jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-05-09 00:00:00

Increasing Small Business Lending Act - Amends the Small Business Act to suspend, until September 30, 2015, fees under the 7(a) program (SBA-guaranteed loans to small businesses) and the 504 program (financing to small businesses backed by SBA-guaranteed debentures issued by any qualified state or local development company).

Authorizes the SBA to guarantee up to 90% of a loan made by a private lender to a small business eligible for a loan guarantee under the Small Business Act or the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. Prohibits such guarantees with respect to small businesses: (1) in which an unlawful alien has an ownership interest, or (2) in violation of immigration laws.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2014-05-21 00:00:00

Startup Innovation Credit Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a qualified small business to elect to use a portion of its tax credit for increasing research expenditures as an offset against its payroll tax liability under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA).

Defines "qualified small business" as a corporation, a partnership, or a person other than a tax-exempt organization that had gross receipts of less than $5 million for the taxable year and that did not have gross receipts for any period preceding the five-taxable-year period ending with such taxable year.

Limits: (1) the number of years a taxpayer may elect to offset payroll taxes under this Act to five, and (2) the annual amount of such offset to $250,000.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-06-17 00:00:00

Emerging Business Encouragement Act of 2014 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), for each industry category for which the Administrator established a size standard, to establish procedures, by rule, for designating a small business in that industry category as an emerging business enterprise (EBE).

Requires the procedures to include specified criteria and a process for appealing the Administrator's decisions on designations.

Requires the designation to expire when the small business is no longer in compliance with the criteria, except that:

 in the case of an EBE which existed as a business entity before its EBE designation, the designation shall not expire until five years after it was made; and if the EBE exceeds the required size limitation its designation shall expire only if the size is 50% or more of the maximum size of a small business within that industry category. Directs the Administrator to establish criteria for designation of an EBE, including:

 a maximum number of employees determined according to a certain formula, an age of not more than five years, and a specified salary limitation for any individual who owns any part of the small business or who is in a management position. Requires the head of each federal agency to establish goals for participation by the designated EBEs in at least 5% of all contracts, including prime contracts and subcontracts, for each fiscal year.

Authorizes the Administrator to make a loan to a designated EBE under the SBA Express Loan Program, but only in accordance with specified terms.

Requires the Administrator, by rule, to establish a process for initial self-certification of EBEs for purposes of participation in federal contracts and eligibility for the Express Loans.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2014-09-09 00:00:00

SAVE for Small Businesses Act or the Savings Accounts for a Variable Economy for Small Businesses Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for tax-exempt small business savings accounts. Allows tax deductible contributions to such accounts of not more than 10% of the gross profits of an eligible small business (persons employing an average of 50 or fewer full-time employees) for the preceding taxable year.

Excludes qualified distributions from such accounts from gross income for income tax purposes. Defines "qualified distribution" as: (1) any amount that is distributed from a small business savings account during a specified period of economic hardship, and (2) the distribution of which is certified as being part of a plan that provides for the reinvestment of such distribution for the funding of worker hiring or financial stabilization for the purposes of job retention or creation.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) establish minimum standards for small business savings accounts that seek to minimize fees and risk of loss of principal, and (2) ensure a range of investment risk options available to account beneficiaries.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-09-18 00:00:00

Small Business Loan Simplification Act of 2014 - Amends the Small Business Act to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to: (1) amend regulations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to authorize the SBA and participants in specified lending programs to use electronic signatures and records for the programs, and (2) accept such electronic signatures and records associated with SBA management and closing processes.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2014-09-18 00:00:00

Franchise Financing Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make financial assistance available to franchisees under the Act or the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 if the franchisee is not affiliated with the franchisor.

Declares that a franchisee shall not be considered affiliated with the franchisor if:

 the franchisor has filed a disclosure document pursuant to specified federal regulations; and the franchisee, upon default on a loan (whether guaranteed by the SBA or not), has no ability to obtain financial assistance from the franchisor to repay the loan. Declares further that a franchisor's authority to repurchase the franchise for noncompliance with its terms and conditions, or to have the right of first refusal to purchase it from the franchisee, shall not be considered financial assistance to repay loans issued to the franchisee.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-01-22 00:00:00

Small Business Health Relief Act of 2013 - Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), as added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), that: (1) impose fines on large employers (those with more than 50 full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage, and (2) require such large employers to file a report with the Secretary of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees.

Repeals provisions of PPACA that: (1) set limits on the annual deductible on health plans offered in the small group market, (2) allow catastrophic plans to be offered in the individual market to individuals under the age of 30, and (3) impose an annual fee on health insurance entities.

Deems high deductible health plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements if the enrollee has established a health savings account.

Amends the Public Health Service Act, as amended by PPACA, to repeal the allowance of a premium rate variance by age in the individual or small group market.

Repeals restrictions on payments for medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements.

Repeals the limitation to $2,500 of annual salary reduction contributions by an employee to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.

Allows a health plan to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan regardless of any modification to the cost-sharing levels, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promulgate regulations to clarify the application of such allowance. Makes this allowance effective as if included in PPACA. Voids any regulations promulgated pursuant to current related provisions before enactment of this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-01-23 00:00:00

Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Paperwork Reduction Act to direct agency heads not to impose civil fines for first-time paperwork violations by small business concerns unless there is potential for serious harm to the public interest, the detection of criminal activity would be impaired, the violation is not corrected within six months, the violation is a violation of internal revenue law or a law concerning the assessment or collection of any tax, debt, revenue, or receipt, or the violation presents a danger to the public health or safety. Permits an agency to determine that a fine should not be imposed for a violation that presents a danger to public health or safety if the violation is corrected within 24 hours after receipt by the small business owner of notification of the violation.

Makes this Act inapplicable to any violation by a small business of a requirement regarding the collection of information by an agency if the small business previously violated any requirement concerning the collection of information by that agency.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-01-31 00:00:00

Assuring Contracting Equity Act of 2013 - Increases from: (1) 23% to 25% the government-wide small business procurement contract goal, and (2) 5% to 10% the government-wide procurement goal for small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses. Limits the number of categories for which a small business may qualify under such goals. Requires, for purposes of such goals, the total value of all prime contracts for a fiscal year to include the value of each contract awarded, regardless of whether it was awarded as the result of unrestricted competition or any determination by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) with respect to the potential for a small business to perform the contract or a subcontract.

Directs the Administrator to consult with the heads of other federal agencies to develop and implement standards for procurement officers to take into consideration the past compliance of potential contractors with small business subcontracting goals when making contract awards.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-02-07 00:00:00

Assuring Contracting Equity Act of 2013 - Increases from: (1) 23% to 25% the government-wide small business procurement contract goal, (2) 5% to 10% the government-wide procurement goal for small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses, and (3) 3% to 6% the government-wide procurement goal for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and HUBZONE (historically underutilized business zone) small businesses. Limits the number of categories for which a small business may qualify under such goals. Requires, for purposes of such goals, the total value of all prime contracts for a fiscal year to include the value of each contract awarded, regardless of whether it was awarded as the result of unrestricted competition or any determination by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) with respect to the potential for a small business to perform the contract or a subcontract.

Directs the Administrator to consult with the heads of other federal agencies to develop and implement standards for procurement officers to take into consideration the past compliance of potential contractors with small business subcontracting goals when making contract awards.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-02-12 00:00:00

Commercial Real Estate and Economic Development Act of 2013 or CREED Act of 2013 - Reinstates the authority for Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest refinancing of small business debt not involving business expansion under the SBA's local development business loan program during any fiscal year in which the cost to the federal government for making loan guarantees under such program is zero.

Repeals a provision of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 which terminated such authority as of September 27, 2012.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-02-28 00:00:00

Small Business Disaster Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act with respect to obtaining the best available collateral for a disaster loan of not more than $200,000 relating to damage to or destruction of the property of, or economic injury to, a small business concern. Prohibits the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), in obtaining such collateral, from requiring the small business owner to use the owner's primary residence as collateral if the owner has other assets with a value equal to or greater than the loan amount that could be used as collateral for the loan.

Allows the Administrator to authorize a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide assistance to small businesses outside the state of that SBDC, without regard to geographical proximity, if the small business is in an area for which the President has declared a major disaster.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator shall ensure that a SBDC is appropriately reimbursed for any legitimate expenses in carrying out such assistance.

Directs the Administrator to increase oversight of small businesses receiving economic injury disaster loans, including random site visits and random reviews of loan usage. Expresses the sense of Congress that no additional federal funds shall be made available for such increased oversight.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should: (1) reduce paperwork burdens on small businesses applying for SBA disaster assistance loans; and (2) ensure that the application for such assistance facilitates deterring and detecting potential instances of waste, fraud, and abuse. Requires the Administrator to take steps to reduce, to the maximum extent practicable, such paperwork.

Requires a report from the Administrator to the congressional small business committees relating to the creation of a web portal to track the status of applications for SBA disaster assistance.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-03-07 00:00:00

Keeping Our Social Security Promises Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to apply employment and self-employment taxes to remuneration up to the contribution and benefit base and to remuneration in excess of $250,000.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-03-11 00:00:00

Expanding Access to Capital for Entrepreneurial Leaders Act or the EXCEL Act - Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to guarantee the payment of up to $4 billion per fiscal year for debentures or participating securities issued by small business investment companies (SBICs) to encourage the formation and growth of small businesses. Increases from $225 million to $350 million the maximum amount of outstanding leverage for two or more commonly-controlled SBICs.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-03-12 00:00:00

Regulation Costs to Small Business Act - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to: (1) conduct an annual study of the total costs to small businesses of federal regulations, and (2) report each study's results to Congress.

Expresses the sense of Congress that no additional funds should be made available to the SBA to carry out this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2013-03-12 00:00:00

Communicating Lender Activity Reports from the Small Business Administration Act or CLEAR SBA Act - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make publicly available a user-friendly database of information relating to lenders making loans under such Act or the Small Business Investment Act of 1958.

Requires the Administrator to: (1) include in the database information on such loans made during FY2009-FY2013, and (2) incorporate information relating to such loans on an ongoing basis.

Prohibits the Administrator from requiring lenders to submit additional information or to otherwise increase burdens on lenders in order to comply with this Act.

Expresses the sense of Congress that no additional funds should be made available to carry out this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-04-15 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: Commerce
Date: 2013-05-14 00:00:00

Transparency in Small Business Assistance Act - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to collect, for specified periods, information from small businesses that receive SBA assistance, including a loan, loan guarantee, grant, or counseling services.

Requires such information to include: (1) the operational status of the small business concern and, if it is no longer operational, the reason for closure; (2) the number of part- and full-time employees; and (3) the number of referrals that SBA makes to another federal assistance program if it is unable to provide assistance to the concern.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2013-06-03 00:00:00

Small Business Tax Certainty and Growth Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should undertake comprehensive tax reform to make the tax system fairer and simpler and to promote economic growth.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the increased tax deductions for business start-up expenditures, organizational expenditures, and organization and syndication fees; (2) allow the cash accounting method for businesses whose gross receipts do not exceed $10 million (currently, $5 million); (3) exempt businesses whose gross receipts do not exceed $10 million from the requirement to use inventories; (4) make permanent the $250,000 allowance for expensing business assets, including computer software; (5) extend for one year the additional depreciation allowance for business assets; and (6) extend through 2014 the 15-year straight-line depreciation allowance for qualified leasehold, restaurant, and retail improvements.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Foreign trade and international finance
Date: 2013-06-18 00:00:00

Small Business Export Growth Act of 2013 - Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to revise the duties of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC).

Requires the TPCC to: (1) identify opportunities to consolidate or co-locate offices of federal agencies involved in export promotion and export financing activities; (2) assess the use and coordination of electronic databases among federal agencies in support of such activities; and (3) provide a detailed listing of current and future federal and state-led trade missions, trade fairs, and related activities to ensure better delivery of services to U.S. businesses.

Requires the Secretary of Commerce to make available information on federal and state-led trade missions, trade fairs, and related activities on the Export.gov website.

Requires the governmentwide strategic plan for federal trade promotion efforts to: (1) clearly identify and explain the role, goals, and objectives of each agency represented on the TPCC with respect its export promotion and export financing activities; (2) include any recommendations of the Comptroller General relating to coordination of the agencies represented on the TPCC; and (3) reflect the recommendations of the U.S. Travel Association (currently, U.S. National Tourism Organization) to the degree considered appropriate by the TPCC.

Directs the President to establish a State and Federal Export Promotion Coordination Working Group as a subcommittee of the TPCC to develop a strategy for improving coordination of federal and state resources for small business export promotion and export financing activities.

Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce to report annually to Congress on the extent to which the TPCC is successfully carrying out its duties.

Requires the Associate Administrator for International Trade of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to report to Congress on recommendations for improving the experience of the Export.gov website as a comprehensive export information resource and a single website for exporters to submit all federally required information on the exportation of articles from the United States.

Amends the Small Business Act to require that the nationwide marketing effort of the Associate Administrator, in promoting sales opportunities for the export of small business goods and services, to conduct at least one outreach event each fiscal year in each state.

Directs the SBA Administrator, the Secretary of Agriculture, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to establish jointly a Small Business Inter-Agency Task Force on Export Financing.