lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-05-14 00:00:00

Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2015

This bill amends the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 to extend through July 31, 2015, the authorization, including authorized amount of appropriations, for:

 federal-aid highway programs generally, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highway safety programs, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration programs. The authorization of appropriations for programs under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act is also extended through July 31, 2015.

The bill extends through the same date the authorization and apportionment of appropriations for formula grants, including those for rural areas, public transportation, and bus and bus facilities.

Appropriations are authorized through that date for hazardous materials emergency preparedness and training grants.

Expenditure authorities of the Internal Revenue Code are also extended through July 31, 2015, for the Highway, Sport Fish Restoration and Boating, and Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Funds.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-05-19 00:00:00

Support for Bridges Act

This bill decreases from 63.7% to 49% the amount of a state's base apportionment of federal-aid highway funds slated for the national highway performance program. The bill also increases from 29.3% to 44% the state's apportionment for the surface transportation program (including federal-aid highway bridge construction and rehabilitation).

A state's obligation to commit for off-system bridges a specified amount of its apportionment of surface transportation block grant program funds shall continue for FY2016 and each ensuing fiscal year.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-05-20 00:00:00

State Transportation Flexibility Act 

 Allows a state to elect not to participate in the federal-aid highway program, including any federal highway program under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users or the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation , beginning in FY2015, to carry out a direct federal-aid highway program to permit a state legislature, at least 90 days before the beginning of a fiscal year, to elect to:

 waive the state's right to receive apportioned or allocated funds under the federal-aid highway program, and receive a prorated amount of taxes appropriated to the Highway Trust Fund (other than for the Mass Transit Account) which are attributable to highway users in the state. Requires a pro rata reduction of such tax-equivalent amount in order to fund contract authority for programs of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Requires the state making an election to:

 agree to maintain the Interstate System in accordance with the current Interstate System program; submit a plan describing the purposes, projects, and uses to which such amounts will be put and the federal-aid highway programmatic requirements the state elects to continue; and agree to obligate program amounts exclusively for projects that would be eligible for surface transportation program funding. Directs the Secretary to carry out a similar alternative funding program for public transportation programs.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-05-21 00:00:00

Improving Driver Safety Act of 2015

This bill adds a new requirement for distracted driving grants to states under national priority highway safety programs. To receive a grant a state's prohibition on texting while driving must:

 include distracted driving issues as part of their driver's license examination, and not make an exception that specifically allows a driver, especially one under age 18, to text through a personal wireless communication device while stopped in traffic. DOT may use up to 50% of amounts available for grants to states that:

 in FY2016 certify that they have enacted a basic text messaging statute for drivers of all ages, make violation of the statute a primary offense, participate in the annual distracted driving law enforcement mobilization, and are otherwise ineligible for a grant; and in FY2017 meet the aforementioned requirements, impose increased fines for repeat violations, and have a statute that prohibits a driver younger than 18 from using a personal wireless communications device while driving. States may use grant funds for:

 enforcement of distracted driving laws, and highway safety program projects. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall report to Congress on any legal and technical barriers to capturing data on the prevalence of the use of wireless communications devices while driving, including recommendations on how to address those barriers.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Energy
Date: 2015-05-21 00:00:00

Building Better Trucks Act

This bill amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to revise the advanced technology vehicle manufacturing incentive program, which provides loans to support the production of fuel-efficient, advanced technology vehicles and qualifying components in the United States. The program is expanded by allowing manufacturers of certain fuel-efficient, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (trucks) to qualify for loans. The amount charged as the fee to cover administrative costs is revised.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-05-21 00:00:00

Transportation and Logistics Hiring Reform Act

This bill establishes a national hiring standard for motor carriers.

The bill defines an"entity" as a person acting as:

 a shipper or a consignee; a broker, a freight forwarder, or a household goods freight forwarder; a non-vessel-operating common carrier, an ocean freight forwarder, or an ocean transportation intermediary; an indirect air carrier authorized to operate under a Standard Security Program approved by the Transportation Security Administration; a federally licensed customs broker; an interchange motor carrier; or a warehouse. Before tendering a shipment, but not more than 35 days before the pickup of a shipment by the hired motor carrier, an entity shall verify that the carrier:

 is registered with and authorized by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to operate as a motor carrier or household goods motor carrier; has the minimum insurance coverage required by federal law; and does not have an unsatisfactory safety fitness rating issued by the FMCSA. Only evidence of an entity's compliance with this Act may be admitted as evidence in a civil action for damages resulting from a claim of negligent selection or retention of such motor carrier against the entity. No other motor carrier data created or maintained by the FMCSA, including safety measurement system data or analysis of such data, may be admitted in a case or proceeding in which it is asserted or alleged that an entity's selection or retention of a motor carrier was negligent.

The Secretary of Transportation shall promulgate safety fitness determination regulations that update and revise the standards for establishing an unsatisfactory safety rating for motor carriers. In the regulations promulgated, the Secretary shall determine if a carrier is not fit to operate a commercial motor vehicle in or affecting interstate commerce.

 All commercial carriers shall comply with all applicable federal laws pertaining to safety.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-05-22 00:00:00

Pedestrian Safety Act of 2015

 This bill directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a final rule that: (1) establishes standards for the hood and bumper areas of motor vehicles, including passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less, in order to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities suffered by pedestrians who are struck by such vehicles; and (2) considers the protection of vulnerable pedestrian populations, including children and older adults.

The bill amends federal-aid highway provisions to include: (1) pedestrian hybrid beacons and roadway improvements that provide separation between pedestrians and motor vehicles, including pedestrian sidewalks and crossing islands, among projects for which the federal share payable is 100%; and (2) safety public awareness campaigns within the definition of "highway safety improvement project."
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-06-03 00:00:00

Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Safety Technology Investment Flexibility Act of 2015

This bill makes eligible for funding under the National Highway Performance Program, the Surface Transportation Program, and the Highway Safety Improvement Program projects for the installation of vehicle-to-infrastructure communication equipment.

"Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication equipment" means equipment that provides a wireless exchange of critical safety and operational data between highway infrastructure and vehicles in order to avoid or mitigate vehicle collisions and enable a wide range of other safety, mobility, and environmental benefits.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-06-10 00:00:00

Safety Through Informed Consumers Act of 2015

 Revises passenger motor vehicle information program requirements.

Directs the Department of Transportation to ensure that passenger motor vehicle crash avoidance information is provided next to, and in the same format as, crashworthiness information at each place that the latter is made available to the public.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-06-24 00:00:00

Trucking Rules Updated by Comprehensive and Key Safety Reform Act or the TRUCK Safety Reform Act

This bill requires the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): (1) at least every five years, to conduct a comprehensive review of its rules, regulations, regulatory guidance, and enforcement policies; and (2) within 24 months after completion of each review, to amend its regulations and enforcement policies to ensure that they are consistent and uniform. If the FMCSA determines that guidance it has issued has not been incorporated into a regulation, such guidance shall cease to be effective 24 months after the conclusion of such review unless FMCSA reissues it.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) shall publish in the Federal Register on the date of issuance all newly issued or reissued regulatory guidance and interpretations regarding commercial motor vehicle safety regulations.

The FMCSA shall conduct a formal notice and comment process when issuing medical guidance but may use informal rulemaking when issuing medical guidance that is directly related to a public health emergency.

The FMCSA: (1) when analyzing the impact of regulations and enforcement policies, shall specify how it will evaluate future rules and shall allow stakeholders to comment on why performance-based targets would be preferable to a proposed regulation; and (2) before promulgating any new regulation, shall include within its cost-benefit analysis a wider selection and scope of motor carriers.

The FMCSA, before promulgating a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that is reasonably likely to lead to the promulgation of a major rule, shall:

 issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that identifies the compelling public concern for a potential regulatory action and requests public comment on alternatives; determine whether a negotiated rulemaking is necessary; or otherwise publish a request for comment in the Federal Register. The FMCSA shall:

 respond to all statutory requirements for rulemaking; prioritize stakeholder petitions based on the likelihood of safety improvements; formally respond to a petition within six months after it is submitted; and post and maintain an inventory of all petitions received, including information about their disposition, on a publicly accessible website.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-06-24 00:00:00

Commercial Driver Act

This bill directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to establish a test program to allow states to enter into interstate compacts with contiguous states, approved by the governor of each state, to standardize the requirements for drivers operating commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce.

A commercial driver's license issued by one state participating in a compact shall be recognized as valid in every state participating in the compact.

Nothing in this Act may be construed to limit or change the authority to operate in interstate commerce for drivers over age 21, including by setting the minimum age requirement to receive a Class A commercial driver's license at age 18.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

This bill revises federal vehicle length limitations to prohibit states from prescribing or enforcing a regulation that imposes an overall length limitation of less than 82 feet on a towaway trailer transporter combination operating on any segment of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways and qualifying federal-aid primary system highways.

The bill defines "trailer transporter towing unit" as a power unit not used to carry property when operating in a towaway trailer transporter combination.

The bill defines "towaway trailer transporter combination" as a combination of vehicles consisting of a trailer transporter towing unit and two trailers or semitrailers:

 with a total combined weight not exceeding 26,000 pounds; and which carry no property and constitute inventory property of a manufacturer, distributor or dealer of such trailers or semitrailers.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-Related Fatalities Everywhere Act of 2015 or the ROADS SAFE Act of 2015

This bill directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to: (1) carry out a collaborative research effort to continue to explore the feasibility and the potential benefits of, and public policy challenges associated with, more widespread deployment of in-vehicle technology to prevent alcohol-impaired driving; and (2) report annually to Congress.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-07-09 00:00:00

Tire Efficiency, Safety, and Registration Act of 2015 or the TESR Act 

This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish tire fuel efficiency minimum performance standards, tire registration requirements, and a tire recall database.

DOT must establish:

 tire fuel efficiency minimum performance standards for passenger car tires that meet specified requirements, and tire wet traction minimum performance standards to ensure that passenger tire wet traction capability is not reduced to achieve improved tire fuel efficiency. DOT must require tire distributors or dealers that are not owned or controlled by a tire manufacturer to maintain records that include the names and addresses of customers and the tires that are leased or purchased. The distributors or dealers must electronically transmit the records to the tire manufacturers at no cost to the customers.

DOT must also establish a publicly available and searchable electronic database of tire recall information that is reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The database must be searchable by Tire Identification Number and any other criteria that assist consumers in determining whether a tire is subject to a recall.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-07-15 00:00:00

This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to permit a state transportation department to approve a justification report for a project to build or modify a freeway-to-crossroad interchange on the Interstate Highway System within a transportation management area in such state.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-07-21 00:00:00

Security and Privacy in Your Car Act of 2015 or the SPY Car Act of 2015

This bill directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to conduct a rulemaking to issue motor vehicle cybersecurity regulations that require motor vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States to protect against unauthorized access to: (1) electronic controls or driving data, including information about the vehicle's location, speed, owner, driver, or passengers; or (2) driving data collected by electronic systems built into a vehicle while that data is stored onboard the vehicle, in transit from the vehicle to another location, or subsequently stored or used off-board the vehicle. The regulations must require vehicles with accessible data or control signals to be capable of detecting, reporting, and stopping attempts to intercept such driving data or control the vehicle.

A violator is liable to the U.S. government for a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation.

 NHTSA must also conduct a rulemaking to require the fuel economy labeling that manufacturers attach to motor vehicles to display a "cyber dashboard" with a standardized graphic to inform consumers about the extent to which the vehicle protects individuals' cybersecurity and privacy beyond the minimum requirements.

The Federal Trade Commission is required to conduct a rulemaking to: (1) require motor vehicles to notify owners or lessees about the collection, transmission, retention, and use of driving data; (2) provide owners or lessees with the option to terminate such data collection and retention (except onboard safety systems required for post-incident investigations, emissions, crash avoidance, and other regulatory compliance programs) without losing navigation tools or other features; and (3) prohibit manufacturers from using collected information for advertising or marketing purposes without the owner's or lessee's consent. Violations are to be treated as unfair and deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-07-21 00:00:00

This bill requires the Department of Transportation to make grants to assist eligible recipients in financing capital projects to maintain bus and bus facilities systems in a state of good repair, including projects to: (1) replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment; and (2) construct bus-related facilities.

Eligible recipients are designated recipients that operate bus service or that allocate funding to bus operators. Grant recipients may: (1) allocate amounts to subrecipients that are public agencies or private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation, and (2) obligate funds for three fiscal years after the fiscal year in which the amount is appropriated.

The bill limits to 4% the percentage of funding made available for this Act in a fiscal year that may be provided to a single recipient.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-09-30 00:00:00

This bill modifies the formula that the Department of Transportation uses to apportion federal highway funds among the states for the national highway performance program, the surface transportation program, the highway safety improvement program, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, and metropolitan transportation planning.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-10-06 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)

(Sec. 1) This bill modifies the existing authority for the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company to maintain and operate a toll bridge across the Rio Grande River near Rio Grande City, Texas.

The authority, which currently expires 66 years after completion of the bridge (in 1966), is made permanent and expanded to include the successors or assigns of the company. The bridge must not consist of more than 14 lanes.

The company and its successors and assigns shall have the rights and privileges granted by federal law to the B and P Bridge Company, and may use eminent domain to acquire certain land needed for the bridge, subject to Texas laws and requirements for just compensation and public proceedings.

The company's successors and assigns may fix and charge tolls for transit over the bridge.

Those successors and assigns may also sell, assign, transfer, or mortgage the rights, powers, and privileges conferred on the company by the enacting law, to any public agency, to an international bridge authority or commission, or to a corporation.

Any such corporation may exercise such rights, powers, and privileges (including acquisition by mortgage foreclosure) as if they had been granted by the enacting law directly to the corporation.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-11-05 00:00:00

Strengthen And Fortify Existing Bridges Act of 2015 or the SAFE Bridges Act of 2015 

 This bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish a program to assist states to rehabilitate or replace bridges found to be structurally deficient, functionally obsolete, or fracture critical.

States shall use apportioned program funds for projects to rehabilitate and replace such bridges.

The federal share of project costs is 100%.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-11-09 00:00:00

Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program Improvement Act

This bill revises requirements for any written agreement under the surface transportation project delivery program that a state makes with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to assume responsibilities assigned by DOT with respect to one or more highway projects within the state under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

Such an agreement shall emphasize that the state is solely responsible and liable for carrying out DOT responsibilities, including the defense of any civil action, without further DOT approval, under the program.

DOT shall:

 audit a participating state annually (currently, semiannually) for the first two as well as the last two years of the first four years of a state's particiaption; meet with the state to review implementation of its assignment agreement, and discuss plans for the first annual audit, within 180 days after execution of the agreement; and ensure that the time period for completing an annual audit, from initiation to completion (including public comment and responses to those comments), does not exceed 180 days. DOT shall also determine the team to carry out an audit, which shall include at least one member the state designates (who may have relevant expertise and experience and not be an employee of either the state or DOT).

 In cooperation with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, DOT shall carry out education, training, peer exchange, and other initiatives to:

 assist states in developing the capacity to participate in the assignment program, and promote information sharing and collaboration among states participating in the program.
Topic: Agriculture — Trade
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2007-01-09 00:00:00

Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to change the country of origin labeling implementation date from September 30, 2008, to September 30, 2007.