000 to $100,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns, beginning in 2016.
 
Amends the IRC and SSAct title II to impose the employment tax on all wage income above $400,000, effective in 2016. Requires incremental increases, up to 15.3% in 2084, in the employment and self-employment taxes.
 
Amends SSAct title II to include 2% of an individual's excess average indexed monthly earnings (over $400,000 per annum) in the formula for determining primary insurance amounts.
 
Amends IRC to increase the Social Security tax rate on employees and employers and with respect to self-employment income.
 
Requires reallocation of a portion of employment tax revenues from the OASDI Trust Fund to the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund for wages paid after 2014.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the reduced recognition period for built-in gains for S corporations.

Bill: 114-s-1905
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Business investment and capital
Capital gains tax
Securities
Small business
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent a recognition period of 5 years (currently, 10 years) of the built-in gains of an S corporation beginning on the date that such corporation qualifies as an S corporation. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Orphan Drug Fairness Act

Bill: 114-s-1906
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Drug therapy
Income tax credits
Prescription drugs
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Orphan Drug Fairness Act

 
This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to exclude sales of any drug or biological product approved by the Food and Drug Administration solely for rare diseases or conditions (orphan drug) from the calculation of the annual fee on manufacturers or importers with branded prescription drug sales exceeding $5 million. 
 
This Act is effective as if included in PPACA. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act

Bill: 114-s-1907
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt
Energy revenues and royalties
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Oil and gas
Taxation of foreign income

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act

 
 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to limit or repeal certain tax benefits for major integrated oil companies (defined as companies with annual gross receipts over $1 billion and an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels or certain successors in interest of such companies), including: (1) the foreign tax credit for companies that are dual capacity taxpayers; (2) the tax deduction for income attributable to the production, refining, processing, transportation, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or primary products thereof; (3) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs; (4) the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells; and (5) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses.
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for: (1) natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico; and (2) deep water oil and gas production in the Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf (including the portion of the Eastern Planning Area encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes west longitude).
 
Dedicates any increased revenue generated by this Act to the reduction of a federal budget deficit or the federal debt.
 
Provides for compliance of the budgetary effects of this Act with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Financial Aid for Students and Taxpayers Act

Bill: 114-s-1908
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Education programs funding
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Marketing and advertising
School administration
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Protecting Financial Aid for Students and Taxpayers Act

 
 This bill amends the Higher Education Opportunity Act to prohibit an institution of higher education (IHE) or postsecondary educational institution from using revenues derived from federal educational assistance funds for recruiting or marketing activities.
 
Federal educational assistance funds include federal student aid under title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, education benefits for military personnel and veterans, and grants for workforce development programs.
 
An IHE or postsecondary educational institution must annually certify compliance with this requirement to retain eligibility to participate in title IV federal student aid programs.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1909
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Geography and mapping
Government information and archives
Housing and community development funding
Housing discrimination
Housing supply and affordability
Racial and ethnic relations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act of 2015

 
This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to:
 
 
 implement, administer, or enforce the final rule of the Department of Housing and Urban Development entitled &quot;Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing&quot; (80 Fed. Reg. 42272 [July 16, 2015]); or
 
 design, build, maintain, utilize, or provide access to a federal database of geospatial information on community racial disparities or disparities in access to affordable housing. 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1911
Sponsor: Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Child health
Federal officials
Foreign aid and international relief
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
International organizations and cooperation
Nutrition and diet
Public-private cooperation
Women's health
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015

 
This bill directs the President to establish: (1) an inter-agency working group, led by the Child and Maternal Survival Coordinator at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); and (2) a 10-year strategy to achieve with partner countries and donors the goal of ending preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths by 2035. 
 
The President shall designate a current USAID employee serving in the Senior Executive Service or at the level of a Deputy Assistant Administrator or higher to serve concurrently as the Maternal and Child Survival Coordinator, who shall be responsible for: (1) overseeing maternal and child health and nutrition funding managed by the Bureau of Global Health of USAID, and (2) leading the inter-agency working group. 
 
The U.S. government, through USAID and other relevant executive branch agencies, shall develop a financing framework to leverage public and private capital to expand delivery of high-impact, evidence-based interventions for maternal, newborn, and child health.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6190, S6191)
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Native American Voting Rights Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1912
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2015-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Civil actions and liability
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Federal-Indian relations
Foreign language and bilingual programs
General Native American affairs matters
Indian lands and resources rights
Racial and ethnic relations
State and local government operations
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: 

Native American Voting Rights Act of 2015

 
This bill prohibits states and local governments from:
 
 
eliminating the only polling place or voter registration site on an Indian reservation;
 
moving or consolidating a polling place or voter registration site located on an Indian reservation to a location one mile or further from the existing one; 
 
moving or consolidating a polling place on an Indian reservation to a location across a natural boundary if that makes travel difficult for a voter, regardless of distance;
 
eliminating in-person voting on an Indian reservation by designating an Indian reservation as a permanent absentee voting location, unless the entire state is or becomes a permanent absentee voting state or the Indian tribe requests such a designation;
 
removing an early voting location or otherwise diminishing early voting opportunities on an Indian reservation; or
 
decreasing the number of days or hours that an in-person or early voting location is open on an Indian reservation or changing the dates of in-person or early voting on an Indian reservation.
 
 
Requirements for exceptions to such prohibitions are prescribed.
 
Each of the states whose territory contains all or part of an Indian reservation shall designate, for each Indian tribe of each Indian reservation, an officer within that state responsible for compliance with this Act.
 
Any state whose territory contains all or part of an Indian reservation shall provide one or more polling places for each Indian tribe satisfying certain obligations.
 
In states that provide for early voting a state or local election official shall provide upon request at least one early voting location on an Indian reservation.
 
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is amended to require the Office of Personnel Management to assign an appropriate number of observers whenever the Attorney General receives a written complaint from an Indian tribe that efforts to deny or abridge the right to vote under the color of law on account of race or color, or in contravention of specified guarantees, are likely to occur.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate