jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Bill 114-HR-2901 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Finance and financial sector

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 25, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 to make technical amendments without substantive change to requirements for flood insurance under either the federal program or private flood insurance.

(Under current law, any building, mobile home or personal property that would be financed by a federally-backed mortgage must have flood insurance if the property is located in an area designated as a special flood hazard.) As under current law, the amount of mandatory flood insurance shall be, for either federal or private flood insurance, equal to the development or project cost of the building, mobile home, or personal property (less estimated land cost), the outstanding principal balance of the loan, or the maximum limit of federal flood insurance coverage available for the particular type of property, whichever is less.

The bill revises without substantive change the flood insurance requirements that apply to home loans or loan guarantees by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). This revision does specify, however, that any requirements established by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac relating to the financial strength of private insurance companies from which they will accept private flood insurance must not affect or conflict with any state law, regulation, or procedure concerning the regulation of the business of insurance.

Private flood insurance shall include, in addition to a policy issued by a company licensed, admitted, or otherwise approved by the state (as in current law), any policy issued by an insurance company eligible as a nonadmitted insurer to provide flood insurance in the state or jurisdiction where the property to be insured is located.

The bill specifies that the federal flood insurance program, with respect to both private and federal flood insurance, extends to Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

FEMA must consider any period during which a property was continuously covered by private flood insurance to be a period of continuous insurance coverage.
Bill 114-HR-2918 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Finance and financial sector

Flood Insurance Fairness Act of 2015

Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to repeal provisions that prohibit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from estimating subsidized risk premium rates for flood insurance coverage on: (1) residential property which is not the primary residence of an individual, and (2) any business property. Qualifies those properties for such rates.

Requires FEMA, when developing guidance and rate tables necessary to implement this Act, to consult with Write Your Own companies, which are participating property and casualty insurance companies that write and service standard flood insurance policies in cooperation with FEMA.

Directs Write Your Own companies to implement the changes required by the final guidance and rate tables within six to eight months after their issuance.
Bill 114-HR-2993 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Water resources development

Water Recycling Acceleration Act of 2015

Amends the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to provide that any water recycling project for which funding may otherwise be available under such Act shall not be required to have been previously specifically authorized by law for such funding, if that project reclaims and reuses: (1) municipal, industrial, domestic, or agricultural wastewater; or (2) naturally impaired ground and surface waters.

Requires the Department of the Interior to give funding priority to such projects:

 that are located in an area that has been identified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as experiencing severe, extreme, or exceptional drought at any time during the previous four-year period or that was designated as a disaster area by the state between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018; that are likely to provide for a more reliable water supply and to protect, restore, and enhance river or estuarine ecosystems or their immediate tributaries; that are likely to improve water resource flexibility and reduce impacts on environmental resources; that are regional in nature; that have multiple stakeholders; that provide multiple benefits, including water supply reliability, ecosystem benefits, groundwater management and enhancements, and water quality improvements; and for which a feasibility study has been completed and any necessary environmental or public reviews have been initiated. Requires Interior to: (1) issue water recycling project solicitation and evaluation guidelines that include such criteria; (2) solicit water recycling project proposals; and (3) review each proposed water recycling project for the purpose of determining whether or not the proposal, and the process under which the proposal was developed, comply with federal law applicable to the development of water recycling projects.

Terminates Interior's authority under this Act 10 years after its enactment.
Bill 114-HR-2996 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management

Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to define a "major disaster for wildfire on federal lands" as any wildfire that, in the determination of the President, warrants assistance under this Act to supplement the efforts and resources of the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture: (1) on federal lands, or (2) on non-federal lands pursuant to a fire protection agreement or cooperative agreement.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a request to the President for a declaration that such a major disaster exists. Requires such a request to:

 certify that the amount appropriated in the current fiscal year for wildfire suppression operations of the federal land management agencies under the jurisdiction of the respective Secretary, net of any concurrently enacted rescissions of wildfire suppression funds, increases the total unobligated balance of amounts available for wildfire suppression by an amount equal to or greater than the average total costs incurred by such agencies per year for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 fiscal years; certify that the amount available for wildfire suppression operations of the federal land management agencies under the jurisdiction of the respective Secretary will be obligated not later than 30 days after such Secretary notifies the President that wildfire suppression funds will be exhausted to fund ongoing and anticipated wildfire suppression operations related to the wildfire on which such request is based; and specify the amount required in the current fiscal year to fund wildfire suppression operations related to the wildfire on which such request is based. Authorizes the President to: (1) declare that such a major disaster exists based on such a request, (2) establish a specific account for assistance pursuant to such a declaration, and (3) transfer funds from such account to the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct wildfire suppression operations on such lands. Requires the respective Secretary to secure reimbursement of transferred amounts used for wildfire suppression operations on non-federal land.
Bill 114-HR-3066 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management

Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2015

 Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include community centers, including tax-exempt houses of worship, as "private nonprofit facilities" for purposes of disaster relief and emergency assistance eligibility under such Act.

Makes a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other house of worship, and a private nonprofit facility operated by a religious organization, eligible for federal contributions for the repair, restoration, and replacement of facilities damaged or destroyed by a major disaster, without regard to the religious character of the facility or the primary religious use of the facility.

Makes this Act applicable to the provision of assistance in response to a major disaster or emergency declared on or after October 28, 2012.
Bill 114-HR-3110 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation

National Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2015

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax relief for disasters declared in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 by:

 allowing an election to expense qualified disaster expenses (i.e., for the abatement of hazardous substances, removal of debris, demolition, and repair of business-related property); increasing the tax deduction for charitable contributions for disaster relief for individual and corporate taxpayers; allowing through 2015 the deduction of losses and net operating losses attributable to disasters; allowing waivers of requirements relating to mortgage revenue bonds; extending through 2015 the additional allowance for depreciation of business property (bonus depreciation); allowing an increase through 2015 of the new markets tax credit limitation amount within a federally-declared disaster area; permitting the use of tax-exempt retirement plan funds in federally-declared disasters without penalty; allowing an additional tax exemption for individuals who are displaced as a result of a federally-declared disaster; allowing an exclusion from gross income of imputed income from the cancellation of indebtedness resulting from federally-declared disasters; providing a special rule to allow individuals affected by a disaster in 2012, 2013, 2014, or 2015 to claim a full earned income tax credit; increasing the rehabilitation tax credit for buildings affected by a federally-declared disaster; permitting one additional advance refunding of a tax-exempt bond that is outstanding on the date on which a federally-declared disaster occurs; allowing the issuance of qualified disaster area recovery bonds; allowing an additional allocation of the low-income housing tax credit in 2016 to states affected by a federally-declared disaster occurring in 2012, 2013, 2014, or 2015;   allowing payments of disaster assistance to tax-exempt mutual ditch or irrigation companies without affecting their tax-exempt status; allowing an exclusion from gross income for disaster mitigation payments received from state and local governments; allowing a tax deduction for payments to a tax-exempt natural disaster fund; allowing a five-year replacement period for property located in a disaster area for purposes of the exclusion of gain from an involuntary conversion; allowing employers a business-related tax credit for up to 40% of wages paid to employees in a disaster area; and allowing an enhanced tax deduction for medical expenses related to an injury occurring in a disaster area.
Bill 114-HR-3190 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management

Preparedness and Risk Management for Extreme Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and Effectiveness Act of 2015 or the PREPARE Act of 2015

