hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Infrastructure Act

Bill: 116-s-1932
Sponsor: Sen. Gardner, Cory [R-CO]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Congressional oversight
Endangered and threatened species
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Hawaii
Idaho
Kansas
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Public contracts and procurement
South Dakota
Texas
U.S. territories and protectorates
Utah
Washington State
Water resources funding
Water storage
Water use and supply
Watersheds
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Wyoming

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Infrastructure Act

 
This bill establishes and modifies various Department of the Interior water programs that target western states.
 
Provisions in the bill include those
 
 
authorizing Interior to provide grants to support qualifying water-storage projects in western states;
 
reauthorizing through FY2024 the CALFED Bay-Delta program, which handles water issues in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta;
 
reauthorizing through FY2024 an Interior grant program to support qualifying water recycling and reuse projects and establishing new priorities for awarding such grants; and
 
establishing a one-time process for de-authorizing certain Bureau of Reclamation projects.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-07-18
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 116-330.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program Authorization Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1933
Sponsor: Sen. McSally, Martha [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Homeland Security
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
International organizations and cooperation
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program Authorization Act of 2019

 
This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP). The program was established to address and reduce national security, border security, and terrorist threats before such threats reach the international border of the United States.
 
DHS must ensure that any biometric and biographic identification data of U.S. citizens that is captured by BITMAP operations is expunged from all databases to which such data was uploaded, unless such data is retained for specific law enforcement or intelligence purposes.
 
The Government Accountability Office shall conduct an audit that analyzes the effectiveness of BITMAP operations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Parity in Veterans Health Care Rights Act

Bill: 116-s-1934
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Disability assistance
Health care quality
Hospital care
Veterans' medical care
Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Parity in Veterans Health Care Rights Act

 
This bill expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits (including dependency and indemnity compensation) in situations where a veteran has been disabled or died as a result of medical treatment or vocational rehabilitation. 
 
Under the bill, the VA must award such benefits if a disability or death of a veteran was caused by hospital care, a medical service, or an extended care service furnished by a non-VA provider as part of the Veterans Community Care Program. The proximate cause of the disability or death in these situations must have been (1) carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or a similar instance of fault on the part of the provider; or (2) an event that was not reasonably foreseeable.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Family Coverage Act

Bill: 116-s-1935
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Income tax credits

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Family Coverage Act

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the requirements for determining the affordability of employer-sponsored minimum essential health coverage that is required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). 
 
(Under current law, the coverage is unaffordable, and an employee may be eligible for premium assistance tax credits, if the employee's required contribution for an individual plan exceeds 9.5% of household income, adjusted for inflation after 2014.) The bill specifies that, with respect to an employee's family members who are eligible to enroll in the plan, affordability must be determined using the cost of family coverage rather than individual coverage to expand the eligibility of families for premium assistance tax credits. 
 
This bill also expresses the sense of Congress that the Departments of Health and Human Service and the Treasury have the administrative authority, within their respective jurisdictions, to apply the affordability provision of PPACA so as to expand access to affordable health insurance coverage for working families without further legislation. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
PALS Act

Bill: 116-s-1936
Sponsor: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cancer
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare
Veterans' medical care
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act of 

2019
 
or the PALS Act

 
This bill makes a series of changes relating to health insurance coverage of screening mammography. 
 
Specifically, the bill requires that any provision of law referring to current recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) with respect to breast cancer screening mammography be administered as if (1) the provision referred to USPSTF recommendations last issued before 2009; and (2) those recommendations applied to any screening mammography modality, including any digital modality of such a procedure. This requirement shall also apply to the Veterans Health Administration's policy on mammography screening for veterans.
 
In addition, the bill preserves Medicare coverage for screening mammography, without a requirement for coinsurance, and expands the definition of screening mammography to include any digital modality of such a procedure. Further, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may not decrease the frequency with which screening mammography may be paid by Medicare for a woman over 39 years of age.
 
In 2009, the USPSTF updated its guidelines to recommend against routine screening mammography for women between 40 to 49 years of age and to recommend biennial, instead of annual, screening mammography for most women between 50 to 74 years of age. In 2015, through the appropriations process, a three-year moratorium was placed on implementing the guidelines; the moratorium was subsequently renewed until January 1, 2020.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1937
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Competition and antitrust
Corporate finance and management
Department of Justice
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Inflation and prices
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2019

 
This bill modifies and expands the schedule for graduated merger filing fees and requires that such fees be adjusted each year based on the Producer Price Index.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1938
Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Disability and paralysis
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Mental health
Racial and ethnic relations
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2019
 
 
This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants to states that (1) require law enforcement officers to be trained on fair and impartial policing (e.g., diversity and anti-bias training), and (2) require an independent prosecutor to be appointed to investigate and prosecute an alleged offense involving the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer that results in a death or injury.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Moving FIRST Act

Bill: 116-s-1939
Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Congressional oversight
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy efficiency and conservation
Government studies and investigations
Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
Infrastructure development
Motor vehicles
Pedestrians and bicycling
Public transit
Right of privacy
Roads and highways
Transportation costs
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Moving and Fostering Innovation to Revolutionize Smarter Transportation Act or the
 
Moving FIRST Act

 
This bill authorizes through FY2024 the Department of Transportation to award Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation grants to communities of varying sizes to promote technological innovation (e.g., autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and roadway electrification) in transportation systems.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Refund Equality Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1940
Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Marriage and family status
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Refund Equality Act of 2019

 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1941
Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2019-06-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Child health
Elementary and secondary education
Food assistance and relief
Nutrition and diet
Poverty and welfare assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: 

Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 201

9

 
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a program providing eligible households with summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards in order to give children access to food during the summer months to (1) reduce or eliminate children's food insecurity and hunger, and (2) improve their nutritional status.
 
An &quot;eligible household&quot; is a household that includes one or more children who are eligible to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs.
 
The amount on each summer EBT card is set at $150 per child in 2020, with adjustments thereafter reflecting changes in reimbursement rates for school meals under the school lunch program.
 
If children are enrolled to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs, they must be enrolled in this program without further application.
 
Summer EBT cards may be used only to purchase food from retail food stores that have been approved for participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2019-06-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1942
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2019-06-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Blood and blood diseases
Cancer
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Disability and paralysis
Disability assistance
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employee benefits and pensions
Evidence and witnesses
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
HIV/AIDS
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health personnel
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Medical research
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: 

Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2019

 
 This bill provides federal worker's compensation to firefighters who contract certain illnesses as a result of their service.
 
Specifically, the bill provides that (1) heart disease, lung disease, and specified cancers of federal employees employed in fire protection activities for at least 5 years is presumed to be proximately caused by such employment if the employee is diagnosed with the disease within 10 years of their employment in fire protection activities; and (2) the disability or death of the employee due to such disease is presumed to result from personal injury sustained in the performance of duty. These presumptions also apply to fire protection employees who contract any uncommon infectious disease, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis A, B, or C, or the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
 
 An 
employee in fire protection activities
 is a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material worker, who (1) is trained in fire suppression; (2) has the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression; (3) is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishment of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk; and (4) performs such activities as a primary responsibility.
 
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must examine the implementation of this bill and appropriate scientific and medical data related to the health risks of firefighting.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in Senate
HEAR Act

Bill: 116-s-1943
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2019-06-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal procedure and sentencing
Firearms and explosives
Law enforcement administration and funding
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: 

Help Empower Americans to Respond Act of 2019 or the HEAR Act

 
This bill establishes a new criminal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a firearm silencer or firearm muffler.
 
The bill does not prohibit certain conduct with respect to a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, including the following: 
 
 
importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; and 
 
importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials. 
 
 
In addition, the bill requires the Department of Justice to establish and implement a buy-back program to purchase firearm silencers and firearm mufflers. States and local governments may use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender firearm silencers and firearm mufflers under this buy-back program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Public Health Funding Restoration Act

Bill: 116-s-1944
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2019-06-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Appropriations
Government trust funds
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: 

Public Health Funding Restoration Act

 
 This bill increases annual funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). (The PPHF assets are distributed to various agencies throughout the Department of Health and Human Services to (1) conduct community and clinical prevention initiatives, (2) research and track public health threats, (3) develop the public health infrastructure, and (4) other initiatives.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in Senate
SAFE Act

Bill: 116-s-1945
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2019-06-24 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Foreign aid and international relief
Licensing and registrations
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Trade restrictions
War and emergency powers

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: 

Saudi Arabia False Emergencies Act or the SAFE Act

 
This bill limits the President's authority to waive congressional review of a proposed arms sale through the use of an emergency determination.
 
Specifically, the bill limits the use of emergency authorities to arms exports to only NATO countries, Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. In addition, the bill requires the President to issue an individual determination and detailed justification for each proposal. Furthermore, such a determination shall be available for a proposal only if (1) the proposal directly responds to, or counters, a physical security threat; and (2) three-quarters of the arms will be delivered within two months. 

action_date: 2019-07-15
text: 

Saudi Arabia False Emergencies Act or the SAFE Act

 
This bill limits the President's authority to waive congressional review of a proposed arms sale through the use of an emergency determination.
 
Specifically, the bill limits the use of emergency authorities to arms exports to only NATO countries, Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. In addition, the bill requires the President to issue an individual determination and detailed justification for each proposal. Furthermore, such a determination shall be available for a proposal only if (1) the proposal directly responds to, or counters, a physical security threat; and (2) three-quarters of the arms will be delivered within two months. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-07-15
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 145.
action_date: 2019-07-15
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2019-07-15
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2019-06-25
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Student Veterans Housing Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1946
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2019-06-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Higher education
Student aid and college costs
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: 

Student Veterans Housing Act
 
of 2019

 
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to make payments of monthly housing stipends during holidays or other closures at educational institutions and also specifies how monthly housing stipends are paid between school terms or when a recipient transfers to another institution of higher learning.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in Senate
College for All Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1947
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2019-06-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational guidance
Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Minority education
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: 

College for All Act of 2019

 
This bill provides funding for (1) grants to eliminate tuition and required fees for eligible students at community colleges, public four-year institutions of higher education, and tribal colleges and universities; and (2) grants to eliminate or significantly reduce tuition and required fees for eligible students at private, nonprofit historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. 
 
In addition, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to forgive the outstanding balance of interest and principal due on all Federal Family Education Loans, Federal Direct Loans, and Perkins Loans, including parent loans, consolidation loans, and certain grants treated as loans. Further, ED must purchase and forgive the outstanding balance of interest and principal due on private student loans.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Chronic Disease Management Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1948
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2019-06-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health promotion and preventive care

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: 

Chronic Disease Management Act of 2019

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to health savings accounts (HSAs), to allow the high deductible health plans required for an HSA to provide care for chronic conditions with no deductible. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S4458-4459)
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in Senate