hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Employer Participation in Repayment Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-460
Sponsor: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
Introduced: 2019-02-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions
Income tax exclusion
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: 

Employer Participation in Repayment Act of 2019

 
This bill expands the tax exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance to include payments of qualified education loans by an employer to either an employee or a lender.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Introduced in Senate
Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Fairness Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-462
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2019-02-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Veterans Affairs
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health personnel
Labor-management relations
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: 

Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Fairness Act of 2019

 
This bill repeals provisions excluding any matter or question concerning professional conduct or competence; peer review; or the establishment, determination, or adjustment of employee compensation from the applicability of collective bargaining rights for Veterans Health Administration employees.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Introduced in Senate
FAMILY Act

Bill: 116-s-463
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2019-02-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Adult day care
Advisory bodies
Child care and development
Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Disability assistance
Employee benefits and pensions
Employee leave
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Employment taxes
Executive agency funding and structure
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Railroads
Social Security Administration
Social security and elderly assistance
Transportation employees
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: 

Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act
 
or the FAMILY Act

 
 This bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration.
 
 The bill entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for a specified benefit period and prescribes a formula for determining the individual's monthly benefit amount. 
 
An FMLI benefit payment shall be coordinated with any periodic benefits received under a state or local temporary disability insurance or family leave program.
 
The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on employers, employees, and self-employed individuals to fund FMLI benefits. It also establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund to hold tax revenues. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require the treatment of a lapse in appropriations as a mitigating condition when assessing financial considerations for security clearances, and for other purposes.

Bill: 116-s-464
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2019-02-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Appropriations
Consumer credit
Executive agency funding and structure
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: 

Protecting Employees' Security Clearances Act of 2019

 
This bill requires an agency, when determining whether to grant or continue a security clearance, to consider a lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown) as a condition that could mitigate a security concern related to financial considerations.
 
An agency is prohibited from revoking a security clearance because of a reduction in credit score or negative information in a consumer credit file due to disrupted income payments arising from a lapse in appropriations. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 23.
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1279)
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Introduced in Senate
Heroes Lesley Zerebny and Gilbert Vega First Responders Survivors Support Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-465
Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Introduced: 2019-02-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Agricultural education
Asia
Congressional oversight
Disability assistance
Employee benefits and pensions
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Inflation and prices
Law enforcement officers
Licensing and registrations
Philippines
Student aid and college costs
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: 

Heroes Lesley Zerebny and Gilbert Vega First Responders Survivors Support Act of 2019

 
This bill makes changes to benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.
 
Specifically, the bill modifies the program to (1) increase the death and disability benefit, (2) revise the date of determination for the amount of the death and disability benefit, and (3) increase the monthly education assistance benefit and otherwise revise the computation method for such benefit.
 
The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to examine and identify ways to improve access to benefits and the processing of claims under the program. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-02-12
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-466
Sponsor: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of the Treasury
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions Act of 2019

 
This bill nullifies the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services guidance titled &quot;State Relief and Empowerment Waivers,&quot; published on October 24, 2018. The guidance pertains to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers), which allow states to forego certain requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to implement experimental plans for health care coverage, as long as the resulting coverage meets certain statutory criteria. 
 
The guidance, which supersedes earlier guidance from 2015, alters agency interpretation of how states may satisfy the statutory criteria for waiver approval. For example, the guidance (1) redefines acceptable coverage under such waivers to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and association health plans; (2) allows the comprehensiveness and affordability of coverage under such waivers to be assessed based on projected availability, rather than enrollment; and (3) allows the level of coverage to be assessed based on the effects over the entire course of the waiver, rather than per year.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Native American Suicide Prevention Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-467
Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Child health
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Indian social and development programs
Mental health
Minority health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Native American Suicide Prevention Act of 

2019

 
This bill requires a state or state-designated entity that receives support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for development and implementation of a statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategy to agree to collaborate with each of the state's federally recognized Indian tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and Native Hawaiian health care systems regarding the strategy.
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Teachers and School LEADERS Act

Bill: 116-s-468
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Congressional oversight
Disability and paralysis
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Licensing and registrations
Minority employment
Performance measurement
Preschool education
School administration
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Teachers and School Leaders need Education And Development to be Empowered Resources in Schools Act or the Teachers and School LEADERS Act

 
This bill revises the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program, which provides training and professional development opportunities for prospective and new teachers through partnerships between (1) high-need school districts, schools, or early childhood education programs; and (2) institutions of higher education. The bill expands the grant program to include training and professional development opportunities for principals and other school leaders. In addition, the bill expands the types of entities that may join the partnerships and obtain grant funding to include entities that are nonprofit educational organizations or entities operating programs that provide alternative routes to state certification of teachers or school leaders.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Emergency Relief for Federal Contractors Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-469
Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Appropriations
Employee benefits and pensions
Executive agency funding and structure
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Income tax deferral
Income tax exclusion
Income tax rates
Public contracts and procurement
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Emergency Relief for Federal Contractors Act of 2019

 
This bill allows penalty-free distributions up to $30,000 in a taxable year from tax-exempt retirement plans to certain federal contractors and District of Columbia employees made during a federal government shutdown.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare at 50 Act

Bill: 116-s-470
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Inflation and prices
Medicaid
Medicare
Prescription drugs
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Medicare at 50 Act

 
This bill establishes a Medicare buy-in option for certain qualifying individuals and also repeals restrictions relating to prescription drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
 
Specifically, the bill allows individuals aged 50 to 64 to enroll in Medicare if such individuals would otherwise qualify for Medicare at the age of 65. 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.
 
