hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Rural Access to Hospice Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-980
Sponsor: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Introduced: 2017-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health facilities and institutions
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicare
Rural conditions and development

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: 

Rural Access to Hospice Act of 2017

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow payment under Medicare for certain services furnished to hospice patients by rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).
 
With respect to a patient who elects to receive hospice care under Medicare, current law generally limits payment for services that are either duplicative of such care or related to the treatment of the individual's terminal illness. However, current law exempts from this limitation: (1) physicians' services furnished by an attending physician not employed by the hospice program; and (2) services provided or arranged by the hospice program.
 
The bill expands this exemption with regard to rural health clinic and FQHC services. Specifically, the payment limitation shall not apply to such services that: (1) would otherwise be physicians' services if furnished by an individual unaffiliated with a rural health clinic or FQHC; and (2) are either arranged by the hospice program or furnished by an attending physician not employed by the hospice program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to establish an energy efficiency materials pilot program.

Bill: 115-s-981
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2017-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Building construction
Educational facilities and institutions
Energy efficiency and conservation
Health facilities and institutions
Materials
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Tax-exempt organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: 
This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a pilot program to award grants for providing nonprofit buildings with energy-efficiency materials.
 
The bill reduces the authorization of appropriations for the zero net energy commercial buildings initiative for FY2018.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Speak Up to Protect Every Abused Kid Act

Bill: 115-s-982
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2017-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Crime prevention
Crime victims
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Domestic violence and child abuse
Government studies and investigations
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: 

Speak Up to Protect Every Abused Kid Act 

 
This bill amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to eligible entities to carry out educational campaigns and provide evidence-based or evidence-informed training regarding state laws for mandatory reporting of incidents of child abuse or neglect.
 
A state plan under a grant program for child abuse or neglect prevention and treatment shall contain specified assurances about: 
 
mandatory reporting of suspected or known incidents of child abuse or neglect to state child protective services agencies or law enforcement agencies; 
procedures to ensure coordination with law enforcement and state or community-based victims' services agencies to ensure that child abuse victims are referred for appropriate follow-up services; 
primary state responsibility to accept and investigate reports of known and suspected child abuse or neglect for an incident that occurred in the state, even if the child or alleged perpetrator resides in a different state; and 
established state procedures to screen for domestic violence in the course of investigating child abuse. 
 
 
The bill specifies those individuals and professionals who are required to report suspected or known incidents of child abuse or neglect. 
HHS shall collect information on state laws for mandatory reporting of incidents of child abuse or neglect in order to assess the implementation of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for At-Risk Youth Act

Bill: 115-s-983
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2017-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Economic development
Education of the disadvantaged
Income tax credits
Temporary and part-time employment
Unemployment
Wages and earnings
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: 

Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for At-Risk Youth Act 

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the work opportunity tax credit, to: 
 
 
 change the credit for summer youth employees to a credit for youth employees who will be employed for not more than 20 hours per week during any period between September 16 and April 30 in which the individual is regularly attending any secondary school, 
 
 increase the amount of the credit for youth employees, and 
 
 expand the credit to include at-risk youth.
 
 
An &quot;at-risk youth&quot; is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as: 
 
 
 having attained age 16 but not age 25 on the hiring date, 
 
 having not regularly attended specified schools or been employed during the six-month period preceding the hiring date, and 
 
not readily employable by reason of lacking a sufficient number of basic skills. 
 
 
The term also includes individuals who have been certified as having attained the age of 16 but not age 21 on the hiring date and as an eligible foster child who was in foster care during the 12-month period ending on the hiring date. 
 
The bill also extends until December 31, 2019, the designation period for certain tax-favored empowerment zones. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2620-2621)
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Creating Pathways for Youth Employment Act

Bill: 115-s-984
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2017-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Community life and organization
Education of the disadvantaged
Employment and training programs
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Indian social and development programs
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Minority employment
Temporary and part-time employment
Unemployment
Wages and earnings
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: 

Creating Pathways for Youth Employment Act

 
This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to authorize the Department of Labor to make available the following amounts for youth employment programs:
 
 
 up to $1.5 billion to provide youth ages 14-24 with subsidized summer employment opportunities, and
 
up to $2 billion to provide them with subsidized year-round employment opportunities.
 
 
Labor must award, on a competitive basis:
 
 
 one-year planning and three-year implementation grants out of the subsidized summer employment opportunities funding, and
 
similar grants out of the subsidized year-round employment opportunities funding.
 
 
To be eligible to receive these grants, an entity must be a state, local government, Indian tribe or tribal organization, or community-based organization that meets certain partnership requirements of this bill.
 
Labor shall establish performance measures to carry out annual reviews of each grant recipient.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2621-2624)
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from revising the approved oil and gas leasing program for fiscal years 2017 through 2022.

Bill: 115-s-985
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2017-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alaska
Gulf of Mexico
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: 
This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from revising the approved Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for FY2017-FY2022. (Interior approved the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's proposed final Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for FY2017-FY2022 on January 17, 2017.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Fairness for Our Hospitals Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-986
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2017-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Hospital care
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: 

Fairness for Our Hospitals Act of 2017

 
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow a hospital that meets specified criteria and is located in a state with no rural areas to be considered a Medicare-dependent hospital. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shall establish and implement a process for reimbursing impacted hospitals for any underpayments resulting from this bill's implementation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-988
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2017-04-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Agricultural conservation and pollution
Agricultural equipment and machinery
Alternative and renewable resources
Business investment and capital
Congressional oversight
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy research
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Government studies and investigations
Income tax credits
Livestock
Oil and gas
Pipelines
Securities
Solid waste and recycling

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: 

Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow energy tax credits through 2021 for investments in: (1) qualified biogas property, or (2) qualified manure resource recovery property. The bill also permits new clean renewable energy bonds to be used for such properties.
 
&quot;Qualified biogas property&quot; comprises a system that: (1) uses anaerobic digesters or other specified processes to convert biomass into a gas which is at least 52% methane, and (2) captures the gas for use as a fuel. The term includes property that cleans and conditions the gas for use as a fuel. 
 
&quot;Qualified manure resource recovery property&quot; comprises a system that uses specified processes to recover the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus from a non-treated digestate or animal manure by reducing or separating at least 50% of the nutrients, excluding any reductions during the incineration, storage, composting, or field application of the non-treated digestate or animal manure. The term also includes certain processing equipment. 
 
The Department of the Treasury must enter into an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for a study of biogas and report to Congress on the study. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-04-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Ensuring Children's Access to Specialty Care Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-989
Sponsor: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Introduced: 2017-04-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Medical education
Mental health
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-28
text: 

Ensuring Children&rsquo;s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include pediatric subspecialties in primary health services for purposes of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Psychiatrists who are pediatric subspecialists are included in behavioral and mental health professionals. (These amendments make pediatric subspecialists, including psychiatrists, eligible for the NHSC fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, the NHSC Scholarship Program, and the NHSC Loan Repayment Program.)
 &ldquo;Health professional shortage area&rdquo; can mean an underserved population of children and adolescents.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-04-28
text: Introduced in Senate
MGT Act

Bill: 115-s-990
Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Introduced: 2017-04-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Computer security and identity theft
Computers and information technology
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Performance measurement
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-28
text: 

Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2017 or the MGT Act

 
This bill authorizes each of specified agencies for which there are Chief Financial Officers to establish an information technology system modernization and working capital fund to:
 
 
improve, retire, or replace existing information technology systems to enhance cybersecurity and to improve efficiency and effectiveness; 
 
transition legacy information technology to cloud computing and other innovative platforms and technologies; 
 
assist and support efforts to provide adequate, risk-based, and cost-effective information technology capabilities that address evolving threats to information security; and 
 
reimburse amounts transferred to the agency from the Information Technology Modernization Fund (ITMF) (established under this bill), with the approval of such agency's Chief Information Officer. 

 
Each agency shall prioritize amounts within such fund to be used initially for approved cost savings activities.
 
