hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
EB–5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2540
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2019-09-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Business investment and capital
Business records
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Economic development
Employee hiring
Espionage and treason
Evidence and witnesses
Executive agency funding and structure
Family relationships
Financial services and investments
Foreign labor
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Human rights
Human trafficking
Immigration status and procedures
Intellectual property
Securities
Smuggling and trafficking
Terrorism
U.S. and foreign investments
User charges and fees
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-24
text: 

EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2019

 
This bill reauthorizes the EB-5 Regional Center program through FY2024 and makes various changes to the program, such as imposing various oversight requirements. (EB-5 visas provide permanent resident status to qualified alien investors. A regional center allows EB-5 aliens to pool investments to meet various investment and job creation requirements.)
 
Oversight-related provisions include requiring each center to (1) notify the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of proposed changes to the center's structure, (2) maintain certain records and make such records available to DHS for audits, (3) obtain approval for each particular investment offering, and (4) annually report to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 
 
The bill prohibits certain individuals and entities from involvement in a center, such as (1) a person who had committed a violation involving fraud in the previous 10 years, (2) a non-U.S. national not admitted for permanent residence, or (3) a foreign government official. 
 
DHS shall deny petitions, such as a petition to certify a regional center or to classify an alien as an alien investor, if approval would threaten U.S. national interest. 
 
The bill provides various enforcement authority to DHS and USCIS, including the ability to permanently bar an individual from participating in the regional center program.
 
The bill establishes the EB-5 Integrity Fund to fund program enforcement activities.
 
The bill contains various provisions related to EB-5 petitions, such as a provision authorizing DHS to extend an alien's conditional permanent residence status. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-09-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Indian Health Service Advance Appropriations Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2541
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2019-09-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Appropriations
Department of Health and Human Services
Executive agency funding and structure
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding
Indian social and development programs
Minority health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-24
text: 

Indian Health Service Advance Appropriations Act of 201

9

 
This bill authorizes advance appropriations for the following Indian Health Service appropriations accounts: 
 
 
Indian Health Services, 
 
Indian Health Facilities, and 
 
Contract Support Costs. 
 
 
The advance appropriations provide new budget authority that first becomes available in the first fiscal year after the budget year. The bill requires the President's budget request to include information on estimates for the advance appropriations. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2019-09-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2542
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2019-09-24 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
Solid waste and recycling

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-24
text: 

Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act of 2019

 
 This bill allows energy tax credits through 2021 for investments in (1) qualified biogas property, or (2) qualified manure resource recovery property. 
 
&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: 2019-09-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-09-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Hurricanes Florence and Michael and California Wildfire Tax Relief Act

Bill: 116-s-2544
Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]
Introduced: 2019-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: California
Charitable contributions
Disaster relief and insurance
Employee benefits and pensions
Fires
Florida
Forests, forestry, trees
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
Natural disasters
North Carolina
Poverty and welfare assistance
South Carolina
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Tax treatment of families
Virginia
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: 

Hurricanes Florence and Michael and California Wildfire Tax Relief Act

 
This bill provides for tax relief for individuals in areas affected by Hurricanes Florence and Michael and the California wildfires. Specifically, it 
 
 
allows tax-free distributions from tax-preferred pension plans for disaster-related expenses, 
 
increases the limit on allowable loans from pension plans, 
 
allows employers in disaster areas a tax credit to assist in retaining employees affected by disasters, 
 
suspends the limitation on the tax deduction for charitable contributions for disaster relief,
 
allows nonitemizing taxpayers to claim personal casualty losses, and 
 
allows the use of earned income for the preceding year for claiming the earning income and child tax credits.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2545
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2019-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Food assistance and relief
Government information and archives
Medicaid
Poverty and welfare assistance
State and local government operations
Telecommunication rates and fees
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: 

Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 2019

 
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a grant program to provide states with resources to inform their residents who are Medicaid enrollees or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants about the FCC's Lifeline program, which is designed to reduce the cost of communications services for low-income consumers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Safe Step Act

Bill: 116-s-2546
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2019-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Drug therapy
Employee benefits and pensions
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: 

Safe Step Act

 
This bill requires a group health plan to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases. A medication step-therapy protocol establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs are covered by a group health plan or a health insurance issuer. 
 
A request for such an exception to the protocol must be granted if (1) an otherwise required treatment has been ineffective, (2) such treatment is expected to be ineffective and delaying effective treatment would lead to irreversible consequences, (3) such treatment will cause or is likely to cause an adverse reaction to the individual, (4) such treatment is expected to prevent the individual from performing daily activities or occupational responsibilities, (5) the individual is stable based on the prescription drugs already selected, or (6) there are other circumstances as determined by the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
 
The bill requires a group health plan to implement and make readily available a clear process for an individual to request an exception to the protocol, including required information and criteria for granting an exception. The bill further specifies timelines under which plans must respond to such requests.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Indo-Pacific Cooperation Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2547
Sponsor: Sen. Romney, Mitt [R-UT]
Introduced: 2019-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Alliances
Asia
China
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Europe
Foreign aid and international relief
International organizations and cooperation
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Military operations and strategy

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: 

Indo-Pacific Cooperation Act of 2019

 
This bill states that it is U.S. policy to expand alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe to develop a unified approach to addressing the diplomatic, economic, and military challenges posed by China.

action_date: 2019-12-17
text: 

Indo-Pacific Cooperation Act of 2019

 
This bill states that it is U.S. policy to (1) expand alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe to develop a unified approach to addressing the diplomatic, economic, and military challenges posed by China; and (2) promote democracy and human rights in partnership with like-minded countries.

action_date: 2020-01-14
text: 

Indo-Pacific Cooperation Act of 2019

 
This bill states that it is U.S. policy to (1) expand alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe to develop a unified approach to addressing the diplomatic, economic, and military challenges posed by China; and (2) promote democracy and human rights in partnership with like-minded countries.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-01-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2020-01-15
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2020-01-15
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2020-01-14
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S200)
action_date: 2020-01-14
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S200)
action_date: 2020-01-14
text: The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S199-200)
action_date: 2020-01-14
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S199-200)
action_date: 2019-12-17
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 363.
action_date: 2019-12-17
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2019-12-17
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2019-12-11
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2548
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2019-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Census and government statistics
Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Disability and paralysis
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Racial and ethnic relations
Religion
School administration
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: 

Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2019

 
This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit conduct, including bullying (including cyberbullying through electronic communications) and harassment, that (1) limits students' ability to participate in, or benefit from, school programs; or (2) creates a hostile or abusive educational environment that adversely affects students' education.
 
LEAs shall also provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level.
 
The Department of Education must conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics shall collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Child Care Investment Act

Bill: 116-s-2549
Sponsor: Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
Introduced: 2019-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Child care and development
Elementary and secondary education
Government lending and loan guarantees
Preschool education
Small business
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Tax-exempt organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: 

Small Business Child Care Investment Act

 
This bill deems certain nonprofit child care providers to be small business concerns so that they may participate in loan programs administered by the Small Business Administration. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-07-23
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2019-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate
No Tax Subsidies for E-Cigarette and Tobacco Ads Act

Bill: 116-s-2550
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2019-09-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business expenses
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Income tax deductions
Marketing and advertising

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: 

No Tax Subsidies for E-Cigarette and Tobacco Ads Act

 
This bill denies a tax deduction for expenses relating to direct-to-consumer advertising of tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Tariff Rebate Act

Bill: 116-s-2551
Sponsor: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced: 2019-09-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Free trade and trade barriers
Government trust funds
Tariffs
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: 

Tariff Rebate Act

 
This bill establishes the Tariff Rebate Program, through which the Department of the Treasury shall, beginning with tax year 2018, make disbursements to eligible individuals from a fund comprised of duties collected on imported items.
 
An eligible individual is any individual who has filed a yearly tax return no later than October 15 and whose taxable income is below a specified threshold.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Expanding Health Care Options for Early Retirees Act

Bill: 116-s-2552
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2019-09-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Disability and paralysis
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health programs administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Medicaid
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: 

Expanding Health Care Options for Early Retirees Act

 
This bill establishes a Medicare buy-in option for certain qualifying first responders.
 
Specifically, the bill allows first responders aged 50 to 64 to enroll in Medicare if they are retired or otherwise separated from service due to a disability. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must determine enrollment periods and set premiums for the buy-in option established under the bill, in accordance with specified requirements. The CMS must also award grants to states and nonprofit organizations for outreach and enrollment activities relating to the buy-in option.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Introduced in Senate
ED ACCESS Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2553
Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Introduced: 2019-09-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Higher education
Income tax credits
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: 

Eliminating Discrimination And Creating Corridors to Expand Student Success Act of 2019 or the ED ACCESS Act of 2019

 
This bill eliminates the ineligibility of students convicted of a felony drug offense for the American Opportunity Tax Credit.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Expanding Research on Mass Violence Prevention Act

Bill: 116-s-2554
Sponsor: Sen. Isakson, Johnny [R-GA]
Introduced: 2019-09-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Crime prevention
Health programs administration and funding
Medical research
Research administration and funding
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: 

Expanding Research on Mass Violence Prevention Act

 
This bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to engage in specified research and activities to improve surveillance, risk assessment, and prevention strategies related to mass violence.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Introduced in Senate
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Designation Act

Bill: 116-s-2555
Sponsor: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Introduced: 2019-09-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Hunting and fishing
Lakes and rivers
Outdoor recreation
Parks, recreation areas, trails
West Virginia

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: 

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Designation Act

 
This bill redesignates the New River Gorge National River in West Virginia as the &quot;New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.&quot; 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-02-22
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held in Beckley, West Virginia. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 116-363.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Introduced in Senate
PROTECT Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2556
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2019-09-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Computer security and identity theft
Computers and information technology
Electric power generation and transmission
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Government studies and investigations
Homeland security
Public utilities and utility rates
Rural conditions and development

Summary:
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: 

Protecting Resources On The Electric grid with Cybersecurity Technology Act of 2019 or the
 
PROTECT Act of 2019

 
This bill addresses providing incentives for electric utilities to invest in cybersecurity.
 
Specifically, the bill 
 
 
directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to provide incentives to electric utilities for investing in advanced cybersecurity technology, and
 
establishes a grant and technical assistance program at the Department of Energy for electric utilities that are not regulated by FERC to deploy advanced cybersecurity technology.
 

action_date: 2019-12-17
text: 

Protecting Resources On The Electric grid with Cybersecurity Technology Act of 2019 or the
 
PROTECT Act of 2019

 
This bill addresses providing incentives for electric utilities to invest in cybersecurity.
 
Specifically, the bill 
 
 
directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to provide incentives to electric utilities for investing in advanced cybersecurity technology, and
 
establishes a grant and technical assistance program at the Department of Energy for electric utilities that are not regulated by FERC to deploy advanced cybersecurity technology.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-01-07
text: By Senator Murkowski from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 116-196.
action_date: 2020-01-07
text: By Senator Murkowski from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 116-196.
action_date: 2019-12-17
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 356.
action_date: 2019-12-17
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: 2019-12-17
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: 2019-11-19
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2019-11-06
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 116-344.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2019-09-26
text: Introduced in Senate