jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2009-10-07 00:00:00

Small Business Investment Company Modernization Act of 2009 - Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase the amount that a state or local governmental entity may invest in a small business investment company (SBIC) applicant or licensee from 33% to 45% of the private capital of such applicant or licensee. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to: (1) approve within 60 days after receipt an application for licensing as an SBIC, as long as the applicant meets specified experiential and operational requirements; and (2) notify and provide an opportunity to an applicant to cure any nonconformance with such requirements. Revises the maximum amount of outstanding leverage of SBICs. Provides a limit on the maximum rate of interest authorized to be charged by SBICs for long-term small business loans. Directs the Administrator to exclude the cost basis of any equity investment made by an SBIC in small businesses owned and controlled by veterans when calculating outstanding SBIC leverage limits. Authorizes an SBIC to invest in certain passive entities wholly-owned by the SBIC. Provides that an SBIC with earmarked assets shall not be deemed in capital impairment during the first 72 months after licensing if its impairment does not exceed 85%. Requires the SBA Associate Administrator for Investment to establish an agency record of evidence referring or relating to each application for an SBIC license. Directs the Administrator to provide a written explanation of any denial of a license application based upon evidence in such record. Provides FY2010-FY2011 levels for the SBA purchase of participating securities and guarantee of debentures under the SBIC program.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2009-10-08 00:00:00

Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish programs of grants to state and local government entities for the purpose of providing assistance to eligible small businesses to gain access to the specialized knowledge and professional services needed to operate small businesses in the construction industry, enhance their capacities and qualifications for financial and surety credit, and access and compete for construction contracting opportunities. Defines as eligible small businesses for such purposes: (1) those owned and controlled by women; (2) any socially and economically disadvantaged small business; and (3) those owned and controlled by veterans, especially service-disabled veterans.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2009-10-08 00:00:00

Small Business SOX Compliance Relief Act - Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to modify its regulations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) for annual management assessments of, and reports on, internal financial controls. Requires such regulations to exempt a non-accelerated filer of a required annual report from the requirement that each registered public accounting firm that prepares or issues the audit report for a securities issuer attest to, and report on, the assessment by the issuer's management of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting (thereby extending the current moratorium on such requirement for small businesses).
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-10-22 00:00:00

Small Business Property Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2010 the increased expensing allowance for depreciable business assets.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-10-28 00:00:00

Helping Small Businesses Grow and Prosper Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the amount of business-related meal and entertainment expenses allowed as a tax deduction for businesses that employ an average of less than 50 employees in a taxable year to 80% (currently, 50%) of such expenses.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-11-06 00:00:00

Jobs Opportunity and Business Stability Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain small business owners with fewer than 20 employees and annual gross receipts not exceeding $5,000,000 a refundable tax credit for increasing their payrolls in 2010 and 2011 by specified percentages. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to Congress on ways to provide benefits to nonprofit organizations that are comparable to the tax credit provided by this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2009-11-19 00:00:00

Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Procurement Reform Act of 2009 - Amends the Small Business Act to subject to certain penalties any person misrepresenting the status of a business or person as a small business owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans in order to obtain a federal procurement contract. Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish an Office of Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Procurement to: (1) provide oversight of the procurement program for small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans; and (2) report to the Administrator on program performance. Directs the Administrator to establish an Office of Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Development to, among other things, promote business opportunities for small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans. Requires the Administrator to appoint in each SBA regional office a veterans procurement specialist.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-12-03 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase to $3.5 million the limitation on the reduction in the fair market value of real property used for farming or in another trade or business for estate tax purposes; and (2) allow an annual inflation adjustment to the limitation amount after 2010.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-12-03 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the definition of "qualified nonrecourse financing" to include qualified nonrecourse real property or Small Business Investment Company financing as amounts at risk for purposes of determining the deductibility of losses from certain investment activities, including farming, leasing, and energy exploration.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2009-12-08 00:00:00

Promoting Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 - Reinstates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) small business loan program, under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs provides financial assistance to veterans' small businesses. Qualifies for such assistance any veteran business owner with a disability rated at 10% (under current law, 30%) or more. Removes VA authority to provide such assistance through direct loans, while maintaining authority for loan guaranties. Increases from $200,000 to $500,000 the maximum guaranty amount. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) contract-out to provide such loans; and (2) subsidize the interest rates paid under such loans. Provides a loan guarantee preference for National Guard and reserve members activated in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Requires (current law authorizes) a VA contracting officer to award contracts to small businesses owned and controlled by veterans using other than competitive procedures for contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold in order to meet VA small business procurement contracting goals. Allows the Secretary to evaluate a contract bid submitted by a small business owned and controlled by veterans on the same basis as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) evaluates a bid submitted by a socially and economically disadvantaged small business. Amends the Small Business Act to extend the period of eligibility for certain small business assistance in the case of small businesses owned by individuals who are called or ordered to active duty for more than 30 days. Increases the amount of the monthly subsistence allowance payable to veterans participating in VA vocational rehabilitation programs. Directs the Secretary to award up to 2,000 internships annually to veterans who have completed a vocational rehabilitation program. Requires the Secretary to pay to a veteran who is unemployed for at least four months, 59 years old or younger, and ineligible for other VA education or training assistance a training assistance allowance for each month the veteran is enrolled in a program of apprenticeship or other on-job training. Authorizes the Secretary to pay a $500 monthly assistance allowance to a rural veteran teacher. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations for veterans' workforce investment programs. Directs the Secretary to include on the main VA Internet website a hyperlink with a drop-down menu entitled "Veterans Employment," which shall link to appropriate Internet employment websites.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-12-08 00:00:00

Small Business Research and Experimentation Simplification Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow small business employers with an average of 500 or fewer employees in a calendar year a partially refundable tax credit for 20% of their research expenditures. Terminates such credit after 2015. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress by June 30, 2015, on an analysis of the usefulness and effectiveness of any recommended changes in the research tax credit allowed by this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2009-12-10 00:00:00

Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish and carry out a program of making loans directly to small businesses. Limits loan amounts to the lesser of 10% of annual business revenues or $500,000. Provides program funding from unobligated amounts available under title I (Troubled Asset Relief Program [TARP]) of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-12-10 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the rate of the excise tax on beer produced within or imported into the United States for brewers who produce not more than 6 million barrels of beer a year.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2009-12-11 00:00:00

Small Business Emergency Capital Assistance Act of 2009 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to carry out a program under which the Administrator may make loans directly to small businesses determined to: (1) be economically healthy; (2) have good credit; and (3) be unable to obtain a loan on reasonable terms from a non-federal source. Limits loan amounts to $1.5 million, with a maximum repayment term of 25 years. Requires: (1) the Administrator to report annually to the congressional small business committees concerning loans made under the program; and (2) the Comptroller General to evaluate the program's effectiveness and report evaluation results to such committees.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2009-12-14 00:00:00

Small Business Job Creation and Access to Capital Act of 2009 - Amends the Small Business Act to increase maximum amounts of loans under the following Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs: (1) the section 7(a) (general small business loans) guaranteed loan program; (2) the section 504 (state and local development company) program; and (3) the Microloan (small-scale loans to start-up, newly-established, and growing small businesses) program. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to extend through 2010 SBA authority to reduce or eliminate loan fees on section 7(a) and 504 loans. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to apply single-business investment limits to SBA-recognized new markets venture capital companies. Directs the SBA Administrator to establish for prospective borrowers an alternative small business size standard that uses maximum tangible net worth and average net income as an alternative to the use of industry standards. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should establish a website that: (1) lists SBA lenders and provides loan rate information; and (2) allows prospective borrowers to compare rates on SBA-guaranteed loans. Amends provisions of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 relating to the local development business loan program to allow a small business borrower under such program to refinance a previous business debt: (1) that was incurred no less than two years before application for the SBA loan; (2) that is a commercial loan; (3) that is not guaranteed by a federal agency; (4) the proceeds of which were used to acquire a fixed asset for the benefit of the small business; (5) that is collateralized by fixed assets; and (6) for which the borrower has been current on all payments for at least one year. Allows the Administrator to provide financing under such program for a borrower that meets certain job creation or retention goals. Provides an alternate job retention goal for which a borrower may qualify.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-12-14 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the 15-year recovery period classification for qualified leasehold improvement, restaurant, and retail improvement property, for purposes of the depreciation tax deduction.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-12-15 00:00:00

Bonus Depreciation and Enhanced Expensing for Small Businesses Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2010: (1) the increased expensing allowance for depreciable small business assets (i.e., $250,000); (2) bonus depreciation for depreciable business property; and (3) the taxpayer election to accelerate alternative minimum tax and research tax credits in lieu of bonus depreciation. Sets forth special rules for taxpayers who previously elected acceleration of such credits and for those who did not.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2009-12-16 00:00:00

Main Street Survival Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should encourage financial institutions that have received federal financial support to maintain historic levels of lending to small and medium-sized businesses. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a three-year Main Street Revolving Loan Fund Program to provide temporary loans to businesses with less than 1,000 full-time equivalent employees. Establishes in the Treasury a revolving loan fund to implement the Program. Permits a business to use a Main Street revolving loan to finance the cost of certain operations, but prohibits the use of it to expand its operations significantly. Limits the term of such a loan to nine months, and the maximum total amount of loans to a particular business in any fiscal year to $1 million.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2009-12-16 00:00:00

BPA Consumer Information Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a food to be misbranded if its container: (1) is composed, in whole or in part, of bisphenol A or could release bisphenol A into food; and (2) fails to display such information in a warning on its label.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2009-12-16 00:00:00

Minority Business Development Improvements Act of 2009 - Requires the Director of the Minority Business Development Agency to establish the Minority Business Development Program to provide qualified minority businesses with technical assistance, loan guarantees, and contract procurement assistance. Outlines minority business qualification requirements for the Program, including that: (1) not less than 51% of the entity be directly and unconditionally owned by historically disadvantaged individuals; and (2) each officer or other individual exercising control over regular operations is a historically disadvantaged individual. Outlines specific types of technical assistance and loan guarantees authorized under the Program. Provides loan guarantee limits. Authorizes the Director to enter into agreements for the fulfillment of federal procurement contracts by, and contracting opportunities for, qualified minority businesses. Provides contract limits. Allows the Director to terminate a qualified minority business from the Program under specified circumstances.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2010-01-12 00:00:00

Small Business Contracting Protection Act of 2010 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to issue regulations defining the term "pass-through business" with respect to another business, for purposes of possible misrepresentation in obtaining SBA-administered small business loans. Outlines criteria for determining whether an entity qualifies as a pass-through business for such purposes. Provides penalties for misrepresentation as a pass-through business.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2010-01-21 00:00:00

Helping Small Business Compete Act of 2010 - Amends the Small Business Act to increase from 23% to 25% the government-wide small business procurement contract goal. Requires the President, before the close of each fiscal year, to establish new goals. Requires each federal agency to have an anuual goal at least equal to the federal goal. Sets forth provisions concerning methods for goal achievement, including requiring procurement training for senior executives and a limitation on incentive awards for failure to meet goals. Redefines the term: (1) "bundled contract" to mean a contract or order entered into to meet procurement requirements that are consolidated in a bundling of contract requirements, without regard to its designation by the procuring agency or whether a study of the effects of the solicitation on civilian or military personnel has been made; and (2) "bundling of contract requirements" to mean any bundling methodology to satisfy two or more procurement requirements for new or existing goods or services, including any construction services, that is likely to be unsuitable for award to a small business due to the specialized nature of performance, the dollar value of the award, or the geographical dispersion of the contract or order performance. Makes the revised definitions inapplicable for contracts under $65 million for construction services and, for all other types of contracts, under $5 million. Requires notification to Small Business Administration (SBA) procurement center representatives of identifying information on incumbent contract holders, a description of the industries potentially interested in bidding on the contract requirements, and the number of small businesses listed in the industry categories that could be excluded from future bidding if the contract is bundled. Allows the SBA Administrator, if there is cause to believe a contract combines requirements or a contract or task or delivery order for construction services or includes unjustified bundling, to request a statement of work for goods and services, and to request that the solicitation process be postponed at least 10 days (but not more than 30) to allow the Administrator to review the statement and make recommendations. Allows a small business adversely affected by a proposed procurement that includes contract bundling to take specified actions. Allows the SBA, whenever the head of a contracting agency makes a decision concerning the Administrator's challenge to a bundling of contract requirements, to file a challenge with the appropriate agency board of contract appeals. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations concerning good faith compliance with small business subcontracting plans and requirements. Provides criminal penalties for violators making false statements in an effort to obtain a federal contract.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2010-01-26 00:00:00

Small Business Environmental Stewardship Assistance Act of 2010 - Amends the Small Business Act to reauthorize for FY2011-FY2015 the national small business tree planting program (a program under which the Small Business Administration (SBA) makes grants to states for contracting with small businesses to plant trees on land owned or controlled by a state or local government).
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2010-01-26 00:00:00

Job Creation Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2010 the increased expensing allowance for depreciable business assets; (2) exclude from gross income in 2010 100% of the gain from the sale of small business stock; and (3) exclude from gross income in 2010 all unemployment compensation. Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to require all amounts repaid under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to reduce the program's purchase authority. Amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (sanctions for filing a frivolous lawsuit) to: (1) require courts to award reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, to a prevailing party in a Rule 11 proceeding (currently discretionary); and (2) eliminate the 21-day period allowed for withdrawing or correcting a claim deemed frivolous. Requires state courts to apply Rule 11 to actions in state courts that substantially affect interstate commerce. Limits venue for personal injury claims filed in state or federal courts to the county or district: (1) in which the plaintiff or defendant resides; (2) where the plaintiff resided at the time of the alleged injury; or (3) the district in which the defendant's principal place of business is located. Imposes additional sanctions: (1) on attorneys who are found to violate Rule 11 three or more times; and (2) for willful and intentional destruction of documents relevant to a pending action in federal court. Establishes a rebuttable presumption of a Rule 11 violation if a plaintiff attempts to litigate a claim that has already been litigated and lost on the merits. Prohibits a court in a Rule 11 proceeding from ordering the nondisclosure of the record of the proceeding unless the court makes a specific finding of fact that justifies such an order.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2010-02-22 00:00:00

Help Small Businesses Start and Grow Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an increased tax deduction for business start-up expenditures in 2009, 2010, or 2011; (2) allow a standard tax deduction for the business use of a home; (3) increase the rate of the tax deduction for business meals and entertainment expenses; and (4) extend bonus depreciation allowances through 2012. Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to: (1) establish and carry out a small business direct lending program; (2) report to the House and Senate Small Business Committees on the loan program, including the number and amount of loans made under the program. Requires the Comptroller General to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and identify any waste or abuse relating to the program.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2010-02-23 00:00:00

Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the performance of the federal government in meeting goals for participation in federal procurement contracts by small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans and women.