hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Too Big To Fail, Too Big To Exist Act

Bill: 114-s-1206
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Congressional oversight
Credit and credit markets
Economic performance and conditions
Financial crises and stabilization
Government lending and loan guarantees
Securities

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act

 
 This bill directs the Financial Stability Oversight Council to compile and submit to the Secretary of the Treasury a list of entities that the Council deems Too Big To Fail (List), including U.S. bank holding companies the Financial Stability Board has identified as systemically important banks.
 
The Secretary of the Treasury shall: (1) submit the List to Congress and the President, and (2) break up entities on the List so that their failure would no longer cause a catastrophic effect upon the U.S. or global economy without a taxpayer bailout.
 
Any entity on the List may not use or have access to advances from any Federal Reserve credit facility, the Federal Reserve discount window, or any program or facility made available under the Federal Reserve Act, including asset purchases, temporary or bridge loans, government investments in debt or equity, or capital injections from any federal institution.
 
No insured depository institution on the List, nor any entity that owns one, may use insured deposit amounts to fund:
 
 
any activity relating to hedging that is not directly related to commercial banking activity at the insured bank,
 
any use of derivatives for speculative purposes,
 
any activity related to the dealing of derivatives, or
 
any other form of speculative activity specified by regulators.
 
 
 Nor may any entity on the List conduct such activities in a manner that either: (1) puts insured deposits at risk, or (2) creates a risk of loss to the Deposit Insurance Fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Next Generation Electric Systems Act

Bill: 114-s-1207
Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Computers and information technology
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy efficiency and conservation
Public utilities and utility rates

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Next Generation Electric Systems Act 

 
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a grants program for eligible partnerships to develop and implement projects related to achieving the transformation of the future electric grid by the year 2030 using a comprehensive approach to electric system design and architecture. 
 
Eligible partnerships may include any institution of higher education, National Laboratory, representative of a state or local government, representative of an Indian tribe, federal power marketing administration, industry expert, or nonprofit industry trade association, but must include at least one electric utility (either investor-owned or publicly owned), technology provider, rural electric cooperative, Regional Transmission Organization, or Independent System Operator.
 
DOE must, when selecting eligible partnerships to receive grants, give priority to those proposing projects for which a cost-share is to be provided. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-14
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Pipeline Modernization and Consumer Protection Act

Bill: 114-s-1208
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Department of Transportation
Environmental technology
Government information and archives
Intergovernmental relations
Oil and gas
Pipelines
State and local government operations
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Pipeline Modernization and Consumer Protection Act

 
 Requires each operator of a gas pipeline facility, in accordance with an integrity management program, if applicable, to accelerate the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of gas piping or equipment that is leaking or may pose high risk of leaking.
 
Requires each state regulatory authority and each nonregulated gas utility, in complying with such requirements, to: 
 
 
 develop prioritized timelines to repair or replace all leaking or high-risk piping or equipment, and 
 
require use of best available technology to detect gas leaks.
 
 
Directs the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to issue non-binding best practices guidelines for identifying and classifying high-risk pipeline infrastructure and leaks for repair or replacement.
 
Directs the Administrator and the heads of other applicable federal agencies to work jointly to establish and publish forms that adopt a standard definition and methodology for calculating and reporting information on the causes of unaccounted-for gas.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Pipeline Revolving Fund and Job Creation Act

Bill: 114-s-1209
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Buy American requirements
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Government lending and loan guarantees
Oil and gas
Pipelines
State and local finance
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Pipeline Revolving Fund and Job Creation Act

 
 Directs the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to offer to enter into agreements to make capitalization grants, including letters of credit, to eligible states for the repair or replacement of natural gas distribution pipelines. 
 
Requires grant funds to be deposited into state revolving loan funds to provide loans or loan guarantees to: (1) facilitate compliance with an intended use plan, or (2) repair or replace those pipelines that have been identified as leak-prone.
 
Prohibits the use of funds from loans or loan guarantees made by a state to repair or replace natural gas distribution pipelines unless all of the iron, steel, plastic, and manufactured goods used in the repair or replacement are produced in the United States (Buy America).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Oil and Gas Production and Distribution Reform Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1210
Sponsor: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
General energy matters
Intergovernmental relations
Licensing and registrations
Oil and gas
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Oil and Gas Production and Distribution Reform Act of 2015

 
This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to: (1) identify, as soon as practicable after an application for federal authorization relating to oil and gas production and distribution is submitted, each federal, state, or local governmental entity that may consider an aspect of that application; and (2) invite each identified agency to cooperate or participate in the review process for the application. 
 
The governmental entity delegated to review an aspect of the application must make a final decision on the aspect of the federal authorization under its consideration within 90 days after FERC issues its final environmental document (unless federal law establishes a different schedule). 
 
 When deciding a federal authorization, an agency must defer to the scope of environmental review that FERC determines appropriate. 
 
Each agency considering an application for federal authorization shall take certain actions as well as identify and, according to specified procedures, try to resolve issues that may delay or prevent granting of the authorization. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-14
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide that payment under the Medicare program to a long-term care hospital for inpatient services shall not be made at the applicable site neutral payment rate for certain discharges involving severe wounds, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-1211
Sponsor: Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government studies and investigations
Hospital care
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit payment at the applicable site neutral payment rate for discharges in a cost reporting period beginning before October 1, 2017, from subsection (d) hospitals and certain long-term care hospitals that involve certain severe wounds.
 
(Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)
 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall study the treatment needs of individuals entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance), or enrolled under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), requiring specialized wound care, and the cost, for such individual, and the Medicare program of treating severe wounds in rural and urban areas.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1212
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Capital gains tax
Department of the Treasury
Employee benefits and pensions
Executive agency funding and structure
Income tax deferral
Securities
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2015

 
 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend to all domestic corporations, including S corporations, provisions allowing deferral of tax on gain from the sale of employer securities to an S corporation-sponsored employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
 
Directs the Department of the Treasury to establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations.
 
Amends the Small Business Act to define "ESOP business concern" and allow such a concern to continue to qualify for loans, preferences, and other programs under such Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Free Market Energy Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1213
Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy efficiency and conservation
Public utilities and utility rates
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Free Market Energy Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Federal Power Act to identify the elements of a distributed energy resource, including fuel cells, microgrids, and combined heat and power systems.
 
Distributed energy resources shall have a general right of interconnection under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), and all rates and fees for interconnection shall provide for the two-way benefit for the distributed energy resource and the electricity grid.
 
Each state regulatory authority shall consider requiring that distributed energy resources be eligible to receive just and reasonable energy and rate treatment for time-of-use pricing and other specified features and values. 
 
A state regulatory authority or nonregulated electric utility acting under state authority must consider specified interconnections standards that include:
 
 
setting rates that exceed the incremental cost of alternative electric energy for purchases from any distributed energy resource that is a qualifying facility for electricity generated, demand reduced, or service provided by the qualifying facility interconnected under this Act; and
 
making any distributed energy resource project exempt from filing requirements with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). 
 
 
A state regulatory authority must also consider:
 
 
designation, through a competitive process, of a regulated utility, other party, or a combination of regulated utilities and other parties to be a smart grid coordinator or distribution system operator for the state; and 
 
nontransmission alternatives when a regulated utility proposes transmission projects. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-14
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
John Rainey Memorial Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act

Bill: 114-s-1214
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Food supply, safety, and labeling
Health
Mammals
Meat
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

John Rainey Memorial Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act

 
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem equine (horses and other members of the equidae family) parts to be an unsafe food additive or animal drug. 
 
 Prohibits the knowing sale or transport of equines or equine parts in interstate or foreign commerce for purposes of human consumption.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Methane Hydrate Research and Development Amendments Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1215
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Arctic and polar regions
Atlantic Ocean
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Energy research
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Gulf of Mexico
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Oil and gas
Research administration and funding
Research and development

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Methane Hydrate Research and Development Amendments Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 to revise and reauthorize the Department of Energy's (DOE) program of methane hydrate research and development.
 
