hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
No Funds for Cyber Coordination with Russia Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1544
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2017-07-12 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Computer security and identity theft
Congressional oversight
Congressional-executive branch relations
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Executive agency funding and structure
Government studies and investigations
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
International organizations and cooperation
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Russia
Subversive activities

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: 

No Funds for Cyber Coordination with Russia Act of 2017

 
This bill prohibits federal funds from being used to establish a cyber security unit in cooperation with the government of the Russian Federation. 
 
It is the sense of Congress that the President: (1) should publicly endorse the assessment of the Armed Forces and the intelligence community that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election and take measures to deter such future activities; (2) must not use taxpayer funds to engage in cyber coordination with the Russian government, a foreign adversary; and (3) should work with Congress to establish a non-partisan commission of experts to report on Russian cyber operations and other attempts to interfere in the 2016 election. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Introduced in Senate
SAME Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1545
Sponsor: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
Introduced: 2017-07-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Medicaid
State and local finance

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: 

States Achieve Medicaid Expansion Act of 2017 or the SAME Act of 2017

 
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to every state that expands Medicaid coverage for individuals who are newly eligible under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, regardless of when such expansion takes place. 
 
Under current law, the enhanced FMAP is equivalent to 100% in 2014 through 2016, 95% in 2017, 94% in 2018, 93% in 2019, and 90% thereafter. The bill retains this enhanced FMAP, but bases it on a term of years rather than on specific dates.
 
The bill applies retroactively.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Introduced in Senate
Commonsense Competition and Access to Health Insurance Act

Bill: 115-s-1546
Sponsor: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
Introduced: 2017-07-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Comprehensive health care
Department of Health and Human Services
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Insurance industry and regulation
Intergovernmental relations
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: 

Commonsense Competition and Access to Health Insurance Act

 
This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to permit states to enter into interstate health care choice compacts under which qualified health plans may be offered in the small group market in all participating states while being subject to the laws and regulations of only the state in which the plan was written or issued. (Currently, interstate health care choice compacts apply to only qualified health plans in the individual market.)
 
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must request that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) report on health plans provided for under interstate health care choice compacts. HHS may also request that the NAIC include in the report concepts gathered from entities that have experience in offering qualified health plans in states in which those plans were not originally issued. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Introduced in Senate
Anti-Voter Suppression Act

Bill: 115-s-1547
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2017-07-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Appropriations
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: 

Anti-Voter Suppression Act

 
This bill nullifies Executive Order 13799 (titled "Establishment of Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity") and specifies that no funds shall be made available by any act of Congress to the commission described in the order or to any similar commission established for studying voter fraud.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Introduced in Senate
Oregon Wildlands Act

Bill: 115-s-1548
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Forests, forestry, trees
Land use and conservation
Oregon
Outdoor recreation
Parks, recreation areas, trails
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Oregon Wildlands Act

 
This bill designates specified Bureau of Land Management land in Oregon as the Rogue Canyon and Molalla National Recreation Areas in Oregon. 
 
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is amended to add specified segments to the Rogue River as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 
 
Segment lengths and other technical corrections are made to segment designations for the Chetco River, Oregon. 
 
The Squaw Creek is renamed as Whychus Creek. 
 
The bill designates specified segments of: (1) Franklin and Wasson Creeks as wild rivers and components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and (2) the Molalla River as a recreational river and components of such system. 
 
Specified segments are added to the Elk River, and specified other river segments are designated as components of such system. 
 
Approximately 56,100 acres of specified federal land are added to the Wild Rogue Wilderness, as well as approximately 600 acres of certain potential wilderness administered by the Department of the Interior. 
 
Interior shall manage approximately 4,000 acres of Withdrawal Area to preserve the natural and primitive character of the land for recreational, scenic, and scientific use. 
 
Approximately 30,540 acres of certain Forest Service and BLM land in Oregon are designated as the Devil's Staircase Wilderness and a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-12-19
text: By Senator Murkowski from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 115-439.
action_date: 2018-12-19
text: By Senator Murkowski from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 115-439.
action_date: 2018-12-06
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 726.
action_date: 2018-12-06
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Murkowski with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2018-12-06
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Murkowski with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2018-10-02
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2017-07-26
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-482.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
NEW GIG Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1549
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Contracts and agency
Employment taxes
Self-employed
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

New Economy Works to Guarantee Independence and Growth Act of 2017 or the NEW GIG Act of 2017 

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a test for determining if a service provider should be classified as an independent contractor rather than as an employee for tax purposes. 
 
If the requirements of the test are met, the provider may not be treated as an employee, the recipient or any payor may not be treated as an employer, and compensation for the service may not be treated as paid or received with respect to employment. 
 
The factors of the test include:
 
 
 the relationship between the parties (i.e., the provider incurs expenses; does not work exclusively for a single recipient; performs the service for a particular amount of time, to achieve a specific result, or to complete a specific task; or is a sales person compensated primarily on a commission basis);
 
 the place of business or ownership of the equipment (i.e., the provider has a principal place of business, does not work exclusively at the recipient's place of business, and provides tools or supplies); and 
 
 the services are performed under a written contract that meets certain requirements (i.e., specifies that the provider is not an employee, the recipient will satisfy withholding and reporting requirements, and that the provider is responsible for taxes on the compensation).
 
 
The bill also: (1) sets forth withholding and reporting requirements for service recipients who meet the requirements of the test, and (2) allows service providers to petition the U.S. Tax Court for a determination of employment status. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Department of Veterans Affairs Quality Employment Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1550
Sponsor: Sen. Strange, Luther [R-AL]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Department of Veterans Affairs
Employee hiring
Employment and training programs
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Health care quality
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Medical education
Military medicine
Public-private cooperation

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 
 
Department of Veterans Affairs Quality Employment Act of 2017

 
This bill provides that the annual determination of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) staff shortages shall include shortages for five clinical and five non-clinical occupations for each network. (Such determination currently includes the five occupations for which there are the largest Department of Veterans Affairs [VA]-wide shortages.) 
 
The bill establishes in the VA an executive management fellowship program to provide eligible employees of: (1) the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the VHA with private sector training and experience, and (2) a private-sector entity with VA training and experience.
 
The VA shall: 
 
 
conduct an annual performance plan for each political appointee that is similar to the plan conducted for VA career senior executive employees; 
 
establish a single database that lists each vacant VA position that is critical, difficult to fill, or both, and each vacant mental health position; 
 
prescribe regulations to allow for excepted service appointments of qualifying students and recent graduates; 
 
provide VHA human resources with training on employee recruitment and retention; 
 
establish a promotional track system for employees who are technical experts to advance without being required to transition to management positions; 
 
 develop a program to transition military medical people into VHA employment; 
 
 develop a plan to hire qualified directors for each medical center without a permanent director; 
 
develop a standardized VA exit survey; and
 
ensure that a recruiter for each Veterans Integrated Service Network visits, at least annually, each allopathic and osteopathic teaching institution with a graduate medical education program within the network to recruit individuals to be appointed to VHA positions.
 
 
The VA may non-competitively appoint a qualified former career or career conditional employee to any VA position within the competitive service that is one grade higher than the position most recently occupied by the employee. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Debt Buy-Down Act

Bill: 115-s-1552
Sponsor: Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt
Budget process
Government trust funds
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Debt Buy-Down Act

 
 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers to designate up to 10% of their adjusted income tax liability for the reduction of the public debt. 
 
The bill also establishes in the Treasury a Public Debt Reduction Trust Fund to hold tax revenues generated by this bill for the reduction of the public debt.
 
The bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to: (1) require spending to be reduced annually by an amount equivalent to the revenue generated by this bill, and (2) enforce the requirement for spending reductions using a sequestration, with exemptions for Social Security retirement benefits, veterans benefits, and net interest payments on the debt. 
 
(Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.) 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3999)
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act

Bill: 115-s-1553
Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Drug trafficking and controlled substances

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act

 
This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to add certain fentanyl analogues to schedule I. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that: has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3999-4000)
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act

Bill: 115-s-1554
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Drug therapy
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Government information and archives
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Medical education
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act

 
This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to require a practitioner (other than a hospital, pharmacy, or veterinarian) to complete training, as a condition of obtaining or renewing a registration to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The training must meet certain requirements, including providing information on best practices for pain management and responsible prescribing of pain medications. 
 
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must establish a training module that meets the requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans Education Experience Improvement Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1555
Sponsor: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Veterans Education Experience Improvement Act of 2017 

 
This bill revises the administration of certain veterans educational benefits.
 
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) shall establish training requirements for school certifying officials (SCOs) employed by educational institutions offering approved veterans education courses. An institution shall employ one SCO for every 500 unduplicated veteran's enrollment certifications made during a fiscal year. The VA may disapprove any course of education offered by an institution that does not meet such requirements.
 
The bill increases: (1) the VA reporting fee paid to an institution for each individual using veterans educational benefits at such institution,and (2) resources available to SCOs and state approving agencies. 
 
The VA shall provide: (1) veterans with on-campus educational and vocational counseling services, and (2) institutions with educational assistance information regarding enrolled veterans. 
 
A course that begins within seven days of the beginning of an academic term shall be treated as beginning on such date for purposes of certifying a veteran's eligibility for educational benefits.
 
The Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education is extended to December 31, 2022.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act

Bill: 115-s-1556
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Government trust funds
Indian claims
Indian lands and resources rights
Rural conditions and development
Water resources funding
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act

 
 This bill establishes the Reclamation Rural Water Construction and Settlement Implementation Fund, which shall consist of the Rural Water Project Account and the Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation Account. The Department of the Treasury shall deposit into such accounts for each of FY2018-FY2038 specified revenues that would otherwise be deposited in the reclamation fund established by the Reclamation Act of 1902.
 
The bill permits the Department of the Interior to use specified Rural Water Project Account funds to complete construction of rural water projects: (1) authorized before this bill's enactment, or (2) for which a feasibility study was submitted by February 27, 2015, pursuant to the Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 and for which Congress authorizes construction after enactment of this bill. Interior may not expend any amounts from the fund to carry this out until development of: (1) programmatic goals that would enable the completion of construction of the authorized rural water projects as expeditiously as practicable and that reflect the priorities identified in the laws authorizing the projects; and (2) funding prioritization criteria to serve as a methodology for distributing funds that take into account specified factors, including the need for potable water supplies in the affected rural and tribal communities.
 
 Interior shall use specified Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation Account funds to: (1) provide authorized compensation to resolve all monetary claims of an Indian tribe against the United States relating to use of tribal land by the United States for the generation of hydropower; or (2) complete projects and implement provisions authorized by Congress that resolve litigation involving the United States and the water rights of Indian tribes or that implement approved agreements limiting such rights.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-02-28
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-505.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Advocacy Empowerment Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1558
Sponsor: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Executive agency funding and structure
Small Business Administration
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Advocacy Empowerment Act of 2017

 
This bill revises the duties of the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration to include: (1) issuing, modifying, or amending rules governing federal agency compliance with regulatory flexibility analysis requirements; and (2) authorizing an agency to issue such supplemental rules governing such compliance as the Chief Counsel may approve.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Hearing Small Businesses Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1559
Sponsor: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of the Interior
Department of the Treasury
Economic performance and conditions
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Hearing Small Businesses Act of 2017

 
This bill requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Internal Revenue Service to seek and consider the advice of small entities about a proposed or interim final rule before publishing the rule if the rule will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in Senate