 This bill directs the President to establish the Interagency Council on Extreme Weather Resilience, Preparedness, and Risk Management (Council). The Council shall:

 establish government-wide goals and priorities for, and develop, recommend, coordinate, and track implementation of priority interagency federal government actions related to, extreme weather resilience, preparedness, and risk management; support regional, state, local, and tribal action to assess extreme weather-related vulnerabilities and cost effectively increase extreme weather resilience, preparedness, and risk management of communities, critical economic sectors, natural and built infrastructure, and natural resources; facilitate the integration of meteorological and extreme weather science; assess the specific recommendations relating to extreme weather in all relevant provisions of the Government Accountability Office's High-Risk Series, identify the feasibility of revising federal programs to implement such recommendations, and develop a plan to address such recommendations; develop or adopt a framework for evaluating the progress and success of extreme weather resilience, preparedness, and risk management-related efforts that is complementary to any national indicator system developed as part of the National Climate Assessment; develop or adopt performance metrics that allow tracking of the actions taken and progress made toward meeting and implementing the established government-wide goals and priorities; provide recommendations to the Council on Environmental Quality and OMB on how agencies should update agency extreme weather plans and remove barriers to state and local extreme weather resilience, preparedness, and risk management in agency regulations, guidance, and policy; make information available online for tracking implementation of agency extreme weather plans and government-wide goals and priorities and on recommendations relating to extreme weather in all relevant High-Risk Series provisions; issue guidance to agencies on developing agency extreme weather plans and agency regulations, guidance, and policies to remove barriers to state and local extreme weather resilience; designate one or more agencies to establish a website that provides information on risks related to extreme weather, preparedness, resilience, and risk management to support state, local, tribal, and private decisionmakers; and publish biannually an inventory of all regional agency offices, centers, and programs that assist with extreme weather preparedness and risk management at the state or local level. Each agency shall submit biannually to OMB and to the Council a comprehensive plan that integrates consideration of extreme weather into its operations and overall mission objectives. OMB shall consolidate and submit such plans to Congress.

Annual agency performance plans shall include the most recent agency extreme weather plan.
Bill 114-HR-3240 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management

Directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) develop a plan for the purchase and installation of an earthquake early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction Zone; (2) identify the funds needed, and make grants to states, Indian tribes, and local governments, to implement the plan; and (3) report to Congress on actions taken.
Bill 114-HR-3297 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Finance and financial sector

Fairness in Flood Insurance Act of 2015

This bill amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to declare that, in any appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), or any judicial review of a final administrative determination, regarding the designation of flood elevation determinations or the identification of special flood hazard areas, FEMA shall have the burden of proving, by clear and convincing evidence, that the elevations proposed or the designation of an identified special flood hazard area is scientifically and technically correct.

FEMA shall:

 reimburse the reasonable legal and related expenses of any individual or community that succeeds on such an appeal; and revise and update any floodplain areas and flood-risk zones upon the request from any owner or lessee of real property located in a floodplain area or flood-risk zone (currently, only upon the request of FEMA or of a state or local government), if sufficient technical data justifying the request is submitted. A state or local government, or the owner or lessee of real property, who has formally requested FEMA to update a flood map that FEMA has denied may at any time appeal the denial according to a specified procedure. The basis for appeal shall be possession of knowledge or information that:

 the base flood elevation level or designation of any aspect of a flood map is scientifically or technically inaccurate; or specified factors exist, including natural or manmade topographical features, that mitigate the risk of flooding. These flood mitigation factors shall also be considered in the establishment and updating of areas with special flood hazards.

When estimating risk premium rates for flood insurance, and prescribing chargeable premium rates, FEMA shall take into consideration the differences between properties located in coastal areas and properties located inland.

FEMA shall consult with the Technical Mapping Advisory Council about methods of making or actions to make the Council's flood map processes more efficient and achieve other specified goals.

The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 is amended to require FEMA to ensure that the Flood Insurance Advocate has sufficient staff to carry out all of the Advocate's duties and responsibilities, which shall include providing direction as necessary, including by direct conversations with insurance agents.

The Government Accountability Office shall study:

 the scientific and technical adequacy of the flood maps FEMA proposes and establishes, and the effects on the National Flood Insurance Program and otherwise of changing the standard for designating special flood hazard areas from having a 1% or greater to having a 10% or greater chance of experiencing flooding in any given year.
Bill 114-HR-3317 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Finance and financial sector

Flood Insurance Integrity Act of 2015

 Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review every four years the rate tables established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for implementing the national flood insurance program under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, and determine whether: (1) the chargeable premium rates for flood insurance coverage determined by those tables are actuarially sound, based on standard actuarial practices used in the private sector; and (2) such chargeable premium rates are sufficient to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the national flood insurance program.

Directs GAO to review annually the process for establishing and updating flood insurance rate maps and determine the degree of accuracy of the mapping process.
Bill 114-HR-3397 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation

Disaster Savings and Resilient Construction Act of 2015

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for a specified portion of the cost of commercial and residential buildings that comply with resilient construction requirements in a federally-declared major disaster area. Defines "resilient construction requirements" as requirements that such buildings are designed and constructed to: (1) resist hazards brought on by a major disaster; (2) continue to provide their primary functions after a major disaster; (3) reduce the magnitude or duration of a disruptive event; and (4) have the absorptive capacity, adaptive capacity, and recoverability to withstand a potentially disruptive event.

Terminates such credit for any any property for which a certificate of occupancy is issued after December 31, 2019.
Bill 114-HR-3456 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Finance and financial sector

Flood Insurance Mitigation and Policyholder Protection Act of 2015

This bill amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to require that any report of an on-site inspection of a property by a claims adjustor or engineer for the purpose of assessing any claim for losses covered by a flood insurance policy under such Act:

 may not be transmitted to any other person, employer, agency, or entity, before it is transmitted to the insured; may not include alterations by, or at the request of, anyone other than such preparer and shall include the preparer's certification that it does not contain any such alterations; and shall be transmitted in a manner that gives reasonable assurance that it was transmitted directly to the insured by the preparer. A claimant is authorized, in the case of a denial by FEMA or an insurance company of a claim for losses that is appealed to FEMA, to institute an action on such claim against FEMA or such insurance company in U.S. district court within one year after the date of a final determination upon appeal denying such claim.

 FEMA must, within 60 days after enactment of this Act, issue guidelines required under the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 for alternative mitigation methods, other than building elevation, to reduce flood risk to residential buildings that cannot be elevated due to their structural characteristics.
Bill 114-HR-3517 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management

American Red Cross Sunshine Act

This bill authorizes the Comptroller General to review the involvement of the American National Red Cross (the corporation) in any federal program or activity the corporation carries out (current law), including in connection with events for which the government provides leadership or support under the national preparedness system. For purposes of such review, the Comptroller General shall have: (1) access to and the right to examine and copy all corporation records the Comptroller General deems relevant, and (2) access to and the right to interview any corporation employee or volunteer the Comptroller General believes to have relevant knowledge.

The Comptroller General may: (1) subpoena a record or employee of the corporation, and (2) bring a civil action in U.S. district court for the District of Columbia to enforce compliance with such subpoena.

The corporation's Office of the Ombudsman must enhance dispute resolution regarding concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the corporation and regularly report to the corporation's board of governors information on trends and patterns on concerns communicated to the Office regarding the corporation. The Office must make information available on its website on how to submit concerns about the organization.

The bill requires audits, every three years, by: (1) the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration of the corporation's revenues, expenditures, and governance; (2) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General of the corporation's disaster assistance services; and (3) the U.S. Agency for International Development Inspector General of the corporation's international activities.

DHS must: (1) conduct a one-year pilot program with the corporation to develop mechanisms for DHS to better leverage social media to improve preparedness and response capabilities, and (2) annually report on the extent to which DHS partnered with the corporation in furtherance of preparedness and response capabilities.
Bill 114-HR-3750 — Domestic Commerce / Disaster Relief
Subject: International affairs

First Responders Passport Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Passport Act of June 4, 1920 to waive passport fees for an individual who is operating under a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement with the U.S. government, including a volunteer, to aid a foreign country suffering from a qualifying natural disaster.

 The Department of State shall report to Congress on the number of fee waivers for the issuance of passports to first responders.