hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
ATC Hiring Reform Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1148
Sponsor: Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Congressional oversight
Department of Transportation
Employee hiring
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Transportation employees
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

ATC Hiring Reform Act of 2019

 
This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration to give preferential consideration to air traffic control specialists applicants: (1) who have completed air traffic controller training and graduated from an institution participating in the Collegiate Training Initiative program, or (2) who are veterans.

action_date: 2019-12-05
text: 

ATC Hiring Reform Act of 2019

 
This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to give preferential consideration to employment applications of air traffic control specialists (1) who have completed air traffic controller training and graduated from an institution participating in the Collegiate Training Initiative program, or (2) who are veterans.
 
The bill also requires (1) the FAA to submit semi-annual reports to Congress on the hiring and training of air traffic controllers, (2) the FAA to give preferential consideration to applicants who gained air traffic control experience at a National Guard facility, and (3) the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation to conduct a review that assesses the assumptions and methodologies used by the FAA in developing the air traffic controller pre-employment test.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 319.
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment. With written report No. 116-169.
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment. With written report No. 116-169.
action_date: 2019-07-24
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Main Street Tax Certainty Act

Bill: 116-s-1149
Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax deductions
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Main Street Tax Certainty Act 

 
This bill makes permanent the tax deduction for qualified business income. (Under current law, the deduction expires after December 31, 2025.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Child Tax Credit for Pregnant Moms Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1150
Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Family relationships
Income tax credits
Tax treatment of families

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Child Tax Credit for Pregnant Moms Act of 2019

 
 This bill expands the child tax credit to allow a credit for an unborn child. The bill defines an &quot;unborn child&quot; as a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.
 
The credit may be claimed for the year immediately preceding the year of the child's birth, if the child is born alive on or before the due date for tax returns for the year. 
 
In certain cases in which a child is not taken into account for the credit for the year immediately preceding the year of the child's birth, the bill doubles the amount of the credit allowed for the year of the birth.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Venezuelan Contracting Restriction Act

Bill: 116-s-1151
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Business ethics
Latin America
Public contracts and procurement
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Venezuela

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Venezuelan Contracting Restriction Act 

 
This bill prohibits an executive agency from entering into a contract for the procurement of goods or services with any person that has business operations with an authority of the Venezuelan government that is not recognized as the legitimate government of Venezuela by the U.S. government. (The United States recognizes Juan Guaido as interim President of the legitimate government of Venezuela.)

action_date: 2019-09-10
text: 

Venezuelan Contracting Restriction Act 

 
This bill prohibits an executive agency from entering into a contract for the procurement of goods or services with any person that it determines, with the concurrence of the Department of State, knowingly engages in significant business operations with an authority of the Venezuelan government that is not recognized by the U.S. government as the legitimate government of Venezuela. (The United States recognizes Juan Guaido as interim President of the legitimate government of Venezuela.)
 
This bill provides exceptions, including for (1) contracts that the State Department determines to be in the national security interest of the United States, and (2) contracts that support U.S. government activities in Venezuela.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-10
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 189.
action_date: 2019-09-10
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-85.
action_date: 2019-09-10
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-85.
action_date: 2019-06-19
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain parcels of Federal land in Arlington, Virginia, and for other purposes.

Bill: 116-s-1152
Sponsor: Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Cemeteries and funerals
Land transfers
Veterans' organizations and recognition
Virginia

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 
This bill transfers administrative jurisdiction from the Department of the Interior to the Department of the Army over the 16.09-acre parcel of federal land in Arlington, Virginia, adjacent to and comprising Memorial Avenue from the western side of the Route 110 overpass, west to and including the hemicycle used by the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. Such land shall be administered as part of Arlington National Cemetery.
 
The bill also transfers administrative jurisdiction from Army to Interior over the 1.04-acre parcel of federal land in Arlington adjacent to the Chaffee parking lot, comprising one structure, and bounded on the northeast by Sherman Drive. Such land shall be included within the boundary of Arlington House and the Robert E. Lee Memorial, and administered by Interior as part of such memorial.
 
The land transfers of this bill shall be made without reimbursement nor consideration. 
 
