jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-06-24 00:00:00

Promise Neighborhoods Act of 2015

This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive, matching Promise Neighborhood Partnership grants to nonprofit organizations that partner with a local educational agency to implement a comprehensive continuum of supports and services that engage community partners in improving the academic achievement, health and social development, and college and career readiness of children who live in distressed neighborhoods with underperforming schools.

ED may renew Promise Neighborhood Partnership grants if the grantees demonstrate significant success in: (1) ensuring children's school readiness; (2) improving their academic outcomes; (3) increasing their college and career readiness; and (4) improving their health, mental health, and social and emotional well-being.

ED must evaluate this Act's grant program and disseminate research on best practices for improving the academic achievement of children living in the most distressed communities.

Matching planning grants are available to enable communities to assess needs and assets and support the communities as they prepare to apply for a program grant.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2015-07-16 00:00:00

Brownfield Redevelopment and Economic Development Innovative Financing Act of 2015

Directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish the Brownfield Redevelopment and Economic Development Innovative Financing Program, under which HUD may guarantee the repayment of loans made by lenders to local governments, local redevelopment agencies, or Base Realignment and Closure Commission redevelopment projects to carry out projects for redeveloping brownfields and promoting urban renewal.

Requires such an entity, in order to receive such a loan guarantee, to submit: (1) a master plan that describes the proposed brownfield redevelopment project, demonstrates that such project will result in major redevelopment, provides evidence of investment commitments from non-federal entities, and includes a remediation action plan approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and (2) a certification from EPA that the brownfield to be redeveloped requires environmental remediation. Prohibits an entity from: (1) receiving a loan guarantee if it was responsible for contaminating the brownfield to be redeveloped, or (2) having more than one outstanding loan that is guaranteed under the Program.

Sets forth requirements regarding an eligible loan's principal amount, interest rate, duration, and repayment terms. Directs HUD to establish criteria for selecting entities to receive loan guarantees.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2016-03-22 00:00:00

Food Deserts Act of 2016

This bill establishes a Department of Agriculture program to provide grants to states for revolving funds to support the establishment and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities.

An underserved community is a community that has: (1) limited access to affordable, healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer direct markets; and (2) a high rate of hunger or food insecurity or a high poverty rate.

States must use the funds to make loans to support grocery stores in underserved communities, including for:

 opening a store (excluding new construction), supporting an existing store, purchasing an existing store, or supporting a store located in a community that would be underserved without the store. States may only make loans for qualified grocery stores that:

 emphasize unprocessed, healthful foods; provide staple foods and a variety of raw fruits and vegetables; have a plan to keep the foods in stock; and charge prices at or below municipal averages. States must prioritize loan applications from entities that meet criteria, including:

 hiring workers from the underserved community, providing classes or educational information about a healthful diet, sourcing food from local urban farms and gardens, not selling alcohol or tobacco products, or demonstrating existing supply chain relationships or expertise in the grocery industry.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-05-16 00:00:00

Growing And Reviving Rural Economies Through Transitioning HUBZone Redesignation Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act with respect to Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones) located in qualified census tracts, qualified nonmetropolitan counties, or redesignated areas, which are census tracts or nonmetropolitan counties that cease to meet the ordinary criteria for the HUBZone program but are "redesignated" to qualify for it.

The bill increases the length of time a census tract or nonmetropolitan county may be redesignated to qualify for HUBZone status from three years to seven years after the date on which the area ceased to meet the ordinary criteria.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-06-16 00:00:00

Revitalize Our Cities Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2019 the period for designating an empowerment zone (an area in which tax incentives are allowed to increase investment and employment).

The Department of Housing and Urban Development may designate, prior to January 1, 2018, 20 additional empowerment zones in urban areas in which the average unemployment rate and the average rate of residential and commercial foreclosures are each higher than that of the state within which the area is located for the period beginning January 1, 2012, and ending with the date of enactment of this bill.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Social welfare
Date: 2016-07-07 00:00:00

Urban Progress Act of 2016

This bill provides support (e.g. grant programs or tax credits) for:

 the Rental Assistance Demonstration program that improves public housing, qualified ex-felons and employers who hire them, economically disadvantaged communities, a training program for workers, a program for providing eligible youth with summer employment opportunities, a plan to reduce the number of children living in poverty, benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for children who attend summer school, families that have children and are under 150% of the poverty line, a process to expunge and seal certain youth criminal records, an effort in preventing juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and a program for increasing the racial diversity of law enforcement agencies. The bill also addresses gun violence, including by: (1) making trafficking in firearms a crime, (2) establishing firearm prohibitions for certain high-risk individuals, (3) establishing background check requirements, and (4) requiring gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm to Department of Justice and local law enforcement authorities within 48 hours of discovery.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2016-09-13 00:00:00

Race to the Job Initiative Act

This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to establish and administer a grant program to provide anchor institution (i.e., a hospital, college, research center, or nonprofit institution) grants and infrastructure grants to eligible low-income communities for community development.

Treasury shall select: (1) within the first year after enactment of this bill, 30 of such low-income communities to receive these grants; and (2) within the second year, an additional 20 of these communities.

Treasury must award a capital assistance grant to each community development financial institution specified in the grantee's application to make loans to, and invest in, businesses, organizations, or public-private partnerships located in the eligible low-income community.

The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a new markets tax credit for investment in a partner community development financial institution without regard to allocation limitations on such credit.

The bill amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to limit to $20 million (in the aggregate, during a three-year period) an award from the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund to a community development financial institution and its subsidiaries and affiliates receiving a capital assistance grant under this bill.

CDFI funds are limited annually for these entities to: (1) $10 million for financial assistance, and (2) $500,000 for technical assistance.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-02-05 00:00:00

Empowering Jobs Act of 2015

Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to tax-exempt enterprise zone facility bonds and empowerment zones, to: (1) include as employees of a qualified business entity employees who are residents of an empowerment zone, an enterprise community, or a qualified low-income community; and (2) extend the period of designation for empowerment zones through December 31, 2016 (thus extending the eligibility of such zones for certain tax benefits).
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2015-03-18 00:00:00

Economic Freedom Zones Act of 2015

Prohibits federal assistance (e.g., loans, loan guarantees, or purchases) from being provided to: (1) a municipality or a zip code (eligible entity), other than an entity that is designated an Economic Free Zone by this Act; (2) a municipality that is a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding; or (3) a municipality that is insolvent.

Sets forth requirements for the designation of an eligible entity that is a municipality as an Economic Freedom Zone for a 10-year period, including bankruptcy eligibility, insolvency, or pervasive poverty, unemployment, and general distress.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax incentives for investment in an Economic Freedom Zone, including; (1) a 5% flat tax rate on the taxable income of individuals and corporations, (2) a 0% capital gains tax rate for gain from the sale or exchange of Economic Freedom Zone assets or real property, (3) reduced employment tax rates, and (4) an increase in the expensing allowance for business property in an Economic Freedom Zone.

Exempts an area designated as an Economic Freedom Zone from: (1) compliance with specified environmental regulations, (2) requirements applicable to a National Heritage Area, and (3) wage rate requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a tax credit, up to $5,000 in a taxable year for the elementary and secondary education expenses of a student attending a public, private, or religious school whose principal residence is located in an Economic Freedom Zone; (2) a tax-exempt Economic Freedom Zone educational savings account for individuals whose principal residence is located in an Economic Freedom Zone; and (3) a tax credit, in lieu of a tax deduction, for contributions to a charitable organization serving individuals in an Economic Freedom Zone.

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow a special allocation of grant funds under such Act for the benefit of children from families residing in an Economic Freedom Zone whose incomes are below the federal poverty level.

Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), in collaboration with the Secretary of Labor, to issue Special Economic Freedom Zone Visas to aliens meeting certain educational and skill requirements who intend to enter the United States to invest in an Economic Freedom Zone.

Expresses the sense of the Senate that state and local governments should review and adopt specified policy recommendations relating to pension reform, tax reduction, adoption of school choice options, adoption of right-to-work laws, streamlining the regulatory burden, and reducing or fixing abandoned structures.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-10-01 00:00:00

Targeted Employment Areas Improvement Act

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase the number of fiscal year EB-5 (employment creation) visas for qualified immigrants who invest in a new commercial enterprise which, in addition to creating jobs in a targeted employment area, will invest the required capital in such area.

Designation of a high unemployment area as a targeted employment area shall be valid for renewable five-year periods.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-04-21 00:00:00

Small Business Transforming America's Regions Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to include in the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program a qualified area designated by the Small Business Administration (SBA) in response to a petition by the governor of a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.

With respect to HUBZones located in census tracts or nonmetropolitan counties that cease to qualify according to the ordinary criteria for the HUBZone program but are "redesignated" to qualify for it, the bill increases the length of time a census tract or nonmetropolitan county may be so redesignated from three years to seven years after the date on which the area ceased to qualify for the HUBZone program according to the ordinary criteria.

This increased length of time for a census tract or nonmetropolitan county shall apply only to those that become redesignated areas within three years before enactment of this bill.

The SBA may designate, in response to a governor's petition, only a nonmetropolitan county that:

 has a median household income less than 90% of the state median household income; has an unemployment rate at least 120% percent of the average U.S. or state unemployment rate, whichever is less; or meets other SBA criteria. A governor may not file a petition for more than 30% of the total number of nonmetropolitan counties in the state.

The SBA shall establish procedures to:

 ensure that it accepts petitions from all states each fiscal year, and give an interested governor technical assistance before a petition is filed. (Sec. 3) The bill revises application of the 30-day period for filing a petition with the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals for reconsideration of a small business concern size standard.

No such petition may be filed until on or after the effective date of regulations for establishing the procedures for reconsideration of a size standard.

Any person filing a petition relating to a size standard revised, modified, or established between November 25, 2015, and the effective date of such regulations must file the petition within 30 days after that effective date.

(Sec. 4) A prime federal contractor shall, within 14 days after completion of a subcontract, give a past performance rating for the Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System, the Past Performance Information Retrieval System, or any successor system for any subcontractor (whether or not a small business concern) used in performing the federal contract as part of the prime contractor's performance reporting. Failure of the prime contractor to enter the subcontractor's past performance rating shall be considered in evaluating the primer contractor's past performance. A federal agency shall use a small business subcontractor's past performance rating in determining whether to award the subcontractor a prime contract. (Sec. 5) The bill adds the SBA Administrator to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council.
Topic: Housing — Urban Development
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-04-27 00:00:00

Investing in Opportunity Act 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the designation of opportunity zones in low-income communities and to provide tax incentives for investments in the zones, including deferring the recognition of capital gains that are reinvested in the zones.

Governors may submit nominations for a limited number of opportunity zones to the Department of the Treasury for certification and designation. Governors must give particular consideration to areas that:

 are currently the focus of mutually reinforcing state, local, or private economic development initiatives to attract investment and foster startup activity; have demonstrated success in geographically targeted development programs such as promise zones, the new markets tax credit, empowerment zones, and renewal communities; and have recently experienced significant layoffs due to business closures or relocations. Treasury must designate zones if a governor fails to submit nominations within a specified period of time.

The bill defines opportunity funds as any investment vehicle organized as a corporation or a partnership to invest in opportunity zones that holds at least 90% of its assets in opportunity zone assets.

Taxpayers may temporarily defer the recognition of capital gains that are invested in opportunity zones or opportunity funds. Investments that are held for at least five years are eligible for capital gains tax reductions or exemptions, depending on how long the investment is held.

Treasury must report to Congress on the opportunity zone incentives enacted in this bill, including an assessment of opportunity fund investments at the national and state levels.
Topic: Housing — Low-Income Assistance
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2007-01-04 00:00:00

Stabilizing Affordable Housing for the Future Act - Amends the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 and the Housing and Community Development Amendments of 1978 to: (1) repeal certain conditions on the authority of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to manage multifamily projects; and (2) authorize the Secretary to provide grants (including up-front grants) and loans from the General Insurance Fund when managing and disposing of such properties. Instructs the Secretary to maintain rental assistance payments for dwelling units in any multifamily property program administered by the Secretary. Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to redefine loan market value and property market value with respect to physically distressed properties sold by HUD in discount sales. Repeals the requirement not to take any affordability requirements into account in such valuation. Requires such values to be determined using industry standard appraisal practices. Amends the Multifamily Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1981 to declare that Congress finds that mortgages transferred by the Secretary to state and local governments should be foreclosed in the same manner as mortgages held by the Secretary. Makes the entity designating the foreclosure commissioner (entity), whether the Secretary (as under current law) or any state or local government transferee, the guarantor of payment of any judgment against the foreclosure commissioner for damages based upon failure properly to perform the commissioner's duties. Makes such entity bear the risk of any financial default by the foreclosure commissioner. Declares that the entity shall be fully subrogated to the rights satisfied by such payment, in the event that any guarantee payments are made. Directs the Secretary to issue a proposed rulemaking that applies certain statutory participation and certification requirements to potential purchasers of multifamily housing with a mortgage insured under the National Housing Act, or for which assistance is provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937. Requires the Secretary to post on a World Wide Web site information regarding multifamily housing properties for which: (1) federal rental assistance is provided; (2) other rental assistance or a subsidy is provided under a program administered by the Secretary; or (3) a mortgage is insured under the National Housing Act .
Topic: Housing — Low-Income Assistance
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2007-01-04 00:00:00

Community Partners Next Door Act of 2007 - Amends the National Housing Act to provide: (1) a 50% discount for teachers, teacher assistants, administrators, and public safety officers purchasing certain eligible asset properties for use as their primary residence; (2) a $100 downpayment on any related insured mortgage; and (3) a higher Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limit for such purchases in high-cost areas. Authorizes such sales directly to a qualifying individual or to a unit of local government or a nonprofit organization for resale to such individual. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a program to inform teachers and public safety officers about such program.
Topic: Housing — Low-Income Assistance
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2007-01-04 00:00:00

Public Housing Drug Elimination Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to authorize appropriations for the assisted housing drug elimination program. Limits activities for programs designed to reduce drug use in and around assisted low-income housing to: (1) providing drug abuse treatment through rehabilitation or relapse prevention; (2) providing education about the dangers and consequences of drug use or violent crime; (3) identifying drug users, and assisting drug use discontinuance through education or treatment programs; (4) providing after school youth activities; and (5) providing capital improvements and security services to discourage or eliminate drug use or violent crime.
Topic: Housing — Low-Income Assistance
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2007-01-04 00:00:00

Housing Opportunities Made Easier Act, or the HOME Act - Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to: (1) provide 150,000 incremental vouchers to public housing agencies in FY2008 for tenant-based rental housing assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937; and (2) renew such vouchers in each ensuing fiscal year.
Topic: Housing — Low-Income Assistance
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2007-01-04 00:00:00

Housing Authority Funding Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to: (1) repeal tenant-based contract renewals by application of an inflation factor; and (2) authorize FY2008-FY2012 appropriations for tenant-based rental assistance (vouchers). Prescribes requirements for renewal funding for each public housing agency.
Topic: Housing — Low-Income Assistance
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2007-01-24 00:00:00

Pathway to Preservation Act of 2007 - Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to redefine "loan market value," which currently means the value of a multifamily (rental or cooperative housing project) loan, without taking into account any affordability requirements. Repeals the condition that affordability requirements not be taken into account. Defines "loan market value" as the value of a multifamily (rental or cooperative housing project) loan using industry standard appraisal practices, including consideration of the cost of repairs needed for the property subject to the loan to comply with minimum safety and building standards and the cost of maintaining the affordability restrictions applicable under the original loan or grant for the property. Redefines "property market value," which currently means the value of a multifamily (rental or cooperative housing project) real property for its current use, without taking into account any affordability requirements. Repeals the condition that affordability requirements not be taken into account. Defines "property market value" as the value of a multifamily (rental or cooperative housing project) real property for its current use, as determined using industry standard appraisal practices, including consideration of the cost of repairs needed for the property subject to the loan to comply with minimum safety and building standards and the cost of maintaining the affordability restrictions applicable under the original loan or grant for the property.