lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-01-28 00:00:00

Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act 

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, federal public safety officer death benefits or amounts paid under a state program to surviving dependents of a public safety officer who died as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-01-29 00:00:00

Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2015

Makes any individual who has a seriously delinquent tax debt ineligible to receive a bonus from a federal agency (i.e., an executive agency, the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Regulatory Commission, or an employing agency in the legislative branch). Defines "seriously delinquent tax debt" as an outstanding tax debt for which a notice of lien has been filed in public records. Exempts a tax debt: (1) that is being paid in a timely manner under an approved installment payment agreement or an offer-in-compromise, (2) for which a collection due process hearing has been requested or pending, (3) for which a levy has been issued or agreed to by an applicant for employment, or (4) that is determined to be an economic hardship to the taxpayer.

Requires each agency to review public records to determine if a notice of tax lien has been filed against an agency employee or applicant for employment. Prohibits an agency head or agency employee from using or disclosing tax delinquency information other than for the administration of this Act.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-01-29 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Eliminating Government-funded Oil-painting Act or the EGO Act

(Sec. 2) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the federal government to pay for an official portrait of an officer or employee of the federal government, including the President, the Vice President, a Member of Congress, the head of an executive agency, or the head of an office of the legislative branch.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-01-29 00:00:00

Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act 

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, federal public safety officer death benefits or amounts paid under a state program to surviving dependents of a public safety officer who died as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-02-04 00:00:00

Government Employee Accountability Act

Sets forth guidelines for placing career employees of the Senior Executive Service (SES) on investigative leave. Defines "investigative leave" as a temporary absence without duty for disciplinary reasons, for not more than 90 days.

Authorizes a federal agency to: (1) place an SES employee on investigative leave, without loss of pay and without charge to annual or sick leave, only for alleged misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misappropriation of funds; (2) place such employee on leave without pay if such employee's alleged conduct is determined to be serious or flagrant; or (3) remove such employee if such employee acted in a manner that endangers the interest of the agency mission.

Requires an agency to periodically review the investigation into the conduct of an SES employee placed on investigative leave and take certain actions with respect to such employee at the end of a period of investigative leave, including removal, suspension without pay, or reinstatement to duty. Grants an employee placed on investigative leave certain rights, including: (1) advance written notice of, and a reasonable time (not less than seven days) to answer, charges; (2) the right to be represented by an attorney; and (3) the right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Includes misappropriation of funds as a ground in suspending or reinstating an SES employee or placing such employee in another civil service position.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-02-05 00:00:00

Correctional Officer Fairness Act of 2015

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the 10% additional tax on early distributions from tax-exempt retirement plans distributions from a thrift savings fund to a qualified federal correctional officer who has reached age 50 or has completed 25 years of credible service, whichever is earlier. Defines "qualified federal correctional officer" as an individual who is employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a correctional officer and has completed 20 years of creditable service.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-02-26 00:00:00

Postal Employee Appeal Rights Amendments Act of 2015

Extends federal employee protections against adverse personnel actions, including the right to appeal such actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board, to any U.S. Postal Service (USPS) officer or employee who is not represented by a bargaining representative and is in a supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial position covered by the Executive and Administrative Schedule.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-03-16 00:00:00

Stop Wasteful Federal Bonuses Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill prohibits a federal agency from awarding a bonus to any employee for five years after the end of a fiscal year in which the agency makes an adverse finding relating to the employee. An "adverse finding" is a determination that an employee's conduct violated: (1) a policy of the agency for which the employee may be removed or suspended for at least 14 days, or (2) a law for which the employee may be imprisoned for more than one year.

 The bill requires an agency to issue an order directing an employee to repay a bonus awarded in any year in which such a finding is made. As a condition of receiving a bonus awarded after this Act's enactment, an employee must certify that he or she shall repay the bonus in accordance with such an order.

An employee deemed to be ineligible for a bonus or against whom a repayment order is issued may appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-03-18 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on June 7, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

(Sec. 1) This bill extends federal contractor whistle-blower protections to employees of: (1) personal services contractors working on defense contracts (currently, the protections apply to employees of defense contractors, subcontractors, grantees, or subgrantees); and (2) personal services contractors or subgrantees working on federal civilian contracts (currently, the protections apply to employees of civilian contractors, subcontractors, or grantees). The civilian contractor protections, which are currently in effect as a pilot program, are made permanent.

The bill extends the prohibition against reimbursement of legal fees incurred in defending against reprisal claims brought by whistle-blowers to defense and civilian subcontractors and personal services contractors.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-04-14 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

(Sec. 1) Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the exclusion from gross income of payments from an accident or health plan, to: (1) make the exclusion for payments to a beneficiary other than a spouse or dependent child applicable to plans established by or on behalf of a state or political subdivision thereof; and (2) define a "qualified taxpayer," for purposes of the exclusion, as an employee or the spouse, dependent, or child (under age 27) of an employee.

(Sec. 2) Increases from 30% to 35% the rate of the continuous levy on payments made after 180 days after the enactment of this Act to Medicare providers and suppliers for unpaid taxes.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-04-14 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act 

(Sec. 2) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, federal public safety officer death benefits or amounts paid under a state program to surviving dependents of a public safety officer who died as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2015-04-15 00:00:00

Equity in Law Enforcement Act of 2015

Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) expand the definition of "public service officer," for purposes of provisions concerning public safety officer death benefits, to include a law enforcement officer serving a private institution of higher education in an official capacity, or a rail police officer employed by a rail carrier, who is sworn, licensed, or certified under the laws of a state for the purposes of law enforcement (applicable to a personal injury sustained in the line of duty by a public safety officer on or after April 15, 2013); (2) authorize the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to make grants to such institutions and carriers for the purchase of armor vests for such officers; and (3) include such institutions and carriers among entities eligible for contracts or subawards under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-04-16 00:00:00

Federal Public Safety Retirement Fairness Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the 10% additional tax on early distributions from tax-exempt retirement plans distributions from a thrift savings fund to a qualified law enforcement officer who has reached age 50 or has completed 25 years of credible service, whichever is earlier. The bill defines "qualified law enforcement officer" as an individual who is employed by the federal government as a law enforcement officer or as a firefighter and has completed 20 years of creditable service, or an individual who is employed as an air traffic controller and has completed 20 years of creditable service.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-04-23 00:00:00

Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to remove or demote a VA employee based on performance or misconduct.

 A determination that the performance or misconduct warrants removal or demotion may consist of any of the following:

 neglect of duty; malfeasance; failure to accept a directed reassignment or transfer of function; violation of VA policy; violation of law; insubordination; purposeful omission, including by a supervisor, from an electronic wait list of the name of one or more veterans waiting for VA health care; or other performance or misconduct as the VA determines warrants removal or demotion. The VA may also remove such individual from the civil service or demote the individual through a reduction in grade or annual pay rate.

A demoted individual: (1) shall be paid at the demoted rate as of the date of demotion, (2) may not be placed on administrative leave or any other category of paid leave while an appeal is ongoing, and (3) may only receive pay and other benefits if the individual reports for duty.

The VA shall notify Congress of, and the reason for, any removal or demotion.

An employee shall have the right to an appeal before the Merit Systems Protection Board within seven days of removal or demotion. An administrative law judge shall have to make a final decision within 45 days of such appeal or the original decision becomes final. The Board or an administrative judge may not stay any removal or demotion.

Between the date on which an individual appeals a removal from the civil service and the date on which the administrative judge issues a final decision on the appeal, the individual may not receive any pay, awards, bonuses, incentives, allowances, differentials, student loan repayments, special payments, or benefits.

The VA may not remove or demote an employee without the approval of the Special Counsel if the individual seeks corrective action from the Office of Special Counsel based on an alleged prohibited personnel practice.

The Special Counsel may terminate an investigation of a prohibited personnel practice alleged by a VA employee or former employee after it has given the individual a written statement of the reasons for the termination.

(Sec. 3) The appointment of an individual to a permanent position within the competitive service or as a career appointee within the Senior Executive Service shall become final after a 540-day probationary period, which the Secretary may extend. Final appointment to a permanent hire shall be made by the employee's supervisor.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-05-07 00:00:00

Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Fairness Act of 2015

This bill repeals the exclusion from the collective bargaining rights of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees of regulations of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) addressing any matter or question concerning professional conduct or competence, peer review, or the establishment, determination, or adjustment of employee compensation.

As a result VHA employees may participate in collective bargaining with the VA over such regulations.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-06-16 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on February 29, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Competitive Service Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill authorizes an appointing authority (i.e., a federal agency appointing an individual to a position in the competitive service), other than the appointing authority that requested a certificate of eligibles for filling a position, to select an individual from that certificate for appointment to a position that is: (1) in the same occupational series as the position for which the certificate of eligibles was issued, and (2) at a similar grade level as the original position. The appointing authority must select an individual from the certificate of eligibles within 240 days after the issuance of the certificate. The bill sets forth further requirements relating to the sharing of certificates by agencies, notice to agency employees of available positions, and alternative ranking and selection procedures for job applicants.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-06-24 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the exclusion from gross income of payments from an accident or health plan, to: (1) make the exclusion for payments to a beneficiary other than a spouse or dependent child applicable to plans established by or on behalf of a state or political subdivision thereof; and (2) define a "qualified taxpayer," for purposes of the exclusion, as an employee or the spouse, dependent, or child (under age 27) of an employee.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-07-09 00:00:00

Truck Safety Act 

This bill increases from $750,000 to $1.5 million (adjusted annually for inflation) the minimum level of financial responsibility required to satisfy liability covering public liability, property damage, and environmental restoration for the transportation of property by a commercial motor carrier in the United States or to a place outside the United States.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) must increase, by regulation, the minimum level of financial responsibility for transporting property or passengers if the current amount is insufficient to satisfy liability claims.

DOT shall initiate a rulemaking to establish a federal motor vehicle safety standard requiring a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 26,000 pounds to be equipped with crash avoidance and mitigation systems.

DOT shall finalize regulations to require such a motor vehicle also to be equipped with an electronic control module requiring the speed to be set by the manufacturer at a maximum 70 m.p.h.

DOT must ensure that a review is completed on each motor carrier that demonstrates through performance data that it poses the highest safety risk, especially whenever it is among the highest risk carriers for two consecutive months.

DOT shall require, with respect to driver compensation, that a motor carrier:

 track the on-duty (not driving) time of an employee whose base compensation is calculated in a manner other than an hourly wage and who is required to keep a record of duty status under the hours of service regulations; and separately compensate the employee for any on-duty (not driving) time period at an hourly rate not less than the federal minimum wage rate under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. This compensation requirement, however, shall not apply where employment is governed by a collective bargaining agreement, negotiated by bona fide employee representatives, if the agreement governs, and compensates the employee for, all hours of on-duty (not driving) time.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall study the effects of excessive commuting on safety and commercial motor vehicle driver fatigue.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-07-21 00:00:00

No Exemption for Washington from Obamacare Act

This bill requires Members of Congress, the President, the Vice President, and executive branch political appointees to purchase health insurance through a health insurance exchange. These officials may receive a federal subsidy or contribution to the costs of coverage only if the subsidy or contribution is otherwise available to individuals at a similar income level.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-02-23 00:00:00

Department of Veterans Affairs Equitable Employee Accountability Act of 2015

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) suspend a VA employee without pay if the employee's performance or misconduct is a clear and direct threat to public health or safety; and (2) remove a suspended employee when, after investigation and review, removal is determined necessary for public health or safety interests.

A suspended employee is entitled, after suspension and before removal, to:

 a written statement of the specific charges and an opportunity to answer the charges and submit affidavits, a case review by the VA before a decision adverse to the employee is made final, and a written statement of the VA's decision. A VA employee who is suspended or removed is entitled to: (1) appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board; and (2) back pay, less amounts otherwise earned during such period, if the suspension or removal is determined to be unwarranted.

The VA shall:

 conduct an annual performance plan for each political appointee that is similar to that conducted for VA Senior Executive Service employees; provide managers with training on the rights of whistle blowers and how to address reports of hostile work environment, reprisal, or harassment; and develop a promotional track for technical expert employees that allows for career advancement without being required to transition to management positions. Evaluation of VA managers shall include actions taken to address employee performance.

Before terminating VA employment an official who has participated personally and substantially in a VA acquisition that exceeds $1 million or held a key acquisitions position at the VA shall obtain a written opinion from a VA ethics counselor regarding any restrictions on activities that the official may undertake on behalf of a contractor during the two-year period after the official terminates VA employment.

A contractor may not knowingly provide compensation to such an individual during the two-year period unless the contractor determines that the individual has obtained or requested such written opinion.

The VA may not place an individual subject to disciplinary action on administrative leave for more than 14 business days during any 365-day period.
Topic: Government Operations — Employees
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-09-10 00:00:00

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2015 or the Fair Chance Act 

 (Sec. 2) This bill prohibits an executive agency, including the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Regulatory Commission, and the Executive Office of the President, from requesting an applicant for federal employment to disclose criminal history record information before a conditional offer of employment is made to the applicant. Exceptions to this prohibition are allowed for positions that, by law, require consideration of criminal history, that involve sensitive or classified information, that are law enforcement positions, or that are positions identified in regulations by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as requiring consideration of criminal history information. The OPM regulations must be consistent with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other relevant federal civil rights laws.

OPM must develop, implement, and publish a policy to assist agency employees in complying with the disclosure prohibition and a complaint process for employment applicants who are improperly asked to disclose their criminal history information. OPM shall take adverse action against any agency employee who violates the disclosure prohibition.

The bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the federal judicial code to apply the disclosure prohibition to the legislative and judicial branches, respectively.

 (Sec. 3) The bill: (1) prohibits an executive agency from requiring an individual or sole proprietor who submits a bid for a civilian agency or defense contract to disclose criminal history record information before a conditional offer is made with respect to such contract; and (2) requires, as a condition of receiving a contract and payments, that a contractor may not request the disclosure of criminal history record information about an applicant for a position related to work under such contract before the contractor extends a conditional offer to the applicant. Exceptions to the prohibition include sensitive positions, positions that, by law, require consideration of criminal history, and other positions identified in General Services Administration regulations as requiring consideration of criminal history information.

(Sec. 4) The Bureau of Justice Statistics in the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice, in coordination with the Bureau of the Census, must design and initiate a study on the employment of individuals (not including aliens who have been or will be removed from the United States for a violation of the immigration laws) who have completed a prison term for a federal criminal offense. The study must use demographic data and data on employment and earnings of such individuals who are denied employment, including the reasons for denial. The Bureau must report on such study to specified congressional committees not later than two years after the enactment of this Act and every five years thereafter. Such report may not include any personally identifiable information.