hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Immigration Slush Fund Elimination Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1593
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2015-06-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Foreign labor
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Health personnel
Immigration status and procedures
Nursing
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
User charges and fees
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: 

Immigration Slush Fund Elimination Act of 2015
 
 
 
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to provide that the following fees shall be miscellaneous receipts to be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury: 
 
 
asylum fees, 
 
nonimmigrant nurse fees, 
 
employer fees, 
 
additional employer fees, 
 
Department of State and Department of Homeland Security fraud prevention and detection fees, 
 
visa waiver program fees, 
 
temporary protected status fees, 
 
adjustment of status fees, 
 
administrative fines and penalties, 
 
the genealogy fee, 
 
the premium fee for employment-based petitions and applications, 
 
biometric entry and data system fees, and 
 
nonimmigrant foreign student fees.
 
 
Authority for the visa waiver program travel promotion fee is extended through September 30, 2015.
 
 Fee disposition provisions are revised.
 
Fee revenues in all of the accounts under section 286 of INA, as of the day before enactment of this Act, shall be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury on the effective date provided for by this Act. 
 
All of the accounts authorized under such section (including the Immigration User Fee Account and the Land Border Inspection Account), as of the day before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be terminated on such date.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Arm All Pilots Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1594
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2015-06-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Aviation and airports
Department of Homeland Security
Firearms and explosives
Government information and archives
Law enforcement officers
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Personnel records
Transportation employees
Transportation safety and security
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: 

Arm All Pilots Act of 2015

 
This bill revises requirements for the federal flight deck officer program.
 
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall designate additional training facilities for:
 
 
firearms training and recurrent training for federal flight deck officers, and 
 
 initial firearm training and certification of pilots seeking to be deputized as federal flight deck officers.
 
 
DHS (formerly, the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security of the Department of Transportation) shall:
 
 
 require officers, but no less than once every six months, to requalify to carry firearms on domestic flights; and
 
permit officers to requalify at certified private or government-owned gun ranges.
 
 
DHS may require certain limitations on initial and recurrent training for such officers.
 
The bill revises the authority of federal flight deck officers to carry firearms on domestic and foreign flights.
 
DHS may not establish medical or physical standards for a pilot to become a federal flight deck officer inconsistent with or more stringent than Federal Aviation Administration requirements for issuance of a first- or second-class airman medical certificate.
 
A pilot deputized as a federal flight deck officer may move from inactive to active status after completing one recurrent training program.
 
DHS shall allow officers to be screened through the Transportation Security Administration's Known Crew Member program when entering an airport sterile area.
 
Each air carrier certifying to DHS that it has a pilot deputized as a federal flight deck officer on all its flights shall receive a refund of up to 10% of security service fees collected from passengers on flights operated by that air carrier.
 
DHS shall revise certain federal regulations to classify information about deputized pilots as sensitive security information.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Individuals From Mass Aerial Surveillance Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1595
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2015-06-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Evidence and witnesses
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: 

Protecting Individuals From Mass Aerial Surveillance Act of 2015

 
Prohibits a federal entity from using unmanned aircraft or other mobile aerial-view devices (MAVDs) to: (1) surveil property, persons, or their effects; or (2) gather evidence pertaining to known or suspected criminal conduct, or conduct that violates a statute or regulation.
 
Sets forth exceptions that allow MAVDs to be used by federal entities to:
 
 
surveil national borders to prevent or deter illegal entry of persons or illegal substances; 
 
prevent imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm to a specific individual, counter an imminent risk of a terrorist attack by a specific individual or organization, prevent imminent destruction of evidence, or counter an imminent or actual escape of a criminal or terrorist suspect; 
 
monitor or research environmental, geologic, or weather-related damage and events, including forest fires, erosion, floods, wildlife, habitats, or illegal vegetation on public lands; or 
 
acquire information about an individual who consents to the use of an MAVD. 

 
Allows law enforcement parties to use an MAVD to surveil specific property, persons, or their effects pursuant to a search and seizure warrant. 
 
Prohibits a federal entity actor from making an intentional effort to identify an individual from, or associate an individual with, the information collected under certain exceptions to the prohibition on the use of MAVDs. Bars disclosure of collected information except to another federal entity or state, tribal, or local government agency that agrees to be bound by the restrictions in this Act.
 