The bill establishes a Technology Modernization Fund for technology related activities, to improve information technology, and to enhance cybersecurity across the federal government. The fund shall be administered by the Commissioner of the Technology Transformation Service of the General Services Administration (GSA) in accordance with guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget. The Commissioner shall: 
 
 
transfer amounts from the fund to an agency to improve, retire, or replace existing federal information technology systems to enhance cybersecurity and improve efficiency and effectiveness; 
 
use amounts in the fund for the development, operation, and procurement of information technology products, services, and acquisition vehicles to improve efficiency and cybersecurity; and 
 
use amounts in the fund to provide services or work performed in support of such activities. 

 
The bill establishes a Technology Modernization Board to: (1) evaluate proposals submitted by agencies for funding authorized under the fund; (2) make recommendations to the Commissioner to assist agencies in the further development and refinement of select modernization proposals; (3) monitor progress and performance in executing approved projects and, if necessary, recommend the suspension or termination of funding; and (4) monitor fund operating costs.
 
The Commissioner shall support board activities and provide technical support to, and oversight of, agencies that receive transfers from the fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2017-04-28
text: Introduced in Senate
Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-991
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2017-05-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Air quality
Arctic Ocean
Arctic and polar regions
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Mining
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: 

Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 201

7

 
This bill declares that it is the policy of the United States that the Arctic Ocean should be managed for the best interests of the people of the United States, including by keeping fossil fuels in the ground to avoid the dangerous impacts of climate change. 
 
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is amended to prohibit the Department of the Interior from issuing or renewing a lease or any other authorization for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Arctic Ocean, including the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Restoring Internet Freedom Act

Bill: 115-s-993
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2017-05-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Competition and antitrust
Consumer affairs
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: 

Restoring Internet Freedom Act

 
 This bill nullifies the rule adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on February 26, 2015, relating to the reclassification of broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications service. 
 
The FCC is prohibited from reissuing such rule in substantially the same form, or from issuing a new rule that is substantially the same, unless the rule is specifically authorized by a law enacted after enactment of this bill.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act

Bill: 115-s-995
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2017-05-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources
Dams and canals
Electric power generation and transmission
Federal-Indian relations
Government trust funds
Indian claims
Indian lands and resources rights
Indian social and development programs
Washington State

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: 

Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act

 
This bill establishes the Spokane Tribe of Indians Recovery Trust Fund to compensate the Spokane Business Council for the use of tribal lands for the generation of hydropower from the Grand Coulee Dam.
 
The council must prepare a plan for the use of those payments to promote any combination of: (1) economic development; (2) infrastructure development; or (3) educational, health, recreational, and social welfare objectives of the tribe and its members.
 
The Bonneville Power Administration must make specified settlement payments to the tribe. 
 
Payments made to the council or tribe may be used or invested by the council in the same manner as other tribal governmental funds.
 
Deposit of amounts in the fund extinguishes all monetary claims that the tribe may have against the United States to a fair share of the annual hydropower revenues generated by the Grand Coulee Dam.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-10-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.
action_date: 2018-10-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.
action_date: 2018-10-09
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2018-10-09
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2018-10-05
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2018-10-04
text: Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S6546-6549; text: CR S6548-6549)
action_date: 2018-10-04
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.(consideration: CR S6546-6549; text: CR S6548-6549)
action_date: 2018-05-07
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 397.
action_date: 2018-05-07
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven with amendments. With written report No. 115-240.
action_date: 2018-05-07
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven with amendments. With written report No. 115-240.
action_date: 2018-02-14
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Creating Higher Education Affordability Necessary to Compete Economically Act

Bill: 115-s-996
Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
Introduced: 2017-05-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding
Higher education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: 
 

Creating Higher Education Affordability Necessary to Compete Economically Act or the Middle Class CHANCE Act

 
This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify provisions related to the Federal Pell Grant program.
 
Specifically, it increases the maximum Federal Pell Grant award for academic year 2018-2019 and adjusts it in subsequent award years to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index.
 
The bill also increases from one to two the number of Pell Grants an eligible student may receive in a single award year (i.e., it restores year-round Pell Grants). A student's total amount of Pell Grants must not exceed 150% of the maximum Pell Grant for that award year. Also, any period during which a student receives an additional Pell Grant counts toward that student's lifetime Pell Grant eligibility period.
 
Finally, the bill increases from 12 to 15 semesters a student's lifetime Pell Grant eligibility period.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-05-01
text: Introduced in Senate