jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-03-03 00:00:00

Commonsense Legislative Exceptional Events Reforms Act of 2015

This bill amends the Clean Air Act to revise the requirements for regulations that govern the review and handling of air quality monitoring data influenced by exceptional events. (The Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] may exclude monitored exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards from consideration when designating an area as nonattainment, redesignating an area as nonattainment, or reclassifying an existing nonattainment area to a higher classification if a state demonstrates that an exceptional event caused the exceedances.)

 The criteria used to determine if an exceptional event was demonstrated must be specific in order to minimize the discretion of the EPA in approving or disapproving the demonstration.

 The EPA must make a determination within 90 days after the submission of a petition by a state of an exceptional event demonstration. The demonstration is approved if the EPA does not make a determination by that deadline.

 A determination must be based on a preponderance of the evidence and give substantial deference to the findings of the state exceptional event demonstration. An appeal process for reviewing a disapproval of a demonstration is established.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-03-03 00:00:00

Agency PAYGO for Greenhouse Gases Act

This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to include an offset in any proposed rule that limits greenhouse gas emissions and imposes increased costs on other agencies. The offset must be from funds available to the EPA and be for all projected increased costs imposed on other agencies.

Agencies may not pass on the cost imposed by the rule on to any rate payer of the agencies.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-03-03 00:00:00

Ozone Regulatory Delay and Extension of Assessment Length Act of 2015 or the ORDEAL Act of 2015

This bill amends the Clean Air Act to lengthen from 5 years to 10 years the intervals at which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to review and revise air quality criteria and primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). This bill eliminates the EPA's authority to review and revise criteria or promulgate new standards for ozone concentrations earlier or more frequently than required. The EPA may not review and revise NAAQS for ozone concentrations before February 1, 2018. The EPA must complete a thorough review of the NAAQS for ozone concentrations and make revisions no later December 31, 2018.

The intervals at which an independent scientific review committee is required to review air quality criteria and NAAQS and recommend any new standards or revisions to existing criteria and standards are lengthened from 5 years to 10 years. The bill delays the review by an independent scientific review committee of NAAQS for ozone concentrations until February 1, 2018.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-03-17 00:00:00

Clean Air, Strong Economies Act or the Case Act

This bill prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from lowering its national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone until at least 85% of counties that are in nonattainment areas (counties that are exceeding the limit) have attained the standard.

In promulgating a primary or secondary NAAQS for ozone, the EPA must:

 only consider a county to be a nonattainment area on the basis of direct air quality monitoring (rather than modeling); take into consideration feasibility and cost; and include in the regulatory impact analysis for the proposed and final rule at least one analysis that does not include any calculation of benefits resulting from reducing emissions of any pollutant other than ozone.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-05-07 00:00:00

This bill amends the Clean Air Act to apply limitations on Reid vapor pressure (a measure of gasoline's volatility) applicable to gasoline blended with 10% ethanol (E10) to gasoline blended with more than 10% ethanol. Limitations on Reid vapor pressure are placed on gasoline during the summer ozone season.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Energy
Date: 2015-05-11 00:00:00

This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Department of Energy to consider the objective of improving the conversion, use, and storage of carbon dioxide produced from fossil fuels when carrying out certain research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs in fossil energy.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-05-11 00:00:00

This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency, when taking an action regarding air emissions from an energy source or facility that uses forest biomass, to assume that forest biomass emissions do not increase overall carbon accumulations in the atmosphere if: (1) a Department of Agriculture's Forest Inventory and Analysis that is current at the time the action is taken shows that forest carbon stocks in the United States are stable or increasing; or (2) the forest biomass is derived from mill residuals, harvest residuals, or forest management activities.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-05-13 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Affordable Reliable Electricity Now Act of 2015

(Sec. 3) This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to meet certain conditions prior to issuing, implementing, or enforcing a rule under the Clean Air Act that: (1) establishes a performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from new, modified, or reconstructed fossil fuel-fired power plants (new power plants); and (2) addresses carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired power plants (existing power plants).

In issuing those rules for new power plants, the EPA must: (1) place power plants fueled with coal and natural gas into separate categories, and (2) establish a separate subcategory for power plants using coal below a specified average heat content. The EPA must base greenhouse gas standards for new power plans on existing carbon capture and storage technology. Before the EPA can establish a greenhouse gas standard based on the best system of emission reduction for new power plants, the standard must first be achieved for at least one year at representative power plants throughout the country. The EPA may not use results obtained from demonstration projects when setting the standard.

(Sec. 4) In order to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants, the EPA must:

 report on the quantity of projected greenhouse gas emission reductions, assess the impacts of a rule to EPA's climate indicators, and issue state-specific model plans demonstrating how each state can meet the required greenhouse gas emission reductions. States need not adopt or implement a state plan, or be subject to a federal plan, that addresses carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants if the plan would negatively affect: (1) economic growth, competitiveness, and jobs; (2) the reliability of its electricity system; or (3) electricity ratepayers by causing rate increases.

The bill extends the compliance dates of those rules for existing power plants pending final judicial review.

(Sec. 5) State noncompliance with any of those rules for new or existing power plants does not constitute a reason for imposing a highway project sanction.

(Sec. 6) The bill nullifies specified rules under the Clean Air Act concerning greenhouse gases from power plants.

(Sec. 7) The EPA may regulate an existing power plant for either hazardous air pollutants or non-hazardous pollution, but not both.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-06-10 00:00:00

American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act of 2015

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose fees on: (1) fossil fuel products producing carbon dioxide emissions, including coal, petroleum products, and natural gas; (2) fluorinated greenhouse gases; (3) emissions of any greenhouse gas from any greenhouse gas emissions source; and (4) methane emissions.

Directs the Department of the Treasury to: (1) establish, implement, and report on a program to collect data on methane emissions by major non-natural sources, including emissions attributable to the extraction and distribution of coal, petroleum products, and natural gas; (2) pay a refund of fees imposed by this Act to exporters of energy-intensive manufactured goods; (3) make one $500 payment each calendar year to certain social security beneficiaries, veterans, and disabled individuals; (4) make cost mitigation grants to states to assist low-income and rural households and provide job training and worker transition assistance; and (5) establish a website to make regular disclosures concerning revenue, tax savings, and benefits attributable to this Act.

Reduces the maximum income tax rate on corporations to 29% of taxable income over $75,000.

Allows a new carbon fee offset tax credit for the lesser of: (1) 6.2% of earned income, or (2) $500.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2015-07-09 00:00:00

Forest Incentives Program Act of 2015

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a forest incentives program to achieve supplemental greenhouse gas emission reductions and carbon sequestration on U.S. private forest land (eligible land) through:

 carbon incentives contracts, and conservation easement agreements. In selecting projects under such program, USDA shall give priority to contracts and agreements that:

 sequester the most carbon on a per acre basis; and create forestry jobs or protect habitats and achieve significant other environmental, economic, and social benefits. To participate in such program, an owner of eligible land must enter into a carbon incentives contract.

USDA shall make financial incentive payments to owners of eligible land for:

 certain forestry practices that measurably increase carbon sequestration and storage over a designated period on eligible land, and conservation easements on eligible land covered under a conservation easement agreement. The Department of the Interior may set aside a portion of program funds to develop specified forest carbon modeling and methodologies and for other specified purposes.

Interior shall establish a greenhouse gas incentives program to achieve supplemental greenhouse gas emission reductions from material choices in buildings.

Interior shall provide owners of nonresidential buildings used for commercial or state or local government purposes incentive payments for the use of commercial or industrial products composed of biological products for sequestering carbon in those buildings. Program participants shall receive their payments upon the completion of the construction or renovation of the applicable building.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-09-24 00:00:00

This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an Early Action Compact Program, which allows an area that is not attaining the eight-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) to obtain a deferment of a nonattainment designation upon the relevant state, local, and tribal government voluntarily developing an early action compact plan. The eight-hour ozone NAAQS measures ozone levels over eight-hour periods to determine the amount of ground-level ozone (i.e., smog) in the environment.

 The EPA: (1) must issue a decision on each early action compact plan no later than one year after it is submitted, and (2) may not designate an area as a nonattainment area until it has issued a decision to approve or deny a plan.

 The EPA must establish separate requirements relating to winter ozone levels for each early action compact plan.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-09-24 00:00:00

Super Pollutants Act of 2015

This bill requires the President to establish the Interagency Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Mitigation. The Task Force must report on federal agencies' plans for reducing those pollutants, including: (1) black carbon (soot emissions), (2) methane, and (3) hydrofluorocarbons with high global warming potential (high-GWP HFC).

The Department of State must develop a comprehensive plan to reduce black carbon emissions from international shipping, which must include a roadmap toward helping countries reduce fine-particle emissions from shipping. While acting as chairperson of the Arctic Council, the Secretary of State must: (1) lead an effort to reduce black carbon through an Arctic-wide aspirational black carbon goal, and (2) encourage observers of that Council to adopt national black carbon emissions reduction goals and mitigation plans.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) must: (1) prioritize black carbon mitigation activities as part of aid distribution activities; (2) give special emphasis to projects that produce substantial environmental, gender, livelihood, and public health benefits; and (3) work with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to help developing nations establish thriving markets for clean and efficient cooking solutions.

The State Department must provide technical assistance to aid international efforts in reducing black carbon emissions from diesel trucks, 2-stroke engines, diesel generators, and industrial processes.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must: (1) evaluate the availability of high-GWP HFC alternatives, and (2) report on a plan for revising regulatory barriers that prevent the use of those alternatives.

The bill amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit the manufacture of any uncharged hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 air-conditioning condensing equipment for residential use. The EPA must study and report on the most effective method to minimize the inadvertent release of HFC-134a from automotive air conditioning recharge kits when the recharge container is not being used.

The State Department, DOE, the EPA, and the Department of Commerce must provide to other countries technical guidance on containing emissions from gas drilling, landfills, coal mining, and agriculture.

The Government Accountability Office must identify: (1) the types of equipment throughout the production value chain that are most likely to have high leak rates, and (2) voluntary efforts on replacing or monitoring those types of equipment.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-11-19 00:00:00

Carbon Capture Improvement Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the issuance of tax-exempt facility bonds for the financing of qualified carbon dioxide capture facilities A qualified carbon dioxide capture facility is a facility that captures or stores carbon dioxide from coal, natural gas, biomass, and other industrial sources.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-12-10 00:00:00

Climate Protection and Justice Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to address greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the bill:

 states as U.S. policy greenhouse gas emission targets for 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050 that will result in reducing the emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050; establishes a fee for manufacturing, producing, or importing certain carbon polluting substances (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) that increases over time; establishes the Interagency Climate Council to evaluate whether the targets are being met; requires the Environmental Protection Agency to issue regulations to ensure the targets are met if the council finds the targets are not being met; requires those fees to be deposited in the Carbon Fee Rebate Fund established by this bill; establishes the Carbon Fee Rebate Program, which will distribute proceeds from the fees to eligible U.S. residents; establishes a Climate Justice Resiliency Grant Program to fund projects that mitigate climate impacts on communities that are unable to afford the management or mitigation of those impacts; expands the definition of solid waste under the Clean Air Act and applies air pollution emission limits to those wastes; and establishes a fee on carbon pollution-intensive goods imported into the United States, requires the fees to be deposited in the Carbon Equivalency Fee Fund established by this bill, and requires the fund to be used for certain purposes, including improving industrial energy efficiency. The bill provides funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, and the Rural Energy for America Program.

 The bill revises the Food Security Act of 1985 by providing incentives for farmers to use no-till cultivation practices and sustainable fertilizer application practices.

 The bill revises the Federal Power Act to enable access on the electric grid for demand response programs (programs that enable customers to reduce or shift their power use during peak demand periods).
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2016-03-09 00:00:00

Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 or the RPM Act of 2016

This bill amends the Clean Air Act to allow the modification of a vehicle's air emission controls if the vehicle is used solely for competition.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2016-04-19 00:00:00

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

Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2016 

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize through FY2021 a diesel emissions reduction program. The program authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants, rebates, or loans for reducing diesel emissions from certain diesel vehicles or fleets by retrofitting or replacing their engines.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2016-04-19 00:00:00

Title X Amendments Act of 2016

This bill reauthorizes the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 and revises the purpose for grants for lead-based paint hazard reduction in target housing.

Such grants shall be made instead for reduction of lead-based paint hazards and correction of other housing-related hazards, including any condition of residential real property that poses a risk of biological, physical, radiological, or chemical exposure that can adversely affect human health.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development may establish a process by which, in order to verify a family's income level, a grantee may first obtain and use income and program participation information from an entity administering:

 the HOME Investment Partnerships program under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act; the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966; reduced price or free lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; the weatherization assistance program for low-income persons established under the Energy Conservation and Production Act; the temporary assistance for needy families program under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSAct); the supplemental security income program under SSAct title XVI; or any other program consistent with the family income requirements of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992. An Indian tribe and a private nonprofit organization shall be eligible to apply for such a grant, in addition to certain state or local governments, for specified activities relating to lead-based paint hazards.

A private nonprofit organization shall also be eligible to apply for a grant to reduce housing-related health hazards.

The bill revises grantee selection criteria for a grant to carry out activities relating to lead-based paint hazards, and prescribes criteria for activities relating to housing-related hazards.

The bill also prescribes an allocation of funds for grants to assess and correct housing-related health hazards and evaluate the effectiveness of such assessments and corrections.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2016-04-27 00:00:00

Climate Change Adapt America Bond Act of 2016

This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to issue Climate Change Bonds. The proceeds from the bonds must be deposited in the Adapt America Fund established by this bill within the Department of Commerce.

Commerce must carry out an investment program to fund projects, using bond revenue, that aid in adaption to climate change.

The bill establishes the Climate Change Advisory Commission to: (1) establish recommendations, frameworks, and guidelines for the program; and (2) identify categories of the most cost-effective investments and projects that emphasize multiple benefits to commerce, human health, and ecosystems.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2016-04-28 00:00:00

Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016

This bill amends the Clean Air Act by revising the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) program.

The bill delays the implementation of the ozone NAAQS that were published in 2015. The bill extends until: (1) October 26, 2024, the deadline for states to submit designations to implement the 2015 ozone NAAQS; and (2) October 26, 2025, the deadline for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate state areas as attainment, nonattainment, or unclassifiable areas with respect to the 2015 ozone NAAQS. States must submit a state implementation plan (SIP) by October 26, 2026, to implement, maintain, and enforce the 2015 ozone NAAQS.

The bill also changes the review cycle for criteria pollutant NAAQS from a 5-year review cycle to a 10-year review cycle. The EPA may not complete its next review of ozone NAAQS before October 26, 2025.

Prior to establishing or revising NAAQS, the EPA must obtain advice from its scientific advisory committee regarding potential adverse public health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects which may result from attaining and maintaining NAAQS.

The EPA must publish regulations and guidance for implementing NAAQS concurrently with the issuance of a new or revised standard. New or revised NAAQS must not apply to preconstruction permits for constructing or modifying a major emitting facility or major stationary source of air pollutants until those regulations and guidance have been published.

The bill revises requirements concerning SIPs for extreme ozone nonattainment areas and particulate matter nonattainment areas.