hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Small Business Access to Recovery Capital Act

Bill: 116-s-4817
Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL]
Introduced: 2020-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Economic performance and conditions
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government lending and loan guarantees
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Small business
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: 

Small Business Access to Recovery Capital Act

 
This bill temporarily modifies the 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program of the Small Business Administration (SBA) by waiving borrower and lender fees, increasing the government guarantee to 95%, increasing the maximum loan value to $10 million, and waiving repayment for any new 7(a) loans for one year. The SBA must issue temporary COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) guidance that reflects these changes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Heroes Small Business Lifeline Act

Bill: 116-s-4818
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2020-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Appropriations
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Bankruptcy
Business education
Business expenses
Business investment and capital
Business records
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Community life and organization
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Congressional oversight
Credit and credit markets
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Department of Commerce
Department of the Treasury
Economic development
Economic performance and conditions
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employee benefits and pensions
Employment and training programs
Employment taxes
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Federal-Indian relations
Financial literacy
Financial services and investments
Food industry and services
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health technology, devices, supplies
Higher education
Housing and community development funding
Income tax exclusion
Indian social and development programs
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Marketing and advertising
Minority and disadvantaged businesses
Minority employment
Motor carriers
Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
Music
Performing arts
Professional sports
Public contracts and procurement
Public-private cooperation
Rural conditions and development
Small Business Administration
Small business
Sports and recreation facilities
State and local finance
State and local government operations
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Temporary and part-time employment
Travel and tourism
User charges and fees
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Wages and earnings
Women in business
Women's employment
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: 

Heroes Small Business Lifeline Act

 
This bill provides economic support to small business affected by COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) by extending and expanding existing initiatives such as the Paycheck Protection Program, establishing a new lifeline grant program, and providing dedicated assistance for industries such as restaurants and live entertainment. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-12-10
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Long-Term Care Affordability Act

Bill: 116-s-4820
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2020-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: 

Long-Term Care Affordability Act

 
This bill allows the use of tax-exempt retirement plan distributions to pay for long-term health care insurance. Specifically, it excludes such distributions from the gross income of an insured individual up to $2,500 for per individual in a taxable year.
 It also imposes reporting requirements on plans and insured individuals and requires a description of long-term care insurance arrangements and facts sheets for employers and workers.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to clarify that utility line technicians qualify as emergency response providers.

Bill: 116-s-4821
Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]
Introduced: 2020-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Disaster relief and insurance
Electric power generation and transmission
First responders and emergency personnel

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: 
This bill specifies that utility line technicians responding to a major disaster or emergency qualify as emergency response providers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
American Innovation and Jobs Act

Bill: 116-s-4822
Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]
Introduced: 2020-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business expenses
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Research and development
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: 

American Innovation and Jobs Act

 
This bill revises and expands the deductibility of research and experimental expenditures to allow immediate expensing of such expenditures. It also allows the amortization over a period of at least 60 months of certain other types of research and experimental expenditures not treated as expenses.
 
The bill also increases the maximum amount eligible for the tax credit for new and small businesses and increases to 20% the rate of the credit for business startups.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
ZEVs Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4823
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2020-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Air quality
Civil actions and liability
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental regulatory procedures
Government trust funds
Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
Manufacturing
Roads and highways
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: 

Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2020 or the ZEVs Act of 2020

 
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a zero-emission passenger vehicle standard. Specifically, the bill sets a schedule for increasing the percentage of zero-emission vehicles a vehicle manufacturer delivers for sale, culminating in a requirement to sell only zero-emission vehicles from 2035 on. The bill also requires the EPA to establish a zero-emission vehicle credit program that approves one zero-emission vehicle credit for each zero-emission vehicle delivered for sale in the United States and partial credits for qualified electric vehicles based on the estimated proportion of the mileage driven on the battery.
 
Manufacturers that fail to meet the minimum required percentage of zero-emission vehicle sales must submit to the EPA a quantity of zero-emission vehicle credits sufficient to offset the excess.
 
Credits may also be sold, transferred, exchanged, or retired in certain circumstances.
 
The bill imposes civil penalties for the failure to comply with zero-emission vehicle credit standards, with collected penalties being deposited into the Highway Trust Fund. After 2035, the EPA must issue injunctions on the manufacture of passenger vehicles other than zero-emission vehicles.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2020-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Suicide and Crisis Outreach Prevention Enhancement Act

Bill: 116-s-4824
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

Suicide and Crisis Outreach Prevention Enhancement Act

 
This bill extends funding through FY2025 for, and expands data collection and other activities of, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Ensuring Access to COVID–19 Vaccines for Seniors Act

Bill: 116-s-4825
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Health care coverage and access
Immunology and vaccination
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

Ensuring Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for Seniors Act

 
This bill specifies that vaccines for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) that are authorized for emergency use must be covered under Medicare without cost-sharing.
 
The bill applies retroactively.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6378-6379)
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to waive an advance notice requirement with respect to the Four Forest Restoration Initiative Phase 2 Stewardship contract.

Bill: 116-s-4826
Sponsor: Sen. McSally, Martha [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arizona
Ecology
Fires
Forests, forestry, trees

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 
This bill waives certain advance notice requirements applicable to the Four Forest Restoration Initiative Phase 2 Stewardship contract. The initiative is designed to restore fire-adapted ecosystems across four national forests in Arizona.
 
No later than seven days after entering into such contract the Forest Service shall submit the notices otherwise required.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
SPACE Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4827
Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

Space Preservation And Conjunction Emergency Act of 2020 or the SPACE Act of 2020

 
This bill modifies requirements for the Office of Space Commerce and renames the office as the Bureau of Space Commerce. 
 
The bureau shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary for Space Commerce, to be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Assistant Secretary shall report directly to the Secretary of Commerce.
 
The bill expands the bureau's responsibilities to include (1) overseeing the issuing of licenses for land remote sensing activities, and (2) coordinating Commerce policy affecting commercial space activities and working with other executive agencies to promote policies that advance commercial space activities. 
 
The bureau may provide space situational awareness data, information, and services to, and may obtain space situational awareness data, information, and services from, non-United States government entities in accordance with this bill.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-11-18
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Stop Suppressing Speech Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4828
Sponsor: Sen. Loeffler, Kelly [R-GA]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

Stop Suppressing Speech Act of 2020

 
This bill modifies a social media company's immunity from liability for screening and blocking offensive content on its platform. 
 
Under current law, the immunity applies for action taken to restrict content that is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable. The bill eliminates immunity for restricting content that is otherwise objectionable and applies such immunity when a company restricts content that is unlawful or that promotes violence or terrorism. 
 
Under current law, such immunity also applies to actions taken to enable or make available the technical means to restrict access to such content. The bill applies this immunity to actions taken that provide users with the option to restrict access to any material, regardless of whether such material is constitutionally protected.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
NEPA Legal Reform Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4829
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental regulatory procedures
Evidence and witnesses
Judicial procedure and administration
Judicial review and appeals
Legal fees and court costs

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

NEPA Legal Reform Act
 
of 2020

 
This bill establishes requirements concerning the judicial review of cases about the environmental review process required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).
 
Specifically, the bill establishes standing requirements for NEPA claims, including a requirement that a plaintiff must personally suffer, or will likely personally suffer, a direct, tangible harm. 
 
In addition, the bill sets a statute of limitations for all claims related to NEPA.
 
The bill also provides statutory authority for certain evidentiary standards concerning motions for temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and permanent injunctions.
 
In addition, the bill limits fees that may be awarded to environmental attorneys.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Fairness for Seniors and People with Disabilities During COVID–19 Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4830
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Debt collection
Disability assistance
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Medicaid
Poverty and welfare assistance
Social security and elderly assistance
Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

Fairness for Seniors and People with Disabilities During COVID-19 Act of 2020

 
This bill restricts the recovery by the Social Security Administration (SSA) of certain overpayments of benefits made between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. The bill also specifies that an individual who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or similar payments from a state, for any month during that period shall not be deemed ineligible for Medicaid coverage for that month on the basis that the individual is later determined to be ineligible for SSI or similar payments.
 
Specifically, the SSA shall not recover any overpayments of Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits, SSI benefits, or benefits for certain World War II veterans made during this period, unless the overpayments resulted from fraud or the misuse of benefits by a representative payee. For actions underway to recover overpayments, including those initiated before March 2020, the SSA must also notify individuals of their opportunity to request a reduction or suspension of adjustments to their benefits or a suspension of certain installment payments during the specified period. Additionally, the SSA must report on the time frame for resuming overpayment processing and collection activities.
 
Beginning in March 2020, the SSA has operated under modified work processes in response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2020) emergency, including the suspension of certain procedures for identifying changes to eligibility status and adjusting benefits to account for them. However, in August 2020, the SSA issued an interim final rule concerning the resumption of these procedures, which included a simplified waiver process for beneficiaries who incurred an overpayment between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Learning Opportunity and Achievement Act

Bill: 116-s-4831
Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Appropriations
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Indian social and development programs
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Migrant, seasonal, agricultural labor
Minority education
Special education
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

Learning Opportunity and Achievement Act

 
This bill provides FY2022 appropriations to improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to award various grants for professional development, training resources, student support services for at-risk students and marginalized students (e.g., minority students and students with disabilities), evidence-based projects to improve distance and hybrid learning, and learning hubs (i.e., on-campus learning environments).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6379-6380)
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
OFF U.S. Embassies Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4832
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Department of State
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Federal officials
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Political parties and affiliation

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

Opposing Foreign Fundraising at United States Embassies Act of 2020 or the OFF U.S. Embassies Act of 2020

 
This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to host a fundraising event for, or on behalf of, a foreign political party or candidate at a U.S. embassy, consulate, or other diplomatic post, and it requires the Department of State to revise both its Standardized Regulations and the Foreign Affairs Manual to prohibit this kind of activity. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title 32, United States Code, to authorize cybersecurity operations and missions to protect critical infrastructure by members of the National Guard in connection with training or other duty.

Bill: 116-s-4833
Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Computer security and identity theft
Infrastructure development
Military civil functions
Military education and training
National Guard and reserves
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 
This bill authorizes members of the National Guard to perform, at the request of a state and in connection with training or other duty, cybersecurity operations or missions to protect critical infrastructure.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Sustainable International Financial Institutions Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4834
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2020-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Air quality
Alternative and renewable resources
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Coal
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign loans and debt
International organizations and cooperation
Multilateral development programs
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: 

Sustainable International Financial Institutions Act of 2020

 
This bill establishes requirements to promote clean energy and climate justice globally through international financing mechanisms.
 
Specifically, the bill requires the U.S. Executive Directors of specified international financial institutions to use the voice and vote of the United States to (1) advance the cause of reducing carbon emissions and transitioning the global economy to a clean energy economy, and (2) oppose any loan or extension of financial or technical assistance to a country or entity to create new capacity for fossil fuel activity. The Department of the Treasury must reduce the yearly U.S. contribution to a financial institution by the amount of any loans or assistance provided by the institution to a country or entity to create new capacity for fossil fuel activity during that year.
 
Further, the bill prohibits the United States from providing any loan, insurance, guarantee, or extension of financial or technical assistance to a country or entity for any fossil fuel activity. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2020-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate