hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve 529 plans.

Bill: 114-s-335
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2015-02-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Computers and information technology
Educational technology and distance education
Higher education
Income tax exclusion
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to qualified tuition programs (529 plans), to: (1) make permanent the allowance for payment of computer technology and equipment expenses from a 529 plan if such technology and equipment is to be used primarily by the plan beneficiary (currently, use is allowed by the beneficiary and the beneficiary's family); (2) eliminate the requirement that distributions to a 529 plan be aggregated for purposes of determining the amount includible in a taxpayer's income; and (3) allow a tax-free recontribution to a 529 plan of amounts refunded to a student who withdraws from an educational institution if the recontribution is made not later than 60 days after the date of such refund and does not exceed the refunded amount. 

action_date: 2015-05-21
text: 
(Sec. 2) This section amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the types of higher education expenses that may be paid from a qualified tuition program (known as a 529 plan) to include expenses for the purchase of computer or peripheral equipment and computer software. This amendment applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014. 
 
(Sec. 3) This section repeals, after 2014, the provision of the Internal Revenue Code that requires 529 plan accounts to be aggregated for purposes of calculating the amount of distributions that are includible in taxpayer income. 
 
(Sec. 4) This section amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a 529 plan beneficiary who receives a refund of higher education expenses after 2014 will not be required to include the amount of such refund in income for tax purposes if such beneficiary recontributes the refunded amount to the 529 plan within 60 days of receiving the refund and the recontribution does not exceed the refunded amount. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-05-21
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 97.
action_date: 2015-05-21
text: Committee on Finance. Reported by Senator Hatch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-56.
action_date: 2015-05-21
text: Committee on Finance. Reported by Senator Hatch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-56.
action_date: 2015-04-29
text: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S698-699)
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Introduced in Senate
ObamaCare Repeal Act

Bill: 114-s-336
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2015-02-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Comprehensive health care
Government lending and loan guarantees
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Higher education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: 

ObamaCare Repeal Act

 
This bill repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and restores provisions of law amended by those Acts, effective 180 days after this bill is enacted.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Bill: 114-s-338
Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]
Introduced: 2015-02-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Hunting and fishing
Land transfers
Land use and conservation
Outdoor recreation
State and local finance
Water use and supply
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: 
 Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Requires not less than 1.5% of the annual authorized funding amount or $10 million, whichever is greater, to be used for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 10.
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Introduced in Senate
ObamaCare Repeal Act

Bill: 114-s-339
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2015-02-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Comprehensive health care
Government lending and loan guarantees
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Higher education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: 

ObamaCare Repeal Act

 
This bill repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and restores provisions of law amended by those Acts, effective 180 days after this bill is enacted.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 11.
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2015-02-02
text: Introduced in Senate
GSP Update for Production Diversification and Trade Enhancement Act

Bill: 114-s-340
Sponsor: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Tariffs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

GSP Update for Production Diversification and Trade Enhancement Act 
or the 
 GSP UPDATE Act 

 
 Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize the President to designate certain luggage and travel articles as eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Start-up Jobs and Innovation Act

Bill: 114-s-341
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Business investment and capital
Capital gains tax
Computers and information technology
Corporate finance and management
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
Inflation and prices
Research and development
Securities
Small business
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Start-up Jobs and Innovation Act
 
 
 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the increase to $500,000 of the expensing allowance for business assets, including computer software, and the treatment of qualified real property as depreciable business property; (2) make permanent the 100% exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale or exchange of small business stock; (3) increase and equalize the tax deduction for business start-up expenses and organizational expenditures; (4) increase from $5 million to $10 million the gross receipt test used to determine the eligibility of small businesses to use simplified cash accounting and inventory rules; and (5) exempt from passive loss rules any research activity carried on by a high technology research small business pass-thru entity.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
21st Century Classroom Innovation Act

Bill: 114-s-342
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Computers and information technology
Education programs funding
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
School administration
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 
 
21st Century Classroom Innovation Act

 
Amends part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to use up to 5% of their part A grant funds that are reserved for allocating subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to award competitive grants to LEAs, charter schools, or consortia of such entities to carry out blended learning projects.
 
Defines a &quot;blended learning project&quot; as a formal education program that: (1) includes an element of online learning and instructional time in a supervised location away from home; (2) includes an element of student control over time, path, or pace; and (3) connects the elements of the education program to provide an integrated learning experience.
 
Requires the competitive grant funds to be used for: (1) planning activities, the purchase of digital instructional resources, initial professional development activities, and one-time information technology purchases; or (2) ongoing professional development for teachers, school leaders, or other personnel involved in the project.
 
Requires each state making such a grant to contribute non-federal funds equal to at least 10% of the grant.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Reducing Overlapping Payments Act

Bill: 114-s-343
Sponsor: Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Social security and elderly assistance
Unemployment

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Reducing Overlapping Payments Act

 
 Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to require reduced to zero the total of an individual's monthly disability insurance benefits and any spouse's, surviving spouse's, child's, widow's, widower's, or parent's OASDI benefits based on the individual's wages and self-employment income for any month before the individual attains retirement age in which that individual is entitled to both disability insurance benefits and unemployment compensation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to equalize the excise tax on liquified petroleum gas and liquified natural gas.

Bill: 114-s-344
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Oil and gas
Sales and excise taxes

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

This bill equalizes the excise tax on liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas by establishing a rate of 18.3 cents per energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline for liquefied petroleum gas and 24.3 cents per energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel for liquefied natural gas. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to limit the level of premium subsidy provided by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to agricultural producers.

Bill: 114-s-345
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural insurance
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 
This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to limit federal crop insurance premium subsidies provided to agricultural producers to $50,000. The limit applies to the total amount of premiums paid by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation on behalf of a person or legal entity for all policies issued for a crop year. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-346
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Land transfers
Oregon
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act of 2015

 
Withdraws specified federal land in Curry and Josephine Counties in Oregon from: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and (3) operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws. 
 
 Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to revise the segment designations for the Chetco River in Oregon. 
 
Withdraws the federal land within the boundaries of such segments of the Chetco River from: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-09-22
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-509.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
FAIR Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-347
Sponsor: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Comprehensive health care
Employee benefits and pensions
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Sales and excise taxes
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Freeing Americans from Inequitable Requirements Act of 2015 or the FAIR Act of 2015 

 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the individual mandate to purchase health care coverage, to delay such requirement from taking effect until the Secretary of the Treasury submits to Congress a certification that the employer mandate to provide health care coverage for employees is being applied and administered without any administratively created exceptions. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
PLANT Act

Bill: 114-s-348
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Crimes against property
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Firearms and explosives
Forests, forestry, trees
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Lakes and rivers
Land use and conservation
U.S. Sentencing Commission
Water quality

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Protecting Lands Against Narcotics Trafficking Act of 2015 or the PLANT Act

 
 Amends the Controlled Substances Act to: (1) impose an additional term of up to ten years' imprisonment for cultivating or manufacturing controlled substances on federal property; and (2) apply the prohibition against assembling, maintaining, or placing a booby trap on federal property where a controlled substance is being manufactured to federal property where a controlled substance is being cultivated. 
 
Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend and review the Federal Sentencing Guidelines to provide for a penalty enhancement of not less than one offense level for manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance or a counterfeit substance while on federal property or while intentionally trespassing on the property of another if such offense: (1) creates a hazard to humans, wildlife, or domestic animals; (2) degrades or harms the environment or natural resources; (3) pollutes an aquifer, spring, stream, river, or body of water; (4) involves the diversion, redirection, obstruction, or draining of an aquifer, spring, stream, river, or body of water or the clear cut of timber while cultivating or manufacturing a controlled substance; or (5) involves the possession of a firearm while cultivating or manufacturing controlled substances.
 
Prohibits, and sets penalties of up to $500,000 for an individual or $1 million for other than an individual for, diverting, redirecting, obstructing, or draining an aquifer, spring, stream, river, or body of water or clear cutting timber while cultivating or manufacturing a controlled substance on federal property or while cultivating or manufacturing a controlled substance while intentionally trespassing on the property of another. Requires such fines to be transferred to the Department of the Interior for use in addressing the environmental damage caused by the offense.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Judgment Fund Transparency Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-350
Sponsor: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Government information and archives
Government liability

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Judgment Fund Transparency Act of 2015 

 
This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to disclose details after payments are made from the Judgment Fund. The Judgment Fund is a permanent and indefinite appropriation to pay judgments against the United States. Unless the disclosure is prohibited by law or a court order, Treasury is required to make available to the public on a website: the agency or entity whose actions gave rise to the claim or judgment, the plaintiff or claimant, the counsel for the plaintiff or claimant, the amount paid, a description of the facts that gave rise to the claim, and the agency that submitted the claim. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Mortgage Debt Tax Relief Act

Bill: 114-s-351
Sponsor: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Housing finance and home ownership
Income tax exclusion

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Mortgage Debt Tax Relief Act 

 
 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-16
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
EACH Act

Bill: 114-s-352
Sponsor: Sen. Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Comprehensive health care
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Religion
Sales and excise taxes

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Equitable Access to Care and Health Act or the EACH Act

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the religious conscience exemption under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to exempt individuals who rely solely on a religious method of healing and for whom the acceptance of medical health services would be inconsistent with their religious beliefs from the requirement to purchase and maintain minimum essential health care coverage. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Justice Safety Valve Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-353
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal procedure and sentencing
Judicial procedure and administration

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Justice Safety Valve Act of 2015 

 
This bill authorizes a federal court to impose a sentence in a criminal proceeding that is below the minimum sentence required by statute if the court finds that a lower sentence is necessary to avoid violating statutory factors that the court must consider in imposing a sentence. The court must give parties to the proceeding notice of its intent to impose a lower sentence and state in writing the factors requiring such a sentence. This bill does not limit any right to appeal that would otherwise exist. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 820 Elmwood Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, as the "Sister Ann Keefe Post Office".

Bill: 114-s-354
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional tributes
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Postal service
Rhode Island

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 820 Elmwood Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, as the "Sister Ann Keefe Post Office."

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Teach Safe Relationships Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-355
Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
Introduced: 2015-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Crimes against women
Domestic violence and child abuse
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
HIV/AIDS
Health promotion and preventive care
School administration
Sex and reproductive health
Sex offenses
Sexually transmitted diseases
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: 

Teach Safe Relationships Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to authorize the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive four-year grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide: (1) professional development to school administrators, teachers, and staff in safe relationship behavior education; and (2) educational programming and curricula for students regarding safe relationship behavior.
 
"Safe relationship behavior education" is education that:
 
 
is medically accurate and appropriate for an individual's age, developmental stage, and culture; 
 
promotes safe relationships and teaches students to recognize and prevent coercion, violence, or abuse, including physical and emotional relationship abuse; 
 
includes education regarding communication skills, emotional health, accountability, and well-being in relationships; and 
 
includes education regarding healthy relationships and consent. 

 
ED must provide LEAs with policy guidance regarding safe relationship behavior training and the promotion of safe and healthy relationships.
 
ESEA funds may not be used for sex or HIV-prevention education in schools if that instruction does not include safe relationship behavior education. (Under current law, sex or HIV-prevention education in schools must be age appropriate and include the health benefits of abstinence.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S738)
action_date: 2015-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate