hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
La Paz County Land Conveyance Act

Bill: 115-s-1222
Sponsor: Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2017-05-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arizona
Government liability
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Land transfers
Pollution liability

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: 

La Paz County Land Conveyance Act

 
This bill directs the Department of the Interior, after receiving a request from La Paz County, Arizona, to convey to the county, without consideration, 8,000 acres of specified federal land. 
 
The federal land conveyed under this bill: (1) may be used by the county for any public purposes consistent with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, and (2) shall not be disposed of by the county.
 
The county shall pay or reimburse Interior, as appropriate, for the reasonable transaction and administrative personnel costs associated with such conveyance. 
 
The bill declares that the United States is released from any liability arising from any hazardous substance existing on the federal land before such conveyance. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-02-07
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-502.
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Repeal Act

Bill: 115-s-1223
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2017-05-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Indian claims
Oregon

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: 

Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Repeal Act

 This bill repeals the Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Act, which sets forth how funds credited to the Klamath Tribe must be distributed.
action_date: 2017-12-05
text: 

Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Repeal Act

 
This bill repeals the Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Act, which sets forth how funds credited to the Klamath Tribe must be distributed.
 
The Department of the Interior must disburse to the tribe the balance of funds in per capita trust accounts and trust accounts for remaining legal fees and administration.

action_date: 2018-03-22
text: 

Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Repeal Act

 
(Sec. 2) This bill repeals the Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Act, which sets forth how funds credited to the Klamath Tribe must be distributed.
 
(Sec. 3) The Department of the Interior must disburse to the tribe the balance of funds in per capita trust accounts and trust accounts for remaining legal fees and administration.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-03-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.
action_date: 2018-03-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2018-03-26
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2018-03-23
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2018-03-22
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S1972)
action_date: 2018-03-22
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S1972)
action_date: 2017-12-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 272.
action_date: 2017-12-05
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven with an amendment. With written report No. 115-190.
action_date: 2017-12-05
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven with an amendment. With written report No. 115-190.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2017-07-12
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-76.
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Introduced in Senate
BUILD Resilience Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1224
Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
Introduced: 2017-05-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Disaster relief and insurance
Economic development
Emergency planning and evacuation
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Floods and storm protection
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Housing and community development funding
Infrastructure development
Land transfers
Natural disasters
Research administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: 

Building Up Infrastructure and Limiting Disasters through Resilience Act of 2017 or the BUILD Resilience Act of 2017

 
This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a Community Resilience Grant Program to provide assistance to communities for increasing resilience to chronic stresses and acute shocks, including by improving long-term resilience of infrastructure and housing. A state, local government, or regional entity is eligible for such a grant if it is located in an area that has been declared a major disaster area within the previous five years.
 
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research must select and award annual grants to a single nonprofit organization having a national reputation for expertise in resilience research and capacity building to develop, establish, and operate a National Research Center for Resilience. The center shall provide grants to institutions of higher education or other nonprofit organizations to establish a Regional Center for Resilience in each of HUD's 10 regions to serve as regional research partners with recipients of resilience grants.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3148)
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Vehicle Innovation Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1225
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2017-05-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Air quality
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
Manufacturing
Materials
Motor fuels
Motor vehicles
Oil and gas
Performance measurement
Public transit
Research and development
Solid waste and recycling
Technology assessment
Technology transfer and commercialization

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: 

Vehicle Innovation Act of 2017

 
This bill authorizes appropriations to the Department of Energy (DOE) for research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application of vehicles and related technologies for FY2018-FY2022.
 
The bill requires DOE to: 
 
 
conduct a program of research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application activities (R&D activities) on materials, technologies, and processes with the potential to substantially reduce or eliminate petroleum use and the emissions of U.S. passenger and commercial vehicles; 
 
 ensure that it continues to support R&D activities and maintains competency in mid- to long-term transformational vehicle technologies with potential to achieve reductions in emissions; 
 
carry out a research, development, and demonstration program on the secondary uses of electric vehicle batteries and develop guidelines for projects that demonstrate the secondary uses and innovative recycling of such batteries; 

carry out a program of R&D activities on advanced vehicle manufacturing technologies and practices;
 
carry out a program of cooperative research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities on advanced technologies for medium- to heavy-duty commercial, vocational, recreational, and transit vehicles; 
 
conduct a competitive grant program to demonstrate the integration of multiple advanced technologies on Class 8 (heavy-duty) truck and trailer platforms;
 
develop standard testing procedures and technologies for evaluating the performance of advanced heavy vehicle technologies under a range of representative duty cycles and operating conditions and evaluate heavy vehicle performance using work performance-based metrics other than those based on miles per gallon and appropriate metrics based on the work performed by nonroad systems; and
 
undertake a pilot program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial applications of technologies to improve total machine or system efficiency for nonroad mobile equipment and seek opportunities to transfer relevant research findings and technologies between the nonroad and on-highway equipment and vehicle sectors.
 
 
DOE may construct heavy-duty truck and bus testing facilities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Introduced in Senate
LINES Act

Bill: 115-s-1226
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2017-05-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Transportation
Environmental regulatory procedures
Great Lakes
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Lakes and rivers
Marine pollution
Oil and gas
Pipelines
Pollution liability
Transportation safety and security
Water quality

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: 

Liability Insurance in Event of Spill Act or the LINES Act

 
This bill amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to cap the liability of parties that are responsible for oil discharges from a Great Lakes pipeline (any pipeline that crosses the navigable waters of the Great Lakes system) to the total of all removal costs plus $75 million. 
 
A responsible party with respect to a Great Lakes pipeline must establish and maintain evidence of financial responsibility (e.g., evidence of insurance or a bond) in a certain amount.
 
Under current law, the Department of Transportation (DOT) may issue an emergency order to impose restrictions, prohibitions, and safety measures on owners and operators of gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facilities without prior notice or an opportunity for a hearing if they are necessary to abate an imminent hazard. This bill eliminates DOT's emergency order authority with respect to gas pipeline facilities.
 
The bill expands DOT's emergency order authority with respect to hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, including by allowing DOT to impose restrictions, prohibitions, and safety measures if it: (1) discovers reliable evidence that the pipeline is violating conditions required for its operation that were previously agreed upon between the responsible party and a state, tribal, or local government; or (2) determines, after consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, that inadequate resources are available to respond to and clean up an oil spill during seasonal conditions or conditions expected or caused by an extreme weather event, or the responsible party cannot demonstrate that it has sufficient financial resources to satisfy the liability limits in the event of an oil spill incident.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1227
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2017-05-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Intergovernmental relations
Medicaid
Performance measurement
Poverty and welfare assistance
State and local finance

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: 

Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2017

 
This bill alters provisions relating to enrollment under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), including by requiring states to provide 12 months of continuous enrollment for eligible individuals. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Introduced in Senate
National Diplomacy and Development Strategy Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1228
Sponsor: Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]
Introduced: 2017-05-24 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Alliances
Congressional oversight
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Foreign aid and international relief
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
International organizations and cooperation
Military operations and strategy

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: 

National Diplomacy and Development Strategy Act of 2017

 
The Department of State, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development and other relevant federal agencies, shall submit to Congress a comprehensive report on the national diplomacy and development strategy (NDDS) of the United States. The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review of 2015 may be used to inform its development.
 
Beginning in the year after the initial report is submitted, the State Department shall submit an NDDS report: (1) by October 1 of any year in which a new President is inaugurated; and (2) in any other year, by 90 days after the development of a new National Security Strategy Report.
 
Each report shall set forth the NDDS and shall include a comprehensive description and discussion of:
 
 
the leading worldwide interests and objectives of the United States, categorized as vital, highly important, or important;
 
the leading threats, challenges, and opportunities associated with such interests and objectives;
 
an overview of and a plan to utilize the diplomatic and development tools and sources of leverage necessary to address or minimize the threats and challenges and to take advantage of the opportunities; and
 
an identification of any additional resources or statutory authorizations necessary from Congress to implement the NDDS.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2017-05-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Move America Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1229
Sponsor: Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]
Introduced: 2017-05-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Floods and storm protection
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Income tax credits
Income tax exclusion
Infrastructure development
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Marine and inland water transportation
Navigation, waterways, harbors
Public transit
Railroads
Roads and highways
Securities
Solid waste and recycling
State and local finance
Transportation programs funding
Water quality
Water resources funding
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: 

Move America Act of 2017 

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt Move America bonds and tax credits to be used for certain infrastructure projects. 
 
A Move America bond is treated as a tax-exempt private facility bond with certain exceptions. At least 95% of the net proceeds from the issuance of the bond must be used for infrastructure projects, including: 
 
 
 airports; 
 
 docks and wharves; 
 
mass commuting facilities; 
 
 facilities for the furnishing of water; 
 
 sewage facilities; 
 
 railroads; 
 
certain surface transportation projects eligible for federal assistance, projects for an international bridge or tunnel, or facilities for transferring freight from truck to rail or rail to truck;
 
 flood diversions; 
 
 inland waterways; or 
 
 rural broadband service infrastructure. 
 
 
The bill specifies exceptions and modifications to existing rules for bonds regarding land acquisition, government ownership, rehabilitation expenditures, and the alternative minimum tax. 
 
The bonds are subject to a volume cap equal to 50% of a state's current private activity bond volume cap. States may exchange all or a portion of the volume cap for Move America tax credits to be allocated to taxpayers. The credits include: (1) a project credit for a portion of the basis of each qualified project; and (2) an infrastructure fund credit for investments in qualified infrastructure funds, including a state infrastructure bank, a water pollution control revolving fund, or a drinking water treatment revolving loan fund. 
 
States must report specified details to the Department of the Treasury regarding the amount of the volume cap exchanged and credits allocated.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Water Rights Protection Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1230
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
Introduced: 2017-05-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Agriculture
Department of the Interior
Indian lands and resources rights
Intergovernmental relations
Land use and conservation
Licensing and registrations
State and local government operations
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: 

Water Rights Protection Act of 2017

 
 This bill prohibits the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture from:
 
 
conditioning the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement (permit) on the transfer of any water right to the United States or on any impairment of title granted or otherwise recognized under state law by federal or state action;
 
requiring any water user (including a federally recognized Indian tribe) to apply for or acquire a water right in the name of the United States under state law as a condition of the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of such a permit; or 
 
conditioning or withholding the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of such a permit on limiting the date, time, quantity, location of diversion or pumping, or place of use of a state water right beyond any limitations under state water law, or on the modification of the terms and conditions of groundwater withdrawal, guidance and reporting procedures, or conservation and source protection measures established by a state. 
 
 
In developing any rule or similar federal action relating to the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, such departments: (1) shall recognize the longstanding water use authority of the states and coordinate with the states to ensure that any federal action is consistent with applicable state water law, and (2) shall not adversely affect the authority of a state in permitting the beneficial use of water or adjudicating water rights.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-07-26
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Vote By Mail Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1231
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2017-05-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Licensing and registrations
Motor vehicles
Postal service
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: 

Vote by Mail Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require states to allow voting in federal elections to be by mail without additional conditions or requirements, except a deadline for returning the ballot.
 
States must mail ballots to individuals registered to vote in a federal election not later than two weeks before the election. The U.S. Postal Service must carry ballots mailed by a state expeditiously and free of postage.
 
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 is amended to authorize automatic voter registration of individuals through state motor vehicle authorities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Introduced in Senate
PRIME Act

Bill: 115-s-1232
Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Introduced: 2017-05-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Food industry and services
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Livestock
Meat
Retail and wholesale trades

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: 

Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act or the PRIME Act 

 
This bill amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to expand the exemption of custom slaughtering of animals from federal inspection requirements.
 
Under current law, the exemption applies if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, and employee uses. The bill expands the exemption to include meat that is: 
 
 
 slaughtered and prepared at a custom slaughter facility in accordance with the laws of the state where the facility is located; and 
 
prepared exclusively for distribution to household consumers in the state or restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, grocery stores, or other establishments in the state that either prepare meals served directly to consumers or offer meat and food products for sale directly to consumers in the state. 
 
 
The bill does not preempt any state law concerning: (1) the slaughter of animals or the preparation of carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products at a custom slaughter facility; or (2) the sale of meat or meat food products. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Rail Shipper Fairness Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1233
Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Introduced: 2017-05-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Competition and antitrust
Energy prices
Executive agency funding and structure
Motor fuels
Public participation and lobbying
Railroads
Surface Transportation Board
Transportation costs

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: 

Rail Shipper Fairness Act of 2017

 
This bill amends federal transportation law to: (1) require rail transportation service to be efficient and reliable based on a shipper's reasonable service requirements, and (2) expand enumerated U.S. transportation policies to provide for and promote the protection of the shipping public. 
 
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) may:
 
 
issue emergency service orders that include rail carrier shipments moving under contract if such shipments are part of a regional service order; and
 
require reports, service plans, or other documents that cover shipments moving under contract.
 
 
Rail carriers shall be liable for damages or equitable relief as a result of inadequate or deficient service. Civil penalties for rail carriers who violate certain federal requirements are increased from $5,000 to $25,000 per violation. 
 
 The bill allows shippers to obtain rates to or from any interchange points within 100 miles of two or more rail carriers (i.e., competitive switching).
 
The STB shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding to develop a market-based revenue methodology for determining the reasonableness of challenged rail rates.
 
A rail carrier must compute fuel surcharges in accordance with changes in actual fuel prices, rather than using an index.
 
The STB must: (1) suspend collection of rate increases in stand-alone cost cases while a rate case is pending, and (2) replace its revenue adequacy test for rail carriers with a formula for calculating a carrier's cost of capital.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2017-05-25
text: Introduced in Senate