hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Postal Innovation Act

Bill: 114-s-1854
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Alcoholic beverages
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Congressional oversight
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Emergency communications systems
Energy efficiency and conservation
Government studies and investigations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Motor vehicles
Oil and gas
Postal service
Public contracts and procurement
Public-private cooperation
Rural conditions and development
Telephone and wireless communication
Transportation safety and security
U.S. Postal Service
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: 

Postal Innovation Act

 
This bill expands the powers of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) by allowing it to offer nonpostal services, including financial services, warehousing, public Internet access, experimental postal products market testing, shipment of beer, wine, and spirits, and community support services. The bill also authorizes USPS to: (1) furnish property and services to states, local governments, and tribal governments; and (2) conduct a pilot program to assess the most cost-effective implementation of providing nonpostal services to communities through public-private partnerships at post offices in five cities, including at least one post office in a rural area and one in an urban area. 
 
The bill authorizes USPS to enter into contracts to upgrade its fleet of vehicles to increase long-term savings by reducing collision, maintenance, fuel, or other costs. USPS is required to develop fuel economy guidelines for its vehicles and to reduce the petroleum consumption of its vehicles by not less than 2% annually through the end of FY2025. 
 
USPS may use cost savings from offering nonpostal services to reinvest in innovation, research and development, and operations. USPS must use commercially available crash avoidance technologies to improve the safety of its vehicle fleet. 
 
The bill requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on USPS providing access to public broadband Internet service and Internet voting. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
United States-Philippines Security Partnership Enhancement Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1855
Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2015-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Asia
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Philippines

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: 

United States-Philippines Security Partnership Enhancement Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Arms Export Control Act to extend special foreign military sales status to the Philippines.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Assuring Contracting Equity Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1859
Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM]
Introduced: 2015-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Disability and paralysis
Minority and disadvantaged businesses
Public contracts and procurement
Small business
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Women in business

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: 

Assuring Contracting Equity Act of 2015

 
This bill increases from: (1) 23% to 25% the government-wide small business procurement contract goal, (2) 5% to 10% the government-wide procurement goal for small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses, and (3) 3% to 6% the government-wide procurement goal for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and HUBZONE (historically underutilized business zone) small businesses. The number of categories is limited for which a small business may qualify under such goals.
 
The Small Business Administration (SBA) must include within its report to the President and to Congress on these goals, the percentage of participation by small businesses for the total value of all prime contracts and subcontracts awards for a fiscal year, including the value of each contract awarded.
 
The SBA must consult with the heads of other federal agencies to develop and implement standards for procurement officers to take into consideration the past compliance of potential contractors with small business subcontracting goals when making contract awards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
FIRST Freedom Act

Bill: 114-s-1860
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2015-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Crime victims
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Executive agency funding and structure
Freedom of information
Government studies and investigations
Human rights
Human trafficking
Immigration status and procedures
Racial and ethnic relations
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Religion
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Terrorism
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: 

Further Independence of Religion for Security and Tolerance Freedom Act of 2015 or the FIRST Freedom Act

 
This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: 
 
 
the protection and promotion of international human rights, including religious freedom, should be an important U.S. priority; and 
 
the United States should pursue new strategies to deter and punish the perpetrators of severe violations of religious freedom, including non-state actors, and to protect the victims of such violations. 
 
 
The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to authorize the Department of State to designate refugee groups: 
 
 
whose resettlement in the United States is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest; and 
 
who share common characteristics that identify them as targets of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, or having been so identified share a common need for resettlement. 
 
 
The one-year time limit for filing an asylum claim is eliminated. A two-year window is provided for certain aliens to reopen a claim denied because of failure to file within one year. 
 
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is authorized to study: (1) whether immigration officers are engaging in improper conduct, and (2) the impact of interview delays on asylum claims. 
 
The International Religious Freedom Act is amended to authorize appropriations for the Commission through FY2017.
 
Any alien who was responsible for, or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom is inadmissible or deportable. (Current law is limited to foreign government officials who commit such acts.)
 
The federal criminal code is amended to require that any person who outside the United States commits, or attempts or conspires to commit, religious persecution against a U.S. person: (1) be fined, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both; and (2) if the death of any person results from the violation, be fined and imprisoned for any term of years or for life. 
 
No person may be prosecuted, tried, or punished for such a violation unless the indictment or the information is filed within 10 years after commission of the offense.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5533-5537)
action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to prohibit Federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Bill: 114-s-1861
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2015-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Abortion
Family planning and birth control
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding
Sex and reproductive health
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-24
text: 
This bill prohibits federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America or its affiliates.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-26
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 164.
action_date: 2015-07-24
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2015-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate
VET Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1862
Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-07-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Appropriations
Business education
Executive agency funding and structure
Retail and wholesale trades
Small Business Administration
Small business
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-26
text: 

Veterans Entrepreneurial Transition Act of 2015 or the VET Act of 2015

 
This bill directs the Small Business Administration to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of making grants to eligible veterans to start or acquire a qualifying business enterprise.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2015-07-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Timothy Nugent Congressional Gold Medal Act

Bill: 114-s-1863
Sponsor: Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]
Introduced: 2015-07-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Congressional tributes
Disability and health-based discrimination
Disability and paralysis
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: 

Timothy Nugent Congressional Gold Medal Act

 
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Timothy Nugent, in recognition of his pioneering work on behalf of people with disabilities, including disabled veterans.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S5932)
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Anna Westin Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1865
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2015-07-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Digestive and metabolic diseases
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health promotion and preventive care
Higher education
Medical education
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mental health
Nutrition and diet
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: 

Anna Westin Act of 2015

 
This bill requires the Office on Women's Health of the Department of Health and Human Services to revise, promote, and make freely available the BodyWise Handbook and BodyWorks obesity prevention program. The handbook must include information about eating disorders relating to males and females.
 
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award grants: (1) to integrate training on eating disorders into existing curricula for health, mental health, and public health professionals; and (2) to states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and educational institutions for seminars for school personnel on eating disorders and to make resources available to individuals affected by eating disorders.
 
The National Institute of Mental Health must make public service announcements on eating disorders.
 
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and Internal Revenue Code to prohibit health insurance coverage from permanently excluding a particular condition from mental health or substance use disorder benefits. Mental health and substance use disorder benefits include residential treatment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Introduced in Senate
International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders

Bill: 114-s-1867
Sponsor: Sen. Shelby, Richard C. [R-AL]
Introduced: 2015-07-27 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Crimes against children
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Homeland Security
Department of State
Domestic violence and child abuse
Executive agency funding and structure
Immigration status and procedures
International law and treaties
International organizations and cooperation
Sex offenses
Travel and tourism
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: 

International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders

 
 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to establish the Angel Watch Center. The Center must identify outbound sex offender travelers who failed to provide advanced notice of international travel and provide a list of such individuals to the U.S. Marshals Service to investigate. 
 
The Department of Justice (DOJ) must designate the Center as the central repository for incoming notifications of sex offender travel. 
 
The bill authorizes the Center and the Marshals Service to transmit notification to a destination country of a sex offender's international travel. The Center and the Marshals Service must comply with certain procedures, collect specified data, and establish a complaint process for sex offenders affected by notifications. 
 
It amends the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act to require a registered sex offender to report additional information on intended international travel. In addition, the bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for a sex offender to knowingly fail to report such intended international travel information. 
 
DOJ may notify a destination country of a sex offender's international travel. 
 
This bill amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to prohibit the Department of State from issuing a passport to a sex offender applicant, unless the passport contains a unique identifier. A "unique identifier" is any visual sex offender designation that is conspicuously affixed to a passport. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Quarterly Financial Reporting Reauthorization Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1868
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2015-07-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Business records
Census and government statistics
Corporate finance and management
Economic performance and conditions
Government information and archives

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: 

Quarterly Financial Reporting Reauthorization Act of 2015

 
This bill extends through FY2030 the authority of the Department of Commerce to conduct the quarterly financial report program under which it collects and publishes quarterly financial statistics of business operations, organization, practices, management, and relation to other businesses, including data on sales, expenses, assets, liabilities, and other measures of financial condition.

action_date: 2015-10-22
text: 

Quarterly Financial Reporting Reauthorization Act of 2015

 
(Sec. 2) This bill extends through FY2030 the authority of the Department of Commerce to conduct the quarterly financial report program under which it collects and publishes quarterly financial statistics of business operations, organization, practices, management, and relation to other businesses, including data on sales, expenses, assets, liabilities, and other measures of financial condition.
 
(Sec. 3) Commerce shall review and report to Congress on the data security procedures of the Bureau of the Census, including those implemented since the data breach of systems of the Office of Personnel Management that occurred during FY2015.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-22
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 277.
action_date: 2015-10-22
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment. With written report No. 114-157.
action_date: 2015-10-22
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment. With written report No. 114-157.
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Introduced in Senate
VET Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-1870
Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-07-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Business education
Retail and wholesale trades
Small business
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: 

Veterans Entrepreneurial Transition Act of 2015 or the VET Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Small Business Act to direct the Small Business Administration to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of making grants to eligible veterans to start or acquire a qualifying business enterprise.

action_date: 2016-06-29
text: 

Veterans Entrepreneurial Transition Act of 2016 or the VET Act of 2016

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to carry out a three-year pilot program to assess the feasibility of making grants to up to 250 eligible veterans and retiring or honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces to start or acquire a qualifying business enterprise. 
 
The SBA shall establish a list of qualifying business enterprise categories, which shall include: (1) a small business concern, (2) a franchise business enterprise, and (3) any other appropriate business enterprise category.
 
The SBA shall ensure grantee geographic diversity.
 
The SBA may authorize eligible veterans to apply as a group. Such a group shall be treated as a single veteran.
 
Each grantee shall: (1) complete an SBA-approved entrepreneurship readiness program, and (2) prepare a business plan.
 
The SBA shall submit a program assessment within two years of the program's commencement.
 
The Government Accountability Office shall submit a program evaluation within one year of the program's termination.
 
Nothing in the bill shall be construed to modify any time limitation or period during which an individual is entitled to Post 9/11 or all-volunteer force educational assistance.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-12-20
text: By Senator Vitter from Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 12/10/2016. Report No. 114-411.
action_date: 2016-12-20
text: By Senator Vitter from Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 12/10/2016. Report No. 114-411.
action_date: 2016-06-29
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 542.
action_date: 2016-06-29
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Reported by Senator Vitter with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2016-06-29
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Reported by Senator Vitter with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Common Access Card Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1871
Sponsor: Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]
Introduced: 2015-07-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Computer security and identity theft
Congressional oversight
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Health care quality
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: 

Medicare Common Access Card Act of 2015

 
This bill establishes a pilot program under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for the purpose of utilizing smart card technology for Medicare beneficiary identification cards. A &ldquo;smart card&rdquo; is a secure, electronic, machine readable, fraud-resistant, tamper-resistant card that includes an embedded integrated circuit chip with a secure micro-controller. 
 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must conduct the pilot program in at least three areas in which there is a high risk for waste and abuse, and must give priority in the provision of cards to Medicare beneficiaries who self-identify as individuals whose personal identity and health information has previously been compromised.
 
In designing the program, CMS must include, among other provisions: (1) regular monitoring and review of Medicare billings and records in order to identify and address inaccurate changes and instances of waste, fraud, or abuse; and (2) reporting mechanisms for measuring Medicare cost savings attributable to the pilot program.
 
CMS must report to Congress on issues and recommendations related the pilot program within two years of program implementation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Simplifying Financial Aid for Students Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1872
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-07-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Higher education
Student aid and college costs
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: 

Simplifying Financial Aid for Students Act of 2015
 
 
 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to provide for the use of tax information from the second preceding tax year (the "prior, prior year") to determine a student's financial aid eligibility. It requires data sharing between the Internal Revenue Service and ED, pursuant to taxpayer consent. 
 
 The bill also increases from $23,000 to $30,000 the adjusted gross income threshold used to determine whether a student qualifies for an automatic zero expected family contribution (EFC) in the calculation of such student's financial need. A dependent student is eligible for an automatic zero EFC if the student's parents have adjusted gross income up to $30,000. An independent student with non-spouse dependents is eligible for a zero EFC if the student and spouse have adjusted gross income up to $30,000. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-07-27
text: Introduced in Senate