jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-07 00:00:00

Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to furnish up to $250 worth of civilian clothing and luggage to a member of the Armed Forces, or to reimburse the member up to such amount for the purchase of such civilian clothing and luggage, for use for travel in connection with a medical evacuation. (Under current law $250 is allowed, but only for furnishing civilian clothing or reimbursement for such clothing.)
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-08 00:00:00

Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury to continually assess VHA capability to meet the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2007-05-09 00:00:00

Disabled Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow members of the uniformed services whose retired pay in any taxable year is reduced due to an award of disability compensation by the Department of Veterans Affairs an extension of the three-year limitation period for filing tax refund claims until one year after the date of a disability determination. Limits the period for which such refund claims may be filed to taxable years beginning less than 15 years before the date of a disability determination.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-09 00:00:00

Early Access to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Benefits Act - Entitles to veterans vocational rehabilitation benefits any member of the Armed Forces hospitalized or receiving outpatient medical care, services, or treatment who is: (1) determined to have a permanent total disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty; and (2) likely to be discharged or released from active service for such disability.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-09 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the number of benefits claims representatives employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) so that there are no fewer than two representatives for each center for the provision of veterans' readjustment counseling and related mental health services (known as vet centers). Requires the Secretary to: (1) ensure that representatives have a specified level of knowledge of the benefits claims process; and (2) direct additional VA resources to more hours of social worker and mental health time, more staff to keep vet centers open longer, and the provision of links to veteran job centers and training.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-09 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that every member of the Armed Forces who has served in the Global War on Terror: (1) undergoes a physical examination before the member's separation or discharge to determine their medical condition; or (2) is reimbursed for receiving such an examination from a licensed physician within 45 days after separation or discharge. Requires: (1) the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to use the same forms for medical examinations for members and veterans, respectively; (2) Secretary of the military department concerned to ensure that a copy of a member's service medical record is transmitted to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs upon the member's separation or retirement; and (3) Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use results of medical examinations provided by the Secretary of Defense for purposes of making disability compensation claim determinations.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-10 00:00:00

Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to award the Army Combat Action Badge to any member of the Army who participated in combat during which the person actually engaged, or was personally engaged by, the enemy at any time between December 7, 1941, and September 18, 2001, as long as such person has not been previously recognized for such participation.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-14 00:00:00

Pay Veterans First Act - Prohibits for FY2007 the payment of a performance-based bonus to any officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) who is appointed by the President, by and with the consent of the Senate, or who is a senior politically appointed officer unless, at the time of the payment, fewer than 100,000 claims for veterans' disability compensation are pending before the VA. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an audit of VA claims processing, and report audit results to Congress, for any quarter of FY2007 during which the percentage of disallowed claims exceeds by more than 10% the percentage that were disallowed during FY2006.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-16 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a process for determining whether a geographic area is sufficiently served by the national cemeteries located in that area, taking into account, among other things: (1) the number of veterans living in the area; and (2) the average distance a resident of the area must travel to reach the nearest national cemetery. Requires the Secretary, in case of an area with insufficient land to establish a cemetery, to consider alternatives such as establishing a mausoleum.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2007-05-17 00:00:00

SBA Veterans' Programs Act of 2007 - Title I: Office of Veterans Business Development - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Associate Administrator for Veterans Business Development to: (1) increase veteran outreach by ensuring that Veteran Business Outreach Centers regularly participate, on a nationwide basis, in the workshops of the Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Labor; and (2) submit to Congress progress reports on the implementation of such requirement. Requires the Associate Administrator to establish a Women Veterans Business Training Resource Program to compile information on resources available to women veterans for business training. Title II: Veterans Assistance and Services -Authorizes a small business development center to apply for a grant to carry out a veterans assistance and services program. Sets at $75,000 and $250,000 the minimum and maximum grant amounts. Title III: Expanding Veterans Business Outreach Centers - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to increase, by at least two for each of FY2008 and FY2009, and by an appropriate number for each fiscal year thereafter, the number of Veterans Business Outreach Centers throughout the United States. Requires the Administrator to (1) sponsor an independent study on gaps in the availability of such Centers across the United States; and (2) report to Congress on study results.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-17 00:00:00

21st Century GI Bill of Rights Act of 2007 - Entitles to basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill certain members of the Armed Forces or reserves who, after September 11, 2001: (1) are deployed overseas; or (2) serve for an aggregate of at least two years or, before such period, are discharged due to a service-connected disability, hardship, or certain medical conditions. Entitles such individuals to 36 months of educational assistance. Authorizes: (1) specialized training and certification programs for veterans with service-connected disabilities; and (2) payments for tutorial assistance and licensure and certification tests. Requires (with exceptions) the use of such assistance within ten years after the individual's last discharge or release from active duty. Requires individuals eligible under both the above program and the regular Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program to elect one program for participation. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the maximum guaranty amount under the veterans' home loan program with respect to residences of a particular size in an area for which the median price for such size exceeds the normal guaranty maximum. Repeals the home loan guaranty fees charged to veterans. Amends the Small Business Act relating to the microloan program to authorize small business loans to veterans in amounts up to $100,000 at an interest rate of no more than 2.5%.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-22 00:00:00

Veterans Right to Know Act of 2007 - Requires that, for any veterans' benefit claim for which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has made no decision, the Secretary shall provide to the claimant notice of the status of such claim no later than 60 days after the claim was submitted and every 60 days thereafter until a decision is made, unless the claimant chooses not to receive such notice. Directs the Secretary to implement the notification requirement within 60 days after the enactment of this Act.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-24 00:00:00

Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act - Permits a veteran with any compensable service-connected disability (and the veteran's dependents) to use commissary and exchange stores on the same basis as a member of the Armed Forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-24 00:00:00

Honoring Existing Retirement Obligations for Every Servicemember Act of 2007 - Provides that, with respect to a person whose absence from regular employment was necessitated by required service in the uniformed services, if that person dies during the period of such service, then the employer shall treat the person as not having incurred a break in employment until the date of the person's death, for purposes of pension and retirement benefits.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-06-06 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make payments to state and local approving agencies (agencies that approve educational courses for veterans) out of amounts in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) readjustment benefits account (under current law, out of amounts available for the payment of readjustment benefits) and out of amounts appropriated to the Secretary for such purpose. Makes $13 million the fiscal year amount to be paid from the readjustment benefits account.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-06-07 00:00:00

Repeals a provision prohibiting the Department of Defense (DOD), after October 30, 2000, from granting or renewing a security clearance for a person who: (1) was convicted of a crime and served a sentence of not less than one year; (2) is an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance; (3) is determined mentally incompetent; or (4) has been discharged or dismissed from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2007-06-12 00:00:00

Military Spouses Employment Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include spouses of members of the Armed Forces on extended active duty (more than 90 days or for an indefinite period) as members of a targeted group for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit (thus giving employers a tax incentive for hiring military spouses).Repeals certain restrictions on disposals to foreign nations of naval vessels in excess of 3,000 tons or less than 20 years of age.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-06-13 00:00:00

Veterans' Dignified Burial Assistance Act of 2007 - Increases from $300 to $400 the burial plot allowance paid for veterans interred in cemeteries other than national cemeteries. Waives the requirement that, for a state to receive such allowance for the reimbursement of burial costs, it must file for such within two years after the burial or cremation of the veteran. Authorizes the use of up to $5 million per year under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) state cemetery grant program for operating and maintaining state cemeteries.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-06-13 00:00:00

Makes eligible for veterans' mortgage life insurance members of the Armed Forces receiving specially adapted housing assistance through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-06-13 00:00:00

Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007 - Amends federal veterans' benefits provisions to entitle to educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill certain individuals who serve on active duty in the Armed Forces (including the reserves) on or after September 11, 2001. Requires such individuals to complete the requirements of a secondary school diploma (or its equivalent) before applying for such assistance. Establishes the duration of such assistance (in most cases 36 months) and assistance amounts. Requires programs of education pursued with such assistance to be approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Allows for the pursuit of an approved program of education while on active duty. Allows, under such assistance, for the pursuit of: (1) programs on less than a half-time basis; (2) apprenticeship or other on-job training; (3) correspondence courses; (4) flight training; (5) tutorial assistance; and (6) licensure and certification tests. Requires such educational assistance to be used within 15 years of the individual's discharge or release from active duty (with exceptions). Allows individuals currently under the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program to elect to participate in the post-9/11 educational assistance program with respect to any unused entitlement.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-06-14 00:00:00

Directs: (1) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to develop and maintain, in a compact disk (CD) read-only memory format, information that lists and explains the health, education, and other benefits for which veterans are eligible through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); (2) that a copy of such CD be included as part of the preseparation counseling provided to each member of the Armed Forces being discharged or released from duty; and (3) the Secretary, Secretary of Defense, and head of any other relevant government agency to each maintain an Internet website containing an explanation of the benefits administered by that Secretary or agency head to which veterans are entitled, and how veterans can secure those benefits.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-06-20 00:00:00

Reasonable Rates for Veterans Act - Sets at 21 cents per mile the rate of reimbursement for private motor vehicle travel under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiary travel program.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2007-06-27 00:00:00

Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to use the fingerprints provided by an individual at the time of military enlistment to satisfy any naturalization fingerprint requirements if: (1) the individual may be naturalized under the Immigration and Nationality Act; (2) the individual was fingerprinted in accordance with Department of Defense (DOD) requirements; (3) the individual submits a naturalization application within 24 months of enlistment; and (4) the Secretary determines that the fingerprints are sufficient to adjudicate the naturalization application. Directs the Secretary to inform military naturalization applicants of their choice to provide new fingerprints if such submission would result in more timely and effective naturalization adjudication. Provides for cooperation between the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense to determine an appropriate fingerprint format. Directs the Secretary to update Department of Homeland Security (DHS) websites within 30 days of any change in naturalization law or regulation affecting members of the Armed Forces. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) report to the congressional defense and judiciary committees on the naturalization application process for members of the Armed Forces; and (2) conduct a study of this Act's implementation by the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-06-28 00:00:00

Veterans Education Tuition Support Act of 2007 or VETS Act of 2007 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to require an institution of higher education, whenever a servicemember is called, activated, or ordered to military service and therefore withdraws or takes a leave of absence from such institution, to: (1) refund to the servicemember tuition and other fees paid for the portion of the program of education for which the servicemember did not receive academic credit after such withdrawal or leave; and (2) provide the servicemember an opportunity to reenroll at the institution with the same educational and academic status that the servicemember had when ordered to military service. Requires a provider of a student loan with respect to such a servicemember: (1) if the servicemember reenrolls in the program of education (or a comparable program) within 13 months following the period of military service, to disregard the entire period that the education was discontinued in determining the date on which student loan repayment is to begin; or (2) if the servicemember does not reenroll, to not require loan repayment to begin before the later of the last day of such 13-month period or the date the repayment was otherwise required to begin. Prohibits a court from granting a creditor relief from the 6% limit on interest charged against the indebtedness of a servicemember during a period of military service in the case of an obligation or liability incurred by a servicemember who is a student at an institution of higher education at the time of the call to service.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Social welfare
Date: 2007-06-28 00:00:00

Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act of 2007 - Amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to treat as a disability for OASDI and SSI disability payment purposes any service-connected total disability, as rated and certified by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Applies the same treatment to related child's insurance and widow's and widower's insurance benefits.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-07-10 00:00:00

Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 authorized the President to use the Armed Forces as appropriate to defend U.S. national security against the continuing threat posed by the government of Iraq at the time; (2) the government of Iraq which was in power at that time has been removed; (3) the current Iraqi government does not pose a threat to the United States; and (4) after more than four years of efforts by members of the Armed Forces and U.S. civilians, the government of Iraq must now be responsible for Iraq's future course. Directs the Secretary of Defense to commence the reduction of the number of Armed Forces in Iraq beginning no later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act and complete the reduction and transition to a limited presence in Iraq by no later than April 1, 2008 Directs the President, by January 1, 2008, to transmit to the congressional defense, appropriations, and foreign relations committees a comprehensive U.S. strategy for Iraq. Requires the President to update such strategy no later than July 1, 2008, and every 90 days thereafter, including a description of the number of Armed Forces deployed to Iraq and the missions for which they are so deployed.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-07-11 00:00:00

Military Retiree Dislocation Assistance Act of 2007 - Entitles a member of the Armed Forces who is retired or placed on the temporary disability list to a dislocation allowance when moving from such member's last duty station to such member's residence.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-07-11 00:00:00

Rural Veterans Services Outreach and Training Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to make competitive grants to provide financial assistance to state departments of veterans affairs for the training of rural county veteran service officers in order to improve outreach and assistance to veterans, as well as their spouses, children, and parents, who may be eligible to receive veterans' or veterans-related benefits and who are residing in rural counties. Limits each grant to $1 million. Requires grants to be made on an annual basis.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-07-16 00:00:00

Veterans Claims Processing Innovation Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a work credit system for evaluating regional offices of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) with respect to veterans' claims processing. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop and maintain a system for processing veterans' disability compensation claims using artificial intelligence that utilizes medical and military service data to generate disability rating recommendations; and (2) maintain a regional office at which all such claims are processed exclusively electronically. Provides that if a veteran who is a claimant dies before completing the submission of a claim for benefits, the person who would receive any accrued benefit(s) due to such veteran shall be treated as the claimant for purposes of completing submission of the claim. Directs the Secretary to contract with a private entity to evaluate the training and assessment programs for VBA employees.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-07-17 00:00:00

Disabled Veterans' Caregiver Compensation Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay monthly compensation of $234 to a veteran if and while totally disabled and in need of regular aid and attendance and while unpaid aid and attendance is provided by an adult family member who is dependent upon such veteran for support.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Law
Date: 2007-07-18 00:00:00

Amends the federal judicial code with respect to certain widows and widowers whose judicial survivors' annuities are terminated on account of remarriage before age 55. Requires restoration of such benefits, at the same rate, upon the dissolution of the remarriage by death, divorce, or annulment, if specified requirements are met.