jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-02-14 00:00:00

Department of Transportation Bonding Assistance Authority Act of 2011 - Replaces the mandate for the Minority Resource Center to provide bonding assistance to disadvantaged business enterprises. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Minority Resource Center, to prescribe, guarantee, and enter into commitments to guarantee a surety against loss resulting from a small business concern's breach of a bond that is required for it to bid on or perform a transportation project contract, pay on the contract, or serve as a prime contractor or subcontractor on such contract. Authorizes the Secretary to indemnify such a surety up to 90% of any loss sustained by it in avoiding or attempting to avoid a breach of a bond guaranteed under this Act. Requires the Secretary to establish a program under which not more than five selected states may carry out: (1) the activities of the Secretary with respect to issuing surety guarantees, as well as (2) the activities of sureties to assist eligible small business concerns.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-02-17 00:00:00

Small Distillery Excise Tax Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow small distilled spirits producers a credit against the excise tax on distilled spirits equal to 80% of the otherwise applicable tax on the first 65,000 of proof gallons of distilled spirits produced in or imported into the United States. Defines "small distilled spirits producer" as any person who produces not more than 100,000 proof gallons of distilled spirits during the calendar year.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Education
Date: 2011-03-03 00:00:00

Fast Track to College Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award matching six-year grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that partner with institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish or support dual enrollment programs, such as early college high schools, that allow secondary school students to earn credit simultaneously toward a secondary school diploma and a postsecondary degree or certificate. Gives grant priority to applicants: (1) that propose to establish or support a dual enrollment program for a student body at least 40% of which is impoverished; and (2) from states that provide assistance to dual enrollment programs, such as assistance defraying the costs of higher education. Requires applicants to make assurances that: (1) students will not be required to pay tuition or fees for postsecondary courses, and (2) those courses will be taught by faculty that meet their partner IHE's normal standards. Authorizes the Secretary to award matching five-year grants to states to: (1) plan and implement statewide strategies to make dual enrollment programs more accessible to students who are underrepresented in postsecondary education; (2) provide technical assistance to dual enrollment programs; and (3) engage in outreach, assessment, and teacher training activities designed to strengthen such programs. Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract for an independent evaluation of this Act's programs; and (2) provide technical assistance to LEAs and their partners, and disseminate information concerning best practices in dual enrollment programs.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Health
Date: 2011-03-11 00:00:00

Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2011 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations, and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements. Prescribes rules governing AHPs, including requirements relating to certification, sponsors and boards of trustees, participation and coverage, nondiscrimination, contribution rates, notice of voluntary termination, correction actions, and mandatory termination. Establishes the Association Health Plan Fund to be used by the Secretary of Labor to make payments to an insurer to maintain coverage for a plan if there is a reasonable expectation that, without such payments, claims would not be satisfied by reason of termination of coverage. Requires the Secretary to establish a Solvency Standards Working Group. Allows a state to impose a contribution tax on an association health plan that commenced operations in such state after the enactment of this Act. Preempts any state law that may preclude a health insurance issuer from: (1) offering health insurance coverage in connection with a certified AHP; or (2) offering health insurance coverage of the same policy type to other employers operating in the state that are eligible for coverage under such AHPs, whether or not such other employers are participating employers in such plan. Subjects to criminal penalties a person who willfully makes false representations with respect to an AHP.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-03-17 00:00:00

Small Business Start-up Savings Accounts Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow businesses with 500 or fewer employees to establish small business start-up savings accounts for the payment of certain business expenses, including the purchase of equipment or facilities, marketing, training, incorporation, and accounting fees. Requires all distributions from such accounts for payment of business expenses to be completed within five years after the first account distribution. Allows a tax deduction for contributions to a start-up savings account, limited to the lesser of: (1) $10,000, or (2) $150,000 reduced by the aggregate account contributions for all taxable years. Excludes distributions from such accounts from gross income for income tax purposes. Imposes an excise tax on excess contributions to and for nonqualified distributions from such accounts.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2011-04-06 00:00:00

Small Business Lending Fund Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to give the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) oversight over the Small Business Lending Fund established under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2011-04-06 00:00:00

Fairness to Veterans Act of 2011 - Requires the head of a federal department or agency, in evaluating any bid or proposal relating to a federal contract, to provide to a veteran or veteran-owned business any race- or gender-based preference that any individual or business is eligible for, if that preference takes into consideration race or gender, without regard to whether the veteran or veteran-owned business would otherwise qualify for that preference. Requires the head of a state or local government to provide the same preference in the case of a state or local contract that involves the use of federal funding.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2011-04-13 00:00:00

Voluntary Protection Program Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to enter into cooperative agreements with employers to: (1) encourage establishment of comprehensive safety and health management systems to protect employees from occupational hazards, and (2) establish a voluntary protection program to encourage excellence and recognize its achievement in both the technical and managerial protection of employees from occupational hazards. Requires the Secretary to take necessary steps for the orderly transition from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cooperative agreements and voluntary protection programs existing before enactment of this Act to agreements and programs authorized under this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to increase small business participation in the voluntary protection program.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-04-15 00:00:00

Small Business Tax Relief and Retirement Restoration Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit until December 31, 2011, penalty-free distributions from an individual retirement account (IRA) or a qualified employer plan for the purpose of making loans to a small business to purchase depreciable property to be used by such business or for employee salaries or wages (other than for bonuses). Requires such loans to be repaid to the IRA within five years.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-04-15 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain small businesses with gross receipts in the preceding taxable year not exceeding $20 million a work opportunity tax credit for hiring individuals who have been receiving state unemployment compensation for not less than 4 weeks in the 1-year period ending on the hiring date. Increases the amount of wages eligible for such credit from $6,000 to $12,000 for the hiring of individuals in a high unemployment zone (a county that has an unemployment rate exceeding the greater of 4% or the national unemployment rate). Terminates such credit after December 31, 2013.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-05-04 00:00:00

Small Business Start-up Savings Accounts Act of 2011- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for tax-exempt Small Business Start-up Savings Accounts to pay for trade or business expenses, including the purchase of equipment or facilities, marketing, training, incorporation, and accounting fees. Allows annual contributions to such accounts up to $10,000. Sets forth rules for the tax treatment of contributions to and rollovers from such accounts, similar to rules governing individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-05-04 00:00:00

Innovative Technologies Investment Incentive Act of 2011- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a new business-related tax credit for 25% of the equity investment (i.e., stock and capital or profits interest) in a small business concern that is engaged in a high technology or biotechnology trade or business and employs an average of fewer than 500 employees in a taxable year. Establishes a national innovative technology investment credit limitation of $500 million.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2011-05-05 00:00:00

Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2011 - 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: Government operations and politics
Date: 2011-05-10 00:00:00

Small Business Growth Act - Directs the Administrator of General Services to establish a small business growth pilot program under which a contracting officer of the General Services Administration (GSA) may award an contract on the basis of competition restricted to an entity that: (1) is enrolled as a mentor or participating in the GSA's Mentor-Protege program related to contracting; (2) if participating as a mentor, has at least one protege that is a small business; (2) has fewer than 1,500 employees; and (4) is not a small business. Requires the contracting officer to consider awarding a contract under the pilot program before awarding the contract under full and open competition, and to report to the Administrator on the reasons a contract was or was not awarded to a pilot program participant.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2011-05-25 00:00:00

Small Business Banking Improvement Act of 2011 - Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from requiring any financial institution or any of its directors, officers, employees, or agents to report any suspicious transaction relevant to a possible violation of law or regulation if a person involved in such transaction is a legitimate business. Deems a person a legitimate business if the governor of each state in which such person does business has certified to the Secretary that: (1) the person is a business engaged in activities currently legal under state law, and (2) the state has an interest in exempting such person from mandatory reporting of suspicious transactions. Requires the Secretary to maintain a public website with a list of all persons deemed to be a legitimate business for purposes of this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2011-06-03 00:00:00

Risk Retention Modernization Act of 2011 - Amends the Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986 to require the Director of the Federal Insurance Office to: (1) report periodically to the President and Congress on the extent of state compliance with the Act's prohibition against state regulation of risk retention and purchasing groups that are not domiciliaries of the state; and (2) issue certain corporate governance standards, meeting specified criteria, for risk retention groups. Extends the coverage of the Act to risk retention groups offering commercial property insurance. Applies to commercial property insurance the exemption of purchasing groups from state law. Revises procedures for: (1) submitting financial documents to state insurance commissioners, and (2) mandatory disclosures. Imposes a fiduciary duty upon the board of directors of a risk retention group to operate in the best interests of the group. Redesignates the Act as the Risk Retention Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2011-06-03 00:00:00

Protect HUBZones Act of 2011 - Amends the Small Business Act to revise the definition of "redesignated area" for HUBZone designation purposes to extend the time period during which a census tract or nonmetropolitan county that loses its HUBZone status due to the 2010 census may be so designated.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2011-06-16 00:00:00

Amends the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to define "family office" (exempt from coverage by the Act) as a company (including any director, partner, trustee, or employee of such company, when acting in their respective capacities as such) that has no clients other than family clients and is owned, controlled, or operated primarily for the benefit of family clients and does not hold itself out to the public as an investment adviser.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-07-14 00:00:00

IRS Rulemaking Fairness Act of 2011 - Expands requirements relating to review of federal agency actions that have a significant economic impact on small entities (e.g., small organizations and businesses) to include rulemaking by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Health
Date: 2011-07-27 00:00:00

Small Business Health Relief Act of 2011 - 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 (employers 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 provision 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 a provision that allows 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 to prescription drugs or insulin. Repeals provisions limiting annual salary reduction contributions by an employee to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan to $2,500. 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 provision. Makes this provision effective as if included in PPACA. Voids any regulations promulgated related to such provisions before enactment of this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2011-07-30 00:00:00

Shuttle Workforce Revitalization Act of 2011 - Requires, during the period beginning upon enactment of this Act and ending January 1, 2020, that any portion of Brevard County, Florida, not otherwise a HUBZone (heavily underutilized business zone), as such term is defined under the Small Business Act, be treated as a HUBZone for purposes of that Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2011-08-05 00:00:00

Small Business Lending to Entrepreneurs for Growth in Underserved Populations Act of 2011 or the Small Business Leg-Up Act of 2011 - Requires, upon the expiration of investment authority for the Small Business Lending Fund Program provided in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, that all unobligated funds in the Small Business Lending Fund be transferred to the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. Directs that all funds received in connection with certain purchases of preferred stock and other financial instruments pursuant to such authority be transferred to the CDFI Fund. Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to direct the Administrator of the CDFI Fund to carry out a Small Business Capital Investment (SBCI) Program (a small business revolving loan program) to continue making capital investments in eligible community development financial institutions in order to increase the availability of credit for small businesses. Requires that: (1) all funds the Administrator receives in connection with SBCI Program purchases be deposited in the CDFI Fund, and (2) the authority to make such capital investments continue so long as specified funding amounts are available. Allows eligible community development financial institutions (with maximum assets of $10 billion as reported in audited financial statements) to apply to receive a capital investment of up to 10% of total assets, or another appropriate percentage determined by the Administrator. Directs the Administrator, to the extent practicable and except as otherwise provided, to carry out the SBCI Program in the same manner as the Small Business Lending Fund Program.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2011-08-05 00:00:00

Microenterprise and Youth Entrepreneurship Development Act of 2011 - Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 for purposes of the microenterprise technical assistance and capacity building grant program to include in the definition of "disadvantaged entrepreneur" a microentrepreneur operating or intending to operate a business in an investment area. Increases to 60% (currently, 50%) the minimum percentage of such grants required to be used to benefit very low-income persons, including those residing on Indian reservations. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to consider the impact of the 2007-2009 economic crisis on an applicant's geographic area when deciding whether to reduce or eliminate matching requirements for applicants with severe constraints on available funding sources. Directs the Administrator to establish an SBA Microenterprise Coordinator position. Requires the Administrator to establish an Office of Youth Entrepreneurship and appoint a Director to carry out: (1) the youth entrepreneur technical assistance grant program to make grants to assist entities, including nonprofit microenterprise development organizations, to provide individuals under 25 years of age with technical assistance related to entrepreneurship; and (2) the youth entrepreneurship curriculum grant program to make grants to applying local educational agencies of states and federally recognized Indian tribes.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2011-09-08 00:00:00

Job Creation and Urban Revitalization Act of 2011 - Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to expand the new markets venture capital program (currently, a program under which venture capital companies provide equity capital investments and operational assistance to small businesses in low-income geographic areas) to areas of high unemployment. Allows the operational assistance that companies provide to small businesses in such high-unemployment areas to include retooling, updating, or replacing of machinery or equipment. Makes the Small Business Administration (SBA) definition of "low-income geographic area" under the program the same as the definition of "low-income community" under the Internal Revenue Code, except that, without regard to such meaning, the term shall include an area of high unemployment. Requires the SBA Administrator, in conditionally approving companies to participate in the program, to select at least one company from each SBA geographic region. Directs the Administrator to allow conditionally-approved companies two years (currently, a period of time not to exceed two years) to satisfy capital and other requirements for final approval. Exempts from a requirement that conditionally-approved companies have certain binding capital commitments in order to provide operational assistance, companies primarily serving small businesses in areas of: (1) high unemployment, or (2) urban manufacturing revitalization. Authorizes the Administrator to approve a company to serve, throughout all states, solely small businesses in urban manufacturing revitalization areas. Reduces to $3 million the minimum capital requirements for final approval of conditionally-approved companies engaged primarily in development of and investment in small businesses located in areas of high unemployment. Reduces to $2 million such capital requirements for conditionally-approved companies so engaged primarily with small businesses in urban manufacturing revitalization areas. (Current law would otherwise require any conditionally-approved company to raise at least $5 million.) Revises the formula for operational assistance grants. Authorizes such grants to conditionally-approved companies (up to $50,000 per company), provided that repayment is made if such companies do not receive final approval.