jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2012-03-08 00:00:00

Sound Dollar Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Reserve Act (FRA) to direct the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to: (1) promote the goal of long-term price stability, and (2) establish metrics to evaluate whether long-term price stability is being achieved. Prescribes procedures for the establishment and evaluation of such metrics. Directs the Board and the FOMC to: (1) make such information available to the public on a website, and (2) report to Congress each time such metrics are set or revised. Directs the Board to include in its semi-annual report to Congress: (1) the results of the evaluation process, (2) whether the goal of long-term price stability is being met, (3) the main monetary policy instruments and strategy used by the Board and the FOMC to achieve long-term price stability, and (4) an analysis of how the policies of the Board and the FOMC are affecting the foreign exchange rate value of the U.S. dollar. Directs the Board to clearly articulate it's lender-of-last-resort policy. Revamps FOMC membership to consist of one representative from each of the Federal Reserve banks (in addition to members of the Board). Directs the FOMC to release meeting transcripts to the public within three years after each meeting. Redesignates the Department of the Treasury stabilization fund as the Special Drawing Rights Fund. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to liquidate all property in the Fund (other than Special Drawing Rights) and to use all such amounts to reduce the public debt. Limits the availability of the Fund solely to stabilize exchange rates and arrangements. Repeals the authority of the Secretary to deal in U.S. instruments of credit and securities. Permits only Special Drawing Rights to be deposited into the Fund. Requires funds that would otherwise have been deposited into the Fund to be paid, instead, to the Secretary to reduce the public debt. Amends the FRA to authorize the FOMC, in unusual and exigent circumstances, by the affirmative vote of 2/3 of its members, to grant any Federal Reserve bank emergency authority to buy and sell U.S. debt obligations and revenue bonds in anticipation of the collection of taxes or the receipt of assured revenues by any state or local governmental entity, as well as obligations of, or guaranteed by, a foreign government or agency. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to repeal: (1) funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and (2) the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Fund.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-04-19 00:00:00

Sunshine on Government Act of 2012 - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Executive Chair of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, to create a separate website apart from the OMB website about the reports issued by each Office of Inspector General.  Requires such website to include: (1) a general description of the role of the Office of Inspector General, (2) a description of the types of reports issued by the Office of Inspector General, (3) a list of each federal agency that has an Office of Inspector General, and (4) a link to a website containing Inspector General reports.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-04-19 00:00:00

Government Agency Reform Act of 2012 - Defines "efficiency-enhancing plan," for purposes of executive authority to reorganize federal executive agencies, as a reorganization plan that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) determines will or is likely to result in a decrease in the number of agencies and cost savings in performing the functions that are the subject of the plan. Expands executive authority to reorganize agencies by allowing: (1) the renaming of an existing executive department, (2) the abolition or transfer of an executive department or independent regulatory agency, or (3) the consolidation of two or more executive departments or two or more independent regulatory agencies. Allows a provision in a reorganization plan to take effect only if such plan is transmitted to Congress within two years of the enactment of this Act and is an efficiency-enhancing plan.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-04-23 00:00:00

Government Spending Accountablity Act - Reduces the amount that a federal agency may pay or reimburse for travel costs: (1) in FY2013-FY2014 to 50% of the amount paid or reimbursed by such agency in FY2012, and (2) in FY2015 to 75% of the amount paid or reimbursed in FY2012.  Exempts from such reduction: (1) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); (2) the Department of Defense (DOD); (3) the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); (4) the Federal Air Marshall Service; (5) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); (6) the U.S. Capitol Police; (7) the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service; and (7) the U.S. Secret Service.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-04-24 00:00:00

Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2012 - Prohibits a federal agency (excluding the Federal Election Commission [FEC], the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation [FDIC], and the U.S. Postal Service [USPS]) from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule that the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) finds is likely to result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally. Defines "midnight rule" as an agency statement of general applicability and future effect that is issued during the moratorium period, that is intended to have the force and effect of law, and that is designed to: (1) implement, interpret, or prescribe law or policy; or (2) describe the procedure or practice requirements of an agency. Defines the "moratorium period" as the day after the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in every fourth year succeeding a presidential election through January 20 of the following year in which a President is not serving a consecutive term. Exempts from the moratorium period any deadline: (1) for, relating to, or involving any midnight rule; (2) that was established before the beginning of the moratorium period; and (3) that is required to be taken during the moratorium period. Requires the Administrator, not later than 30 days after the beginning of a moratorium period, to identify and publish in the Federal Register a list of deadlines that are exempt. Exempts any midnight rule that: (1) the President determines is necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, to enforce criminal laws, to protect U.S. national security, or to implement an international trade agreement; and (2) the Administrator certifies in writing is limited to repealing an existing rule. Requires agency heads to publish in the Federal Register any midnight rule exempted from the moratorium period.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-04-25 00:00:00

Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct an annual audit of the General Services Administration (GSA) and to report the audit findings to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Requires such audit to include detailed information for each region regarding specific administrative costs, conference spending, bonuses, travel expenses, staffing levels, expenditures on buildings classified as excess, surplus, or underutilized, a detailed accounting of the expenditures of the Federal Buildings Fund, and any other information which a congressional committee may request.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-05-10 00:00:00

Regulatory Reform Act of 2012 - Directs the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), not later than October 1 every four years, to post online and submit to Congress a report to be known as the Federal Regulatory Reform Report. Requires such Report to contain: (1) a list of rules that are determined to be outmoded, duplicative, ineffective, or excessively burdensome; (2) a list of recommendations to consolidate, modify, simplify, or repeal such rules and a description of the justification for and impact of such recommendations; and (3) an analysis of how the costs of such rules outweigh their benefits. Directs the Administrator to: (1) use certain resources such as agency action plans, agency reports, and executive orders in preparing the Report; (2) publish the Report in the Federal Register for public notice and comment at least 60 days before its submission to Congress; and (3) consult with the President, relevant committees of Congress, and other federal officials before submitting the Report. Requires the President to submit to Congress a legislative proposal for carrying out all or some of the recommendations contained in the Report. Sets forth congressional procedures for consideration of the President's proposal.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2012-06-07 00:00:00

DHS Accountability Act of 2012 - Establishes in the legislative branch an independent advisory panel to: (1) comprehensively assess the management structure and capabilities related to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and (2) make recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of DHS management. Directs the panel to examine: (1) the efficiency and effectiveness of the management structure and capabilities, including the policies, practices, and procedures, of DHS and its component agencies in carrying out management functions, such as program acquisition, financial management, information technology, human capital issues, performance measurement, and risk management efforts, related to homeland security; (2) the extent to which unnecessary duplication exists in such management structure and capabilities and how any such duplication negatively affects the mission of protecting the United States; (3) the extent to which management of key homeland security missions is centralized under DHS; (4) options to reduce or eliminate harmful waste and duplication of effort in DHS; and (5) measures to evaluate DHS's progress in reducing and eliminating waste and duplication from its management structure and capabilities. Urges the panel to consult and leverage the work performed and recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on DHS management structure and capabilities. Directs the panel to submit a final report on its findings and recommendations within two years of the appointment of its members. Terminates the panel 60 days after submission of such report.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-06-18 00:00:00

Requires federal agencies, by January 1, 2013, to have in effect guidelines to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the scientific information upon which the agencies rely.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-06-27 00:00:00

Senior Executive Service Reform Act of 2012 - Amends provisions of federal law relating to the Senior Executive Service (SES) to: (1) reduce from 25% to 15% the number of SES positions at the start of each fiscal year that may be filled by noncareer appointees; (2) require the head of each federal agency to create a position of assistant secretary for administration or management and appoint a career SES employee to fill such position; and (3) require agency heads to appoint career SES employees to positions with direct responsibility for agency-wide functions in acquisition, information technology, and human resources. Requires each federal agency to: (1) evaluate any SES position that becomes vacant to determine the skills and qualifications necessary for the position, (2) ensure that vacant positions are open for a reasonable period of time and that application requirements are streamlined, (3) ensure that applicants for a vacant position receive timely notification of the status of their application, and (4) take steps to strengthen candidate development programs to prepare aspiring leaders for the SES. Prohibits the use of quotas or forced distribution of ratings for performance appraisals. Provides for annual pay adjustments for senior executives and other senior employees rated at the fully successful level or higher. Includes executive performance awards and bonuses in basic pay for purposes of calculating retirement annuities. Requires a written explanation for an SES performance rating if such rating is lowered from the initial recommendation. Requires: (1) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish a Senior Executive Service Resource Office in OPM to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity of the SES and its hiring process, advance its professionalism, and promote diversity; (2) senior executives appointed to the SES to create an executive development plan that includes continuing development, training, and mentoring goals; and (3) agency heads to oversee the establishment of an onboarding program to provide new SES appointees an overview of their role and responsibilities, the agency's mission, priorities, and strategic plan, and SES rules and regulations. Allows agencies to establish a rotation program for career SES appointees. Requires each federal agency to: (1) incorporate in its executive performance plans an objective for holding executives accountable for addressing employee satisfaction; and (2) submit a plan to OPM to enhance and maximize opportunities in SES for the advancement and appointment of minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-07-18 00:00:00

Limits the amount of funding available to the General Services Administration (GSA) for FY2012 and for each fiscal year thereafter for the acquisition of new vehicles for the federal fleet to 80% of the amount available for such vehicles for FY2011. Exempts from such limitation amounts for the acquisition of new vehicles for national security purposes.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2012-07-25 00:00:00

Reporting Efficiency Improvement Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to repeal a requirement that the Attorney General submit a report to Congress on grants to state and local governments for a program or project to develop or improve the capability to analyze deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Amends the Police Corps Act to repeal the requirement for the Director of the Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education to submit an annual report on the Police Corps program.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-08-02 00:00:00

