jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-07-23 00:00:00

Cost of Services and Translations Act or the COST Act

Requires federal agency Chief Financial Officers to include multilingual services accounting information in their mandatory annual reports to the agency head and to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Defines multilingual services to include: (1) services provided by interpreters hired by an agency; (2) services resulting in additional expenses which an agency provides to assist its employees or contractors to learn a non-English language; (3) agency preparation, translation, printing, or recordation of materials in a language other than English; and (4) services provided or performed for the federal government by agency employees or contractors that require speaking a non-English language that result in wage differentials or benefits provided by the agency.

Requires the annual financial management status report of the OMB to certain congressional committees to contain a Multilingual Services Expenses Report that includes: (1) a summary and analysis of the multilingual services accounting information prepared by each agency Chief Financial Officer, and (2) a description of any changes to the existing financial management structure of the federal government needed to establish an integrated individual agency accounting of all multilingual services conducted by each agency.

Requires the OMB to issue guidance that an agency Chief Financial Officer must follow in compiling multilingual services accounting information.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-07-28 00:00:00

One In, One Out Act

 Prohibits a federal agency from issuing a rule that imposes a cost or responsibility on a nongovernmental person or a state or local government unless: (1) such agency has repealed or revised one or more related rules in a way that reduces costs to the regulated entities, and (2) the cost of the new rule is less than or equal to the cost of the rules being repealed or revised.

Requires any rule that is repealed or revised to be published in the Federal Register.

Makes this Act inapplicable to any rule that: (1) relates to procurement by the agency, or (2) is being revised to be less burdensome by decreasing requirements imposed or compliance costs.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Small Business Regulatory Sunset Act of 2015

Requires each federal agency to establish a plan for the periodic review (every nine years) of: (1) its rules that have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, and (2) any small entity compliance guide required to be published by an agency. Sets forth criteria for review of a rule, including the continued need for the rule, the complexity of the rule, and the economic impact of the rule on small entities. Requires: (1) each agency to publish in the Federal Register and on the agency website a list of the rules and small entity compliance guides to be reviewed under the plan, and (2) the agency Inspector General to determine whether the agency has conducted the required review.

Provides that each covered rule (i.e., any rule for which an agency is required to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis and which is a major rule) promulgated by an agency shall cease to have effect seven years after the final version of such rule is published unless renewed by the agency using the notice and comment rulemaking process.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-08-04 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on September 13, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Require Evaluation before Implementing Executive Wishlists Act of 2016 or the REVIEW Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill prohibits a final agency rule from being published or taking effect until the agency submits the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) and the OIRA makes a determination as to whether the rule is a high-impact rule. The agency shall publish such determination with the final rule.

An agency shall postpone the effective date of a high-impact rule until the final disposition of all actions seeking judicial review of the rule.

If no person seeks judicial review of a high-impact rule during any period explicitly provided for such review under the authorizing statute or during the 60-day period after the rule is published if no such period is explicitly provided, the rule may take effect as early as the date the applicable period ends.

The bill defines a "high-impact rule" as any rule that the OIRA determines may impose an annual cost on the economy of at least $1 billion.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-09-17 00:00:00

Transparency Requirements for Agency Conferences and Events Act or the TRACE Act

This bill requires the head of a federal agency who is hosting a conference or sending an agency employee to a conference to submit to the relevant congressional committee, not later than 30 days before the conference, a report that includes: (1) an itemized statement of the cost of attending the conference, including the total cost; (2) the total cost to the agency hosting the conference; (3) the names of keynote speakers; (4) a list of conference attendees; (5) the location of the conference; (6) a summary of the purposes and goals of the conference; and (7) a conference itinerary. Defines "conference" as a meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, training, or other event that involves travel for 50 or more attendees.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-09-22 00:00:00

This bill directs the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and Energy to each establish a pilot program to: (1) reduce the inventory of light vehicles owned by the department by 10% for each of the 5 fiscal years beginning after the expiration of the 1-year period starting on the date of enactment of this Act, and (2) increase the department's use of commercial ride-sharing companies.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-09-25 00:00:00

Improving All Government Efficiency Act of 2015 or the IMAGE Act of 2015 

This bill directs the Office of Management and Budget to coordinate with the heads of relevant federal departments or agencies to: (1) use available administrative authority to eliminate, consolidate, or streamline programs and agencies with duplicative and overlapping missions as identified in specified Government Accountability Office reports released between 2013 and 2015; (2) identify and report to Congress any legislative changes required to further eliminate, consolidate, or streamline duplicative or overlapping missions identified in such reports; (3) estimate the total cost savings from such activities; and (4) rescind from amounts made available to such departments and agencies the total estimated cost savings.

The bill imposes a monetary penalty on any department or agency that does not meet the requirements of this Act before September 30, 2015.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2015-10-07 00:00:00

Financial Regulatory Clarity Act of 2015

 Requires the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the National Credit Union Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, before issuing a regulation or order, to assess other federal regulations and orders to determine whether: (1) the agency's proposal is in conflict with, inconsistent with, or duplicative of such regulations or orders; and (2) such other federal regulations or orders are outdated.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-10-09 00:00:00

Securing Every Relevant and Vital Electronic Record Act of 2015 or the SERVER Act

This bill prohibits the Secretary of a cabinet-level executive department from maintaining a private email server to conduct official government business. The Inspector General of each such department shall ensure compliance with such prohibition.  A Secretary who violates such prohibition is subject to a fine and/or prison term and shall forfeit his or her office and be disqualified from holding any U.S. government office.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-10-20 00:00:00

Preventing Government Publishing Overreach Act of 2015

 This bill prohibits the Government Publishing Office from assembling or manufacturing any secure credentials or the component parts of any such credential.

Such prohibition is inapplicable to the following activities:

 stitching security paper into an already assembled eCover for the Department of State; manufacturing NEXUS and SENTRI cards pursuant to any existing contract or purchase order until the earlier of the date on which such contract expires or such purchase order is filled, or December 31, 2016; assembling or manufacturing any secure credentials specifically at the request of the Central Intelligence Agency or the National Security Agency for use in classified programs or activities; and manufacturing identification badges for the presidential inauguration. The term "secure credential" is defined as an identification document that includes component security parts designed to authenticate the document or reduce the risk of the unauthorized replication or alteration of the document.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2015-11-16 00:00:00

Fix the Footnotes Act of 2015

This bill amends the federal criminal code to make technical corrections, including grammar, and other corrections.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2015-11-16 00:00:00

Regulatory Reporting Act of 2015

This bill requires each federal agency, in consultation with the Department of Justice, to submit a report to Congress that lists each agency rule enforceable by criminal penalties. For each rule, the report must justify criminal penalties based on specified criteria.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-11-16 00:00:00

Statutes at Large Modernization Act 

This bill requires the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to make the U.S. Statutes at Large available to the public at no cost on a website in a searchable, non-proprietary format. In making such information available to the public, NARA shall work with other federal agencies, including the Library of Congress, the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives, the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, the Congressional Research Service, the Government Publishing Office, and such other entities that NARA considers appropriate.

The Library of Congress shall incorporate Statutes at Large data into its legislative information retrieval system.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-01-13 00:00:00

(Sec. 1) This bill requires the Office of Personnel Management to submit an annual report to Congress on the use of official time by federal employees. The bill defines "official time" as any period of time granted to a federal employee to perform representational or consultative functions and during which the employee would otherwise be in a duty status.

Each such report shall include, for each agency and for all agencies:

 the total amount of official time granted to employees; the average amount of official time expended per bargaining unit employee; the specific types of activities or purposes for which official time was granted and the impact which the granting of such official time had on agency operations; the total number of employees to whom official time was granted and, of that total, the number who were not engaged in any activities or purposes except those involving the use of official time; the total amount of compensation (including fringe benefits) afforded to employees in connection with activities or purposes for which they were granted official time; and a description of any room or space designated at the agency where official time activities will be conducted.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2016-02-25 00:00:00

Whistleblower Augmented Reward and Nonretaliation Act of 2016 or the WARN Act of 2016 

This bill amends the Financial Institutions Anti-Fraud Enforcement Act of 1990 governing the rights of a private person (declarant) who files a declaration of a violation giving rise to a federal action for civil penalties with respect to fraud crimes involving federally insured financial institutions.

The bill revises the minimum and maximum percentage of a declarant's entitlement to share in the recovery by the United States from a judgment, order, or settlement that was based in whole or in part on the information contained in a valid declaration, and allows a 30-day window in which to appeal any award determination.

The bill prescribes specified relief in a civil action intended to protect declarants from employer reprisals including reinstatement with the same seniority status.

The Department of Justice shall require employers to provide education and training to employees regarding declarant rights and remedies.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Act is amended to extend similar protections to employees of banking agencies, together with the same minimum and maximum rewards for information leading to recoveries or civil penalties.

Both the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commodity Exchange Act are amended to: (1) remove the definition of whistleblower, and (2) prohibit the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commody Futures Trading Commission (Commissions) from denying eligibility for an award if the information basic to the award is submitted within 90 days after obtaining knowledge of the disclosed misconduct.

The Commissions shall also presume that reports are timely and shall not reduce an award due to delay, unless disclosure was deliberately postponed either because of culpability, interference with internal investigative processes, or attempts at self-enrichment.

The prohibition against employer retaliation shall cover acts by the whistleblower in: (1) objecting to, or refusing to participate in, any activity, policy, practice which the whistleblower reasonably believed to be in violation of Commission-enforceable law, rule, order, standard, or prohibition; or (2) providing information relating to any violation within Commission jurisdiction.

Relief for an individual prevailing in an enforcement action shall include compensatory damages and up to $250,000 in punitive damages.

The bill prohibits employers from: (1) taking specified actions to impede an individual who undertakes a protected activity, or (2) engaging in any other discrimination that would chill the exercise of a protected activity.

The Commissions shall promulgate regulations requiring each employer to maintain internal compliance programs.

 The bill makes conforming amendments to federal criminal law.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-02-26 00:00:00

Preventing Overreach Within the Executive Rulemaking System Act of 2016 or the POWERS Act of 2016

This bill prohibits publication or service of a rule for 60 days following the date of the publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking for such rule.

If, during such period, a House or Senate committee that has jurisdiction over the provision of law authorizing the rule submits written data, views, or arguments to the agency, it shall, within 10 days, publish a response in the Federal Register. (The period beginning on the date of such submission and ending on the date of such publication shall not count as part of the 60-day period during which publication or service of the rule is prohibited.)

The 10-day response requirement shall not apply to a subsequent committee submission if the agency: (1) determines that such subsequent submission fails to address the content of such response or raises issues that were not raised in the initial submission or the response, and (2) notifies the committee of such determination.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2016-03-14 00:00:00

Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act 

This bill establishes a three-year reauthorization, rescission, and termination schedule for unauthorized programs funded through the annual appropriations process.

The schedule applies to programs included in the Congressional Budget Office's annual report listing programs that are funded through the appropriations process and have an authorization of appropriations that has either expired or will expire during the year.

After a program's authorization has expired, the bill limits the program's funding in the first year to 90% of the funds provided in the expiring year, reduces the limit to 85% for the second and third years, and terminates the program at the end of the third year. The bill enforces the limits by rescinding any funds that exceed the limit. The Office of Management and Budget must reduce discretionary spending limits by the amount of any rescissions.

Programs that are reauthorized during the three-year period are exempt from the limits, rescissions, and termination if the reauthorization includes a provision limiting the authorization of appropriations period to no more than three years.

The bill establishes the Spending and Accountability Commission to recommend a reauthorization schedule for discretionary spending programs and review all mandatory spending programs. The commission may recommend legislation to replace the funding limits and rescissions required by this bill with reductions in mandatory spending.

The commission's reauthorization schedule must limit reauthorizations to three years, include the funding limits and rescissions established by this bill, and establish a mechanism for replacing the limitations and rescissions with reductions to mandatory spending programs. The House of Representatives must consider the proposal using expedited legislative procedures.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-03-16 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 14, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016

This bill modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo (without giving deference to the agency's interpretation) all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of: (1) constitutional and statutory provisions, and (2) rules made by agencies.

No law may exempt such a civil action from the application of the amendments made by this bill except by specific reference to these provisions.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-03-17 00:00:00

Title X Transparency Act

This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the medical items and services offered by recipients of federal family planning assistance or their affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-04-11 00:00:00

Information Technology Modernization Act

This bill establishes in the Treasury an Information Technology Modernization Fund for technology related activities, to improve information technology, and to enhance cybersecurity across the federal government.

The Fund shall be administered by the General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA may:

 transfer amounts from the Fund to an agency to improve, retire, or replace existing information technology systems to enhance cybersecurity and improve efficiency and effectiveness; use amounts in the Fund for the development, operation, and procurement of information technology products, services, and acquisition vehicles for use by agencies to improve efficiency and cybersecurity; and use amounts in the Fund to provide services or work performed in support of such activities. An agency shall: (1) reimburse the Fund for any such transfer, and (2) pay a price to be fixed by the GSA for any such product or service the agency uses.

The bill establishes an Information Technology Modernization Board, which shall: (1) evaluate proposals for modernization submitted by agencies; (2) make recommendations to the GSA to assist agencies in the further development and refinement of select proposals; and (3) monitor progress and performance in executing approved projects and, if necessary, recommend the suspension or termination of funding.

The GSA shall support Board activities and provide technical support to, and oversight of, agencies that receive transfers from the Fund.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-04-13 00:00:00

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

Ditto Act of 2016 

(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to maintain preserved records for at least three years after obtaining the record. A preserved record is any record maintained by a person other than the federal government pursuant to a rule, guidance, or other directive from the IRS recommending or requiring that the person maintain records for a particular period of time on a particular matter.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-04-15 00:00:00

End Executive Overreach Act

This bill prohibits, until January 21, 2017, the use of federal funds, fees, or resources to implement an executive order issued on or after the enactment of this bill.

The bill prohibits any agency, until such date, from making or finalizing:

 a major rule (a rule that is likely to result in an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more); a rule that may raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in Executive Order 12866 (which requires that significant regulatory actions be submitted for review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget); or a rule that may create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by another agency.