In carrying out the program, DOE may award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, institutions that: (1) drill a test well and perform a long-term hydrate production test on land in the U.S. Arctic region within 4 years, (2) drill a test well and perform a long-term hydrate production test in a marine environment within 10 years, or (3) drill a full-scale production test well at a location to be determined by DOE.
 
 DOE must conduct a long-term environmental monitoring program to study the effects of production from methane hydrate reservoirs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-19
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Natural Gas Act to modify a provision relating to civil penalties.

Bill: 114-s-1216
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Energy prices
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 
This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to require that civil penalties for violations of the Act be assessed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in accordance with the guidelines which it apply regarding civil penalties for violations under the Federal Power Act (under which a court may review de novo the law and the facts involved).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-09
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Electric Transmission Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Act

Bill: 114-s-1217
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Electric power generation and transmission
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Land use and conservation
Licensing and registrations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Electric Transmission Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Act
 
 
This bill establishes the Interagency Rapid Response Team for Transmission (Team), composed of specified federal agencies, to expedite the permitting process for electric transmission infrastructure on both federal and non-federal land. 
 
The Team shall:
 
 
facilitate coordination and unified environmental documentation among electric transmission infrastructure project applicants, federal agencies, states, and Indian tribes;
 
establish clear timelines for the review and coordination of projects;
 
ensure that each project is posted on the &quot;e-Trans&quot; federal permitting transmission tracking system; and
 
notify Team members involved in any specific permit of any outstanding agency action required with respect to the permit, and any approval or required comment that has exceeded statutory or agency timelines for completion. 
 
 
The Transmission Ombudsperson, established by this Act within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, shall create a process for permitting maintenance and upgrades to electric transmission lines and resolving complaints. 
 
The Department of the Interior must not take certain actions under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 with respect to rights-of-way reserved for a federal agency or department for an electric transmission system unless the agency or department head proposes to change the use of the right-of-way to support a function other than an electric transmission system.
 
The actions prohibited unless a change of use is proposed include:
 
 
requiring a new grant, permit, or renewal of the grant or permit relating to the right-of-way;
 
requiring any other authorization or instrument relating to the right-of-way; or
 
imposing new terms or conditions relating to the right-of-way or its use, including proposed changes affecting electric transmission system facilities or appurtenances.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-14
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate
NEWS Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1218
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2015-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy research
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Government information and archives
Public-private cooperation
Water quality
Water resources funding
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: 

Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2015 or the NEWS Act of 2015

 
 This bill requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish either a Committee or a Subcommittee on the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability (NEWS) under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The Secretary of Energy (DOE) and Secretary of the Interior must serve as co-chairs. The term &quot;energy-water nexus&quot; means the links between: (1) the water needed to produce energy; and (2) the energy needed to transport, reclaim, and treat water and wastewater.
 
The NEWS Committee or Subcommittee shall: 
 
 
serve as a forum for developing common federal goals and plans on energy-water nexus research, development, and demonstration activities; 
 
issue a strategic plan on the priorities and objectives of those activities;
 
promote coordination of the related activities of federal departments and agencies; 
 
coordinate and develop capabilities and methodologies for data collection, management, and dissemination of information related to those activities from and to other federal departments and agencies; 
 
promote information exchange between federal departments and agencies; and 
 
review its activities, relevance, and effectiveness 10 years after it is established and report on the results of the review.
 
 
The Office of Management and Budget must submit a report that displays for each agency that carries out or supports basic and applied research, development, and demonstration activities to advance energy-water nexus-related science and technologies: (1) the budget proposed in the President's budget request for the upcoming fiscal year, (2) expenditures and obligations for the prior fiscal year, and (3) estimated expenditures and obligations for the current fiscal year.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-09
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate