jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Energy
Date: 2009-03-05 00:00:00

America's Energy Security Trust Fund Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on any taxable carbon substance sold by a manufacturer, producer, or importer. Defines "taxable carbon substance" as: (1) coal (including lignite and peat); (2) petroleum and any petroleum products; and (3) natural gas that is extracted, manufactured, or produced in the United States, or entered into the United States for consumption, use, or warehousing. Establishes in the Treasury the America's Energy Security Trust Fund to finance research in clean energy technology, assist industries negatively affected by this Act, and provide carbon tax rebates to individual taxpayers.Allows individual taxpayers a tax credit equal to carbon tax rebate amounts calculated by the Secretary of the Treasury.Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to Congress on the best methods to assess and collect taxes on non-carbon greenhouse gases.Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should establish binding agreements with major greenhouse gas emitting nations to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-03-11 00:00:00

Amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit the issuance of permits under such Act for any carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, water vapor, or methane emissions resulting from biological processes associated with livestock production.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-03-11 00:00:00

Prohibits federal agencies, in carrying out any Act or program to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change, from imposing a fee or tax on gaseous emissions emitted directly by livestock.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-03-23 00:00:00

Safe Markets Development Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) conduct auctions of allowances (authorizations to emit one carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas) in accordance with procedures established by the Climate Program Oversight and Coordination Board (established by this Act); (2) establish an allowance transfer system to issue, record, and track emission allowances; (3) maintain a registry of allowances for each recorded holder of allowances; and (4) provide for allowance banking. Provides that the privilege of purchasing, holding, and transferring emission allowances shall not be restricted to the owners and operators of covered facilities. Requires: (1) the owner or operator of a covered facility to submit to the Secretary an emission allowance for each carbon dioxide equivalent attributable to such facility as calculated by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under a greenhouse gases emissions registry; and (2) revenues from the auctions to be deposited in the Auction Revenue Trust Fund (established by this Act). Sets forth penalties for excess emissions. Requires the Board to forecast and select gradually rising annual allowance prices for 2012-2020. Specifies initial expectation amounts of greenhouse gas emissions of covered facilities in the cap and trade program for each of calendar years 2012-2050. Provides for reductions in the emissions target for 2020 and the expected emissions for 2021-2030 by specified amounts of any cumulative emissions of covered entities for 2012-2020 in excess of the specified expected emission levels over such years.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-03-26 00:00:00

EMPLOY Act or the Emission Migration Prevention with Long-term Output Yields Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to distribute emission allowances (authorizations to emit one carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas) annually in specified amounts to the owners and operators of facilities in eligible industrial sectors under a domestic cap and trade program, subject to a maximum quantity limitation. Requires the Administrator to promulgate a rule designating the industrial sectors and subsectors (sectors) in which facility owners or operators may receive emission allowances. Requires allowances to be given to a owners or operators of facilities in sectors that are included in a six-digit classification of the 2007 North American Industrial Classification System and that meet either the energy intensity criteria or greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity criteria and the trade intensity criteria. Authorizes the Administrator to rescind the eligibility of a sector only if it does not meet such criteria and would not be subject to carbon leakage in the absence of the allowance distribution. Defines "carbon leakage" to mean any substantial increase in GHG emissions by manufacturing facilities located in countries without commensurate GHG regulation which is caused by an incremental cost of production increase in the United States as a result of a domestic cap and trade program. Authorizes any person to petition the Administrator to designate as eligible to receive allowances any sector that does not meet such criteria but is subject to carbon leakage comparable to that of sectors that meet the criteria. Sets forth the calculations to determine the quantity of allowances distributed to facilities. Requires the Administrator to reduce in 2026 and each year thereafter on a pro-rata basis the amount of emission allowances distributed by an amount equal to 10% of the amount of emission allowances distributed in calendar year 2025. Provides for the review and elimination of such reduction under certain circumstances.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-03-26 00:00:00

Black Carbon Emissions Reduction Act of 2009 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to report to Congress on black carbon (light-absorbing component of carbonaceous aerosols) emissions, including : (1) a summary of current research identifying major sources, control technologies, quantifying metrics, and public health and environmental benefits associated with additional controls; and (2) recommendations regarding emissions monitoring techniques and capabilities, areas for additional study of technologies, operations, and strategies with the greatest potential to reduce emissions, and actions the government may take to encourage or require emission reductions. Requires the Administrator, within a year, to finalize regulations under the Clean Air Act to reduce emissions of black carbon or propose a finding that existing regulations promulgated pursuant to such Act adequately regulate them. Requires the Administrator to report to Congress on the amount, type, and direction of all present U.S. financial, technical, and related assistance to foreign countries to reduce, mitigate, and abate black carbon emissions.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-03-30 00:00:00

Smart Planning for Smart Growth Act of 2009 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require states and metropolitan planning organizations in areas with a population exceeding 200,000 to submit to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Secretary of Transportation goals for reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and plans to achieve such reductions. Requires such states and organizations to establish goals on a statewide basis and to consider specified transportation and land use planning strategies, including increasing public transportation systems and supporting land use regulation that coordinates transportation and land use planning and uses existing infrastructure. Authorizes the Administrator to award competitive grants to metropolitan planning organizations to develop or implement emission reduction plans.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-03-30 00:00:00

Low Carbon Fuel Standard Act of 2009 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue regulations that: (1) determine the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of all transportation fuels; (2) determine the fuel emission baseline (i.e., average lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy of all transportation fuels sold in the United States in 2005); (3) apply to refineries, blenders, and importers of transportation fuel; (4) ensure that, for 2014-2022, annual average lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions do not exceed the fuel emission baseline; and (5) ensure that, for 2023 and thereafter, transportation fuel providers make specified reductions in the annual average lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for transportation fuel sold in the United States. Grants the Administrator authority to waive emission reduction requirements of this Act to prevent economic or environmental harm. Requires the Administrator to study the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the regulations required by this Act and their effect on energy security.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-03-30 00:00:00

Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an independent Offsets Integrity Advisory Board to make recommendations for promulgating regulations on offsets of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for ensuring the overall environmental integrity of the offset program (a program that recognizes the act of reducing or avoiding GHG emissions in one place in order to offset emissions occurring somewhere else). Requires the Board to provide recommendations to the Administrator periodically regarding offset project types that should be considered eligible under the program. Requires the Board, by January 1, 2017, and at five-year intervals thereafter, to submit to the Administer and make available to the public an analysis of relevant scientific and technical information related to the offsets program. Requires the Board to: (1) review offset methodologies, scientific studies, offset project monitoring, offset project verification reports, and audits and evaluate the net emissions effects of implemented offset projects; and (2) recommend changes to offset methodologies, protocols, or project types or to the overall offset program to ensure that offset credits do not compromise the integrity of the emissions cap and to avoid or minimize any adverse effects to human health or the environment. Requires the Administrator, at least every five years, to review and revise: (1) the methodologies established; (2) the reversal policies and mechanisms established; (3) measures to improve the accountability of the offsets program; and (4) any other requirements established to ensure the environmental integrity and effective operation of the offsets program.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-04-01 00:00:00

Acid Rain and Mercury Control Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate regulations to reduce specified amounts of aggregate sulfur dioxide emissions and nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants by January 1, 2012. Authorizes the regulations to include market-oriented mechanisms. Requires the Administrator to coordinate with federal and state governments to increase energy efficiency, to increase the use of renewable energy, and to implement cost saving advanced demand and supply side policies. Requires a power plant, by the later of the date that is 30 years after it commenced operation or the date that is five years after this Act's enactment, to comply with the specified new source performance standards and specified requirements applicable to modified sources under the Clean Air Act. Considers affected units (coal-fired electric generating facilities that have a nameplate capacity greater than 25 megawatts and that generate electricity for sale) that commence operation after December 31, 2010, to be new units. Prohibits such units from exceeding the mercury emission limit of 0.6 pounds mercury per trillion Btu upon commencement of operation. Prohibits affected units that commence operation on or before December 31, 2010, from exceeding such limit by January 1, 2013. Sets forth penalties for excess emissions. Requires the Administrator to ensure that mercury captured or recovered by emission controls installed at affected units is not re-released into the environment. Prohibits owners or operators of electricity generating facilities from: (1) operating such facilities in noncompliance with the requirements of this Act; (2) failing to submit allowances or penalties or to provide and comply with any plan to offset excess emissions; and (3) emitting mercury in excess of the emission limitations. Prohibits any person from holding, using, or transferring emission allowances allocated under such Act that are not in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Administrator. Declares that nothing in this Act affects the ability of states to take actions to further limit sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, or mercury. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations to protect specified sensitive ecosystems if the emissions reductions under title VII of the Clean Air Act are not sufficient to ensure the protection and restoration of such ecosystems.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-04-01 00:00:00

Cap and Dividend Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the Secretary of the Treasury: (1) in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to establish a separate quantity of carbon permits for 2012 and each succeeding year in accordance with a specified emission reduction schedule that requires the quantity established for 2012 to equal the number of metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted in the United States in 2005, the quantity for 2020 to be 25% less than that amount, for 2030 to be 45% less, for 2050 to be 65% less, and for 2050 to be 85% less; and (2) to establish a system for identifying, issuing, and tracking such permits. Requires: (1) the Secretary to conduct periodic public auctions of carbon permits to owners of covered entities (i.e., persons who make the first sale in U.S. markets of an oil, natural gas, or coal product or any other derived product for use as a combustible fuel); and (2) each such owner to surrender to the Secretary for each year beginning in 2013 a quantity of permits at least as great as the number of metric tons of carbon dioxide that the Secretary determines would be emitted by the combustion of covered fuels sold by the entity during the previous calendar year. Sets forth penalties for noncompliance. Requires the Secretary to issue additional carbon permits equal to the number of metric tons of carbon dioxide a person safely and verifiably captures and sequesters from the combustion of covered fuels in the United States. Authorizes permit holders to sell, exchange, or transfer permits, subject to the limitations established by the Secretary. Provides for the banking and borrowing of permits. Establishes the Healthy Climate Trust Fund, which shall receive the proceeds from the permit auctions and noncompliance penalties, and from which annual dividends shall be paid to consumers. Requires the Secretary to: (1) impose carbon equivalency fees on imports of carbon-intensive goods; and (2) make specified payments to persons exporting carbon-intensive goods produced in the United States. Terminates such fees and payments to the extent that other countries that emit greenhouse gases and produce such goods for export markets have adopted equivalent measures.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-04-02 00:00:00

Coastal State Climate Change Planning Act - Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a coastal climate change adaptation planning and response program to provide assistance to coastal states to voluntarily develop coastal climate change adaptation plans and to provide financial and technical assistance and training to enable coastal states to implement those plans through coastal states' enforceable policies. Authorizes, subject to the availability of appropriations, grants to coastal states for developing the plans and grants for implementation.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-04-02 00:00:00

Global Warming Education Act - Requires the National Science Foundation to establish a Global Warming Education Program to: (1) broaden the understanding of human induced global warming, possible long and short-term consequences, and potential solutions; (2) apply the latest scientific and technological discoveries to provide learning opportunities to people; and (3) emphasize actionable information to help people understand and to promote implementation of new technologies, programs, and incentives related to energy conservation, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas reduction.Requires such Program to include: (1) a national information campaign to disseminate information on and promote implementation of the new technologies, programs, and incentives; and (2) a competitive grant program to provide grants to states, municipalities, educational institutions, and other organizations to create materials relevant to global warming and climate science, develop climate science K-12 curriculum and supplementary educational materials, or publish global warming and climate science information.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-05-06 00:00:00

Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the definition of "lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions" to: (1) exclude significant indirect emissions; (2) provide that emissions are to be determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator based on the most recent observable data and on consideration of regional differences of renewable fuel production; and (3) require the Administrator to make the model used in measuring emissions publicly available before publishing any administrative action on such emissions. Authorizes a renewable fuel manufacturer to petition the Administrator to waive, and the Administrator to waive, the lifecycle greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements for renewable fuel production if the requirements: (1) are the primary or contributing factor of a failure to achieve the applicable renewable fuels standard for biomass-based diesel, conventional biofuel, cellulosic biofuel, or advanced biofuel; (2) are causing economic harm within the biofuels industry; or (3) are increasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Authorizes a renewable fuel manufacturer to petition the Administrator to certify an innovative production method that may result in lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of a renewable fuel. Considers a petition to be approved if the Administrator does not approve or deny it within 90 days of its receipt. Prohibits such waivers from being granted in the case of a state low-carbon fuel standard or similar policy that requires a reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for renewable fuels, unless the state standard or policy applies a lifecycle greenhouse gas emission baseline identical to the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions as determined by EPA and used for the federal renewable fuels standard. Requires measurements taken under a state standard to be based on observable data relating to the direct lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from the renewable fuel.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Energy
Date: 2009-05-14 00:00:00

Renewable Fuel Standard Improvement Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to: (1) include the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy in renewable fuel program activities under such Act; (2) revise the definition of "lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions" to base the measurement of such emissions on recent observable data and consideration of regional differences of renewable fuel production, rather than on indirect land use changes; and (3) expand the definition of "renewable biomass."
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-06-08 00:00:00

Consumer Assistance Rebate for Energy Act - Requires any federal climate change law to return to the American people all proceeds from the sale of allowances or credits, from a tax or fee imposed on greenhouse gas emissions, or from other means through reductions in individual taxes, increases in social security or unemployment benefits, and other direct means.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2009-06-15 00:00:00

Buy American Carbon Incentives Program Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) establish a carbon incentives program to achieve supplemental greenhouse gas emissions reductions on private agricultural and forestland; (2) provide financial incentive payments for activities that increase carbon sequestration and storage over a designated contract period, and maintain carbon sequestration and storage and avoid future emissions through permanent avoided conversion agreements; and (3) establish monitoring and compliance protocols. Requires participating owners to enter into a climate mitigation contract with the Secretary. Obligates specified funds for further incentives for activities and agreements that protect carbon reductions and otherwise enhance environmental benefits achieved under a climate mitigation contract.
Topic: Environment — Air Pollution
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2009-06-24 00:00:00

Climate Change Center and Clearinghouse Act of 2009 - Amends the Small Business Act to establish: (1) the Office of Environment, Energy, and Climate Change within the Small Business Administration (SBA); and (2) the Climate Change Center and Clearinghouse within such Office. Requires the Office to: (1) oversee and administer the Center; (2) promote energy efficiency efforts for, and efforts to reduce energy costs of, small businesses; and (3) oversee efforts by small businesses to develop renewable energy technologies. Requires the Center to: (1) provide information to small businesses on assessing and managing the impacts of climate change and on cost savings and revenue gains possible through carbon credit trading opportunities and federal and state renewable energy and energy efficiency tax relief programs, purchase incentives, and rebate programs; (2) ensure that such information is provided to small businesses on an accessible website and through nationwide workshops; (3) coordinate federal agency efforts to provide support to small businesses for the purpose of maintaining competitiveness while developing green products or services, implementing green business practices, or reducing pollution; (4) develop a baseline study that provides a broad analysis that aggregates small business energy consumption and emissions; (5) raise awareness among small businesses of the information, technical support, and network opportunities made available through the Energy Star Program to reduce energy waste and energy costs; (6) develop a carbon footprint website that contains information on how small business concerns can reduce their carbon footprint, links to other carbon footprint websites, and a calculator for obtaining an estimate of a small business's carbon emissions based on electricity usage, heating fuel usage, and fleet mileage; and (7) develop a marketing plan.Directs: (1) the President to establish an interagency working group to establish goals and priorities for the Center and to provide for interagency coordination of Center activities; and (2) the Administrator of SBA to specify a detailed definition for the terms "green products or services" and "green business practices."