hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
College Transparency Act

Bill: 115-s-1121
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2017-05-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Census and government statistics
Government information and archives
Higher education
Student aid and college costs
Student records
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: 

College Transparency Act

 
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the National Center for Education Statistics to establish a secure and privacy-protected data system that contains information about postsecondary students. Specifically, the data system must: 
 
 
 evaluate student enrollment patterns, progression, completion, and post-collegiate outcomes, and higher education costs and financial aid at the student level;
 
provide complete and customizable information for students and families making decisions about postsecondary education; 
 
reduce the requirements for reporting by colleges and universities; and 
 
link with other federal systems of data. 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Accurate Workplace Injury and Illness Records Restoration Act

Bill: 115-s-1122
Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2017-05-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Business records
Department of Labor
Government information and archives
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: 

Accurate Workplace Injury and Illness Records Restoration Act

 
This bill amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to specify that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may issue a citation for a violation of workplace safety requirements within the six-month period following an employer satisfying the requirements. Current law includes a limitation period that prevents OSHA from issuing citations six months after the occurrence of a violation. Thus, this bill specifies that the statute of limitations is tolled if there is a continuing violation of the requirements. 
 
OSHA must issue a rule that amends its record keeping regulations to clarify that the duty to make and maintain accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses: (1) is an ongoing obligation, (2) continues for as long as the employer is required to keep records of the recordable injury or illness, and (3) does not expire solely because the employer fails to create the necessary records when first required to do so.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1123
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2017-05-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Afghanistan
Asia
Colombia
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Environmental health
Executive Office of the President
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Government studies and investigations
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health care coverage and access
Health promotion and preventive care
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Latin America
Peru
Pest management
Prescription drugs
Specialized courts
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: 

Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2017

 
This bill reauthorizes the Office of National Drug Control Policy through FY2023. It amends the definition of &quot;demand reduction&quot; in a National Drug Control Program to include screenings, interventions, promoting availability of and access to health care services, and support for long-term recovery from substance abuse disorders. It defines &quot;illicit drug use,&quot; &quot;illegal drug use,&quot; and like terms to include the illegal use of prescription drugs.
 
The Director of the National Drug Control Policy (Director) shall be directly responsible for demand reduction activities, supply reduction activities, and for state, local, and tribal affairs.
 
The Director shall require each National Drug Control Program agency to submit to the Director on an annual basis an evaluation of progress by the agency regarding implementation of drug recovery programs. The Director shall also ensure that drug recovery research is effectively disseminated by the National Drug Control Program agencies to state and local governments and nongovernmental agencies involved in demand reduction.
 
The President shall submit to Congress a National Drug Control Strategy, which shall set forth a comprehensive plan for the year to reduce illicit drug use and the consequences of such use by promoting prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery support for individuals with substance abuse disorders.
 
The Director shall submit to Congress a report evaluating high intensity drug trafficking areas (HIDTAs) as part of the National Drug Control Strategy, assessing drug enforcement task forces in HIDTAs, and assessing law enforcement intelligence sharing in HIDTAs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Patrick T. Carothers U.S. Marshals Service Hiring Improvement Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1124
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2017-05-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Department of Justice
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Judicial procedure and administration
Law enforcement officers

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: 

Patrick T. Carothers U.S. Marshals Service Hiring Improvement Act of 2017

 
This bill allows the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service to appoint a qualified candidate to the position of deputy marshal or criminal investigator in accordance with the statutes, rules, or regulations governing excepted service appointments notwithstanding any statutes, rules, or regulations governing appointments in the competitive service. The appointment of a deputy marshal or criminal investigator under this authority shall not be considered to cause the position to be converted from the competitive service to the excepted service.
 
Service by an incumbent as deputy marshal or criminal investigator may not exceed four years.
 
