hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1676
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2015-06-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Department of Veterans Affairs
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Health promotion and preventive care
Medical education
Medicare
Mental health
Nursing
Rural conditions and development
Student aid and college costs
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-24
text: 

Delivering Opportunities for Care and Services for Veterans Act of 2015 or the DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to determining the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) residents for payments to hospitals for direct graduate medical education (GME) costs, in particular the limitation on the total number of FTE residents in the field of allopathic or osteopathic medicine in a hospital's approved medical residency training program. In applying this limitation, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall not take into account any such resident who counts towards meeting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) obligation under the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to increase the number of GME residency positions at VA medical facilities by up to 1,500 positions.
 
The period for increasing GME residency positions at VA medical facilities is extended to 10 years.
 
 The VA and HHS shall jointly conduct a six-year pilot program to establish at least three graduate behavioral medicine residency programs in underserved areas in the United States. 
 
Education and training of marriage and family therapists and licensed professional mental health counselors shall be included in VA health personnel education and training programs.
 
Persons with a doctoral degree in mental health counseling are eligible for appointment to a VA mental health counselor position.
 
Physician assistants in VA facilities must receive pay competitive with pay for similar positions in non-VA facilities in the same labor market.
 
At least 30% of debt reduction payments paid under the education debt reduction program each year shall be paid to individuals who practice medicine in a rural or highly rural area. 
 
The positions (and pay) of Directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks are established.
 
 The VA shall conduct a two-year pilot program to assess the feasibility of implementing in rural and highly rural areas with a large percentage of veterans a nurse advice line to provide veterans with medical advice, appointment and cancellation services, and information on the availability of VA benefits.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-06
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-242.
action_date: 2015-06-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2015-06-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Responsible Estate Tax Act

Bill: 114-s-1677
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Farmland
Inflation and prices
Land use and conservation
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Transfer and inheritance taxes

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Responsible Estate Tax Act 

 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes, to: (1) revise estate tax rates to impose an increased tax for estates over $3.5 million and a maximum tax rate of 55% for estates over $50 million, (2) impose a 10% surtax on estates over $500 million, (3) reduce the basic estate tax exclusion amount to $3.5 million, (4) increase to $3 million the reduction in valuations of farmland for estate tax purposes and adjust such increased amount for inflation after 2014, and (5) increase to $2 million the maximum estate tax exclusion for contributions of conservation easements.
 
Requires that the value of the basis in any property acquired from a decedent or by gift be consistent with the basis as determined for estate and gift tax purposes. Requires executors of estates and donors of gifts required to file a gift tax return to disclose to the Department of the Treasury, and to recipients of any interest in an estate or a gift, information identifying the value of each interest received.
 
Sets forth estate valuation rules for certain transfers of nonbusiness assets and limits estate tax discounts for certain individuals with minority interests in a business acquired from a decedent.
 
Expands rules for valuing assets in grantor retained annuity trusts to require that: (1) the right to receive fixed amounts from an annuity last for a term of not less than 10 years and that such fixed amounts not decrease during the first 10 years of the annuity term, and (2) the remainder interest have a value greater than 10% when transferred.
 
Sets forth rules for the application of transfer taxes to a grantor trust (a trust in which the grantor retains control over the trust assets and has the right to receive income from the trust). Eliminates the generation-skipping transfer tax exemption for any trust whose termination date is not greater than 50 years after its creation.
 
Modifies the annual gift tax exclusion (currently, $14,000 per donee) to limit the aggregate annual amount of such exclusion to twice the current exclusion amount for certain types of transfers, specifically a transfer in trust, a transfer of an interest in a pass through entity, a transfer of an interest subject to a prohibition on sale, and any other transfer of property that cannot be immediately liquidated by the donee. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 B Street in Perryville, Arkansas, as "Harold George Bennett Post Office".

Bill: 114-s-1678
Sponsor: Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Arkansas
Congressional tributes
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Postal service

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 B Street in Perryville, Arkansas, as "Harold George Bennett Post Office."

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act

Bill: 114-s-1679
Sponsor: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: American Samoa
Caribbean area
Disaster relief and insurance
Floods and storm protection
Housing finance and home ownership
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act

 
This bill amends the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 to make technical amendments to requirements for flood insurance under either the federal program or private flood insurance.
 
"Private flood insurance" shall include any policy issued by an insurance company eligible as a nonadmitted insurer to provide flood insurance in the state or jurisdiction where the property to be insured is located.
 
The flood insurance program under the Act, including both private and federal flood insurance, shall extend to Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
 
The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 is amended to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to consider any period during which a property was continuously covered by private flood insurance to be a period of continuous insurance coverage.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-09-13
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-451.
action_date: 2016-06-30
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
National Multimodal Freight Policy and Investment Act

Bill: 114-s-1680
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Aviation and airports
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Congressional oversight
Department of Transportation
Economic performance and conditions
Executive agency funding and structure
Licensing and registrations
Marine and inland water transportation
Motor carriers
Navigation, waterways, harbors
Performance measurement
Pipelines
Railroads
Regional and metropolitan planning
Roads and highways
State and local government operations
Transportation costs
Transportation employees
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

National Multimodal Freight Policy and Investment Act

 
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to:
 
 
establish a national multimodal freight network, a national multimodal freight advisory committee, and a freight investment grant program; and
 
develop a national multimodal freight strategic plan.
 
 
Each state receiving a freight investment grant shall also develop a freight investment plan and establish a state freight advisory committee.
 
The bill establishes in DOT an Office of Freight Planning, Permitting, and Development.
 
DOT shall establish a competitive capital grant program to provide financial assistance to states, metropolitan planning organizations, regional or local transportation authorities, tribal governments, and other entities for:
 
 
 shortline or regional railroad infrastructure improvement projects, and
 
highway-rail vertical grade separation projects.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
QUIET Act

Bill: 114-s-1681
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Consumer affairs
Marketing and advertising
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 
 
Quell Unnecessary, Intentional, and Encroaching Telephone Calls Act of 2014 or the QUIET Act 

 
This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly initiate a commercial robocall, without the prior written consent of the recipient, from within the United States or to a recipient within the United States. The prohibition does not apply to emergency or health-related calls or calls from charitable organizations. 
 
The bill defines &quot;commercial robocall&quot; as a telephone call made using an automatic dialing system or artificial or prerecorded voice to solicit or encourage the purchase of property, goods, or services. 
 
Violators are subject to fines up to $20,000 per violation and/or up to 10 years in prison. 
 
 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Iran Sanctions Relief Oversight Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1682
Sponsor: Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Foreign aid and international relief
Human rights
Iran
Middle East
Nuclear weapons
Palestinians
Sanctions
Syria
Terrorism
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Iran Sanctions Relief Oversight Act of 2015

 
This bill extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 through December 31, 2026.
 
The Secretary of the Treasury shall report to Congress assessing: 
 
 
the monetary value of any sanctions relief that Iran has received since the Joint Plan of Action entered into effect;
 
Iran's use of such funds funds, including to support international terrorism and the al-Assad regime in Syria, advance nuclear weapons or ballistic missile efforts, or commit any violation of the human rights of the people of Iran; and
 
the extent to which senior Iranian officials have diverted sanctions relief funds into their personal accounts.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
SCRUB Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1683
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Congressional oversight
Economic performance and conditions
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Judicial review and appeals
Legislative rules and procedure
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 or the SCRUB Act of 2015

 
Establishes the Retrospective Regulatory Review Commission to review the Code of Federal Regulations to identify, using specified criteria, rules and sets of rules that collectively implement a regulatory program that should be repealed to lower the cost of regulation to the economy, giving priority to major rules that: (1) have been in effect more than 15 years, (2) impose paperwork burdens that could be reduced substantially without significantly diminishing regulatory effectiveness, (3) impose disproportionately high costs on small business entities, and (4) could be strengthened in their effectiveness while reducing regulatory costs. 
 
Sets forth congressional procedures for consideration of recommendations for the repeal of rules in the Commission's reports. Requires agencies to repeal a rule or set of rules as recommended by the Commission within 60 days after the enactment of a joint resolution approving the recommendations in the Commission's reports. Prohibits the reissuance of a rule similar to any rule that has been repealed or that results in the same adverse effects of a repealed rule.
 
Requires the Commission to: (1) establish a public website to make regulatory information accessible to the public at no cost, and (2) make any of its meetings of hearings open to the public.
 
Requires a federal agency that makes a new rule to: (1) repeal rules identified by the Commission to offset the cost to the economy of such new rule (cut-go procedures), and (2) include in the final issuance of such rule a plan for reviewing the rule not later than 10 years after it is promulgated. Requires the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget to review and certify the accuracy of agency determinations of the cost of new rules.
 
Makes agency compliance with the requirements of this Act subject to judicial review.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1684
Sponsor: Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015

 
Amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to expand liability protections to volunteer nonprofit organizations for harm caused by an act or omission of a volunteer on behalf of the organization. 
 
Prohibits such liability protections from applying if the organization: (1) would be liable under laws governing the direct or vicarious liability of organizations, and (2) expressly authorized the specific conduct constituting the act or omission.
 
Bars such an organization from liability for harm caused by the organization, or a volunteer acting on its behalf, if the act or omission was at the request of, or pursuant to an authorization by, the federal government, a state government, or another governmental subdivision, provided that: (1) the requesting or authorizing governmental entity would have been immune from suit or from liability in damages if the entity had engaged in the act or omission itself or through an employee, agent, or independent contractor; or (2) any governmental employee, agent, or contractor who had engaged in the act or omission on behalf of the requesting or authorizing governmental entity would have been immune from suit or from liability in damages by virtue of immunity extended to individual governmental actors. 
 
Prohibits punitive damages from being awarded against a volunteer nonprofit organization for the actions of a volunteer within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities to the organization unless the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the organization itself expressly authorized the volunteer's action with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed.
 
Sets forth factors to be considered to determine whether a nonprofit organization is presumed to be a volunteer nonprofit organization.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1685
Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal preemption
Land use and conservation
State and local government operations
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015

 
Directs the Federal Communications Commission to amend regulations concerning the height and dimensions of station antenna structures to prohibit a private land use restriction from applying to amateur service communications if the restriction precludes such communications, fails to accommodate such communications, or does not constitute the minimum practicable restriction to accomplish the legitimate purpose of the private entity seeking to enforce the restriction.

action_date: 2016-12-06
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015

 
(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to amend regulations concerning the height and dimensions of station antenna structures to prohibit a private land use restriction from applying to amateur service communications if the restriction precludes such communications, fails to accommodate such communications, or does not constitute the minimum practicable restriction to accomplish the legitimate purpose of the private entity seeking to enforce the restriction.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-12-09
text: By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 114-400. Additional views filed.
action_date: 2016-12-09
text: By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 114-400. Additional views filed.
action_date: 2016-12-06
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 700.
action_date: 2016-12-06
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2016-12-06
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2015-11-18
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Carried Interest Fairness Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1686
Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Capital gains tax
Financial services and investments
Income tax rates
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Carried Interest Fairness Act of 201

5
 
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) set forth a special rule for the inclusion in gross income of partnership interests transferred in connection with the performance of services, (2) treat as ordinary income the net capital gain with respect to an investment services partnership interest except to the extent such gain is attributable to a partner's qualified capital interest, (3) exempt income from investment services partnership interests from treatment as qualifying income of a publicly traded partnership, (4) exempt certain family partnerships from the application of this Act; (5) increase the penalty for underpayments of tax resulting from failure to treat income from an investment services partnership interest as ordinary income, and (6) include income and loss from an investment services partnership interest for purposes of determining net earnings from self-employment and applicable self-employment taxes.
 
Defines "investment services partnership interest" as any interest in a partnership held by a person who provides services to a partnership by: (1) advising the partnership about investing in, purchasing, or selling specified assets; (2) managing, acquiring, or disposing of specified assets; or (3) arranging financing with respect to acquiring specified assets.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Offshore Reinsurance Tax Fairness Act

Bill: 114-s-1687
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2015-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Insurance industry and regulation
Taxation of foreign income
U.S. and foreign investments

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: 

Offshore Reinsurance Tax Fairness Act

 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to define &quot;qualifying insurance corporation,&quot; for purposes of the insurance business exception to passive foreign investment company rules, as a foreign corporation: (1) that would be subject to U.S. taxation if it were a domestic corporation, and (2) the applicable insurance liabilities of which constitute more than 25% of its total assets. Allows an alternative facts and circumstances test for insurance corporations whose applicable insurance liabilities are not at least 25% of total assets if such percentage is at least 10% and the corporation is predominantly engaged in an insurance business. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4650; text of measure as introduced: CR S4650-4652)
action_date: 2015-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate