lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2011-06-01 00:00:00

Safe Building Code Incentive Act of 2011 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to increase the maximum total of contributions for a major disaster by an amount equal to 4% of the estimated aggregate amount of grants to be made under the Act, if at the time of a declaration of a major disaster the affected state has in effect and is actively enforcing an approved state building code. Requires a state, to be eligible for the increased federal share, to submit its state building code to the President for approval.Directs the President to approve a state building code submitted upon determining that it: (1) is consistent with the most recent version of a nationally recognized model building code, (2) has been adopted by the state within six years of the most recent version of the nationally recognized code, and (3) uses the nationally recognized code as a minimum standard.Requires the President, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to set appropriate standards for the periodic update, resubmittal, and approval of state building codes, consistent with similar mitigation planning requirements under the Stafford Act.Authorizes the use by states and local governments of technical and financial assistance to implement predisaster hazard mitigation measures to establish and operate a building department and carry out enforcement activities to implement an approved state building code.Directs the President, in determining whether to provide technical and financial assistance to a state or local government, to take into account the extent to which that government is carrying out activities to implement an approved state building code.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2011-06-01 00:00:00

Homeowners Flood Insurance Awareness Act - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to publicize determinations of proposed flood elevations (including during the 90-day period for appeals) by notifying: (1) a prominent local television and radio station, and (2) each Member of the House of Representatives and each Senator that represents any part of such community. Requires the Administrator to extend the 90-day period for appeals for 90 additional days if an affected community certifies that it: (1) believes there are property owners or lessees in the community who are unaware of such period for appeals, and (2) will use such extension to notify affected property owners or lessees of the period for appeals and the opportunity to appeal the proposed determinations. Allows reimbursement of expenses for the services of surveyors, engineers, or similar services (but not legal services) incurred in effecting a successful petition to dispute the designation of a property as being located in an area with a special flood hazard. Directs the Administrator to: (1) revise annually each flood insurance rate map to permanently remove any property whose owner or lessee (or a community) successfully petitions to remove the designation of such property as being located in an area with a special flood hazard, and (2) ensure that each such map indicates no history of such property being designated as located in a special flood hazard area.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-06-02 00:00:00

Natural Disaster Mitigation Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers a nonrefundable tax credit for 25% of their qualified natural disaster mitigation property expenditures, as defined by this Act, made in connection with the taxpayer's principal residence.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-06-02 00:00:00

Catastrophe Savings Accounts Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to create tax-exempt catastrophe savings accounts (CSAs). Allows tax-free distributions from CSAs to pay expenses resulting from a presidentially declared major disaster. Limits CSA balances to: (1) $2,000 (for individuals with homeowner insurance deductibles of not more than $1,000); and (2) the lesser of $15,000 or twice a homeowner's insurance deductible (for individuals with deductibles of more than $1,000).
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-06-02 00:00:00

Policyholder Disaster Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow insurance companies (other than life insurance companies) to make tax deductible contributions to a tax-exempt policyholder disaster protection fund established by this Act for the payment of policyholders' claims arising from certain catastrophic events, such as windstorms, earthquakes, fires, or floods.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Date: 2011-06-21 00:00:00

National Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2011 - Requires the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the Department of Commerce (the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]) and the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a National Hurricane Research Initiative and to cooperate with other specified federal agencies to carry it out. Requires such Initiative to set research objectives (based on a National Science Board report on the need for such Initiative) to: (1) make recommendations to the Board and to the NOAA Science Advisory Board; (2) assemble the science and engineering expertise of state or local government agencies and nongovernmental entities through a multi-agency effort focused on improving severe tropical storm forecasting capabilities, on durable and resilient infrastructure, and on mitigating impacts on coastal populations, the coastal built environment, and the natural coastal environment; and (3) make grants for hurricane research, including regarding storm internal dynamics, predicting high winds, tornadoes, and storm surge, and improving measurements of hurricanes and tropical storms through specified technologies. Directs the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, through the National Science and Technology Council, to coordinate U.S. activities related to the Initiative as a formal program with a well-defined organizational structure and execution plan. Directs the Under Secretary and the Director to: (1) issue a request for proposals to undertake the basic and applied research with a sufficient annual budget to accomplish the desired research results during a 10-year term, (2) establish a National Infrastructure Database, and (3) develop a National Hurricane Research Model. Authorizes appropriations for FY2012 to carry out the Joint Polar Satellite System program.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2011-06-21 00:00:00

FEMA Recoupment Fairness Act of 2011 - Directs the President to forgo recoupment of liabilities to the United States relating to assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to individuals and households in relation to a major disaster declared by the President between August 28, 2005, and December 31, 2010, if: (1) such assistance was provided based on an error by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); and (2) there was no fault on behalf of the recipient with respect to the error, including fraud, presentation of a false claim, or misrepresentation by the recipient or any party having an interest in the claim. Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to specified congressional committees a report assessing the cost-effectiveness of the efforts of FEMA to recoup erroneous assistance provided for such a major disaster or other catastrophic incident.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-06-23 00:00:00

Southeastern Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2011 - Extends certain disaster-related tax relief provisions to the Southeastern disaster area. Defines "Southeastern disaster area" as an area with respect to which a major disaster has been declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act due to severe storms, tornados, or flooding occurring after April 13, 2011, and before June 7, 2011, in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Rescinds $12 billion of appropriated discretionary unexpired and unobligated federal funds to implement this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2011-07-07 00:00:00

Humanitarian Aid for Americans Act - Prohibits any appropriation during calendar year 2011 or 2012 for disaster assistance from being: (1) counted for any budgetary purpose of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 or of any rule of either chamber, or (2) required to be accompanied by any budgetary offset.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Water resources development
Date: 2011-07-08 00:00:00

Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out a project for hurricane and storm damage reduction at Surf City and North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, substantially in accordance with the Surf City and North Topsail Beach, North Carolina Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Report dated December 30, 2010, for periodic beach nourishment and monitoring over the 50-year economic life of the project.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2011-07-15 00:00:00

Wallow Fire Recovery and Monitoring Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct and report on a hazard tree and commercial timber evaluation that identifies timber resources appropriate for removal within the Wallow Fire Area in Arizona and New Mexico not later than the date that is the earlier of: (1) 30 days after the completion of the burned area emergency response for the Wallow Fire Area; or (2) 45 days after the date of containment of the Wallow Fire. Requires the Secretary to: (1) exclude from areas identified for tree removal high fire-severity burned areas on steep slopes, slopes with an incline greater than 40%, riparian areas, and fragile erosive sites, unless tree removal in those areas is necessary to address public health and safety concerns; and (2) limit the removal of trees under a timber removal project under this Act to hazard trees and trees that are already down, dead, or severely root-sprung, such that mortality is highly probable. Provides that: (1) nothing in this Act authorizes new permanent road construction for timber removal, and (2) it is the intent of Congress that all timber removal projects carried out under this Act be completed within 18 months of this Act's enactment. Requires the Secretary, in the case of a timber removal project to be conducted in a Community Protection Management Area, to prepare an environmental assessment for the proposed agency action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Subjects timber removal projects carried out under this Act to the special administrative process and judicial review process under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. Requires amounts collected from a timber removal project carried out under this Act to be available for expenditure by the Secretary for forest restoration treatments in the Wallow Fire Area.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2011-07-19 00:00:00

Homeowners' Defense Act of 2011 - Establishes the National Catastrophe Risk Consortium as a nonprofit, nonfederal entity to: (1) maintain an inventory of catastrophe risk obligations held by state reinsurance funds, state residual insurance market entities, and state-sponsored providers of natural catastrophe insurance; (2) issue, on a conduit basis, securities and other financial instruments linked to catastrophe risks insured or reinsured through Consortium members; (3) coordinate reinsurance contracts; (4) act as a centralized repository of state risk information accessible by certain private-market participants; and (5) establish a database to perform research and analysis that encourages standardization of the risk-linked securities market. Shields the federal government and the Consortium from liability for Consortium actions. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to guarantee holders of debt against loss of principal or interest, or both, on debt issued by certain eligible state programs Provides separate limits on the total principal amount of such obligations for programs that cover earthquake peril and those that cover all other perils. Subjects the catastrophic debt guarantee to specified requirements. Directs the Secretary to make contracts for reinsurance coverage available for purchases only by eligible state programs. Sets pricing guidelines and limits aggregate potential federal liability. Establishes a Federal Natural Catastrophe Reinsurance Fund. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish a grants program for eligible entities to develop, enhance, or maintain programs to prevent and mitigate losses from natural catastrophes. Directs the Comptroller General to study: (1) risk-based insurance rate pricing; and (2) rates for state insurance, reinsurance, or residual market programs that fail to cover the expected value of all future associated costs.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-08-01 00:00:00

Disaster Tax Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to disaster tax relief provisions, to: (1) provide for an increase in the tax deduction for losses attributable to a federally declared disaster, (2) make permanent expensing provisions for qualified disaster expenses and qualified disaster assistance property and for net operating losses attributable to federally declared disasters, (3) waive specified requirements for the issuance of mortgage revenue bonds in disaster areas, (4) increase the limit for charitable contributions for disaster relief for individuals and corporations, and (5) increase the new markets tax credit for low-income community investments within a disaster area.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2011-08-05 00:00:00

Gulf Coast Disadvantaged Business Relief Act of 2011 - Permits any small business located in a Louisiana parish or Mississippi or Alabama county that was designated by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a disaster area by reason of Hurricane Katrina or Rita while it was participating in a SBA small business and capital ownership development program to continue participation and eligibility in such program for an additional 24 months.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-09-13 00:00:00

Rebuilding Communities Act of 2011 - Amends the Heartland Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008 to extend through December 31, 2014, the increased rehabiliation tax credit allowed to residents of the Midwestern disaster area (the major disaster area including the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin).
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2011-09-13 00:00:00

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2011 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to direct the President, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to modernize and implement the integrated U.S. public alert and warning system to ensure that the President can alert governmental authorities and the civilian population in areas endangered by disasters. Directs the Administrator, consistent with the final recommendations of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Advisory Committee (established by this Act), to: (1) establish common alerting and warning protocols, standards, terminology, and operating procedures for such system; (2) include in such system the capability to adapt the distribution and content of communications on the basis of geographic location, risks, or personal user preferences and to alert individuals with disabilities or limited English proficiency; and (3) ensure that training, tests, and exercises are conducted for such system. Requires the system to: (1) incorporate multiple communications technologies; (2) be designed to incorporate future technologies for communicating directly with the public, to provide alerts to the largest portion of the affected population feasible, including nonresident visitors and tourists, and to improve the ability of remote areas to receive alerts; (3) promote local and regional partnerships to enhance community preparedness and response; and (4) provide redundant alert mechanisms.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2011-09-14 00:00:00

Community Shelter Protection Act of 2011 - Prohibits the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from requiring an educational institution (elementary or secondary school that is an eligible applicant for FEMA assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act) to reimburse FEMA for the market value of a covered temporary tornado shelter facility (a structure designed to protect children from a tornado that is constructed or acquired with federal financial assistance) when the facility is no longer needed for that purpose.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Housing and community development
Date: 2011-09-20 00:00:00

Natural Disaster Emergency Mortgage Relief Act of 2011 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to allow temporary deferral of mortgage loan payments, without penalty and without adverse treatment of the consumer, during a 30-, 60-, or 90-day period in which a consumer's principal residence has been severely impacted by a natural disaster in an area for which the President has declared a major disaster.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2011-09-21 00:00:00

Helping Devastated Farmers Act of 2011 - Makes supplemental appropriations to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for FY2011 for expenses resulting from any event occurring in 2011 that is designated as a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for: (1) the Farm Service Agency's Emergency Conservation Program, and (2) the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Emergency Watershed Protection Program. Designates each amount made available by this Act as emergency spending.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2011-09-23 00:00:00

Disaster Loan Fairness Act of 2011 - Requires that, when the President declares a major disaster, the interest rates for any loan programs or guarantees under the Small Business Act or Small Business Investment Act of 1958, including home disaster loans, business physical disaster loans, and economic injury disaster loans, shall be 1% for eligible applicants in the declared disaster area, with or without other available credit. Makes such rates applicable for the duration of all loans and guarantees made while the declaration is in effect.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Emergency management
Date: 2011-09-23 00:00:00

FEMA Flexibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to permit a class deviation to the Federal Acquisition Regulation with respect to the micropurchase threshold in order to support domestic emergency operations. Prohibits such threshold from exceeding $15,000 in any such deviation. Defines "domestic emergency operation" to mean assistance activities carried out in support of: (1) an emergency or major disaster as defined in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; (2) any occasion for which the Secretary determines federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the United States; or (3) any natural catastrophe or fire, flood, or explosion in the United States that causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance to supplement the efforts and resources of states, local governments, and disaster relief organizations.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2011-10-06 00:00:00

Earthquake Insurance Affordability Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to guarantee holders of debt against loss of principal or interest, or both, on debt issued by eligible state programs designed to: (1) promote the availability of private capital to provide liquidity and capacity to state earthquake (specifically, residential property) insurance programs, and (2) expedite the payment of claims under such programs and better assist financial recovery from significant earthquakes. Prescribes operational requirements for eligible state programs which include an established earthquake insurance program that: (1) offers residential property insurance coverage for insured losses to property, contents, and additional living expenses; and (2) does not require insurers to pool resources to provide property insurance coverage for earthquakes. Includes among such operational requirements that the state: (1) has in effect and enforces, or the appropriate local governments within the state have in effect and enforce, nationally recognized building, seismic-design, and safety codes and consensus-based standards; and (2) has taken actions to establish an insurance rate structure that takes into account measures to mitigate insured losses. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for certification of an eligible state program. Limits to $5 billion, including interest, the aggregate principal amount of outstanding debt obligations guaranteed by the Secretary. Makes appropriations to satisfy debt guarantee commitments. Requires the Secretary, upon request of an eligible state program, to provide such debt guarantees. Pledges the full faith and credit of the United States to the payment of all guarantees issued under this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Disaster Relief
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-10-06 00:00:00

District of Columbia National Disaster Insurance Protection Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the creation and tax treatment of a tax-exempt natural disaster protection fund held by an insurance company that: (1) is incorporated and domiciled in the District of Columbia; (2) is subject to supervision by the District of Columbia Commissioner of Insurance, Securities, and Banking; (3) maintains an office in the District of Columbia that employs no fewer than 10 full-time employees, at least 5 of whom are District of Columbia residents; (4) is subject to any premium taxes and other taxes and fees imposed by the District of Columbia on all domestic insurance companies; and (5) is subject to an additional tax imposed by the District of Columbia on premiums charged for natural catastrophic risk coverage at a rate that does not exceed the rate of federal excise tax on a premium paid on a contract of reinsurance issued by any foreign insurer or reinsurer. Allows distributions from such a fund to cover losses attributable to wind (including hurricanes and tornadoes), earthquakes, floods, tsunami or tidal wave, volcanic eruption, fire, hail, snow, ice freezing, or other winter catastrophes, or a pandemic or other public health catastrophe. Sets forth tax rules for contributions to and distributions from such a fund.