hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Act

Bill: 117-s-2167
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Child safety and welfare
Domestic violence and child abuse
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Act

This bill requires The Department of Health and Human Services to establish a methodology for researched-based home study and to award grants for demonstration projects for states to adopt such methodology in the evaluation of prospective foster and adoptive parents. Such methodology must incorporate specified data-collection tools including, among others, (1) uniform, closed-ended questions; (2) a rating system to report findings; (3) a guidance document for practitioners; and (4) ongoing training for home-study personnel.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Define WOTUS Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2168
Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Judicial review and appeals
Licensing and registrations
Water quality

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Define WOTUS Act of 2021

 
This bill describes which bodies of water fall under federal jurisdiction for purposes of the Clean Water Act. Specifically, the bill redefines navigable waters and establishes a process for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine, upon request, whether certain waters are navigable waters.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act

Bill: 117-s-2169
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act

 
This bill makes changes to the federal statutory framework that prohibits the shipment, transport, receipt, or possession of firearms or ammunition by an individual who is subject to a qualifying domestic violence court order.
 
Under current law, a qualifying domestic violence court order must meet certain requirements, including to (1) be issued after a hearing of which the individual had notice and an opportunity to participate; and (2) restrain the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner (i.e., a current or former spouse, a co-parent of a child, or a current or former cohabitant) or the child of an intimate partner. 
 
This bill expands the scope of qualifying domestic violence court orders to include an order that
 
 
is issued after an ex parte hearing (i.e., a hearing with only one party present);
 
restrains the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening a dating partner or former dating partner; or
 
restrains the individual from intimidating a witness.
 
 
Current law also prohibits an individual who is convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition. These restrictions generally only apply to spouses, co-parents, and cohabitants, and to offenses that involve physical force or deadly weapons. This bill expands the scope of these restrictions to include dating partners and offenses that involve stalking.
 
Finally, the bill authorizes grants for state, local, and tribal governments to remove firearms and take other steps after a domestic violence court order is issued. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
PEOPLE Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2170
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Public Engagement Opportunity on Public Land Exploration Act of 2021 or the PEOPLE Act of 2021

 
This bill expands requirements related to issuing oil and gas leases on federal land. Specifically, the bill expands requirements related to public notice and comment periods with respect to oil and gas lease sales, including by requiring information about the person or entities submitting bids for leases. The bill also requires the lease sales to be reviewed under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
 
In addition, the Department of the Interior may only issue such leases to exploration and drilling operators if the operators sign post-lease surface use agreements with the surface estate owners. Under the agreements, operators must agree to reclaim the land and provide compensation for any damages resulting from the exploration and drilling operations.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to prohibit Presidential appointees from subsequently acting on behalf of the Government of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and Chinese military companies.

Bill: 117-s-2171
Sponsor: Sen. Sasse, Ben [R-NE]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Asia
China
Federal officials
Foreign and international corporations
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Political parties and affiliation
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Public participation and lobbying

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 
This bill establishes postemployment lobbying restrictions on former presidential appointees who represent, aid, or advise certain Chinese entities, including Chinese government entities, the Chinese Communist Party, and Chinese military companies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Building Solutions for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2172
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Aging
Congressional oversight
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Government studies and investigations
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Housing supply and affordability
Low- and moderate-income housing
Mental health
Nursing
Public transit
Transportation programs funding
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Building Solutions for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness Act of 2021

 
This bill addresses various Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grants, programs, and assistance related to services for homeless veterans.
 
The bill removes certain funding limitations on grants that assist eligible entities in establishing or modifying programs to furnish outreach, rehabilitative services, vocational counseling and training, and transitional housing assistance to homeless veterans.
 
Under the bill, grant recipients must not be subject to certain property disposition requirements.
 
The bill increases the maximum rate of per diem payments provided to grant recipients furnishing services to homeless veterans.
 
Under the Supportive Services for Veterans Families program, not less than 2% of the amounts available in any fiscal year may be available to provide technical assistance to entities providing supportive services to very low-income veteran families occupying permanent housing.
 
Among other requirements, the VA must
 
 
provide training and technical assistance to grant recipients regarding the planning, development, and provision of services for which the grant is made;
 
 establish and carry out a program to provide services to assist veterans with navigating housing and health care resources; and 
 
implement three pilot programs to provide improved public transportation, nursing staff, and substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder treatment services to certain veterans.
 
 
The bill (1) extends through FY2025 the authority for appropriations for homeless veterans reintegration programs, and (2) increases the amount authorized to be appropriated annually for such programs from $50 million to $75 million.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-07-28
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2021-06-23
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-231.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Promoting Responsible and Effective Virtual Experiences through Novel Technology to Deliver Improved Access and Better Engagement with Tested and Evidence-based Strategies Act

Bill: 117-s-2173
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Digestive and metabolic diseases
Health promotion and preventive care
Health technology, devices, supplies
Internet, web applications, social media
Medicare
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Promoting Responsible and Effective Virtual Experiences through Novel Technology to Deliver Improved Access and Better Engagement with Tested and Evidence-based Strategies Act or the PREVENT DIABETES Act

 
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to allow online or virtual diabetes prevention programs that meet standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to participate in the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Expanded Model. The model provides CDC-approved training on dietary changes, physical activity, and other behavioral strategies for beneficiaries who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Wellness and Education for Longer Lives for Seniors Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2174
Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health promotion and preventive care
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Wellness and Education for Longer Lives for Seniors Act of 2021 or the WELL Seniors Act of 

2021

 
This bill includes balance screenings and services to address certain social determinants of health (e.g., food and housing security) as elements that may be covered in annual wellness visits under Medicare. The bill also provides incentive payments for visits that cover such elements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Preventive Home Visit Act

Bill: 117-s-2175
Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health promotion and preventive care
Home and outpatient care
Medicare
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Residential rehabilitation and home repair

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Preventive Home Visit Act

 
This bill expands Medicare coverage to include biennial preventive home visits, in which a qualified professional conducts a risk assessment of an individual's home and provides appropriate referrals for interventions or modifications to improve physical activity, fall prevention, and nutrition. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Travel Trailer and Camper Tax Parity Act

Bill: 117-s-2176
Sponsor: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Income tax deductions
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Motor vehicles
Outdoor recreation

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Travel Trailer and Camper Tax Parity Act

 
This bill modifies the tax deduction for floor plan financing interest to include in the term 
motor vehicles
 eligible for such financing any trailer or camper that is designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or seasonal use and is designed to be towed by, or affixed to, a motor vehicle.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Oil and Gas Bonding Reform and Orphaned Well Remediation Act

Bill: 117-s-2177
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Oil and Gas Bonding Reform and Orphaned Well Remediation Act

 
This bill establishes incentives and requirements to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells, including by (1) establishing a program to remediate, reclaim, and permanently plug such wells located on federal land, state land, or land under the jurisdiction of Indian tribes; and (2) revising bonding requirements for oil and gas development on public land leased from the federal government. Such bonds are required to ensure developers have adequate financial resources to remediate and reclaim public land, water, or other resources after wells are abandoned or oil and gas development ceases.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Fire Fighters and EMS Employer-Employee Cooperation Act

Bill: 117-s-2178
Sponsor: Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
Civil actions and liability
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Homeland Security
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal preemption
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Government Operations and Politics
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health personnel
Homeland security
Industrial facilities
Labor-management relations
Performance measurement
Personnel records
State and local government operations
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Fire Fighters and EMS Employer-Employee Cooperation Act

 
This bill requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine whether a state substantially provides fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel
 
 
the right to form and join a labor organization; 
 
recognition by fire and EMS employers of the employees' labor organization, agreement to bargain with the organization, and reduction of any agreements to writing in a contract or memorandum of understanding; 
 
the right to bargain over hours, wages, and terms and conditions of employment; and 
 
arbitration or other mechanisms to resolve an impasse in collective bargaining negotiations. 

 
The bill makes the authority responsible for (1) determining the appropriateness of units for labor representation; (2) supervising elections; (3) conducting hearings and resolving complaints of unfair labor practices; and (4) protecting the right of employees to form, join, or assist any labor organization, or to refrain from doing so. 
 
An employer, fire and EMS personnel, or labor organization may not engage in a lockout, sickout, work slowdown, strike, or any other organized job action that will measurably disrupt the delivery of emergency services and is designed to compel an employer, fire and EMS personnel, or labor organization to agree to the terms of a proposed contract.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Grandfamily Housing Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2179
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Family relationships
Family services
Housing and community development funding
Residential rehabilitation and home repair

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Grandfamily Housing Act of 2021 

 
This bill establishes grants through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for owners of intergenerational dwellings. Grants must be used to (1) provide services such as tutoring, health care services, and after-school care; (2) perform outreach to intergenerational families in the surrounding community; and (3) maintain spaces within the property to be used for programs and services for intergenerational families. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-24
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Holding the Chinese Communist Party Accountable for Infecting Americans Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2180
Sponsor: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: California
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Civil actions and liability
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Federal appellate courts
Federal district courts
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government liability
Illinois
Infectious and parasitic diseases
International law and treaties
Judicial review and appeals
Jurisdiction and venue
New York City
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Texas

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Holding the Chinese Communist Party Accountable for Infecting Americans Act of 2021

 
This bill allows foreign states to be sued in a U.S. court for physical or economic harms occurring in the United States as a result of COVID-19. (Typically, a foreign state is immune from lawsuits filed against it in a U.S. court.)
 
Specifically, a foreign state shall not have immunity from a lawsuit seeking damages for (1) the foreign state's spread of COVID-19, or (2) tortious acts intended to deliberately conceal or distort the existence or nature of COVID-19.
 
If the United States is in discussions with a foreign state that is seeking to resolve claims related to COVID-19 against the foreign state, the Department of Justice may intervene and seek a stay in a case filed under this bill involving the foreign state.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2181
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Aging
Crime prevention
Crime victims
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Employment and training programs
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government information and archives
Law enforcement administration and funding
Lawyers and legal services
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2021

 
This bill provides statutory authority for the Elder Justice Initiative, which coordinates activities of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud.
 
The bill requires DOJ's Elder Justice Coordinator to serve as the head of the initiative.
 
The bill also requires the initiative to establish a national elder fraud telephone hotline, promote civil legal aid to victims of elder fraud and elder abuse, and make resources available online in English and Spanish.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Eviction Crisis Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2182
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2021-06-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Census and government statistics
Community life and organization
Congressional oversight
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Family services
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health programs administration and funding
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Housing and community development funding
Indian social and development programs
Judicial procedure and administration
Landlord and tenant
Legal fees and court costs
Public housing
Research administration and funding
Right of privacy
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Specialized courts
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: 

Eviction Crisis Act of 2021

 
This bill creates several eviction-related grant programs and shields certain eviction records from consumer reports.
 
Specifically, the bill requires the Bureau of Justice Assistance to award matching grants to state and local governments to support landlord-tenant focused community courts that allow social service representatives to assist tenants in the court process. The bill also permits the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award grants to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to provide financial assistance and housing stabilization services to extremely low-income households. 
 
HUD is also required under the bill to award grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to collect data from landlords on illegal self-help evictions and to establish and maintain an eviction database.
 
The bill also requires a consumer report obtained in association with a rental application to be provided to the consumer applicant and requires that eviction information be excluded from a consumer report in cases decided in favor of the tenant.
 
 Further, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to track historical eviction data and to report on savings and revenue generated by the grants awarded under the bill.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2022-08-02
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held.
action_date: 2022-07-19
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development. Hearings held.
action_date: 2021-06-24
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Introduced in Senate