hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Veteran Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2991
Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]
Introduced: 2019-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Department of Veterans Affairs
Drug therapy
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Family relationships
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Higher education
Hospital care
Marriage and family status
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mental health
Neurological disorders
Prescription drugs
Veterans' medical care
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: 

Veteran Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act of 2019

 
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to report on the deaths of covered veterans who died by suicide during the last five years, regardless of whether information relating to such deaths has been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A covered veteran is any veteran who received VA hospital care or medical services during the five-year period preceding the veteran's death.
 
Among other elements, the report shall include the total number of covered veterans who died by suicide, violent death, or accidental death, as well as certain demographic information.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Investor Choice Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2992
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2019-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
Civil actions and liability
Financial services and investments
Securities

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: 

Investor Choice Act of 2019

 
This bill prohibits broker-dealers and investment advisers from including mandatory arbitration, forum selection restrictions, or bans on class action suits in a customer or client agreement. Issuers of securities are also prohibited from mandating arbitration in a shareholder agreement.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act

Bill: 116-s-2993
Sponsor: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
Introduced: 2019-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Employee performance
Employment and training programs
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicaid
Medical education
Medicare
Nursing
Performance measurement
Personnel records
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: 

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Quality Care Act

 
This bill repeals certain restrictions under Medicare and Medicaid that prohibit the approval of nurse-aide training and competency evaluation programs in skilled nursing facilities that have been subject to specified regulatory actions (e.g., civil penalties) for substandard quality of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must still disapprove such programs for up to two years; however, the CMS must rescind the disapproval upon completion of corrective action and may require additional oversight of the program for purposes of rescission.
 
The bill also allows Medicaid and Medicare providers (e.g., skilled nursing facilities) to access, through the National Practitioner Data Bank, disciplinary information for affiliated physicians and other health care practitioners, as reported by state licensing authorities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
IMPACT Act

Bill: 116-s-2994
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2019-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Economic development
Financial services and investments
Government information and archives
Poverty and welfare assistance
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: 

Improving and Reinstating the Monitoring, Prevention, Accountability, Certification, and Transparency Provisions of Opportunity Zones or the IMPACT Act

 
This bill provides statutory authority for annual reporting requirements by qualified opportunity funds and taxpayers investing in such funds and sets forth the information required in the reports. The bill imposes penalties for failure to comply with such reporting requirements.
 
The bill requires the Department of the Treasury to make publicly available annual reports on qualified opportunity funds, including, among other things, the number of such funds and the aggregate amount of assets held in such funds. Treasury must also provide additional information in every fifth year on the impacts and outcomes of a designation of a census tract as a qualified opportunity zone using specified economic indicators. 
 
Treasury must also establish procedures to protect against disclosure of return information that can be associated with any particular taxpayer or competitive or proprietary information. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2995
Sponsor: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]
Introduced: 2019-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Department of Veterans Affairs
Drug therapy
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Employee performance
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health promotion and preventive care
Hospital care
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Prescription drugs
Veterans' medical care
West Virginia

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: 

Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019

 
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to improve such care at VA medical centers. 
 
After any investigation or trial concludes, the VA must also report on the events involving deaths that occurred at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and the actions the VA has taken to prevent any similar reoccurrence.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Head Start Improvement Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2996
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2019-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Government studies and investigations
Preschool education

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: 

Head Start Improvement Act of 2019

 
This bill replaces the existing Head Start program with block grants to states and Indian tribes for prekindergarten (pre-K) education. 
 
Instead of providing direct financial assistance to Head Start agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall allot block grant funds for pre-K education among eligible states and tribes in accordance with their relative proportions of children, age three, four, or five, from low-income households. Grant recipients shall use the grant funds to (1) award subgrants to eligible entities that provide pre-K education programs; (2) administer such programs; and (3) provide technical assistance, oversight, monitoring, research, and training.
 
Under current law, HHS is authorized to designate, monitor, and establish standards for Head Start agencies. The bill instead shifts pre-K program oversight and control to states and tribes, which shall have full flexibility to use grant funds to finance the pre-K programs of their choice.
 
In addition, to the extent permitted under state law, grant recipients may use grant funds to establish (1) portable voucher systems that allow costs to be paid for attendance at private pre-K education programs; and (2) an education savings account that allows a parent of a low-income child to use a portion of the grant funds, or other available public or private funds added to the account, for expenses related to prekindergarten education.
 
Under current law, federal financial assistance for a Head Start program is generally limited to 80% of total program costs. The bill maintains this limitation by requiring grant recipients to provide matching funds equal to 20% of the grant amount. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Title VII Health Care Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2997
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2019-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Aging
Child health
Congressional oversight
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Employment and training programs
Government information and archives
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Higher education
Medical education
Minority education
Minority employment
Minority health
Performance measurement
Rural conditions and development
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: 

Title VII Health Care Workforce Act of 2019

 
 This bill revises and extends through FY2024 specified health profession workforce development programs.

action_date: 2019-12-17
text: 

Title VII Health Care Workforce Act of 2019

 
 This bill revises and extends through FY2025 specified health profession workforce development programs and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan to coordinate such programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-17
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 372.
action_date: 2019-12-17
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2019-12-17
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2019-12-12
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6906)
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Tax Payment Clarification Act

Bill: 116-s-2998
Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN]
Introduced: 2019-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax credits
Income tax deferral
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Taxation of foreign income

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: 

Tax Payment Clarification Act

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that installment payment of taxes on deferred foreign income shall not prevent a credit or refund of overpayments of tax or an increase in estimated taxes. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Primary Care Enhancement Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2999
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2019-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Health care costs and insurance
Income tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: 

Primary Care Enhancement Act of 2019

 
This bill permits a taxpayer with a primary care service arrangement whose fixed periodic fee does not exceed $150 a month to participate in and contribute to a health savings account. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Patient Shared Savings Act

Bill: 116-s-3000
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2019-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Drug therapy
Health care costs and insurance
Medicare
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: 

Patient Shared Savings Act

 
This bill allows a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor under the Medicare prescription drug benefit to share realized savings from an enrollee's switch to a lower-cost therapeutic alternative with the enrollee, in accordance with specified requirements. Among other requirements, the enrollee must have been taking the original prescription drug for at least two months and must have consulted with a physician before making the switch. PDP sponsors must share the savings in a tangible form that directly benefits the enrollee (e.g., a monetary rebate).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Permanent Relief for Seniors and Medicare, Medicaid, Human Services Extension Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-3001
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2019-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Child care and development
Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Labor
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Employment and training programs
Family relationships
Family services
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Health technology, devices, supplies
Home and outpatient care
Hospital care
Income tax deductions
Indian social and development programs
Insurance industry and regulation
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Marriage and family status
Medicaid
Medical research
Medicare
Mental health
Performance measurement
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public contracts and procurement
Research administration and funding
Sales and excise taxes
Sex and reproductive health
State and local finance
State and local government operations
U.S. territories and protectorates
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: 

Permanent Relief for Seniors and Medicare, Medicaid, Human Services Extension Act of 2019

 
This bill modifies several health care taxes (e.g., repeals the medical device excise tax) and temporarily extends several Medicare, Medicaid, and public health programs (e.g., outreach and enrollment programs). The bill also renames the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program as the Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services program, reauthorizes the program through FY2024, and makes changes relating to work requirements for beneficiaries.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate
United States Technical Assistance for Mexican Labor Capacity Building Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-3002
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2019-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Canada
Congressional oversight
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Foreign aid and international relief
Free trade and trade barriers
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Human rights
Human trafficking
International organizations and cooperation
Judicial procedure and administration
Labor standards
Labor-management relations
Latin America
Lawyers and legal services
Mexico
Rule of law and government transparency
Trade agreements and negotiations
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: 

United States Technical Assistance for Mexican Labor Capacity Building Act of 2019

 
This bill requires an increase in the amounts transferred to the Trade Enforcement Trust Fund and the use of such amounts to implement labor obligations in the free trade agreement with Mexico.
 
Specifically, for the implementation and monitoring of labor obligations in the free trade agreement with Mexico, the bill designates certain funds be provided (1) to the Office of Trade and Labor Affairs at the Department of Labor; (2) to the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking at Labor; and (3) for three permanent Labor Attach&eacute;s at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico or consulates of the United States in Mexico.
 
For international development, the bill designates certain amounts to be transferred to the U.S. Agency for International Development to monitor trade agreement obligations related to anti-corruption and the promotion of rule of law.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2019-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Financial Institution Customer Protection Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-3003
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2019-12-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Asia
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Business records
Congressional oversight
Consumer affairs
Department of the Treasury
Evidence and witnesses
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Federal Reserve System
Government information and archives
Iran
Judicial procedure and administration
Middle East
National Credit Union Administration
North Korea
Syria
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: 

Financial Institution Customer Protection Act of 

2019

 
This bill specifies that a federal banking agency may not request or order a depository institution to terminate a customer account unless (1) the agency has a valid reason for doing so, and (2) that reason is not based solely on reputation risk.
 
Valid reasons for terminating an account include threats to national security and involvement in terrorist financing, including state sponsorship of terrorism.
 
A federal banking agency requesting a termination must provide the depository institution with notification and justification. 
 
The bill also sets forth additional requirements for the Department of Justice when seeking subpoenas, summoning witnesses, or compelling document production in the course of conducting a civil investigation in contemplation of a civil proceeding involving certain banking laws.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: Introduced in Senate
GLOBE Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-3004
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2019-12-10 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Department of State
Detention of persons
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Domestic violence and child abuse
Evidence and witnesses
Executive agency funding and structure
Foreign aid and international relief
HIV/AIDS
Human rights
Immigration status and procedures
International organizations and cooperation
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Sanctions
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Violent crime
Visas and passports
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: 

Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2019 or the GLOBE Act of 2019

 
This bill contains provisions related to (1) the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals globally; and (2) immigration protections for vulnerable individuals. 
 
The bill establishes (1) an interagency group to respond to urgent threats to LGBTI people in foreign countries, and (2) a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Peoples in the Department of State. 
 
The President shall impose visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violating the human rights of individuals due to actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics.
 
The State Department shall establish the Global Equality Fund to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations working to advance and protect human rights. The U.S. Agency for International Development shall establish the LGBTI Global Development Partnership to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to support LGBTI rights. 
 
The bill contains several immigration-related provisions, such as those (1) establishing that persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity may form the basis of an asylum request, (2) removing the general requirement that an asylum claim must be filed within one year of the applicant's arrival in the United States, (3) establishing that a permanent partnership between two partners is a marriage for immigration law purposes, and (4) establishing that indigent aliens have a right to free counsel in certain immigration proceedings. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-3005
Sponsor: Sen. Isakson, Johnny [R-GA]
Introduced: 2019-12-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Transportation
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Motor carriers
Motor vehicles
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: 

Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act of 2019

 
This bill directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to implement regulations to require (1) all new commercial motor vehicles with a gross weight of 26,001 pounds or more to be equipped with speed-limiting technology; (2) any existing speed-limiting technology already installed in such vehicles manufactured after December 31, 1992, to be used while in operation; and (3) the speed-limiting technology to be set to a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour, or 70 miles per hour with the use of adaptive cruise control systems and automatic emergency braking systems.
 
The NHTSA must also prescribe performance standards for speed-limiting technologies, automatic braking systems, and adaptive cruise control systems that reduce or mitigate collisions at speeds of not faster than 70 miles per hour.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2019-12-10
text: Introduced in Senate