The bill also repeals provisions that prohibit the CMS from negotiating the prices of prescription drugs or from establishing a formulary under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Litigation Funding Transparency Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-471
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Judicial procedure and administration
Lawyers and legal services
Legal fees and court costs

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Litigation Funding Transparency Act of 2019

 
This bill requires lawyers for plaintiffs in certain lawsuits to provide the court and other parties in the lawsuit with any agreement that entitles an outside business (i.e., a business that is not a party, class member, or counsel in the lawsuit) to receive payment contingent on the lawsuit's outcome. The lawyers for the plaintiffs shall also provide the identity of the outside business.
 
Specifically, these requirements shall apply to any class action or multi-district litigation (i.e. related civil cases pending in different districts that are consolidated for pretrial proceedings). 

 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
FASTER Act

Bill: 116-s-472
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Funding for Aviation Screeners and Threat Elimination Restoration Act or the FASTER Act

 
This bill repeals the requirement that a portion of aviation security service fees collected from passengers be credited as offsetting receipts and deposited in the general fund of the Treasury and instead requires such fees to be deposited into a separate account in the Treasury for expenditure only to pay the costs of activities and services for which the fee is imposed.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act

Bill: 116-s-473
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Customs enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of the Treasury
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Law enforcement officers
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act

 
This bill expands the definition of 
law enforcement officer
 under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to include (1) federal employees whose duties encompass the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted criminals and who are authorized to carry a firearm; (2) Internal Revenue Service employees whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns; (3) U.S. Postal Inspection Service employees; (4) Department of Veterans Affairs police officers; and (5) certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who are seized-property specialists with duties relating to custody, management, and disposition of seized and forfeited property. 
 
The bill deems service performed by an incumbent law enforcement officer on or after the enactment date of this bill to be service performed as a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes. The past service of such incumbents shall be treated as service performed by a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes only if a written election is submitted to the Office of Personnel Management within five years after the enactment of this bill or before separation from government service, whichever is earlier. An incumbent who makes an election before the enactment of this bill may pay a deposit into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund to cover prior service.
 
A law enforcement officer shall not be subject to mandatory separation under CSRS or FERS during the three-year period beginning on the enactment of this bill. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Stopping the Pharmaceutical Industry from Keeping drugs Expensive (SPIKE) Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-474
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Corporate finance and management
Government information and archives
Inflation and prices
Marketing and advertising
Prescription drugs
Research and development

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Stopping the Pharmaceutical Industry from Keeping Drugs Expensive (SPIKE) Act of 

2019

 
This bill requires manufacturers of drugs with specified percentage increases in their wholesale costs to submit to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) written justification for certain increases in drug prices. The CMS shall publish each submission, together with an easily understandable summary, on its website. Certain proprietary information may be excluded from publication, as specified by the bill.
 
A manufacturer that does not comply with the bill's requirements shall be subject to civil monetary penalties.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
RxCAP Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-475
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Medicare
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Reducing Existing Costs Associated with Pharmaceuticals for Seniors Act of 2019 or the RxCAP Act of 

2019

 
This bill eliminates beneficiary cost-sharing above the Medicare prescription drug benefit's annual out-of-pocket threshold beginning in plan year 2020. Under current law, the Medicare prescription drug benefit provides coverage above that threshold only with cost-sharing in the form of either copayment or coinsurance. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Creating Transparency to Have Drug Rebates Unlocked (C–THRU) Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-476
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Inflation and prices
Medicare
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Creating Transparency to Have Drug Rebates Unlocked (C-THRU) Act of 

2019

 
This bill establishes a series of requirements relating to drug rebates and discounts under Medicare and Medicare Advantage (MA).
 
 Specifically, for each pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) that contracts with a prescription drug plan (PDP) under Medicare or MA, or with a qualified health benefits plan offered through a health insurance exchange, HHS must publish on its website (1) the amount and type of rebates and discounts negotiated by the PBM and the extent to which these rebates and discounts are passed on to the plan sponsor, and (2) the difference between the amount paid by the plan sponsor to the PBM and the amount paid by the PBM to pharmacies.
 
As a condition of participation as a contractor under Medicare or MA, a PBM must pass on to a PDP sponsor a minimum percentage, as established by HHS, of the amount of rebates and discounts negotiated by the PBM that are attributable to patient utilization under the plan.
 
The bill also modifies requirements regarding Medicare enrollees' access to negotiated drug prices. Current law requires a PDP sponsor to provide enrollees in Medicare or MA with access to negotiated drug prices that account for rebates and discounts. The bill requires that, with respect to a covered drug, a negotiated price (or, if necessary, an approximate negotiated price) be provided at the point of sale.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Climate Change Education Act

Bill: 116-s-477
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2019-02-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Air quality
Atmospheric science and weather
Building construction
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Congressional oversight
Department of Commerce
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental education
Environmental technology
Higher education
Science and engineering education
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: 

Climate Change Education Act 

 
 This bill declares that the evidence for human-induced climate change is overwhelming and undeniable.
 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must establish a Climate Change Education Program to
 
 
 increase the climate literacy of the United States by broadening the understanding of human-induced climate change, including possible consequences and potential solutions;
 
 apply the latest scientific and technological discoveries to provide learning opportunities to people of all ages; and
 
help people understand and promote implementation of new technologies, programs, and incentives related to climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, and climate resilience.
 
 
NOAA must also establish a grant program for climate change education. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2019-02-13
text: Introduced in Senate