Prohibits federal entities from: (1) soliciting or awarding contracts to surveil by MAVD for a federal entity, unless the federal entity has existing authority for such surveillance; or (2) purchasing information obtained from MAVD surveillance by a nonfederal entity if such information contains personal information, except with the consent of the affected persons.
 
Prohibits this Act from being construed to preempt any state law regarding the use of MAVDs exclusively within the borders of that state.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4251-4252)
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Patient-Focused Impact Assessment Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-1597
Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Introduced: 2015-06-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Government information and archives
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: 

Patient-Focused Impact Assessment Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the package of information published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) upon approval of a new drug to include documentation of efforts to assess patient engagement. This documentation must include identification of patient-focused drug development tools and an explanation of whether certain information was reviewed or examined, including patient preferences and patient-reported or caregiver-reported outcomes. The FDA must annually summarize the data collected in this documentation.
 The FDA must publish guidance on collaboration between patients, advocacy organizations, and industry for the purposes of developing patient-focused drug development tools and obtaining patient perspectives on medical products under development.
action_date: 2016-04-05
text: 

Patient-Focused Impact Assessment Act of 2016

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), after approving an application for a new medication, to publish a brief statement on any patient experience data or related information that was part of the application. Patient experience data is information about the impact of a medical condition or a related therapy on a patient's life and the patient's preferences for treatment.
 
(Sec. 3) The FDA must issue guidance on the collection of patient experience data and the use of that data in drug development.
 
(Sec. 4) The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply to voluntary collection of patient experience data.
 (Sec. 5) The FDA must report on its review of patient experience data as part of approving applications for new medications.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-04-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 413.
action_date: 2016-04-05
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2016-04-05
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2016-03-09
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Introduced in Senate
First Amendment Defense Act

Bill: 114-s-1598
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2015-06-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Charitable contributions
Civil actions and liability
Government lending and loan guarantees
Income tax deductions
Licensing and registrations
Marriage and family status
Public contracts and procurement
Religion
Sex and reproductive health
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Tax-exempt organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: 

First Amendment Defense Act

 
Prohibits the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.
 
Defines "discriminatory action" as any federal government action to discriminate against a person with such beliefs or convictions, including a federal government action to: 
 
 
alter the federal tax treatment of, cause any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny, delay, or revoke certain tax exemptions of any such person; 
 
disallow a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; 
 
withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any federal grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status from or to such person; or 
 
withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any benefit under a federal benefit program. 

 
Requires the federal government to consider to be accredited, licensed, or certified for purposes of federal law any person who would be accredited, licensed, or certified for such purposes but for a determination that the person believes or acts in accordance with such a religious belief or moral conviction. 
 
Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government.
 
Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to enforce this Act against the Government Accountability Office or an establishment in the executive branch, other than the U.S. Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, that is not an executive department, military department, or government corporation. 
 
Defines "person" as any person regardless of religious affiliation, including corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Judicial Redress Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1600
Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
Introduced: 2015-06-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Government information and archives
International organizations and cooperation
Right of privacy

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: 

Judicial Redress Act of 2015

 
Authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to designate foreign countries or regional economic integration organizations whose natural citizens may bring civil actions under the Privacy Act of 1974 against certain U.S. government agencies for purposes of accessing, amending, or redressing unlawful disclosures of records maintained by an agency.
 
Allows DOJ, with the concurrence of the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Homeland Security, to designate countries or organizations whose citizens may pursue such civil remedies if the person's country or organization has appropriate privacy protections for sharing information with the United States to prevent, investigate, detect, or prosecute criminal offenses.
 
Exempts DOJ's designations from judicial or administrative review. 
 
Grants the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising under this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Introduced in Senate
SAFE Act

Bill: 114-s-1601
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2015-06-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Atmospheric science and weather
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Department of the Interior
Ecology
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Executive agency funding and structure
Indian lands and resources rights
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Scientific communication
State and local government operations
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: 

Safeguarding America's Future and Environment Act or the SAFE Act 

 
This bill requires the President to establish an interagency National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy Joint Implementation Working Group to adopt the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy (released March 26, 2013) to protect, manage, and conserve fish, wildlife, and plants to maintain the inherent resilience and adaptability of fish, wildlife, and plants to withstand the ongoing and expected effects of extreme weather and climate change.
 
Each federal agency must integrate the elements of the strategy that relate to conservation, management, and protection of fish, wildlife, and plants into agency plans, environmental reviews, and programs.
 
The Department of the Interior must establish a National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center to assess and develop scientific information, tools, strategies, and techniques to support the Working Groups and other interested parties in addressing the effects of extreme weather and climate change on fish, wildlife, and plants. 
 
Interior must establish an Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Sciences to advise the working group on the state of the science regarding the effects of extreme weather and climate change on fish, wildlife, and plants and strategies and mechanisms for fish, wildlife, and plants adaptation. 
 
To be eligible to receive funding under the bill, the states (including, the District of Columbia, Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) must submit to Interior and the Department of Commerce for review and approval a state fish, wildlife, and plant adaptation plan that details efforts to address the effects of climate change on fish, wildlife, and plants and coastal areas.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Puerto Rico Hospital HITECH Amendments Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1602
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2015-06-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Caribbean area
Computers and information technology
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health technology, devices, supplies
Medicare
Puerto Rico
U.S. territories and protectorates

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: 

Puerto Rico Hospital HITECH Amendments Act of 2015 

 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to apply Medicare HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) payments to subsection (d) hospitals in Puerto Rico to allow them to qualify for incentives for adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health record Technology.
 
(Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-06-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Transition to Independence Act

Bill: 114-s-1604
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2015-06-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Adult day care
Disability and paralysis
Employment and training programs
Home and outpatient care
Medicaid
Performance measurement
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: 

Transition to Independence Act

 
This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration program over five fiscal years, beginning with FY2017, under which a Medicaid Buy-In State meeting certain criteria may receive bonus payments for:
 
 
meeting specific measurable benchmarks in expanding individual integrated employment and reducing subminimum wage work, congregate setting work, or facility-based day habilitation placements for working-age individuals with a disability receiving Medicaid-funded home or community-based services; and
 
taking other actions conducive to expanding employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities within the state.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Digital Learning Equity Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1606
Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Introduced: 2015-06-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Digital media
Education programs funding
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Rural conditions and development
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: 

Digital Learning Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a digital learning equity demonstration program that awards grants for developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies and methods to increase students' home access to the Internet and digital learning resources. This may include such practices as: (1) providing a targeted distribution of technology, such as a modem, that provides out-of-school Internet access to eligible students; (2) educating and training students, parents, and educators regarding the appropriate use of that technology outside of the classroom; and (3) evaluating the effectiveness of relevant strategies and methods. 
 
The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences must complete and publicly disseminate the finding of a national study on the educational trends and behaviors associated with access to digital learning resources outside of the classroom.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Consumer Drone Safety Act

Bill: 114-s-1608
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2015-06-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Aviation and airports
Department of Transportation
Manufacturing
Product safety and quality
Trade restrictions
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: 

Consumer Drone Safety Act

 
This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to publish a final rule containing safety requirements for the operation of consumer drones.
 
The final rule shall apply to consumer drones that are:
 
 
flown for hobby or recreational use, and
 
not operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization.
 
 
The final rule shall also contain requirements that include:
 
 
a maximum altitude for flight of consumer drones,
 
circumstances or areas where flights are restricted because of risk of unsafe interactions with manned aircraft and to persons or property on the ground, and
 
conditions that may require limitations on flight (such as weather or time of day). 
 
 
The FAA must also publish a final rule applicable to the manufacturing of consumer drones. This rule shall require modification, at the manufacturer's expense, of existing consumer drones so that they meet the rule's requirements.
 
The FAA may exempt from the rule applicable to manufacturers certain types of consumer drones if certain conditions concerning feasibility, cost, and safety are met.
 
No person may operate a consumer drone in the national airspace system without specific authority from the FAA.
 
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection may use existing authority to enforce restrictions on the importation of consumer drones into the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4300-4301)
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: Introduced in Senate