jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-06-27 00:00:00

Incentivize Growth Now In Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt small business start-up accounts to provide for expenditures related to the creation or acquisition of an active trade or business. Limits the annual amount that may be contributed to such accounts to the lesser of $10,000 or the taxpayer's compensation that is includible in gross income. Sets forth reporting requirements for the trustee of a small business start-up account. Makes the tax penalties for prohibited transactions and excess contributions applicable to small business start-up savings accounts.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2013-07-19 00:00:00

Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2014 - Modifies the procedure for awarding civilian and defense agency design and construction contracts for federal buildings and facilities to require: (1) a contracting officer to provide a written justification to the head of a federal agency for requiring more than five finalists in the bidding process for such contracts and agency approval of such justification; and (2) the use of the two-phase selection process (i.e., the submission of qualifications and then the submission of price and technical proposals in response to a request for proposal) for contracts having a value of $1.5 million or greater, unless the agency head approves the contracting officer's justification that procedures other than two-phase selection procedures are in the best interest of the federal government.

Requires each civilian and defense agency to submit to the Comptroller General (GAO) and publish in the Federal Register, during a five-year period, annual reports on all cases in the preceding year in which: (1) more than five finalists were selected for phase-two requests for competitive proposals; or (2) two-phase selection procedures involving contracts with a value of $1.5 million or more were not used. Requires the Comptroller General to publish a report on agency compliance with the requirements of this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-07-19 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Commonsense Construction Contracting Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to prohibit reverse auction methods (bidding from high to low) from being used in the case of any contract for the procurement of design and construction services if the contract is suitable for award to a small business, or if the award is made under Small Business Administration (SBA) requirements concerning the federal award of procurement contracts or subcontracts to:

 small businesses; HUBZone (historically underutilized business zone) small businesses; and small businesses owned and controlled by veterans, disabled veterans, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, or women.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-07-30 00:00:00

Disaster Loan Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to provide the interest rate to be charged by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for loans made to small businesses 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act or later in major disaster areas. Requires such rate to be the lesser of 4% or one-half the prevailing rate for similar loans in the area for those unable to attain credit elsewhere, or three-fourths the prevailing rate for those able to attain credit elsewhere.

Directs the Administrator to report to Congress on whether the reduced rate has resulted in: (1) a greater number of applications for disaster-related loans, (2) a greater number of approvals for such loans, or (3) a decreased default rate.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury, with respect to any presidential election held after 2012, from making any payments from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund (Fund) to any national committee of a political party for political nominating conventions.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-07-31 00:00:00

Improving Opportunities for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Small Business Act to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) that transfers from the Secretary to the Administrator control and administration of a database of veteran-owned businesses. (Small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans with service-connected disabilities must be in that database to participate in the Veterans First program that gives VA contracting preferences to those businesses.)

Requires the Administrator to employ database fraud prevention measures that include: (1) the investigation of allegations of potential fraud, (2) the removal of unqualified businesses from the database, and (3) the referral of cases for prosecution when appropriate.

Requires any appeal by a small business of any determination of its status as a veteran-owned business to be heard by the SBA's Office of Hearings and Appeals.

Directs the Secretary, for the six years beginning on a date agreed to in the memorandum, to use fees the Secretary collects under multiple-award schedule contracts to reimburse the Administrator for the costs the Administrator incurs in implementing the memorandum.

Requires the Secretary and the Administrator, every 180 days, to: (1) meet to discuss ways to improve collaboration under the memorandum to increase opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses, (2) consult with congressionally-chartered Veterans Service Organizations to discuss ways to increase opportunities for those businesses, and (3) report to Congress on their progress in implementing the memorandum.

(Sec. 3) Requires the Secretary to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the SBA specifying the manner in which the Secretary shall notify the Administrator as to whether an individual is a veteran and if that veteran has a service-connected disability.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2013-08-01 00:00:00

Fairness to Veterans for Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013 - Amends MAP-21 to revise the requirement that 10% of the award of contracts for federal-aid highway, federal public transportation, and highway safety research and development programs be set-aside for small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Requires the set-aside to include veteran-owned small business concerns.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2013-08-02 00:00:00

National Expansion of Working-families Housing Options Using Small Enterprises Act of 2013 or the NEW HOUSE Act of 2013 - Amends the State Small Business Credit Initiative Act of 2010 to allow states participating in the state small business credit initiative to provide funds to small businesses to be used: (1) to develop, acquire, rehabilitate, maintain, operate, or manage housing projects for low- or moderate-income households; (2) to cover any matching, non-federal contribution required in connection with any other federal grant or assistance program providing such housing; or (3) to purchase foreclosed properties and property being sold by a state or local government in order to provide such housing.

Earmarks for such projects certain amounts unobligated as of the date of enactment of the Strengthening Economic Development Through Affordable Housing Act of 2013.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2013-09-12 00:00:00

Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act - Treats the surviving spouse of a service-disabled veteran who acquires the ownership interest in a small business of the deceased veteran as such veteran, for purposes of eligibility for VA service-disabled small business contracting goals and preferences, for a period of: (1) 10 years after the veteran's death, if such veteran was either 100% disabled or died from a service-connected disability; or (2) 3 years after such death, if the veteran was less than 100% disabled and did not die from a service-connected disability.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-09-18 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the 100% exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock held for more than 5 years.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-09-23 00:00:00

IRS Rulemaking Fairness Act of 2013 - Expands requirements relating to review of federal agency actions that have a significant economic impact on small entities (e.g., small organizations and businesses) to include rulemaking by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-09-26 00:00:00

Expanding Opportunities to Underserved Businesses Act - Amends the Small Business Act to increase from $50,000 to $75,000 the maximum loan amount under the Small Business Administration (SBA) microloan program (loans to start-up, newly established, or growing small businesses).
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-10-30 00:00:00

Small Business Fairness in Obamacare Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), to: (1) exempt a small business concern, as defined by the Small Business Act, from the PPACA employer mandate to provide employees with minimum essential health care coverage; and (2) redefine "full-time employee," for purposes of such mandate, as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 (currently, 30) hours a week.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-11-13 00:00:00

Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow businesses with average annual gross receipts of not more than $50,000 that prevail in an administrative or court proceeding involving the determination, collection, or refund of tax, interest, or penalty to recover their costs incurred in such proceedings; (2) increase the amount of civil damages against Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officers or employees for reckless, intentional, or negligent disregard of internal revenue laws and extend from two to five years the period for bringing a claim for damages; (3) increase the penalties against federal officers or employees for unlawful acts in connection with internal revenue laws and for unauthorized disclosures or inspections of tax returns; and (4) allow a taxpayer whose interest abatement claim does not exceed $50,000 to elect to bring a small tax case petition in U.S. Tax Court.

Prohibits ex parte communications between officers in the IRS Office of Appeals and other IRS employees with respect to matters pending before such officers and employees.

Authorizes new alternative dispute resolution procedures for taxpayer disputes with the IRS.

Extends to three years: (1) the period in which taxpayer property that has been wrongfully levied upon may be returned, and (2) the period for bringing suit against the United States for a wrongful tax levy.

Authorizes the waiver of the fee for establishing an installment agreement for payment of tax for certain low-income taxpayers who agree to make electronic debit payments.

 Allows a taxpayer seeking review of a claim for innocent spouse relief or of a collection case in U.S. Tax Court a 60-day suspension of the period for filing a petition for such review when the U.S. Bankruptcy Court has issued an automatic stay in a bankruptcy case involving the taxpayer's claim.

Allows de novo review in U.S. Tax Court of any determination by the IRS with respect to a claim for equitable innocent spouse relief.

Prohibits the IRS Office of Appeals from considering or deciding any new issue in an internal appeal that is not within the scope of the initial determination made in a taxpayer's case.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2014-01-13 00:00:00

Reward and Encourage New Business Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from $5,000 to $10,000 the maximum amount of the tax deduction for business start-up expenditures.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-01-28 00:00:00

Community Investment and Empowerment Act - Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make grants on a competitive basis to communities for: the creation of a grant and/or revolving loan fund program that helps develop financing packages for Class 1 commercial investment (defined as retail grocery chains, food service retailers, restaurants and franchises, retail stores, cafes, shopping malls, and other shops); lowering real estate property tax rates; conducting community-wide market analysis to help recruit and/or retain Class 1 commercial investment; creating employment training programs for Class 1 business customer service, sales, and managerial positions; retail marketing strategies to solicit new Class 1 commercial investment starts in the community; program allowances for activities such as the publication of marketing materials, development of economic development web pages, and educational outreach activities with retail trade associations; and hiring business recruitment specialists. Authorizes the Administrator to only make such a grant to communities: (1) whose demographics include a median per capita income no higher than $35,000 and a lack of Class 1 commercial investment; (2) that submit an application that describes the activities the community carries out, and the difficulty the community has faced, to recruit, retain and grow their economy through Class 1 commercial investment; and (3) that agree to match 10% of grant funds with certain non-federal contributions. Allows the Administrator to waive or reduce the non-federal contribution if the community involved demonstrates that it cannot meet the contribution requirement due to financial hardship.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2014-02-11 00:00:00

Helping Our Middle-Class Entrepreneurs Act or the HOME Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer who uses a residence to conduct a trade or business a standard tax deduction equal to the lesser of $1,500 or the taxpayer's gross trade or business income derived from the business use of such residence.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-02-14 00:00:00

Accelerate Our Startups Act of 2014 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop and implement a grant program for state and local governmental and other nonprofit organizations located in the United States that support startup businesses by providing assistance for construction costs, space acquisition, and programmatic purposes.

Requires a grant recipient to: (1) demonstrate that it will use the grant to provide assistance to at least five client businesses per year that have been in business for less than five years, (2) require client businesses to pay an entry fee to participate in the program, and (3) submit annual progress reports.

Directs the Administrator: (1) to establish grant criteria favoring recipients that provide startups with office, manufacturing, or warehouse space, access to capital and professional services, and a formal structured mentorship or developmental program that assists with building business skills and competencies; and (2) in determining whether to make a grant, to take into account promoting growth in underserviced areas with sufficient population density and the organization's entrepreneurial leadership experience, ability to utilize and leverage local strengths, and record with regard to client business participation.

Directs the SBA to condition receipt of a grant under this Act on the recipient obtaining matching funding for the same purposes from a local or state government grant and nonpublic funding.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-02-26 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Greater Opportunities for Small Business Act of 2014 - Amends the Small Business Act to require subcontracting plans for certain contracts with federal agencies exceeding a specified amount to include a minimum percentage goal of at least 40% for the utilization of small businesses as subcontractors.

Increases from 23% to 25% the minimum government-wide percentage goal for participation by small businesses in the total value of all procurement contracts awarded as prime contracts for each fiscal year.

Repeals a requirement under which first tier subcontracts (contracts in which a subcontractor has a subcontract directly with the prime contractor) awarded to small businesses by management and operating contractors sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE) are considered toward the annually established agency and government-wide goals for procurement contracts awarded.

Delays the effective date of the 40% goal until the Small Business Administration (SBA) has promulgated any regulations necessary, and the Federal Acquisition Regulation has been revised, to implement specified provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 concerning the standards for determining whether a prime contractor has attained small business subcontracting percentage goals.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-02-26 00:00:00

Contracting Data and Bundling Accountability Act of 2014 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop a plan to improve the quality of data reported on bundled and consolidated contracts in the federal procurement data system.

Requires the plan to: (1) describe the roles and responsibilities of the Administrator, the Directors of the Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, the Small Business Procurement Advisory Council, the Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, the Administrator of the General Services Administration, the senior procurement executives, and Chief Acquisition Officers in implementing the plan and contributing to the annual report; (2) make necessary changes to policies and procedures on proper identification and mitigation of contract bundling and consolidation, and to training procedures of relevant personnel on proper identification and mitigation of contract bundling and consolidation; (3) establish consequences for failure to properly identify contracts as bundled or consolidated; (4) establish requirements for periodic and statistically valid data verification and validation; and (5) assign clear data verification responsibilities. Requires the finalized plan to be presented to the House and Senate small business committees by not later than 90 days prior to implementation.

Directs the Administrator to: (1) implement the plan by the first day of FY2017, and (2) annually provide to such committees certification of the accuracy and completeness of data reported on bundled and consolidated contracts.

Directs the Comptroller General (GAO): (1) to initiate a study by the first day of FY2018 on the effectiveness of the plan that shall assess whether contracts were accurately labeled as bundled or consolidated; and (2) not later than 12 months after initiating the study, to report to the small business committees on the results from such study and, if warranted, any recommendations on how to improve the quality of data reported on bundled and consolidated contracts.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2014-02-28 00:00:00

Helping Entrepreneurs Lower Prices Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the definition of "eligible small employer," for purposes of the small employer health insurance tax credit, to mean an employer who has not more than 50 (currently, 25) full-time employees for a taxable year.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2014-02-28 00:00:00

Small Business Attraction and Retention Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the period during which an employer may qualify for the small employer health insurance tax credit from two to three consecutive taxable years beginning with the first taxable year in which such employer offers one or more qualified health plans to its employees through an American Health Benefit Exchange.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2014-04-10 00:00:00

Small Business Growth in Manufacturing Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow small business employers a business-related tax credit for up to 50% of qualified employee training expenses in a taxable year, (2) make permanent the tax credit for increasing research expenditures, and (3) increase the rate of the alternative simplified research tax credit.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-05-01 00:00:00

Small Business Access to Capital Act of 2014 - Amends the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 to extend for an additional eight fiscal years the State Small Business Credit Initiative to assist participating states to give collateral support and other innovative credit access and guarantee initiatives for small businesses and manufacturers.

Prescribes allocations of federal funds to participating states.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to award, on a competitive basis, up to a total of $1 billion in two tranches, according to specified criteria, to participating states and consortiums of participating states for use: (1) for making federal contributions to, or for the account of, an approved state program; and (2) as collateral for a qualifying loan or swap funding facility.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-05-08 00:00:00

Empowering Encore Entrepreneurs Act of 2014 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program under which the Administrator may enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, or make grants to, nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance, mentoring, and other specialized training activities for encore entrepreneurs.

Defines "encore entrepreneur" to mean an entrepreneur, business person, or owner of a small business concern who: (1) is seeking to start a new small business concern or expand an existing one, and (2) is at least age 50 or has at least 20 years of experience in a workplace.

Directs the Administrator to give special consideration to applications seeking funding for programs for: (1) members of the Armed Forces impacted by base closures or realignment, or (2) encore entrepreneurs unemployed for a period of not less than one year.

Terminates the program on September 30, 2017.

Requires the Administrator to submit to specified congressional committees a report that describes the barriers and obstacles faced by encore entrepreneurs in starting new small business concerns or expanding existing small business concerns.