hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to require certain agencies to conduct assessments of data centers and develop data center consolidation and optimization plans.

Bill: 114-s-1008
Sponsor: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
Introduced: 2015-04-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Computer security and identity theft
Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Energy efficiency and conservation
Executive agency funding and structure
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Performance measurement

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: 
Requires the heads of specified federal agencies, assisted by their chief information officers, to submit in FY2015-FY2019 to the Office of E-Government and Information Technology of the Office of Management and Budget: (1) a comprehensive asset inventory of the data centers owned, operated, or maintained by or on behalf of such agencies; and (2) an updated consolidation plan for such data centers. Requires the Inspector General of each specified agency to issue a public report evaluating the completeness of agency inventories. 
 
Requires the Office of E-Government and Information Technology to: (1) establish the deadline each year for agencies to submit information required by this Act; (2) develop and publish a goal for the total amount of planned cost savings through the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative during a five-year period and report on the actual savings achieved through the Initiative; and (3) report to Congress on data center cost savings. Directs the Government Accountability Office to publish an annual report on agency asset inventory and consolidation plans and agency implementation of such plans.
 
Requires agencies that are required to implement a data center consolidation plan and migrate to cloud computing to do so in a manner consistent with federal guidelines on cloud computing security, including applicable provisions in the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program of the General Services Administration and guidance published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
 
Authorizes the Director of National Intelligence to waive requirements of this Act for any element of the intelligence community. 
 
Repeals this Act effective on October 1, 2019.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Mergers, Acquisitions, Sales, and Brokerage Simplification Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1010
Sponsor: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]
Introduced: 2015-04-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Banking and financial institutions regulation
Business records
Corporate finance and management
Licensing and registrations
Securities
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: 

Small Business Mergers, Acquisitions, Sales, and Brokerage Simplification Act of 2015

 
 Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to exempt from its registration requirements certain merger and acquisition brokers and associated persons.
 
Denies such registration exemption, however, to brokers who: (1) receive, hold, transmit, or have custody of any funds or securities to be exchanged by parties to a transfer of ownership of an eligible privately held company; (2) engage on behalf of an issuer in a public offering of securities that are either subject to mandatory registration, or with respect to which the issuer must file periodic information, documents, and reports; (3) engage on behalf of any party in a transaction involving a public shell company; or (4) are subject to suspension or revocation of registration, or to certain statutory disqualifications, or to certain final orders.
 
Prohibits this Act from being construed to limit any other authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission to exempt any person, or any class of persons, from any provision of this Act, including any related rule or regulation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Introduced in Senate
STEP UP for American Small Businesses Act

Bill: 114-s-1011
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2015-04-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Marketing and advertising
Rural conditions and development
Small business
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: 

State Trade and Export Promotion Utilization Program for American Small Businesses Act or the STEP UP for American Small Businesses Act

 
 Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Associate Administrator for International Trade within the Small Business Administration to establish a State Trade and Export Promotion Grant Program.
 
Authorizes the Associate Administrator to make competitive grants to states to carry out export promotion programs to increase: (1) the number of eligible small businesses that export (including rural small businesses and small businesses owned and controlled by women and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals), as well as (2) the value of their exports.
 
Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee to include one or more members appointed by the President who are representatives of state trade promotion agencies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1012
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2015-04-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax credits
Inflation and prices
Marriage and family status
Poverty and welfare assistance
Tax treatment of families
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: 

Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2015
 
 
 Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to: (1) make permanent the reduction in the income threshold (from $10,000 to $3,000) for determining the refundable portion of the child tax credit, (2) eliminate the inflation adjustment to such amount, and (3) allow an annual inflation adjustment after 2014 to the $1,000 maximum credit amount and the adjusted gross income threshold amounts used to reduce the allowable amount of such credit.
 
Modifies the earned income tax credit to: (1) make permanent the increase in the rate of such credit for taxpayers with three or more children, (2) increase the credit for taxpayers with no qualifying children, (3) reduce from 25 to 21 the qualifying age for such credit, (4) revise eligibility rules relating to married individuals living apart and qualifying children claimed by another family member, and (5) repeal the denial of such credit for taxpayers with excess investment income.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Ensuring Access to Quality Complex Rehabilitation Technology Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1013
Sponsor: Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS]
Introduced: 2015-04-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Disability and paralysis
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Government information and archives
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health technology, devices, supplies
Licensing and registrations
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicare
Musculoskeletal and skin diseases
Neurological disorders
Product safety and quality

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: 

Ensuring Access to Quality Complex Rehabilitation Technology Act of 2015

 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover, as medical and other health services, complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) items designed or individually configured for a specific qualified individual to meet that individual's unique: (1) medical, physical, or functional needs related to a medical condition; and (2) capacities for basic activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental ADLs.
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) designate CRT items (excluding adaptive equipment to operate motor vehicles or certain prosthetic devices and orthotics), and (2) establish eligibility criteria for them. 
 
Prescribes requirements for payments for CRT items. 
 
Directs the Secretary to establish standards for clinical conditions for CRT item payment as well as quality standards for suppliers of such items.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish a formal process to allow submission of CRT code set modification requests by stakeholder groups for comprehensive coding changes related to entire policy groups.
 
Requires payment for replacement of a CRT item (or any part of one), without regard to certain continuous use or useful lifetime restrictions established for items of durable medical equipment, if a qualified ordering practitioner determines that a replacement item (or part) is necessary.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Personal Care Products Safety Act

Bill: 114-s-1014
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2015-04-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Business records
Consumer affairs
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Government information and archives
Licensing and registrations
Manufacturing
Product safety and quality
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: 

Personal Care Products Safety Act

 
This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require cosmetics companies to register their facilities with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to submit to the FDA cosmetic ingredient statements that include the amounts of a cosmetic's ingredients. Companies must pay a facility registration fee based on their annual gross sales of cosmetics. The collected fees can only be used for cosmetic safety activities.
 
If the FDA determines that a cosmetic has a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences, it may prohibit the cosmetic's distribution by suspending the cosmetic ingredient statement. If other cosmetics from the same facility may be affected, the FDA may prohibit distribution from the facility by suspending the facility's registration.
 
The FDA must review the safety of at least five cosmetic ingredients each year, and it may establish conditions for safe use of an ingredient, including a limit on the amount of the ingredient or a requirement for a warning label. A cosmetic cannot be sold if it contains an ingredient that is not safe, not safe under the recommended conditions of use, or not safe in the amount present in the cosmetic. 
 
Cosmetics companies are required to report to the FDA any serious adverse health event associated with their cosmetics.
 
The FDA must:
 
 
develop and implement cosmetic manufacturing standards that are consistent with existing national and international standards,
 
be allowed to inspect a company's cosmetic safety records,
 
recall a cosmetic that is likely to cause serious adverse health consequences, and
 
encourage cosmetic safety testing practices that minimize the use of animals. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-09-22
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure:CR S2274-2275)
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Preserving Freedom and Choice in Health Care Act

Bill: 114-s-1016
Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI]
Introduced: 2015-04-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Income tax credits
Intergovernmental relations
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: 

Preserving Freedom and Choice in Health Care Act

 
This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the requirements for individuals to maintain minimum essential coverage and for large employers to pay penalties if a full-time employee: (1) must wait longer than 60 days to enroll in an employer-sponsored health plan, or (2) receives a premium assistance tax credit or reduced cost-sharing. Coverage reporting requirements for providers and large employers are also repealed.
 
Individuals enrolled in a health plan purchased through the federal health insurance exchange at the time of enactment of this Act who are ineligible for a premium assistance tax credit solely as a result of a determination by the Supreme Court in 
King v. Burwell
 are eligible for the tax credit. This applies to coverage months beginning after December 2013 and before September 2017.
 
Group health coverage in which an individual was enrolled during any part of the period beginning on the date of enactment of PPACA (March 23, 2010) and ending on December 31, 2017, is a grandfathered health plan under PPACA and is exempt from some coverage requirements.
 Essential health benefits are defined by states. This amendment takes effect as if included in PPACA.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-04-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Federal Power Act to improve the siting of interstate electric transmission facilities, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-1017
Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
Introduced: 2015-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alaska
Electric power generation and transmission
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Federal-Indian relations
Hawaii
Intergovernmental relations
Licensing and registrations
State and local government operations
Texas

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: 
This bill amends the Federal Power Act to declare U.S. policy regarding the national interstate electricity transmission system, and to ensure that high-priority regional transmission (HPRT) projects are in the public interest.
 
The bill prohibits a project developer from seeking a certificate for construction without first seeking authorization under applicable state law.
 
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) may authorize HPRT project construction found to be required by public convenience and necessity if the state:
 
 
fails to approve the project,
 
rejects the project application,
 
has no authority to approve the project siting, or
 
authorizes the project subject to conditions that unreasonably interfere with an HPRT project.
 
 
FERC is designated the lead agency to coordinate both federal authorizations and related environmental reviews for an HPRT project.
 
FERC shall: (1) coordinate the federal authorization and related environmental review process with any Indian tribe, multistate entity, or state agency responsible for separate permitting or environmental review of a project; and (2) ensure timely and efficient review and permit decisions. 
 
FERC must incorporate into the certificate certain mitigation measures recommended by federal and state agencies, including affected Indian tribes.
 
Excludes from coverage by this Act Alaska, Hawaii, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-14
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
SWAT Act

Bill: 114-s-1018
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2015-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Chemical and biological weapons
Crimes against property
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Emergency communications systems
Firearms and explosives
First responders and emergency personnel
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Law enforcement administration and funding
Nuclear power
Pipelines
State and local finance
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: 

Swatting Won't be Accepted or Tolerated Act of 2015 or the SWAT Act

 
Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) impose a term of imprisonment of up to eight years for making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation to a federal law enforcement agency that causes an emergency federal law enforcement response; and (2) require the court to order a defendant convicted of such an offense to reimburse any federal, state, or local government for up to $10,000 in expenses incurred in responding to that conduct.
 
Extends the requirement that a court order a person convicted of conveying false or misleading information indicating that conduct involving specified criminal violations has taken, is taking, or will take place (including violations regarding biological and chemical weapons, firearms, sabotage of nuclear facilities, importation of explosive materials, terrorism, and damaging or destroying pipeline facilities) to reimburse state and local governments and not-for-profit organizations for expenses incident to fire and rescue service provided in any emergency or investigative response to such conduct to also require reimbursement of law enforcement service and any such services provided by the federal government.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Freedom from Over-Criminalization and Unjust Seizures Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1019
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2015-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Crimes against animals and natural resources
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Environmental regulatory procedures
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Trade restrictions
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: 

Freedom from Over-Criminalization and Unjust Seizures Act of 2015

 
 This bill amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to repeal the prohibition on importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing in interstate or foreign commerce: (1) fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of foreign law; or (2) plants taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of foreign law, without the payment of appropriate royalties, taxes, or stumpage fees required by foreign law, or in violation of any limitation under foreign law that governs the export or transshipment of plants. The possession of those fish, wildlife, or plants within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States is allowed.
 
 A cap of $200,000 is placed on a civil penalty for a knowing violation of the Act that involves fish, wildlife, or plants with a market value of $350 or more.
 
The bill also repeals: (1) criminal penalties under the Act; and (2) the authorization to suspend, modify, or cancel specified licenses or permits issued to any person who is convicted of a criminal violation of that Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1020
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2015-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government information and archives
Health information and medical records
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: 

Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act of 2015

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from applying a multiple procedure payment reduction policy to the professional component of imaging services furnished: (1) after a specified date in the year this Act is enacted; or (2) in any subsequent year before the Secretary conducts and publishes, as part of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for a year, an analysis of the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale Data Manager information used to determine what, if any, efficiencies exist within the professional component of imaging services when two or more studies are performed on the same patient on the same day.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act

Bill: 114-s-1021
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2015-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Allied health services
Congressional oversight
Disability and paralysis
Education programs funding
Health technology, devices, supplies
Medical education
Medical research
Military medicine
Research administration and funding
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: 

Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act

 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to award grants to eligible institutions to: (1) establish a master's degree program in orthotics and prosthetics, or (2) expand upon an existing master's degree program in such area. Requires a grant priority for institutions in partnership with a medical center administered by the VA or a facility administered by the Department of Defense. Provides grant amounts of at least $1 million and up to $1.5 million. Defines as eligible institutions those either accredited by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education or demonstrating an ability to meet such accreditation requirements if receiving a grant.
 
Requires the Secretary to award a grant to an institution with orthotic and prosthetic research and education experience to: (1) establish the Center of Excellence in Orthotic and Prosthetic Education; and (2) improve orthotic and prosthetic outcomes for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and civilians by conducting orthotic and prosthetic-based research.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2302-2303)
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate