hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Fair Medicare Hospital Payments Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2832
Sponsor: Sen. Isakson, Johnny [R-GA]
Introduced: 2016-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health personnel
Home and outpatient care
Hospital care
Medicare
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: 

Fair Medicare Hospital Payments Act of 2016

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish, with respect to hospitals not located in a frontier state, a floor on the area wage adjustment factor for hospital inpatient and outpatient services covered under Medicare. (Such a floor already applies with respect to hospitals located in frontier states.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Visa Transparency Anti-Trafficking Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2833
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2016-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Cultural exchanges and relations
Foreign labor
Government information and archives
Immigration status and procedures
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: 

Visa Transparency Anti-Trafficking Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand nonimmigrant employer annual data reporting requirements to include all nonimmigrant worker categories and compensated cultural exchange, training, and business classifications.
 
Expanded reporting requirements include information regarding: (1) the age and gender of admitted nonimmigrants, (2) categories and numbers of visas issued, (3) numbers of persons admitted under each visa classification and subclassification, (4) blanket petitions, (5) the occupation and country of origin of beneficiaries, (6) nonimmigrant worker employers, (7) compensation, and (8) citizens of nations with Compacts of Free Association with the United States who are authorized to reside permanently in the United States as nonimmigrants and their ports of U.S. entry.
 
The Department of Labor shall: (1) submit such report and post the information along with the corresponding raw data and a searchable database to a public website, and (2) ensure that such posted information does not include information that would identify a specific person with reasonable certainty. 
 
Any government official who uses such information shall take steps to: (1) protect individual identities, and (2) prevent the information from being disaggregated into its component parts. 
 
 The Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security, if requested by Labor, shall share information necessary for Labor to file its annual report regarding employer petitions for H-, P-, O-, and Q-visa nonimmigrant aliens.
 
&quot;Employment&quot; means employment in the United States and includes cultural exchanges, training, or business activities for which the nonimmigrant receives any form of compensation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the National Dam Safety Program Act to establish a program to provide grant assistance for the rehabilitation and repair of high hazard potential dams, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-2835
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2016-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Dams and canals
Emergency planning and evacuation
Water resources funding

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: 
This bill amends the National Dam Safety Program Act to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a program to provide technical, planning, design, and construction assistance grants to non-federal sponsors for rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams.
 
The bill defines an &quot;eligible high hazard potential dam&quot; as a non-federal dam that:
 
 
 is classified as high hazard potential by the dam safety agency of the state in which the dam is located;
 
 has an emergency action plan approved by such agency; and
 
 fails to meet minimum state dam safety standards and poses an unacceptable risk to the public. 
 
An eligible high hazard potential dam does not include a licensed hydroelectric dam or a dam built under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture.
 
FEMA shall require a grant recipient to provide an assurance that the owner of the dam has developed and will carry out a plan for maintenance of the dam during its expected life. A grant must be approved by the relevant state dam safety agency.
 
Grant funds shall be allocated to all states from which applications are submitted based on each state's relative number of eligible high hazard potential dams compared to all states.
 
Grant funds may not be used to: 
 
 
rehabilitate a federal dam,
 
 perform routine operation or maintenance of a dam,
 
 modify a dam to produce hydroelectric power,
 
 increase water supply storage capacity, or
 
 make any other modification that does not also improve the safety of the dam. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2389-2390)
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Families with Disabilities Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2836
Sponsor: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN]
Introduced: 2016-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Home and outpatient care
Marriage and family status
Medicaid

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: 

Protecting Families with Disabilities Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with respect to how a state that had an approved home- and community-based Medicaid waiver as of January 1, 2014, may treat spousal income and assets for purposes of determining an individual's financial eligibility for services under the waiver. 
 
With respect to such a state that disregarded an individual's spousal income and assets for those purposes, specified provisions of current law shall not prohibit the state from continuing to do so.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.

Bill: 114-s-2839
Sponsor: Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
Introduced: 2016-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Florida
Georgia
Historic sites and heritage areas
Historical and cultural resources
North Carolina
South Carolina

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: 
This bill amends the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission through October 12, 2021.

action_date: 2016-09-06
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 
(Sec. 1) This bill amends the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission through October 12, 2021.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 604.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 114-331.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 114-331.
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2016-06-15
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 114-502.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act

Bill: 114-s-2841
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2016-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean
Earth sciences
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Florida
Mammals
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Oil and gas
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: 

Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act

 
This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit conducting geological or geophysical activities in support of oil or gas exploration and development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf.
 
The geological and geophysical activities are described in a final programmatic environmental impact statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled &quot;Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas.&quot;


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Johnson-O'Malley Supplemental Indian Education Program Modernization Act

Bill: 114-s-2842
Sponsor: Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND]
Introduced: 2016-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Education programs funding
Educational guidance
Elementary and secondary education
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Minority education
Right of privacy
Science and engineering education
Student records
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: 

Johnson-O'Malley Supplemental Indian Education Program Modernization Act

 
This bill amends the Johnson-O'Malley Act to establish a program through which the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) shall contract with eligible entities for the purpose of providing educational benefits to Indian students. An eligible entity is an entity that educates or serves Indian students and is either an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, an Indian corporation, a school district, a state, or a consortium of any of these entities. 
 
An eligible entity shall use the funds to establish or expand programs to: (1) provide remedial instruction, counseling, cultural programs, school supplies, and specified courses and activities; (2) establish targeted, culturally sensitive, dropout prevention activities; and (3) purchase equipment to facilitate training in trade skills and college preparation.
 
In general, BIA shall base the amount of a contract on the number of eligible Indian students educated or served by an eligible entity.
 
With respect to these contracts, BIA must ensure full geographic coverage and the full participation of eligible entities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-05-11
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-537.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide emergency supplemental appropriations to address the Zika crisis.

Bill: 114-s-2843
Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL]
Introduced: 2016-04-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: American Samoa
Appropriations
Caribbean area
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of State
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Drug therapy
Executive agency funding and structure
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Foreign aid and international relief
Government lending and loan guarantees
Guam
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Immunology and vaccination
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Intergovernmental relations
International organizations and cooperation
Medicaid
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Northern Mariana Islands
Public contracts and procurement
Puerto Rico
State and local finance
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
U.S. territories and protectorates
Virgin Islands
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: 
This bill provides FY2016 emergency supplemental appropriations to the Departments of State and Health and Human Services (HHS) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the Zika virus and other infectious diseases.
 
The bill specifies permissible uses for the funds and designates the funds as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits. 
 
The bill provides appropriations to HHS for: 
 
 
 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
 
 the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, 
 
 the National Institutes of Health, and 
 
 the Food and Drug Administration. 
 
 
The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to permit Project BioShield to be used to support the advanced development and procurement of medical countermeasures to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or treat harm from any infectious disease that may pose a threat to the public health. (Under current law, Project BioShield supports only countermeasures against specific chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terrorist threats.) 
 
The bill temporarily increases from 55% to 65% the Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage in the territories (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands). 
 
The bill provides appropriations to the Department of State and Other International Programs for: 
 
 
 the Administration of Foreign Affairs, 
 
Global Health Programs, 
 
 International Security Assistance, 
 
Multilateral Assistance, and 
 
 the U.S. Agency for International Development. 
 
 
Unobligated balances of specified funds provided for the Ebola virus may be used to respond to the Zika virus and other infectious diseases. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2390)
action_date: 2016-04-21
text: Introduced in Senate
GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2849
Sponsor: Sen. Sasse, Ben [R-NE]
Introduced: 2016-04-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Civil actions and liability
Congressional agencies
Congressional oversight
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-25
text: 

GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2016

 
This bill authorizes the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to obtain federal agency records required to discharge the GAO's duties (including audit, evaluation, and investigative duties), including through bringing civil actions to require an agency to produce a record.
 
No provision of the Social Security Act shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede the GAO's authority to: (1) obtain information or inspect records about an agency's duties, powers, activities, organization, or financial transactions; or (2) obtain other agency records that the GAO requires to discharge its duties.
 
 
Agency statements on actions taken or planned in response to GAO recommendations must be submitted to: (1) the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the pertinent agency program or activity, and (2) the GAO.


action_date: 2016-09-21
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2016

 
(Sec. 2) This bill authorizes the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to obtain federal agency records required to discharge the GAO's duties (including audit, evaluation, and investigative duties), including through bringing civil actions to require an agency to produce a record.
 
No provision of the Social Security Act shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede the GAO's authority to: (1) obtain information or inspect records about an agency's duties, powers, activities, organization, or financial transactions; or (2) obtain other agency records that the GAO requires to discharge its duties.
 
Agency statements on actions taken or planned in response to GAO recommendations must be submitted to: (1) the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the pertinent agency program or activity, and (2) the GAO.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-09-21
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 638.
action_date: 2016-09-21
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson without amendment. With written report No. 114-356.
action_date: 2016-09-21
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson without amendment. With written report No. 114-356.
action_date: 2016-05-25
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2016-04-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2016-04-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans' Disability Compensation Automatic COLA Act

Bill: 114-s-2851
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2016-04-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Disability assistance
Inflation and prices
Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: 

Veterans' Disability Compensation Automatic COLA Act

 
This bill provides that whenever there is an increase in benefit amounts payable under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs shall increase by the same percentage the amounts payable as veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled adult children, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide for the repair, recapitalization, and certification of dry docks at Naval shipyards.

Bill: 114-s-2853
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2016-04-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Defense spending
International monetary system and foreign exchange
Military facilities and property

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: 
This bill allows amounts authorized to be appropriated for FY2017 for the Department of Defense for operation and maintenance that are available as foreign currency fluctuation savings to be made available for repair, recapitalization, and certification of dry docks at naval shipyards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Inclusive Outreach Improvement Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-2855
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2016-04-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Minority and disadvantaged businesses
Research and development
Science and engineering education
Small business
Technology transfer and commercialization
Women in business

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: 

Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Inclusive Outreach Improvement Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Small Business Act to empower the Small Business Administration (SBA) to coordinate with participating federal agencies on efforts to increase outreach and awards under each of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to small business concerns owned and controlled by women and socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns.
 
Each federal agency required to establish an SBIR or an STTR program shall enhance its program by extending an outreach program to small business concerns, especially those owned and controlled by women and socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns.
 
The SBA shall modify its STTR policy directive to enhance these outreach efforts.
 
The SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 is amended to require the Interagency SBIR/STTR Policy Committee to meet at least twice a year, and if it discusses outreach and technical assistance activities to increase the participation of underrepresented small business concerns to invite to the meeting a representative of the Minority Business Development Agency as well as relevant stakeholders that advance the interests of small business concerns owned and controlled by women and socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns.
 
The SBA shall establish a Diversity and STEM Workforce Development Pilot Program under which a federal agency participating in the SBIR program or STTR program may make a $15,000 per fiscal year grant to one or more eligible entities for the costs of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics internships.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2016-04-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Corps' Obligation to Assist in Safeguarding Texas Act

Bill: 114-s-2856
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2016-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Floods and storm protection
Government studies and investigations
Gulf of Mexico
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Texas
Water resources funding

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-27
text: 

Corps' Obligation to Assist in Safeguarding Texas Act or the COAST Act

 
This bill requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite: (1) the completion of the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study by taking into consideration information developed by the Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District, and (2) the completion of the reports for the study. (The study will evaluate the feasibility of developing a comprehensive plan for flood risk management, hurricane and storm risk management, and ecosystem restoration for Texas' coastal areas.) The Corps of Engineers may proceed without additional congressional authorization to preconstruction, engineering, and design of coastal protection projects along the Texas coast that are justified by the Corps of Engineers in the reports. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2494)
action_date: 2016-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain membership status for India in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-2857
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2016-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Asia
Free trade and trade barriers
India
International organizations and cooperation

Summary:
action_date: 2016-04-27
text: 
This bill directs the Department of State to: (1) develop a strategy to obtain membership status for India in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, including participation in related meetings, working groups, activities, and mechanisms; and (2) urge APEC member states to support India's membership.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2494-2495)
action_date: 2016-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate