jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2009-02-26 00:00:00

Amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to extend the regulatory jurisdiction of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to audit reports prepared by a domestic registered or foreign public accounting firm regarding issuers, brokers and dealers, and any companies subject to securities laws (currently only issuers and public companies). Directs the Board to: (1) establish standards for independence to be used by a registered public accounting firm; and (2) conduct annual inspections to assess compliance of each registered public accounting firm that regularly provides audit reports for more than 100 brokers and dealers. Declares it shall be unlawful for any person that is suspended or barred from being associated with a registered public accounting firm to willfully become, or remain associated with any broker or dealer (as well as, under current law, any issuer) in an accountancy or financial management capacity. Prescribes a formula for mandatory allocation among non-issuer brokers and dealers of accounting support fees due from them to fund the budget of the Board. Authorizes the Board to: (1) refer an investigation to a self-regulatory organization if the investigation concerns an audit report for a broker or dealer subject to the organization's jurisdiction; and (2) make available to the organization documents or information related to such an investigation or an inspection.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2009-03-05 00:00:00

Reducing Information Control Designations Act - Requires each federal agency to reduce and minimize its use of information control designations on information that is not classified. Defines such designations to mean information dissemination controls that are not defined by federal statute or executive order relating to the classification of national security information and that are used to manage, direct, or route information or to control the accessibility of information, regardless of its form or format. Requires the Archivist of the United States to promulgate regulations to address: (1) standards for the use of such designations to maximize public access to information; (2) the process for removing such designations; (3) procedures for identifying and tracking designated information; (4) provisions to minimize the use of such designations, to prevent misuse, and prevent use to improperly interfere with competition in the private sector; and (5) a requirement for agencies to establish a process for individuals and the public to challenge the use of such designations and penalties for repeated failures to comply with designation policies. Requires the head of each federal agency to: (1) implement the regulations promulgated by the Archivist to encourage information sharing; and (2) ensure that such designations do not determine public disclosure requirements under the Freedom of Information Act.Requires the Inspector General of each federal agency to randomly audit and report to Congress on unclassified information with such designations to determine compliance. Directs the Archivist to: (1) require personal identifiers and agency affiliations of individuals applying such designations: (2) require training of such individuals; and (3) implement a program to detail federal employees to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to train such employees. Terminates such detail program on December 31, 2012.Requires promulgation of final regulations and implementation of this Act's requirements within 24 months.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2009-03-05 00:00:00

Federal Accounting Oversight Board Act of 2009 - Establishes the Federal Accounting Oversight Board (FAOB) to approve and oversee accounting principles and standards for purposes of the federal financial regulatory agencies and the reporting requirements they require. Directs the FAOB to report annually to Congress, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and the International Accounting Standards Board on the principles and standards it has reviewed and approved Amends the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to transfer standard body oversight authority from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the FAOB.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2009-03-10 00:00:00

Multilingual Services Accounting Act - Requires federal agency Chief Financial Officers to include multilingual services accounting information in their mandatory annual reports to the agency head and to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Defines multilingual services to include: (1) services provided by interpreters hired by an agency; (2) services resulting in additional expenses which an agency provides to assist its employees or contractors to learn a non-English language; (3) agency preparation, translation, printing, or recordation of materials in a language other than English; and (4) services provided or performed for the federal government by agency employees or contractors that require speaking a non-English language that result in wage differentials or benefits provided by the agency. Requires the OMB Director's annual financial management status report to certain congressional committees to contain a Multilingual Services Expenses Report that includes: (1) a summary and analysis of the multilingual services accounting information prepared by each agency Chief Financial Officer; and (2) a description of any changes to the existing financial management structure of the federal government needed to establish an integrated individual agency accounting of all multilingual services conducted by each agency. Requires the OMB Director to issue guidance that an agency Chief Financial Officer must follow in compiling multilingual services accounting information.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2009-03-11 00:00:00

Government Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Accountability Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should establish government-wide strategic and performance plans; and (2) each federal agency head should consult with the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the agency at the beginning of each Congress regarding the agency's performance plan. Requires each agency head to: (1) conduct an assessment of each agency program at least once every five fiscal years; (2) determine how assessment information can help save taxpayers money; (3) develop a plan for merging programs with duplicative missions; (3) identify program best practices for allocating resources; and (4) determine program performance levels and ways to improve low performance. Requires assessment results and resulting agency actions to be submitted in a report to Congress at the same time the President submits the annual federal budget. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) develop a government-wide system to cross reference programs within each agency to make programs more effective and efficient; (2) provide notice of, and an opportunity for public comment on, each program to be assessed; and (3) develop a process for controlling the quality of program assessment data and certify the quality of such data. Changes: (1) the date by which the heads of each federal agency are required to submit strategic plans for program activities to September 30 of each year following a presidential election; and (2) the period of coverage for strategic plans from five to four years.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2009-03-26 00:00:00

Financial System Stabilization and Reform Act of 2009 - Establishes an independent Financial Stability Council to: (1) review, and approve or prohibit issuance of, or require modification of, any rule or regulation issued by any federal financial regulator; (2) require each federal financial regulator to issue or revise its rules and regulations in conformance with the Council's determination; (3) review new financial products and services and recommend regulations for them to the appropriate federal financial regulator; and (4) direct each federal financial regulator to impose appropriate solvency requirements, including capital requirements and long-term debt ratios on any financial institution within its jurisdiction, as the Council deems necessary to prevent systemic risk to the financial system of the United States. Subjects violations of this Act to civil penalties. Grants Council actions precedence in any conflict with any regulatory action of a federal financial regulator. Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to subject each credit-default swap trading clearinghouse to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Sets forth capitalization, reporting, and recordkeeping for positions involving credit-default swaps. Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) to promulgate rules: (1) for the examination of the safety and soundness of, and the extent of systemic risk to the financial system of the United States posed by, any investment bank holding company organized in or doing business in the United States; and (2) for reasonable reporting of information by each investment bank holding company, to the extent necessary to implement this Act. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to issue final rules that: (1) designate clearinghouses for credit-default swaps; and (2) prohibit fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative acts or practices in connection with such swaps. Requires such rules to require that clearinghouses: (1) are capitalized by participants to a level adequate to guarantee payments; and (2) are authorized to assess members for a default fund. Requires any person that engages in a credit-default swap transaction to utilize an SEC-designated clearinghouse for such purpose. Abolishes the Office of Thrift Supervision and transfers its authorities, functions, personnel, and property to the Comptroller of the Currency. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from delaying or preventing the issuance or promulgation of any rule or regulation by the Comptroller.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2009-03-30 00:00:00

Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies Act - Establishes the Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies to: (1) evaluate executive agencies and their programs; and (2) submit to Congress a plan recommending agencies and programs that should be realigned or eliminated and proposing implementing legislation. Requires the Commission to recommend: (1) realignment where a function performed by two or more agencies or programs can be consolidated; (2) realignment or elimination of any agency or program that has wasted federal funds; and (3) elimination of any agency or program that has completed its purpose, become irrelevant, or failed to meet objectives.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2009-03-31 00:00:00

Clean Up Government Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) expand mail and wire fraud prohibitions to include fraudulent use of the mails or wire to obtain any thing of value (currently, limited to money or property); (2) expand venue for prosecutions of federal offenses; (3) increase prison terms for theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and for bribery of public officials and witnesses; (4) include theft of District of Columbia property in the federal crime of stealing public money, property or records; and (5) expand the definition of "official act" for purposes of the crime of bribery of public officials and witnesses. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend its guidelines and policy statements to reflect congressional intent to increase penalties for public corruption.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2009-04-02 00:00:00

Anti-Gaming and Collusion in Public-Private Investment Program Act - Prohibits any person who: (1) sells or otherwise disposes of an asset to or through any public-private investment program (including the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets established by the Secretary of the Treasury) from acquiring any other asset from or through such program; and (2) purchases or otherwise acquires an asset from or through such program from disposing of it or any other asset to or through any such program.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2009-04-02 00:00:00

Transparency and Accountability in State and Local Contracting Act - Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to: (1) require (current law authorizes) federal agencies receiving funds under the Act to adjust applicable limits on administrative expenditures for federal awards to help award recipients defray the costs of data collection requirements initiated pursuant to the Act; and (2) authorize such agencies to set aside up to 0.5% of covered funds directed to such agencies to conduct comprehensive, agency-wide oversight and administration of projects under the Act.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Education
Date: 2009-04-27 00:00:00

United States Public Service Academy Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Department of State a U.S. Public Service Academy for the instruction in and preparation for public service of selected individuals. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) key personnel positions; (2) faculty and departments; (3) student nominations, qualifications, and admission requirements; (4) curriculum standards; and (5) off-campus learning program requirements. Requires each Academy student to sign an agreement for not less than five years of public service following graduation. Imposes cost repayment requirements for students who fail to graduate or to complete such public service. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) public service assignments; and (2) graduate education and the additional service commitment. Establishes a Board of Visitors to oversee and inquire into the efficiency and effectiveness of Academy operations. Directs the President to determine the Academy's location by establishing an advisory commission and through specified procedures. Authorizes the President to acquire land and construct the Academy. Requires each Academy student's education to be fully subsidized by the Academy (or by an international student's home country).
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Health
Date: 2009-04-27 00:00:00

Cord Blood Education and Awareness Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a publication relating to umbilical cord blood that includes: (1) an explanation of the potential value and uses of umbilical cord blood; (2) the medical processes involved in the collection of cord blood; and (3) options for ownership and future use of donated umbilical cord blood. Directs the Secretary to develop a written patient informed consent document relating to cord blood disposition to be presented to and signed by the expectant woman not later than two weeks before her estimated delivery date. Requires such document to include: (1) information on the different options to cord blood banking; (2) information on the medical value of cord blood stem cells in treating disease; and (3) a declaration, to be signed, of a woman's chosen option for disposition. Directs each physician or other health care professional who is primarily responsible for furnishing ambulatory prenatal care to a pregnant woman to: (1) provide her with timely information relating to umbilical cord blood banking options; and (2) obtain written informed consent or a document that the woman refused or declined to provide such consent. Applies such requirement to state Medicaid plans and group health insurance plans. Directs the Secretary to develop professional educational materials on umbilical cord blood stem cells for health care providers who provide prenatal services. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to entities for targeted education about umbilical cord blood stem cells and the different options for banking such cells.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Energy
Date: 2009-04-28 00:00:00

Global Warming Economic Oversight Act of 2009 - Establishes the Global Warming Economic Oversight Commission to conduct ongoing oversight of, and report to the appropriate congressional committees on, the use by the federal government of funds from any auction or sale of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions allowances. Requires the Commission to focus on the use of funds to: (1) create new jobs in industries that produce renewable energy; (2) preserve jobs in existing, previously carbon-intensive industries; (3) assist working families with any increases in the costs of energy, transportation, housing, health care, food, and other necessities that result from federal laws designed to limit GHG emissions; and (4) assist small businesses with increases in energy costs that result from such laws, including costs relating to transportation, facilities, and equipment.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2009-04-30 00:00:00

Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2009 - Requires each executive agency, except for the Department of Defense (DOD), to establish and maintain specified safeguards and internal controls for official purchase cards and convenience checks, including measures to ensure that: (1) records are kept of each card holder and applicable transaction limits; (2) rebates and refunds based on prompt payment, sales volume, or other agency actions on card accounts are reviewed for accuracy; (3) periodic reviews are performed to determine whether each cardholder needs a card; (4) effective systems, techniques, and technologies are used to prevent or identify fraudulent purchases; and (5) steps are taken to recover the cost of erroneous, improper, or illegal purchases made with a purchase card or convenience check through salary offsets. Establishes similar requirements for DOD. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review existing guidance and prescribe additional guidance governing the implementation of the safeguards and internal controls. Requires each agency head to provide for appropriate adverse personnel actions or other punishment, including dismissal, in cases where employees violate agency policies implementing the guidance or make improper, erroneous, or illegal purchases. Requires the guidance to direct each agency head with more than $10 million in purchase card spending annually and each Inspector General to jointly report to the Director on such violations semiannually. Lists actions that each agency Inspector General should take, including to conduct periodic assessments of agency purchase card or convenience check programs to identify and analyze risks of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments in order to develop a plan for periodic audits of transactions. Amends the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 to require each agency to establish safeguards and internal controls over federal contractor-issued travel charge cards to ensure the proper, efficient, and effective use of such cards. Requires agencies that have employees who use a travel charge card that is billed directly to the U.S. government to establish and maintain specified internal control activities, including requirements to: (1) compare items submitted on an employee's travel voucher with items paid for using a centrally billed account on any related travel; (2) dispute unallowable and erroneous charges and track disputed transactions to ensure appropriate resolution; and (3) submit requests to servicing airlines for refunds for fully or partially unused tickets and to track unused tickets to ensure appropriate resolution.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2009-04-30 00:00:00

Interagency Cooperation Commission Act - Establishes the Interagency Cooperation Commission to examine the long-term global challenges facing the United States and develop legislative and administrative proposals to improve interagency cooperation.Requires the Commission to: (1) address the role and impact in facilitating or impeding interagency cooperation of a variety of budgetary, planning, and operational factors; and (2) examine interdepartmental cooperation within the Department of Defense (DOD), including the common organizational structures, reference materials, and budget processes, and examine the value of such structures as models for broader government commonality. Lists as the subjects of required assessments: (1) past examples of successful and unsuccessful interagency cooperation; (2) the impact of the Goldwater-Nichols Act within DOD; (3) the effectiveness of current interagency structures and processes to engage in strategic planning and oversee and implement long-term United States policy in global affairs; (4) simulation-based assessments of global scenarios the United States may face in the long-term; and (5) the legal decision-making authority and resources needed in each department and at the highest levels of government to execute reforms proposed by the Commission.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2009-05-13 00:00:00

Government Information Transparency Act - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to adopt a single data standard for: (1) collection, analysis, and dissemination of business and financial information for use by private sector entities in accordance with this Act for information required to be reported to the federal government; and (2) use by agencies for federal financial information. Requires the standard to: (1) be common across all agencies; (2) be a widely accepted, open source, nonproprietary, searchable, computer-readable format for business and financial data; (3) be consistent with and implement U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for federal financial accounting standards, industry best practices, and federal regulatory requirements; (4) improve the transparency, consistency, and usability of business and financial information; and (5) be capable of being continually upgraded. Requires the Director: (1) within 180 days, to issue guidance to agencies on the use and implementation of the single data standard for information required to be reported to agencies by the private sector; (2) within one year, to develop the single data standard required for use by federal agencies for federal financial information; and (3) within 18 months, to issue guidance to agencies on the use and implementation of the single data standard. Directs each agency head to ensure that information collected using the single data standard is accessible to the general public. Requires the Director, within one year, to submit to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs a report on the status of the implementation of this Act.
Topic: Government Operations — Bureaucracy
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2009-05-21 00:00:00

Municipal Bond Insurance Enhancement Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Department of the Treasury the Office of Public Finance. Requires the Director of such Office to carry out a program to provide reinsurance for insured losses of municipal bond insurers. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish and submit to Congress within five years after the enactment of this Act a plan for the sale of reinsurance assets acquired under this Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that reinsurance provided by this Act shall not be treated as a federal guarantee for purposes of disallowing the exemption of interest on municipal bonds.