hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Expanding Vital American Citizen Services Overseas (EVACS) Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6595
Sponsor: Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20]
Introduced: 2020-04-22 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Department of State
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Emergency planning and evacuation
Employee hiring
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health technology, devices, supplies
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Transportation costs
Travel and tourism
Visas and passports
Worker safety and health
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-22
text: 

Expanding Vital American Citizen Services Overseas (EVACS) Act of 2020

 
This bill establishes requirements for the Department of State to expand American Citizen Services at U.S. embassies, consulates, and missions worldwide during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
 
American Citizen Services are the range of services provided by the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, such as emergency passports, consular reports of birth abroad, emergency financial assistance, and repatriation.
 
The State Department must petition the government of any country that closes borders and airspace or establishes travel restrictions due to COVID-19 to make provisions with the appropriate U.S. consular service in that country to ensure U.S. citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents, or the immediate family members of such persons can travel to U.S. government evacuation points or access commercial travel. The State Department must also waive or reimburse certain repatriation travel expenses incurred due to COVID-19.
 
Further, the State Department must
 
 
provide U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic missions with explicit guidance to protect American lives abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic,
 
increase certain consular affairs staffing,
 
develop a comprehensive plan for COVID-19 infection risk mitigation procedures for all persons under chief of mission authority at overseas posts,
 
regularly report on the Bureau of Consular Affairs' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and
 
prioritize regular and continued hiring of Foreign Service officers and specialists.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2020-04-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-22
text: Introduced in House
Equity in Student Loan Relief Act

Bill: 116-hr-6597
Sponsor: Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]
Introduced: 2020-04-22 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Debt collection
Education programs funding
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Student aid and college costs
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-22
text: 

Equity in Student Loan Relief Act

 
This bill establishes a temporary program to suspend payments and interest through September 30, 2020, on Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) that are not held by the Department of Education (ED). (Currently, payments and interest are suspended through this period on certain Federal Direct Loans and FFELs held by ED.)
 
Specifically, ED must (1) enter into agreements with eligible lenders and guaranty agencies to reduce the interest rate to 0% on FFELs, and (2) make monthly payments to lenders and guaranty agencies to offset the cost of the reduced interest rate.
 
A lender or guaranty agency that enters into an agreement with ED must (1) temporarily waive interest and suspend all payments due from borrowers through September 30, 2020; (2) suspend all involuntary collections; (3) notify borrowers, within 15 days, that their loan payments have been suspended and interest has been waived; and (4) carry out a program, beginning on August 1, 2020, to provide not fewer than six notices to borrowers that normal payment obligations will resume.
 
Additionally, ED must deem each month for which a loan payment was suspended as if the borrower of the loan had made a payment for the purpose of any authorized loan forgiveness program or loan rehabilitation program.
 
Finally, ED must ensure that any suspended payment on such a loan is treated as a regularly scheduled payment made by a borrower for the purpose of reporting information about the loan to a consumer reporting agency.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2020-04-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-22
text: Introduced in House
SOS ACT Act

Bill: 116-hr-6598
Sponsor: Rep. Green, Mark E. [R-TN-7]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Asia
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
China
Congressional oversight
Corporate finance and management
Economic performance and conditions
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Financial services and investments
Foreign and international corporations
Government lending and loan guarantees
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Intellectual property
International exchange and broadcasting
U.S. and foreign investments

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Secure Our Systems Against China's Tactics Act or the SOS ACT Act

 
This bill authorizes the Department of the Treasury to temporarily guarantee up to 50% of an investment made during the public health emergency declared due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) in a business that (1) incurred losses due to COVID-19, (2) advances a national security interest, and (3) is susceptible to being purchased by a Chinese entity. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Computing Opportunities to Vanquish Infectious Diseases Research Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6599
Sponsor: Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Animal and plant health
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Economic performance and conditions
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Executive Office of the President
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Health promotion and preventive care
Higher education
Infectious and parasitic diseases
International organizations and cooperation
Medical research
Public-private cooperation
Research administration and funding
Research and development

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

COVID Research Act of 2020 or the Computing Opportunities to Vanquish Infectious Diseases Research Act of 2020

 
This bill requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to undertake specified actions related to forecasting emerging infectious diseases. 
 
The OSTP, acting through the National Science and Technology Council, must establish an interagency working group to coordinate federal activities concerning infectious disease prediction and forecasting. Among other tasks, the working group must identify challenges in predicting outbreaks and develop a strategic plan to address them.
 
The bill also provides statutory authority for the Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee must provide expertise to the working group and otherwise facilitate science and policy discussions concerning emerging infectious diseases. The committee must issue public reports and brief Congress on its activities. 
 
In coordination with specified entities, DOE shall carry out, and report to Congress on, a competitive research program for the National Laboratories and others to leverage analytical tools and computational and networking capabilities to prevent and respond to emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). DOE must also establish the Emerging Infectious Diseases High Performance Computing Research Consortium to support the research program. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Point-of-Care Testing Prize Competitions Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6600
Sponsor: Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Education programs funding
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government information and archives
Health programs administration and funding
Higher education
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Research administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Point-of-Care Testing Prize Competitions Act of 2020

 
This bill requires the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in consultation with the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), to conduct a prize competition for institutions of higher education in order to incentivize research on point-of-care testing that is capable of detecting current or past infection with COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and meets other specified criteria. The NIST must assist the NIH with the development of certain validation protocols and standards for the testing. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
To require a particular jury instruction in Federal civil actions that include a claim for damages based on negligence arising from the transmission of COVID-19.

Bill: 116-hr-6601
Sponsor: Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Business ethics
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Civil actions and liability
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Evidence and witnesses
Infectious and parasitic diseases

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 
This bill requires a specific jury instruction in civil actions in federal court that include a claim alleging negligence arising from the transmission of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and a request for damages. Specifically, a court must instruct the jury that negligence may not be found solely on the basis of holding oneself open for business. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Emergency Cannabis Small Business Health and Safety Act

Bill: 116-hr-6602
Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Civil actions and liability
Disaster relief and insurance
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Economic performance and conditions
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government liability
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Small Business Administration
Small business
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Emergency Cannabis Small Business Health and Safety Act

 
This bill makes a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider eligible for specified Small Business Administration (SBA) programs established in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and it exempts the SBA from liability under federal laws or regulations solely for providing a loan or guarantee to such a business or service provider. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E387)
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Ka‘ena Point National Heritage Area Act

Bill: 116-hr-6603
Sponsor: Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government studies and investigations
Hawaii
Historic sites and heritage areas
Historical and cultural resources
Land use and conservation
Parks, recreation areas, trails

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Ka'ena Point National Heritage Area Act

 
This bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating Honolulu County, Hawaii, as a National Heritage Area, to be known as the Ka'ena Point National Heritage Area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Commerce Spectrum Coordination Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6604
Sponsor: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Advisory bodies
International scientific cooperation
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Radio spectrum allocation
Space flight and exploration

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Commerce Spectrum Coordination Act of 2020

 
This bill establishes the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
 
The duties of the committee shall include advising and making recommendations with respect to (1) developing policies to maintain or strengthen global leadership in the introduction of communications technologies and services, (2) advancing spectrum-based innovation, (3) fostering increased spectrum sharing, and (4) identifying international opportunities to further U.S. economic interests through spectrum management.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Helping Hospitals in Need Act

Bill: 116-hr-6605
Sponsor: Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Appropriations
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Department of Health and Human Services
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding
Hospital care
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Medicaid
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Helping Hospitals in Need Act

 
This bill provides additional appropriations for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for (1) hospitals and health care providers that serve a high proportion of uninsured or low-income patients, and (2) states and territories that have the highest per capita hospitalization rates for confirmed cases of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Clean Skies Act

Bill: 116-hr-6606
Sponsor: Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Air quality
Aviation and airports
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental regulatory procedures

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Clean Skies Act

 
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations that establish emission standards for greenhouse gases emitted from both new and in-service aircraft.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Strategic National Stockpile Enhancement and Transparency Act

Bill: 116-hr-6607
Sponsor: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Computers and information technology
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Emergency planning and evacuation
Health technology, devices, supplies
Immunology and vaccination
State and local government operations
Strategic materials and reserves

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Strategic National Stockpile Enhancement and Transparency Act

 
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish, and award grants to states for the implementation of, the National Emergency Biodefense Network. HHS must coordinate with the Strategic National Stockpile and the National Biodefense Science Board in this effort. The network consists of state entities responsible for tracking and maintaining adequate supplies of drugs, medical devices, and other items necessary for the emergency health security of the United States. The network must be developed and implemented using a private blockchain (i.e., a distributed ledger technology). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Menstrual Equity For The Homeless Act

Bill: 116-hr-6608
Sponsor: Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Health programs administration and funding
Health technology, devices, supplies
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Menstrual Equity For The Homeless Act

 
This bill allows nonprofit organizations and local governments to use funds provided under the Emergency Food and Shelter Grant Program to provide sanitary napkins and tampons.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Immediate COVID Testing Procurement Act.

Bill: 116-hr-6609
Sponsor: Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-20]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Defense spending
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Health technology, devices, supplies
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Public contracts and procurement
War and emergency powers

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 

Immediate COVID Testing Procurement Act

 
This bill requires the President, within 24 hours of this bill's enactment, to issue purchase orders for a program of the highest national urgency (commonly known as a DX purchase order) to procure under the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA) supplies to conduct COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) medical testing nationwide.
 
The supplies must have received prior approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or have received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for the detection of COVID-19.
 
The bill waives certain DPA requirements relating to industrial resource and critical technology shortfalls and notification to Congress.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for the Department of Agriculture to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.

Bill: 116-hr-6611
Sponsor: Rep. Scott, Austin [R-GA-8]
Introduced: 2020-04-23 in the House
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Appropriations
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Department of Agriculture
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Executive agency funding and structure
Infectious and parasitic diseases

Summary:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: 
This bill provides $50 billion in FY2020 supplemental appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support agricultural producers impacted by the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
 
The supplemental appropriations are designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits.
 
USDA may not apply any payment limitations to payments made to producers using funding provided by this bill, except to ensure that the total payments made to producers do not exceed the total damages related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Introduced in House