jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2015-07-23 00:00:00

Lionfish Elimination and Prevention Act of 2015 or the LEAP Act of 2015

This bill amends the Lacey Act to prohibit the importation or interstate shipment of the:

 red lionfish of the species Pterois volitans, devil lionfish of the species Pterois miles, Hawaiian turkeyfish of the species Pterois sphex, soldier lionfish of the species Pterois russelii, clearfin lionfish of the species Pterois radiata, lionfish species Pterois paucispinula, frillfin turkeyfish of the species Pterois mombasae, luna lionfish of the species Pterois lunalata, mandritsa of the species Pterois brevipectoralis, spotfin lionfish of the species Pterois antennata, and scorpionfish of the species Pterois andover.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2015-07-28 00:00:00

Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2015 or the PAST Act 

This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore.

The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse.

The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction.

The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Sanctuary Regulatory Fairness Act of 2015

 Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to promulgate a final rule revising federal regulations regarding the importation of nonhuman primates (i.e. chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, macaques, and numerous other species) to expand the categories of uses for which nonhuman primates may be imported and distributed to include live nonhuman primates imported into the United States by a certified primate sanctuary for purposes of providing lifetime shelter and care.

Requires such rule to establish a process for the certification of facilities as primate sanctuaries for purposes of the importation, shelter, and care of nonhuman primates.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-09-08 00:00:00

Cecil the Lion Endangered and Threatened Species Act of 2015

This bill amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit: (1) taking endangered or threatened species within the United States or U.S. territorial seas as trophies, or (2) importing such trophies.

Any person seeking to import a fish or wildlife trophy must submit documentation establishing that the trophy was taken before the enactment of this bill.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2015-09-09 00:00:00

Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2015

This bill amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to reauthorize through FY2020 appropriations from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund for various fish, boating, and coastal wetlands restoration programs. The bill also revises amounts allocated from the Fund to various programs, including amounts for programs concerning: (1) coastal wetlands, (2) boating safety, and (3) boating infrastructure. A separate amount is set aside each fiscal year through FY2020 for the Coast Guard's administration of the national recreational boating safety program.

When the President submits a budget for FY2017 and each fiscal year thereafter, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must submit an assessment of the administrative services it provides under the Act to states and the sportfishing community.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2015-09-16 00:00:00

Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large Animal Trophies Act or the CECIL Act

This bill amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to apply the Act's prohibitions on importing or exporting species listed as threatened or endangered to species proposed to be listed as well.

The Government Accountability Office must conduct and submit a report on the results of a study of the effectiveness of trophy hunting in supporting international wildlife conservation efforts.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2015-09-17 00:00:00

Big Cat Public Safety Act

This bill amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from breeding or possessing any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species (i.e., any live species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). Breeding means facilitating propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent propagation or reproduction. The bill extends forfeiture provisions to fish, wildlife, or plants that are bred or possessed.

The bill revises the list of entities that are exempt from Lacey Act prohibitions to include:

 institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; certain facilities that have an active written contract with an Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan or Taxon Advisory Group for breeding prohibited wildlife species; persons who do not allow the transportation and display of prohibited wildlife species off-site; current owners of animals that were born before this bill's enactment if the animals are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within 180 days; and certain traveling circuses that hold Class C licenses under the Animal Welfare Act. Entities exempt from Lacey Act prohibitions must require that current owners and circuses not allow direct contact between the public and the prohibited wildlife species.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2015-09-29 00:00:00

Federal Duck Stamp Price Stability Act of 2015

This bill amends the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to authorize the Department of the Interior, after notice and public comment, to increase the price of each Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp by up to $10 for a hunting year if the increase is: (1) commensurate with the level of inflation since the last increase, and (2) approved unanimously by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.

An increase in price shall take effect: (1) at least two years after the effective date of the last price increase, and (2) no later than January 1 of the calendar year preceding the hunting year.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2015-11-16 00:00:00

Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act of 2015

This bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit taking, importing, or exporting the killer whale (orcinus orca) species, or any product that contains that species, for public display purposes.

The bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from artificially inseminating or breeding that species for exhibition purposes.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2015-11-19 00:00:00

Horse Protection Amendments Act of 2015

This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to replace the Designated Qualified Persons program responsible for inspecting horses for soring with a new inspection system. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.)

The Department of Agriculture must establish a single Horse Industry Organization (HIO) in order to establish a formal affiliation with the management of each horse sale, horse exhibition, and horse sale or auction, appoint inspectors to conduct inspections, and otherwise ensure compliance with the Horse Protection Act.

The Commissioners of Agriculture for Tennessee and Kentucky must appoint individuals to the HIO. Those individuals must appoint individuals representing the Tennessee Walking Horse industry.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2016-02-12 00:00:00

United States Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Protection Act 

This bill authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to seek compensation from individuals or entities for costs or damages for destroying, causing the loss of, or injuring any living, nonliving, historical, cultural, or archaeological resource on land managed by the USFWS, or for causing the USFWS to carry out actions to prevent, minimize, or abate such destruction, loss, or injury.

Amounts recovered as a result of such destruction, loss, or injury must be made available to USFWS to: (1) reimburse response costs and damage assessments; (2) restore, replace, or acquire the equivalent of a resource that was destroyed, lost, or injured; or (3) monitor and study those resources.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2016-02-25 00:00:00

Help Extract Animals from Red Tape Act of 2016 or the HEART Act of 2016

This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify the general rules that govern civil forfeiture proceedings. Specifically, it adds requirements with respect to the seizure of an animal involved in animal fighting.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2016-03-15 00:00:00

Greater Sage Grouse Protection and Recovery Act of 2016

This bill delays findings by the Department of the Interior with respect to the greater sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act until September 30, 2026.

Additionally, Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA)are prohibited from amending any federal resource management plans that affect the greater sage grouse in a state in which the governor has notified Interior or USDA that a state management plan is in place.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2016-03-17 00:00:00

Finding Innovative Lionfish Elimination Technologies Act of 2016 or the FILET Act of 2016

This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to award competitive grants for colleges and universities to research lionfish and their impact on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico ecosystems.

An educational institution must satisfy specific requirements to be eligible for a grant. Grants awarded must be used to develop innovative technologies that can detect, monitor, and help mitigate the spread of lionfish in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2016-03-21 00:00:00

Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act of 2016

This bill amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to make it one of the purposes of the Act to extend financial and technical assistance to the states for the promotion of hunting and recreational shooting.

The bill also prescribes a formula for the allocation of funds apportioned to a state that may be used for any activity or project to recruit or retain hunters and recreational shooters.

Amounts apportioned to the states from any taxes on pistols, revolvers, bows, and arrows may be used for hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment.

The funds apportioned to a state for wildlife restoration management may be used for related public relations.

If a state has not used all of the tax revenues apportioned to it for firearm and bow hunter education and safety program grants, it may use its remaining apportioned funds for the enhancement of hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment.

Up to $5 million of the revenues covered into wildlife restoration fund in the Treasury from any tax imposed for a fiscal year on the sale of certain bows, arrows, and archery equipment shall be available to the Department of the Interior exclusively for making hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment grants that promote a national hunting and shooting sport recruitment program, including related communication and outreach activities.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2016-05-17 00:00:00

Efficient Marine Mammal Protection Act

This bill abolishes the Marine Mammal Commission and transfers to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service its functions, including its duties, obligations, powers, authorities, responsibilities, rights, privileges, activities, or programs.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2016-05-18 00:00:00

Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act

This bill amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) by requiring the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce to obtain the consent of each state for adding species to the list of threatened or endangered plants and animals when the species is present in the state.

Interior must submit to Congress a list of all endangered or threatened species. Congress must give its approval by a joint resolution before the list may take effect.

 Species are automatically taken off the list after five years. Interior may petition for the species to be relisted.

The bill eliminates provisions of the ESA allowing interested persons to petition for the addition or removal of a species from the list.

A state may regulate intrastate endangered or threatened species that are only present within its boundaries. If a state elects to regulate those species, it is given exclusive authority with respect to managing species and their habitats. State action with respect to intrastate species is not subject to judicial review.

The Bonneville, Southeastern, Southwestern, and Western Area Power Administrations must include in customer monthly billing statements information on the share of costs to the customer incurred as a result of compliance with the ESA, unless the costs are for intrastate species regulated by states.

Owners or lessees of property may apply to Interior for a determination of whether a proposed property use will violate the ESA. The use is deemed compliant if Interior fails to respond within 90 days. The owners and lessees may seek monetary compensation for unfavorable determinations.

The bill eliminates awards of attorney fees in citizen suits under the ESA.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2016-05-19 00:00:00

This bill prohibits any authorization of appropriations for the National Park Service to:

 study how artificial light affects the movements and behavior of insects, or develop or test remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analyzing the reflected light to determine how artificial light affects insect movements and behavior.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2016-06-22 00:00:00

Public Safety and Wildlife Protection Act

This bill prohibits importing, exporting, delivering, carrying, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing steel-jaw leghold traps or Conibear traps.

Steel-jaw leghold traps are certain spring-powered pan or sear-activated devices with steel jaws that are designed to snap closed on animals. Conibear traps consist of metal frames hinged at the center point and powered by two torsion springs that create a scissor-like action designed to kill animals by snapping their spinal columns. Both types of traps exclude cage or box traps, suitcase-type live beaver traps, or mouse or rat snap traps.

The bill establishes penalties for violating the prohibition on the traps.

The Department of the Interior must pay rewards for information that leads to a conviction of a violation of this bill, unless the information was provided by officers or employees of federal, state, or local governments while they were performing official duties.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2016-06-24 00:00:00

Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act of 2016

This bill makes it illegal to possess, buy, sell, transport, or trade shark fins or any product containing shark fins.A person may possess a shark fin that was lawfully taken consistent with a license or permit under certain circumstances.

 Penalties areimposedfor violations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2016-07-06 00:00:00

Recovering America's Wildlife Act of 2016

This bill amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to direct the Department of the Treasury to transfer, beginning in FY2016, revenues from energy and mineral development on federal lands totaling $1.3 billion to the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Subaccount of the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund, to be available without further appropriation. The purpose of the subaccount is to fund state wildlife conservation and restoration programs for managing fish and wildlife species of the greatest conservation need as determined by a state fish and wildlife agency.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2016-07-13 00:00:00

Conserving Our Reefs and Livelihoods Act of 2016

This bill amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to expand the coral reef conservation program by awarding remaining program grant funds to appropriate projects, including monitoring and assessment, research, and education necessary to protect and restore coral reefs.

The Coral Reef Conservation Fund is renamed the Coral Reef Conservation and Restoration Fund.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)must establish the Center of Excellence in Coral Reef Ecosystem Science Cooperative Institute.Additionally, the bill directs NOAAto submit to Congress a national coral reef action strategy.

The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force is authorized to carry out prize competitions that promote coral reef research and conservation. The prize competitions must be designed to help the United States achieve its goal of developing new and effective ways to advance the understanding, monitoring, and sustainability of coral reef ecosystems.

The Department of the Interior may provide coral reef conservation and restoration assistance. Interior must obtain approval from the relevant fish and wildlife management agency of a state or territory before restricting fishing access to state or territorial waters within its jurisdiction.

The bill directs NOAA to award competitive grants for colleges, universities, and nonprofit research organizations to research lionfish and their impact on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico ecosystems.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Animals
Date: 2016-07-13 00:00:00

Marine Mammal Research and Response Act of 2016

This bill reauthorizes through FY2022 and revises the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, including by expanding the Act and the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program to include assistance for marine mammals that are entangled in material (e.g. fishing gear) and are on U.S. beaches or shores, or in U.S. navigable waters.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must develop a program to make publicly available certain data collected under this bill.

The bill requires sums received for marine mammal conservation (e.g. fines for violations) and sums received from emergency declaration grants for marine mammal conservation to be deposited into the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund.

The bill establishes the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund for providing emergency financial assistance for certain stranded or entangled marine mammals.

NOAA must: (1) establish a national marine mammal health and stranding observing system (Marine Mammal Health Map), (2) analyze gaps in data about marine mammal rescue and response, and (3) report on the response capabilities for sick and injured marine mammals in U.S. Arctic regions.
Topic: Environment — Species & Forest
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2016

This bill amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to extend the award of coral reef conservation program grant funds to appropriate projects, including monitoring and assessment, research, pollution reduction, education, and technical support.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)and the Department of the Interior are authorized to undertake emergency actions to: (1) minimize injury to a coral reef or a coral reef ecosystem; and (2) stabilize, repair, or restore a coral reef. It is unlawful to injure a coral reef or its ecosystem subject to certain exemptions.

The bill modifies the goals and objectives of the national coral reef action strategy. NOAA must submit a report to Congress describing all activities undertaken to implement the strategy.

Additionally, NOAA is authorized to: (1) make community-based planning grants for increased protection of high priority coral reefs, (2) maintain an inventory of all coral reef vessel groundings, (3) identify all coral reefs with a high incidence of vessel impacts, and (4) identify measures to reduce such impacts.

NOAA must also submit an international coral reef ecosystem strategy to Congress and may establish an international coral reef ecosystem partnership program.The international strategy must be published in the Federal Register.

The bill establishes the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to coordinate federal actions that are designed to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. Additionally, the 12 federal agencies on the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force are authorized to carry out either individually or cooperatively, prize competitions that promote coral reef research and conservation.