hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Edward J. Dwight, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-734
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2025-02-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-25
text: 

Edward J. Dwight, Jr., Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025

This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Edward J. Dwight, Jr., the first African American astronaut candidate in the United States, in recognition of his historic service to the United States, his example of excellence during times of struggle and overt racism, and his contributions in art and Black history. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2025-02-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-735
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Blood and blood diseases
Genetics
Health promotion and preventive care
Hereditary and development disorders
Medical research
Research administration and funding

Summary:

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act

Bill: 119-s-736
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Smuggling and trafficking
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
SCREEN Act

Bill: 119-s-737
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net Act or the SCREEN Act

This bill establishes age-verification requirements for commercial interactive computer services (e.g., websites) that make available content that is harmful to minors (e.g., content that appeals to the prurient interest in nudity or sex, is obscene, or is child pornography).

Specifically, the bill requires such services to adopt and utilize technology verification measures to ensure that (1) users of the service are not minors, and (2) minors are prevented from accessing any content on the service that is harmful to minors.

Additionally, such services must (1) use the technology to verify a user's age; (2) publish the verification process that the service uses; and (3) subject users' Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, including known virtual proxy network (VPN) IP addresses, to the technology verification measures, unless the service determines a user is not located within the United States.

Covered services also must implement data security measures to protect information about individuals collected through the verification process.

The Federal Trade Commission must conduct regular audits of such services, issue guidance, and otherwise enforce the requirements of this bill.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act

Bill: 119-s-738
Sponsor: Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Genetics
Higher education
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Medical research
Research administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act

This bill prohibits institutions of higher education or other research institutes that are conducting gain-of-function research from receiving federal research grants. 
Gain-of-function research
 means research that (1) involves the genetic alteration of specified viruses, agents, and toxins (e.g., coronavirus) to change or enhance their functions, such as their ability to cause or spread disease; or (2) may reasonably be anticipated to give new traits to such organisms that enhance such functions or otherwise threaten public health or national security.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-739
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight
First responders and emergency personnel
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Licensing and registrations
Medical research
Mental health
Research administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025

This bill modifies the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), including by updating the formula for determining the program’s annual funding amounts and authorizing mental health providers to provide certain evaluations under the program.

The WTCHP is a federal health care program (terminating in FY2090) providing responders and survivors with monitoring and treatment of certified medical conditions related to the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. Under current law, the program’s annual federal funding is determined based on the amount specifically appropriated in the previous fiscal year, adjusted for inflation.

The bill establishes a new federal funding formula for FY2026-FY2090 that is generally based on annual changes in the number of enrollees. The bill also increases the amounts the program may spend annually on medical research and activities relating to data collection. The bill requires the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which administers the program, to submit a report to Congress on the program’s projected budgetary needs and expenditures.

In addition, the bill authorizes licensed mental health providers to perform initial health evaluations with respect to mental health conditions for purposes of determining eligibility under the WTCHP. NIOSH must issue regulations specifying the categories of mental health providers that may perform these activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Affordable College Textbook Act

Bill: 119-s-740
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Education

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Affordable College Textbook Act

This bill provides statutory authority for an open textbook grant program for institutions of higher education (IHEs). (A similar program, known as the Open Textbooks Pilot program, first received federal funding in FY2018.)

Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Education to make grants to IHEs or states on behalf of IHEs to support projects that expand the use of open textbooks. An 
open textbook
 is an educational resource that either resides in the public domain or has been released under an intellectual license that permits its free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others.

Within three years of the bill's enactment, the Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on the cost of textbooks at IHEs. This report must examine, among other topics, the factors that have contributed to the change in the cost of textbooks.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S1398-1399)
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act

Bill: 119-s-741
Sponsor: Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act

 
This bill requires the federal crop insurance program to provide for the research and development of a policy to insure the production of mushrooms or revenue derived from the production of mushrooms. (The term 
policy
 means an insurance policy, plan of insurance, provision of a policy or plan of insurance, and related materials.) 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-742
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Caribbean area
Haiti
Tariffs

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2025

This bill extends through FY2035 the special duty-free rules for various apparel products imported from Haiti, including the duty-free treatment provided for a limited amount (referred to as tariff preference levels) of certain apparel products assembled in and imported from Haiti.

The bill directs the President to proclaim such modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) that may be necessary to restore preferential treatment to articles that became ineligible for such treatment due to prior revisions to the HTS.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Ag Disputes Act

Bill: 119-s-743
Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Agricultural trade
Asia
Congressional oversight
Free trade and trade barriers
India

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act or the Ag Disputes Act

This bill establishes a joint task force to identify and address trade barriers to U.S. agricultural exports.

Specifically, the bill directs the President to establish the Agricultural Trade Enforcement Task Force. Members of this task force include employees of the Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The bill requires the task force to (1) identify trade barriers to U.S. agricultural exports that are vulnerable to dispute settlement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) or other trade agreements to which the United States is a party, (2) develop and implement a strategy for enforcing violations of trade agreements related to those trade barriers, (3) identify like-minded trading partners that could act as complainants on disputes relating to specific trade barriers that are systemically or economically important to the United States, and (4) submit periodic reports to Congress.

In its first report, the task force must include a plan for filing a request for consultations under the WTO with respect to agricultural price supports implemented by the Indian government.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act

Bill: 119-s-744
Sponsor: Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Licensing and registrations
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act

This bill requires the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to annually report to Congress on export control licensing.

Under current law, BIS administers and enforces controls on the export of dual-use goods (e.g., items with both civilian and military uses) and certain military parts and components. These export controls are implemented primarily under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA) through the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Under this bill, BIS must annually report to Congress on license applications, enforcement actions, and other requests for authorization for the export, reexport, release, and in-country transfer of items subject to the EAR to covered entities. A covered entity is any entity that (1) is located or operating in a country listed in Country Group D:5 (countries that are identified by the Department of State as subject to U.S. arms embargoes), and (2) is included on the Entity List or the Military End-User List (two of the lists published by BIS containing information on the individuals, organizations, and addresses subject to restrictions involving items subject to the EAR).

The bill requires this report to include specified information, such as the name of the entity submitting the application, where the item is being exported, the decision with respect to the license application or authorization, and information on related enforcement activities to ensure compliance with U.S. export controls. The information shall be exempt from public disclosure (except for aggregate statistics).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Empowering Families in Special Education Act

Bill: 119-s-745
Sponsor: Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Education

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Empowering Families in Special Education Act

This bill establishes a notification requirement related to an individualized education program (IEP). (Generally, IEPs are individualized plans to ensure that a child with a disability receives a free appropriate public education.)

Under current law, states and local educational agencies (LEAs) must convene a team to develop an IEP. The composition of the team that develops the IEP is outlined in current law and allows for other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child (including related services personnel, as appropriate) to participate in this team. This bill requires the LEA that serves the child to notify the child's parents of their right to include these other individuals with knowledge or special expertise on the child's IEP team.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Defund NPR Act

Bill: 119-s-746
Sponsor: Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Defund NPR Act

This bill prohibits federal funding of National Public Radio (NPR) or any successor organization. The prohibition includes the payment of dues to or the purchase of programming from NPR by a public broadcast station using federal funds. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Improper Payments Transparency Act

Bill: 119-s-747
Sponsor: Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Improper Payments Transparency Act

This bill requires the President's annual budget to include specified information regarding improper payment amounts and rates for programs and activities at certain federal agencies. (An 
improper payment
 is any payment that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount, including an overpayment or underpayment, under a statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirement.)

Specifically, the President's budget must include (1) a narrative description, including a detailed explanation of why any improper payment amounts and rates occurred and related trends for programs and activities; and (2) corrective actions and steps the agencies will take to address improper payment amount and rate issues. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for other purposes.

Bill: 119-s-748
Sponsor: Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: California
Federal-Indian relations
Indian lands and resources rights

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 
This bill applies the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) to the Lytton Rancheria of California. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to acquire and take land into trust for the benefit of the tribe under the IRA. Land taken into trust shall be part of the tribe's reservation.

A 2009 Supreme Court case, 
Carcieri v. Salazar
, decided that Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the IRA was enacted in 1934. This bill (1) affirms the applicability of the IRA to the Lytton Rancheria of California, thereby deeming the tribe to be under federal jurisdiction as of June 18, 1934, for purposes of the IRA; and (2) authorizes Interior to take land into trust for the benefit of the tribe.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-03-05
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-749
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025

This bill extends increased dependency and indemnity compensation to the surviving spouse of a veteran whom the Department of Veterans Affairs has determined died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) regardless of how long the veteran had such disease prior to death. Under current law, such compensation is paid for a service-connected disability that was rated totally disabling for a continuous period of at least eight years immediately preceding death.

Under the bill, such extension of increased compensation applies retroactively to veterans who died from ALS on or after October 1, 2022.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act

Bill: 119-s-750
Sponsor: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Aging
Congressional oversight
Department of Health and Human Services
Employee hiring
Health care coverage and access
Health personnel
Intergovernmental relations
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicaid
Medicare
Nursing
Rural conditions and development
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act

This bill prohibits administration, implementation, or enforcement of the rule titled 
Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting
, which was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on May 10, 2024.

Specifically, the bill prohibits administration, implementation, or enforcement of provisions that, among other changes, (1) establish minimum staffing standards for nurses in Medicare and Medicaid long-term care facilities, including requiring a nurse to be onsite 24/7 and requiring a minimum of 3.48 total nurse staffing hours per resident per day; and (2) require state Medicaid programs to report on payments to direct care workers and support staff of nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Also, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish an Advisory Panel on the Nursing Home Workforce. The panel must report annually to Congress, including on workforce shortages and barriers to accessing nursing homes in rural and underserved areas.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1399-1400)
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
CROWN Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-751
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Cosmetics and personal care
Due process and equal protection
Elementary and secondary education
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Higher education
Housing discrimination
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public housing
Racial and ethnic relations
State and local government operations

Summary:

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act

Bill: 119-s-752
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health
Health care coverage and access
Intergovernmental relations
Medicaid
Poverty and welfare assistance
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: 

Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act

This bill requires states to establish a process through which qualifying out-of-state providers may temporarily treat children under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) without undergoing additional screening requirements. 

Specifically, states must establish a process through which qualifying out-of-state providers may enroll for five years as participating providers to treat individuals under the age of 21 without undergoing additional screening requirements.

A qualifying out-of-state provider (1) must not have been excluded or terminated from participating in a federal health care program or state Medicaid program; and (2) must have been successfully enrolled in Medicare or a state Medicaid program based on a determination that the provider posed a limited risk of fraud, waste, or abuse.

The bill’s changes take effect three years after enactment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Strengthening Exports Against China Act

Bill: 119-s-753
Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Introduced: 2025-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Asia
China
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Government lending and loan guarantees
Interest, dividends, interest rates

Summary:

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate