jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-01-15 00:00:00

Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2009 - Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to the enforcement of uniformed services members' employment or reemployment rights or benefits under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). Makes unenforceable agreements between an employer and employee requiring arbitration of disputes arising under USERRA. Provides exceptions. Requires the validity and enforceability of such an agreement to be determined by a court (as opposed to the arbitrator). Provides increased liquidated damages, and authorizes punitive damages, against state or private employer violations of USERRA. Provides a right to a jury trial in such cases. Requires (under current law, authorizes) the award of attorney fees in actions to enforce USERRA. Defines "successor in interest" for USERRA purposes. Prohibits wage discrimination against members covered under USERRA. Requires (under current law, authorizes) a court to use equitable relief, including injunctions and restraining orders when appropriate, for USERRA violations. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to require federal procurement contracts to include a notice that the contractor may have USERRA obligations. Requires a Comptroller General study on the effectiveness of federal education and outreach programs on employer obligations under USERRA.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-01-16 00:00:00

Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a work opportunity tax credit for the hiring in 2009 or 2010 of unemployed veterans discharged from active duty during 2008, 2009, or 2010.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-01-26 00:00:00

Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans to establish a separate account for the funding of outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and a separate subaccount for the funding of outreach activities of the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain procedures for ensuring the effective coordination of VA outreach activities between and among such elements, the Office of the Secretary, and the Office of Public Affairs. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to: (1) state and local governments and nonprofit community-based organizations to carry out programs that offer a high probability of improving veterans' outreach and assistance; and (2) appropriate state veterans agencies for such purpose.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Law
Date: 2009-01-30 00:00:00

Equal Justice for United States Military Personnel Act of 2009 - Amends the federal judicial code to allow for review by writ of certiorari of certain cases denied relief or review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-01-30 00:00:00

Ensuring Safe Facilities and Equipment for American Troops Overseas Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense, in order to ensure the safe utilization by the Armed Forces of expeditionary facilities, infrastructure, and equipment supporting U.S. military operations overseas, to certify to the congressional defense committees that: (1) generally accepted industry safety standards are incorporated into military regulations establishing requirements for such facilities, infrastructure, and equipment; (2) each contract or task or delivery order for the construction, installation, repair, maintenance, or operation of overseas expeditionary facilities incorporates such industry standards; and (3) such standards apply in all current and future U.S. military operations overseas.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-02-10 00:00:00

Keeping Our Promise to America's Military Veterans Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that, in order to express the gratitude of the American people for the sacrifices of America's veterans and their families, legislation should be enacted that: (1) assures timely and adequate funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), especially for medical care activities; (2) improves the ability of the VA's Veterans Benefits Administration to provide timely and accurate decisions on claims for veterans benefits; (3) assures that the VA provides timely access to high-quality treatment for mental health conditions; and (4) facilitates a seamless transition from military to civilian life for members separating from the Armed Forces and their families.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-02-10 00:00:00

Veterans' Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009 - Revises provisions concerning the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse a veteran for the cost of emergency care provided in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility to provide that, if the veteran has contractual or legal recourse against a third party that would, in part, extinguish the veteran's liability to the provider of the emergency treatment and payment for the treatment may be made by both the VA and the third party, the amount payable by the VA shall be that which exceeds the cost payable by the third party. Includes as third parties: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with respect to the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act; and (2) a state Medicaid agency with respect to payments under title XIX of such Act.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-02-10 00:00:00

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase, as of December 1, 2009, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Requires each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date. Codifies under federal law the rates of such compensation as increased under the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2008.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-02-24 00:00:00

Supporting Uniformed Personnel by Providing Oversight and Relevant Treatment for Substance Use Disorders Act or SUPPORT for Substance Use Disorders Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a comprehensive review of Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities for the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and management of, and research on, substance use disorders (disorders) among members of the Armed Forces (members). Requires the Secretary to submit to the congressional defense and appropriations committees a plan for the improvement and enhancement of such programs and activities for members and their dependent family members, which shall include mechanisms to ensure the availability of appropriate treatment for such disorders and facilitate their prevention and reduction. Requires the plan to include instructions on: (1) the prevention of such disorders; (2) the appropriate training of health care professionals in the treatment of such disorders; (3) services for the dependents of members with such disorders; and (4) the dissemination of disorder prevention materials.Directs the Secretary to study such disorders in members and establish within DOD a Center of Excellence in the Prevention, Diagnosis, Mitigation, Treatment, and Management of Substance Use Disorders.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-02-26 00:00:00

Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit: (1) federal civilian and military retirees to pay Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis (i.e., exclude premiums from gross income); and (2) a tax deduction (available to itemizers and nonitemizers) for TRICARE supplemental premiums or enrollment fees. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the option of paying FEHBP and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis is available to federal civilian and military retirees for the first open enrollment period beginning not less than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-02-26 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide a dental insurance plan for any veteran enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) annual patient enrollment system, as well as the survivors and dependents of certain veterans. Provides for: (1) the payment of premiums for plan enrollment; and (2) voluntary plan disenrollment.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-02 00:00:00

Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington. Authorizes appropriations.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-03 00:00:00

Veterans Rehabilitation and Training Improvements Act of 2009 - Requires the amount of subsistence allowance paid to a veteran for a month in which the veteran participates in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rehabilitation program to be equal to the national average of the basic allowance for housing paid to a member of the Armed Forces in pay grade E-5. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse a veteran who successfully completes a VA rehabilitation program for costs incurred as a direct consequence of program participation, including child care expenses. Repeals the 2600 per-fiscal-year limit on veterans who may participate in the VA program of independent living services and assistance.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-05 00:00:00

Repeals certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or would be entitled to such pay except for being under 60 years of age. Prohibits recoupment by the Secretary of Defense of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund. Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. Directs the Secretary concerned to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-06 00:00:00

Veteran and Servicemember Caregiver Support Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a two-year pilot program of training, certification, and support for eligible family caregivers of eligible veterans and members of the Armed Forces. Defines as: (1) eligible family caregivers those family members who agree to provide such services, are accepted by the veteran or member as the provider, and are determined qualified to provide such services; and (2) eligible veterans and members those veterans and members who have a service-connected disability incurred or aggravated on or after September 11, 2001, and require caregiver services because of such disability. Requires: (1) the pilot program to be conducted at at least six medical facilities; (2) at least one facility to be a private facility with expertise in providing rehabilitative care; (3) at least one facility to be a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in a rural area; and (4) the Secretary, in selecting locations, to give special emphasis to VA polytrauma centers designated as Tier I polytrauma centers. Directs the Secretary to provide training to each eligible family caregiver under the program, and to certify the caregiver as qualified upon training completion. Requires caregivers to be paid for providing such services. Requires: (1) a review of VA and Department of Defense (DOD) respite care programs, as well as a study on enhancing the availability of such programs; (2) the provision of psychological and social support services to caregivers; and (3) a national survey of family caregivers of seriously disabled veterans and members.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-09 00:00:00

Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2009 - Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more). Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-10 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide uncharged leave or a monetary benefit to any member or former member of the Armed Forces who, on any day beginning on January 19, 2007, and ending on the date of implementation of the Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence program, would have qualified for a day of administrative absence under such program had it been in effect. Makes such benefit: (1) an amount not to exceed $200 for each day, in the case of a former member; and (2) either one day of administrative absence or an amount not to exceed $200, in the case of a current member. Excludes from such benefit any members discharged or released under other than honorable conditions. Sets at 40 the maximum number of days for which such benefit may be provided.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Education
Date: 2009-03-12 00:00:00

Military Family Nutrition Protection Act of 2009 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to exclude combat pay from household income in calculating a child's eligibility for free or reduced price meals under the school lunch program. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require states to exclude combat pay from family income in making eligibility determinations under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-12 00:00:00

Defense Communities Assistance Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress on the necessity of assisting local communities coping with the impact of base closures and realignments and other military actions. Extends permanently (under current law, terminated at the end of FY2008) the authority of the Secretary of the military department concerned to convey, for certain purposes, real property on a military installation determined to be excess to the needs of the Department of Defense (DOD). Authorizes the Secretary concerned to contract for the procurement of municipal services for a U.S. military installation from a county, municipal government, or other local governmental unit in the area. Authorizes such Secretary to so contract using procedures other than competitive procedures, under certain conditions and after congressional notification. Amends the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 to extend through FY2020 a pilot program for the purchase of certain municipal services for military installations. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 to broaden the indemnification provided to transferees of military properties. Reinstates provisions of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 which allow military departments to transfer surplus real and personal property at closed or realigned military installations without consideration to local redevelopment authorities when used for economic development purposes, without the requirement to assess the property's value.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-16 00:00:00

Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) report on barriers to the receipt of comprehensive health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) encountered by women veterans, especially those of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom; (2) provide for an independent study on health consequences for women veterans serving on active duty in deployments in such Operations; and (3) report on the employment of full-time managers for women veterans programs at VA medical centers. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a plan to improve the provision of VA health care services to women veterans; (2) carry out a program of education, training, certification, and continuing medical education for mental health professionals providing care for veterans suffering from sexual trauma; (3) carry out a pilot program of providing reintegration and readjustment services in group retreat settings to women veterans recently separated from service after a prolonged deployment; and (4) carry out a pilot program on subsidies for child care for certain women veterans receiving health care from VA facilities. Requires women veterans recently separated from service to be included on the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans and the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. Authorizes the Secretary to furnish care to a newborn child of a woman veteran receiving VA maternity care for up to seven days after the birth of the child.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Social welfare
Date: 2009-03-17 00:00:00

Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to include as an authorized national service program a Veteran Corps program that meets specified unmet needs of members of the Armed Forces and veterans, as well as their families.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-19 00:00:00

Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Defense, for each occupational and environmental health chemical hazard of particular concern, to establish and administer a registry of members and former members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to such hazard in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. Requires the Secretary to: (1) notify a member or former member who may have been exposed to such a hazard; and (2) provide a complete physical and medical examination of such individual. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies for the Institute of Medicine under which the Institute, for each incident of exposure reported in a registry, shall review and summarize the scientific evidence, and assess the strength thereof, concerning the association between the exposure to such hazard and acute and long-term health consequences of such exposure. Requires the Institute to: (1) make recommendations for necessary additional scientific studies; and (2) conduct periodic subsequent reviews of such evidence. Requires members and former members listed in registries to be notified of any conclusive determinations with respect to such exposure, as well as any other significant related developments. Makes any veteran who was exposed in the line of duty to an occupational and environmental health chemical hazard of particular concern eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for any disability, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the disability may be associated with such exposure.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-19 00:00:00

Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Treasury the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund for payments by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of a monthly benefit of $1,000 to each individual who, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, was a documented member of the U.S. merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was operated in U.S. waters by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation and under contract to, or the property of, the United States. Requires such individuals to: (1) apply for such benefit before October 1, 2009; and (2) not have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-25 00:00:00

Post-Deployment Health Assessment Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to issue guidance for the provision of an in-person mental health screening for each member of the Armed Forces deployed in connection with a contingency operation, in order to identify post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal tendencies, and other behavioral health issues for which additional care and treatment may be necessary. Excludes from such screenings members not subjected or exposed to combat stress during their deployment. Requires the Secretary to share screening results with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in order to ensure continuity of mental health care and treatment for such members during their transition from health care and treatment provided by the Department of Defense (DOD) to health care and treatment provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-31 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County, Nebraska, region to serve the needs of veterans and their families in Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-03-31 00:00:00

Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to reimburse or provide transportation to a member of the reserves on active duty for more than 30 days who is performing duty at a temporary duty station for travel between the member's temporary and permanent duty station in connection with authorized leave pursuant to a suspension of training. Sets minimum distance requirements and reimbursement limits. Allows such reimbursement or transportation only in connection with a suspension of training of five days or longer.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-04-01 00:00:00

Authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the American soldiers who were prisoners of war in Bataan, Philippines, during World War II, in recognition of their personal sacrifice and service to their country. Provides for the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the prisoners of war at Bataan.