Data Center Optimization Act - Directs the chief information officer of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (Federal CIO) to: (1) develop and implement an initiative to optimize the usage and efficiency of federal data centers, (2) submit to Congress a consolidated plan for implementation of the initiative by each agency, and (3) submit a consolidated report each year that assesses agency progress in carrying out the initiative and that updates such plan. Requires agency implementation plans to: (1) include descriptions of how agencies will use reductions in floor space, energy use, infrastructure, equipment, applications, personnel, increases in multi-organizational use, and other appropriate methods to meet initiative requirements; and (2) be included in, and consistent with, the President's annual budget submission materials. Requires each agency included in the initiative to: (1) meet or exceed 75% average server utilization in agency data centers by 2015; (2) achieve an average power utilization effectiveness for its data centers of 1.2 or less by 2015; (3) establish methods to obtain accurate data to measure power utilization effectiveness; (4) use desktop virtualization with existing workstations to the extent practicable; and (5) give high priority to replacement of data center servers and other information technology equipment with more efficient equipment, using a baseline including the physical to virtual consolidation ratio and other criteria developed by the Federal CIO. Authorizes the establishment at the Department of Defense (DOD) of a pilot program aimed at researching innovation ways to achieve full metering. Requires such agencies to: (1) track costs and savings resulting from implementation of the initiative and report on those costs and savings annually to the Federal CIO, (2) determine net costs and net savings from data consolidation on an annual basis, (3) use the most cost effective measures to implement the initiative, (4) use resulting savings to offset implementation costs and to further enhance information technology capabilities and services, and (5) report to the Federal CIO annually on the initiative's implementation.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-08-02 00:00:00

Federal Executive Board Efficiency Act - Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish Federal Executive Boards, which are defined as interagency entities established in a geographic area with a high concentration of federal employees outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to strengthen the management and administration of agency activities and coordination among local federal officers to implement national initiatives in that area. Requires each Board for a geographic area to consist of a senior officer for each agency in that area. Requires the Director to: (1) consider specified factors in determining the location for establishment of such Boards, such as whether a geographic area has a strong, viable, and active Federal Executive Association and whether such Association petitions to become a Board; and (2) provide for the administration and oversight of such Boards, including by establishing staffing and communications policies and performance standards for Board staff. Requires each Board to: (1) serve as an instrument of outreach for the national headquarters of agencies relating to agency activities in the geographic area; (2) provide a forum for the exchange of information relating to programs and management methods and problems between the national headquarters of agencies and the field; (3) develop local coordinated approaches to the development and operation of programs that have common characteristics; (4) communicate management initiatives and other concerns from federal officers and employees in the Washington, D.C. area to federal officers and employees in the geographic area to achieve better mutual understanding and support; (5) develop relationships with state and local governments and nongovernmental organizations to help fulfill the roles and responsibilities of that Board; and (6) facilitate communication, collaboration, and training to prepare the federal workforce for emergencies and continuity of operations. Requires the Director to: (1) establish a fund within OPM for financing essential Board functions, into which contributions from the headquarters of each participating agency shall be deposited; (2) submit annual reports to Congress and agencies on Board program outcomes and budget matters; and (3) report to specified congressional committees on essential Board functions, staffing requirements, and staffing and operating expenses.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-08-02 00:00:00

Realign and Eliminate Duplicative Unnecessary Costly Excess in Government Act of 2012 or the REDUCE Government Act - Establishes the Federal Realignment and Closure Commission to assess the effectiveness and accountability of federal agency programs.  Requires the Commission, during 2013, 2014, and 2015, to: (1) evaluate all agencies and programs to eliminate duplicative functions and wasteful or inefficient spending or mismanagement; and (2) recommend the realignment or elimination of agencies or programs that have completed their intended purpose, have become irrelevant, or have failed to meet their objectives.  Requires the President to: (1) transmit to the Commission and to Congress a report containing the President's approval or disapproval of the Commission's plan and recommendations, and (2) eliminate or realign all agencies and programs pursuant to the Commission's recommendations approved by the President unless Congress enacts a resolution disapproving such recommendations. Makes rescissions from specified federal programs to offset the cost of this Act.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2012-08-02 00:00:00

Cutting Federal Unnecessary and Expensive Leasing Act of 2012 or the Cutting FUEL Act - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine: (1) the number of civilian vehicles purchased and leased by each executive agency in FY2010, (2) the total dollar amounts obligated by each agency to purchase and to lease civilian vehicles in FY2010, and (3) the amount that would be 20% less than those combined totals. Prohibits each agency from obligating more than such amount to purchase and lease civilian vehicles in each of FY2013-FY2017. Exempts the purchase or procurement of any vehicle determined by the President to be essential for reasons of national security. Directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to ensure that agencies may share excess or unused vehicles for temporary or long-term use through the Federal Fleet Management System.