The Director may, upon satisfactory completion of three years of substantially continuous service by a qualified incumbent, convert the appointment of the individual, without competition, to a career or career-conditional appointment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Protect Our Gold Star Families' Education Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1125
Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
Introduced: 2017-05-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Afghanistan
Asia
Conflicts and wars
Higher education
Iraq
Middle East
Military personnel and dependents
Student aid and college costs
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: 

Protect Our Gold Star Families' Education Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to move the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants under the Pell Grant program. ED must award the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants to each eligible veteran's dependent for assisting with the costs of attending colleges and universities. Students are eligible for an award if: (1) their parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and (2) they are less than 24 years of age and enrolled at an institution at the time of the parent or guardian's death.
 
Pell Grant rules pertaining to the determination of financial need do not apply to the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2934)
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Securing the Border and Protecting Our Communities Act

Bill: 115-s-1126
Sponsor: Sen. Strange, Luther [R-AL]
Introduced: 2017-05-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration
Detention of persons
Immigration status and procedures
Intergovernmental relations
Law enforcement administration and funding
Public contracts and procurement
Public transit
Roads and highways
State and local government operations
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: 

Securing the Border and Protecting Our Communities Act

 
This bill prohibits any sanctuary jurisdiction from receiving any federal infrastructure or transportation funds authorized under: (1) the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grant program, (2) the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-Term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) grant program, or (3) the surface transportation block grant program.
 
 Funds that are not allocated to a sanctuary jurisdiction because of such prohibition shall be available for activities carried out under the Secure Fence Act of 2006. 
 
&quot;Sanctuary jurisdiction&quot; is defined as a state or state political subdivision that the Department of Justice determines has in effect a statute, ordinance, policy, or practice that: (1) prohibits or interferes with a government entity or official or a person sharing information with federal immigration authorities regarding an individual's immigration status; (2) prohibits any government entity or official from complying with a lawfully-issued Department of Homeland security detainer or notification request concerning the release of an alien; or (3) restricts a person's ability to bid for or be awarded a contract or otherwise retaliates against a person that assists in construction activity pursuant to the Secure Fence Act of 2006.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2017-05-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Justice Safety Valve Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1127
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal procedure and sentencing
Judicial procedure and administration

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Justice Safety Valve Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the federal criminal code to authorize a court to impose a sentence below the mandatory minimum if it determines, after considering certain factors, that the mandatory minimum sentence is greater than necessary.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Firefighters Retention Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1128
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Temporary and part-time employment

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Firefighters Retention Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the use of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital Act

Bill: 115-s-1130
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Emergency medical services and trauma care
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Hospital care
Medical education
Medicare
Rural conditions and development

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

 

Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital Act
 
 

 

 
This bill revises provisions related to health care in rural areas, including by allowing certain small rural hospitals and critical access hospitals to be designated as rural emergency hospitals for purposes of receiving special payment under Medicare.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Fair Accountability and Innovative Research Drug Pricing Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1131
Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Consumer affairs
Corporate finance and management
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Inflation and prices
Medical research
Prescription drugs
Research and development

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Fair Accountability and Innovative Research Drug Pricing Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require manufacturers of certain drugs and biological products with a wholesale cost of $100 or more per month to report to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) price increases that result in a 10% or more increase in the cost of a drug over a 12-month period or a 25% or more increase over a 36-month period. Reports are required for prescription drugs and drugs commonly administered in hospitals, except vaccines, drugs for rare conditions, and drugs with annual sales for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees of less than $1. Reports must contain specified information including pricing history and a justification for each price increase in the relevant period.
 
Manufacturers that do not submit a required report are subject to a civil penalty. Collected penalty funds must be used to carry out activities related to this reporting requirement and to improve consumer and provider information about drug value and drug price transparency.
 HHS must publish manufacturer reports, a summary of those reports, and supporting analyses.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Steve Gleason Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1132
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care coverage and access
Health technology, devices, supplies
Hearing, speech, and vision care
Medicare
Neurological disorders

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Steve Gleason Act of 2017

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to make permanent the elimination of a specified payment cap under the Medicare program with respect to speech generating devices.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1133
Sponsor: Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Medical ethics
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 to repeal specified limitations, for purposes of Medicare participation, on self-referrals by newly constructed or expanded physician-owned hospitals.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Back the Blue Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1134
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Civil actions and liability
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Detention of persons
Firearms and explosives
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Judges
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Legal fees and court costs
Violent crime
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Back the Blue Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the federal criminal code:
 
 
 to establish new criminal offenses for killing, assaulting, and fleeing to avoid prosecution for killing a judge, law enforcement officer, or public safety officer;
 
to expand the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include the killing or attempted killing of a law enforcement officer, judge, prosecutor, or firefighter or other first responder; and
 
to broaden the authority of federal law enforcement officers to carry firearms.
 
 
The bill amends the federal judicial code to limit federal court review of challenges to state court convictions for killing a public safety officer or judge.
 
It amends the Revised Statutes of the United States to limit the recovery of compensatory damages and prohibit the recovery of attorney's fees by an individual for a violation of rights that occurs as a result of (or in the course of) conduct that constitutes a felony or crime of violence.
 
Finally, it directs the Department of Justice to make grants to law enforcement agencies and nongovernmental organizations to promote trust and improve relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2966-2968)
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Pell Grant Restoration Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1135
Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Higher education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Pell Grant Restoration Act of 

2017

 
 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to restore a student's Pell Grant eligibility for any period of time during which the student qualified for, or would have qualified for, federal student loan forgiveness due to school closure, assertion of a defense against repayment, or institutional fraud or misconduct. 
 
Specifically, this bill provides that Pell Grants received by a student during that period of time do not count toward the student's lifetime Pell Grant eligibility period (currently 12 full-time semesters). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act

Bill: 115-s-1136
Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Afghanistan
Asia
Border security and unlawful immigration
Conflicts and wars
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government information and archives
Higher education
Immigration status and procedures
Iraq
Middle East
Military personnel and dependents
Student aid and college costs
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act

 
This bill amends the title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the Federal Pell Grant Program. Specifically, it: 
 
 
converts the Pell Grant program into a mandatory spending program;
 
increases the maximum Pell Grant award for academic year 2019-2020 and adjusts it in subsequent award years to account for inflation; 
 
allows federal financial aid for higher education to be given to dreamer students (students who entered the country when they were under the age of 16 and who meet certain educational criteria) and students convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drug; 
 
 requires the Department of Education (ED) to carry out a program that awards Federal Pell Grants to students in job training programs;
 
requires ED to award Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants under the Pell Grant program to assist veterans' dependents with the costs of attending institutions of higher education;
 
increases, in academic year 2018-2019, the income protection allowance levels for students who are dependent, independent without non-spouse dependents (e.g., children), and independent with non-spouse dependents to reduce such students' income available (and increase need for financial assistance) to cover postsecondary educational expenses; 
 
increases the income threshold for an automatic zero expected family contribution from $23,000 to $34,000; and 
 
increases from 12 to 15 the total number of semesters a student may receive a Federal Pell Grant.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Clean Safe Reliable Water Infrastructure Act

Bill: 115-s-1137
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2017-05-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Appropriations
Consumer affairs
Energy efficiency and conservation
Government lending and loan guarantees
Public contracts and procurement
Solid waste and recycling
State and local finance
Water quality
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: 

Clean Safe Reliable Water Infrastructure Act

 
This bill urges Congress to provide robust funding of capitalization grants to states for state drinking water revolving funds and state clean water revolving funds.
 
The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to: (1) make the implementation of source water protection plans an eligible use of assistance from a drinking water state revolving fund; and (2) apply requirements concerning the selection of architects and engineers to contracts funded by state revolving funds, if the assistance is for a community with a population of more than 10,000.
 
The bill provides statutory authority for the Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense Program that allows water-efficient products, buildings, landscapes, facilities, processes, and services to bear a "WaterSense" label. 
 
The bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to revise and reauthorize through FY2021 the grant program for addressing combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows, and stormwater discharges.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2017-05-16
text: Introduced in Senate