The use of a bicycle trail or recreational access in the transferred lands may continue after transfer. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-12
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2019-06-19
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 116-308.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Advisory Committee Act

Bill: 116-s-1154
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Department of Veterans Affairs
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Advisory Committee Act

 
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish the Electronic Health Record Advisory Committee to provide guidance regarding the implementation of and transition to an electronic health record system.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-05-22
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
LNG Now Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1155
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Oil and gas
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

License Natural Gas Now Act of 2019 or the LNG Now Act of 2019

 
This bill prohibits the federal government from imposing restrictions on the importation and exportation of natural gas.
 
The bill prohibits the export of natural gas to, or the import of natural gas from, a nation subject to sanctions imposed by the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
READINESS Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1156
Sponsor: Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Air quality
Atmospheric science and weather
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Congressional oversight
Emergency planning and evacuation
Fires
Floods and storm protection
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Military facilities and property
Military readiness
National Guard and reserves
Natural disasters

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Requiring Every American Defense Installation to Nullify Environmental Stresses for Security Act of 2019 or the READINESS Act of 2019

 
This bill requires the Department of Defense to ensure the readiness of the Armed Forces through a program of military installation resilience plans. These plans, which may include state-owned National Guard facilities, shall contain the following elements, as appropriate:
 
 
an assessment of current risks and threats, such as changes in environmental conditions, and future risks and threats&#8212;based upon authoritative projections of changing environmental conditions&#8212;to the resilience of a major installation considered in a master plan during a 50-year lifespan;
 
a description of vulnerable assets or infrastructure located on the installation as well as critical community infrastructure and resources outside of the installation; and
 
a description of measures to mitigate threats to the resilience of an installation and its mission, associated costs of the measures, and agreements that will aid the resilience of the installation and vulnerable community infrastructure and resources.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
REST Act

Bill: 116-s-1157
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Licensing and registrations
Minority education
Rural conditions and development
School administration
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Rural Educator Support and Training Act or the REST Act

 
This bill establishes several new grant programs for students who are training at institutions of higher education to become educators in rural schools and provides additional federal student loan forgiveness for rural educators.
 
Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) must award undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships to students who are studying to become educators in rural schools and who agree to serve such schools for three or more years. 
 
ED may also award grants to eligible educational agencies for the purpose of (1) reimbursing eligible rural educators for out-of-pocket costs associated with obtaining national board certification, and (2) increasing annual compensation for eligible rural educators who have become certified.
 
In addition, a teacher who is employed for five consecutive years in a rural school shall be eligible for up to $17,500 in federal student loan forgiveness.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Cleaning Up Washington’s Act

Bill: 116-s-1158
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Federal officials
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Members of Congress
Public participation and lobbying

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 
 

Cleaning Up Washington's Act

 
This bill revises post-employment lobbying restrictions on senior executive branch officials and Members of Congress.
 
Specifically, the bill increases from two years to five years the post-employment lobbying restrictions on a political appointee compensated on the Executive Schedule.
 
Additionally, it increases to five years the post-employment lobbying ban on a former Member of the Senate (currently, two years) or a former Member of the House of Representatives (currently, one year).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Inclusive Aging Act

Bill: 116-s-1159
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Age discrimination
Aging
Congressional oversight
Department of Health and Human Services
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
HIV/AIDS
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medical research
Mental health
Research and development
Rural conditions and development
Sex and reproductive health
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Inclusive Aging Act

 
This bill includes an older individual's status as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) within the scope of greatest social needs and makes other changes to the functions of the Administration on Aging (AOA), grant programs, and other activities concerning older LGBT individuals. Under current law, certain programs and services for older Americans must target those with the greatest economic and social needs. 
 
Specifically, the bill establishes the Office of Inclusivity and Sexual Health within the AOA and reestablishes the National Resource Center on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Aging to provide resources and other support pertaining to services for older LGBT individuals. The AOA must also report on the effectiveness of, and conduct data collection and studies on, services for older LGBT individuals.
 
With respect to grant programs, the bill establishes a program for states, tribes, and others to provide education and resources for sexual health and other services for older LGBT individuals in rural areas. It also expands eligibility for other grants to include, for example, organizations that serve LGBT individuals and broadens the scope of certain grant-funded activities specifically focused on families and caregivers to include individuals with the greatest social needs. 
 
In addition, state long-term care ombudsmen must collect, and report on, data relating to discrimination of, and need for sexual health services by, older LGBT individuals and those in a protected class.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
NEST Act

Bill: 116-s-1161
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Child care and development
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Language arts
Licensing and registrations
Minority education
Preschool education
School administration
Special education
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Native Educator Support and Training Act or the NEST Act 

 
This bill establishes scholarships, loan forgiveness plans, and training programs for students and educators who commit to teaching in Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools or other specified schools serving Indian students. 
 
The bill establishes three scholarship programs: (1) the Indian Student Educator Scholarship Program for students seeking degrees, (2) the Indian Educator Scholarship Program for Indian students seeking degrees, and (3) the Indian Educator Graduate Fellowship Program for Indian students seeking graduate degrees. Recipients of the scholarships must commit to working for a BIE school, a tribal early childhood education program, or other specified schools or agencies for the greater of three years or the number of school years that the scholarship funded. 
 
The bill also establishes loan forgiveness programs for educators and Indians who have taught for at least five consecutive years at BIE schools or local educational agencies with high percentages of Indian students.
 
The bill extends the federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Program to educators teaching in BIE schools or in Native American language immersion programs. 
 
The bill authorizes professional development grants for Native-serving elementary and secondary schools. It also establishes the Native American Language Teacher Training Program to provide grants for institutions of higher education to develop training programs for Native American immersion and language teachers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the individual tax provisions of the tax reform law, and for other purposes.

Bill: 116-s-1162
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Africa
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Capital gains tax
Charitable contributions
Commuting
Disability and paralysis
Egypt
Employee benefits and pensions
Gambling
Health care costs and insurance
Higher education
Housing finance and home ownership
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
Income tax rates
Inflation and prices
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Marriage and family status
Military personnel and dependents
Pedestrians and bicycling
State and local taxation
Student aid and college costs
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Tax treatment of families
Transfer and inheritance taxes

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 
This bill makes permanent several tax provisions that were enacted in 2017 and are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. 
 
The bill makes permanent provisions that
 
 
 reduce individual tax rates, 
 
 modify the taxation of the unearned income of children, 
 
 allow a deduction for qualified business income of pass-through entities, 
 
 increase the standard deduction, 
 
 increase and modify the child tax credit, 
 
 increase the limitation for certain charitable contributions, 
 
 allow additional contributions to ABLE accounts (tax-favored accounts designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save for and pay for disability-related expenses), 
 
 allow certain members of the Armed Forces in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt to receive combat zone tax benefits, 
 
 reduce the adjusted gross income threshold for the medical expense deduction, 
 
 exclude from gross income discharges of student loan debt due to the death or disability of the student, 
 
 repeal the deduction for personal exemptions, 
 
 limit individual deductions for state and local taxes, 
 
 limit the mortgage interest deduction, 
 
 double the estate and gift tax exemption amount, 
 
 increase the alternative minimum tax exemption amount for individuals, and 
 
 repeal or limit several other deductions and exclusions. 
 
 
The bill also modifies (1) the capital gains tax brackets, and (2) the tax filing requirements for married taxpayers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act

Bill: 116-s-1163
Sponsor: Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Health care coverage and access
Income tax exclusion
Medical education
Student aid and college costs
Veterinary medicine and animal diseases

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act

 
This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from gross income payments under the federal veterinary medicine loan repayment program or any state loan repayment or forgiveness program that is intended to provide for increased access to veterinary services in such state.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate
KIDS Act

Bill: 116-s-1164
Sponsor: Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]
Introduced: 2019-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Child safety and welfare
Crimes against children
Domestic violence and child abuse
Human trafficking
Separation, divorce, custody, support

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: 

Keeping Infants Domestically Safe Act of 2019 or the KIDS Act

 
This bill expands the scope of the criminal conduct related to buying and selling minors (i.e., individuals under 18 years of age). 
 
Current law prohibits buying or selling a minor for the purpose of producing child pornography.
 
This bill prohibits buying or selling a minor in exchange for money or any other consideration for any purpose other than a legal adoption.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate