lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-02 00:00:00

Fort McClellan Health Registry Act

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain a special record to be known as the Fort McClellan Health Registry containing the name of each individual who, while serving in the Armed Forces, was stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama, during the period beginning on January 1, 1935, and ending on May 20, 1999, and who: (1) applies for care or services from the VA; (2) files a claim for compensation on the basis of any disability which may be associated with such service; (3) dies and is survived by a spouse, child, or parent who files a claim for dependency and indemnity compensation on the basis of such service; (4) requests a health examination from the VA; or (5) receives such health examination and requests inclusion in the Registry. Requires the Secretary, upon request, to provide such health examination, as well as consultation and counseling with respect to examination results.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) notify individuals in the Registry of significant developments in research on the health consequences of potential exposure to a toxic substance or environmental hazard related to service at Fort McClellan; and (2) carry out appropriate outreach activities with respect to such health examinations, consultation, and counseling.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-09 00:00:00

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

(Sec. 2) This bill designates the arboretum at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, as the Phyllis E. Galanti Arboretum.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-09 00:00:00

Veterans National Remembrance Act

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in selecting a location for the establishment of a new national cemetery, to: (1) give priority to a state that does not have a national cemetery and that has the largest population of veterans among states without such a cemetery, and (2) ensure that such location is within 10 miles of a significant amount of the population to be served by such cemetery during the 25 years following its establishment.

Permits the Secretary, after establishing two national cemeteries, to waive the requirement of giving priority to a state that does not have a national cemetery if such waiver will allow the Secretary to establish a cemetery that will serve a larger population of veterans.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-11 00:00:00

This bill requires that a military working dog be retired in the United States, except when a U.S. citizen living abroad adopts the dog at the time of retirement.

Amounts available to the military department concerned shall be available for such dog's transport to the United States for retirement.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-12 00:00:00

Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act 

This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to design and produce an Atomic Veterans Service Medal to honor retired and former members of the Armed Forces who are radiation-exposed veterans.

The Secretary may provide for issuance of the Medal to the next-of-kin of a deceased radiation-exposed veteran.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-06-23 00:00:00

Veteran Employment Transition Act 

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) revise the definition of "qualified veteran" for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit to include recently discharged veterans, and (2) make permanent the work opportunity tax credit for qualified veterans.

Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Guard to inform military personnel who are discharged or released from active duty of the work opportunity tax credit and provide them with documentation relating to eligibility for and use of such credit.

Requires DOD and the Departments of Labor and Veterans Affairs to enter into an agreement to govern the coordination of veteran job training services. Requires the Departments of Labor and Veterans Affairs to prepare reports on the veteran job training programs of their respective departments.

Amends the DOD pilot program for assessing the feasibility and advisability of permitting enlisted personnel to obtain civilian credentialing or licensing for skills required for military occupational specialties to require the designation as military occupational specialties of the MOS 31B Military Police, MOS 15Q AC-Air Traffic Controller, and the MOS 12M Fire Protection, in addition to not fewer than three and not more than five additional military occupational specialties.

Amends the Small Business Act to direct the head of each executive department to submit an annual report to the Small Business Administration containing the percentage of the total value of all prime contracts awarded by the executive department during the preceding one-year period to small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-23 00:00:00

Secure Legal Services for Veterans Act

This bill prohibits an individual who is not an agent or attorney from soliciting, contracting for, charging, or receiving any fee or compensation for services rendered in the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of an appeal before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

 Violators of such prohibition shall be fined, imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

 Amounts collected for such violations shall be deposited in the TBI Research and Initiatives Fund and remain available to the VA without fiscal year limitation for traumatic brain injury research and initiatives.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-06-24 00:00:00

Andrew P. Carpenter Tax Act 

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any amount attributable to the discharge of student loan indebtedness of a veteran who died as a result of a service-connected disability.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Manufacturing American Defense Emblems Act or MADE Act

This bill requires the 100% U.S.-manufacture of any decorative object that depicts the seals for the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Air Force, the Armed Forces, the defense intelligence agencies, and any other defense agency.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Caregivers Access and Responsible Expansion for All Veterans Act or the CARE for All Veterans Act

Expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill (or aggravated such injury or illness) on active duty before September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001).

 Establishes three monthly caregiver stipend starting dates for pre-September 11, 2001, members of the Armed Forces or veterans based upon the amount and degree of personal care services provided.

 Includes among program eligibility criteria a veteran's need for regular or extensive instruction or supervision in completing two or more instrumental activities of daily living.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Disabled Veterans Red Tape Reduction Act

Amends the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 to extend through 2018 Department of Veterans Affairs authority for the performance of medical disability evaluations by contract physicians.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Veterans Affairs Employee Accountability Act 

 Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that no VA employee who knowingly violates any federal civil law or regulation, including one covered under the Federal Acquisition Regulation or the Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation, or any internal VA policy, receives any specified pay augmentation, incentive, or additional gift of any value (bonus).
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-08 00:00:00

Protect Veterans from Financial Fraud Act

This bill states that, in any case not involving negligent failure by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to investigate or monitor a fiduciary that results in fiduciary misuse of benefits, but in which any fiduciary misuses all or part of an individual's benefit paid to the fiduciary, the VA shall pay to the beneficiary or the beneficiary's successor fiduciary an amount equal to the amount of the misused benefit.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-08 00:00:00

This bill provides that an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs is performing official duty when testifying in an official capacity in front of either chamber of Congress, a committee of either chamber, or a joint or select committee of Congress.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-09 00:00:00

Fair VA Accountability Act

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 in the interests of public health or safety.

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

 a written statement of the specific charges against him or her within 30 days after suspension; an opportunity within 30 days thereafter, plus an additional 30 days if the charges are amended, to answer the charges and submit affidavits; a hearing, at the employee's request, by a VA authority duly constituted for this purpose; 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 subject to a suspension or removal that is determined under applicable law, rule, regulation, or collective bargaining agreement to be a prohibited personnel practice shall receive back pay equal to the total amount of basic pay that such employee would have received during the period that the suspension and removal was in effect, less any amounts earned by the employee through other employment during that period.

An individual who was formerly employed in a senior executive position at the VA may not accept compensation from a covered contractor as an employee, officer, director, or consultant of the contractor during the one-year period beginning on the date on which the individual was last employed at the VA in a senior executive position.

The VA: (1) may not enter into a contract with any entity that employs such an individual, and (2) shall require an entity to certify that it does not employ and will not employ any such individual during the period covered by the contract.

The VA may:

 not place any covered individual on administrative leave or any other type of paid non-duty status without charge to leave for more than 14 days during any 365-day period; and waive such limitation and extend the administrative leave or other paid non-duty status without charge to leave of a covered individual if the VA submits to the appropriate committees a detailed explanation of the reasons the individual was placed on administrative leave or other paid non-duty status without charge to leave, and the reasons for the extension of such leave or status. A "covered individual" means a VA employee: (1) who is subject to an investigation to determine whether the individual should be subject to any disciplinary action, or (2) against whom any disciplinary action is proposed or initiated.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-07-09 00:00:00

Jobs for Heroes Act 

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the work opportunity tax credit, to: (1) revise the definition of "qualified veteran" to expand the eligibility of veterans for such credit, (2) allow such credit for the hiring of a qualified member of the Ready Reserve or National Guard, and (3) make such credit permanent.

Revises the tax credit for differential wage payments made by employers on behalf of Members of the Uniformed Services to: (1) extend eligibility for such credit to an employer without regard to the size of such employer's workforce, and (2) make such credit permanent.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-13 00:00:00

Directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop guidelines for use, by the Secretaries of the military departments and the Department of Veterans Affairs, of unofficial sources of information, including eyewitness statements, to determine the eligibility of a member or former member of the Armed Forces for benefits and decorations when the member's service records are incomplete because of damage to the records as a result of the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, or any subsequent incident while the records were in DOD's possession.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-16 00:00:00

POW Accountability Act

Requires: (1) the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to review the VA POW list and the Department of Defense POW list to identify any discrepancies in them, and (2) the VA Inspector General to review the process by which the VA determines that a veteran is a former prisoner of war.

Requires the VA to report to Congress on the VA POW list, including information on such discrepancies and the results of the Inspector General's review.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-21 00:00:00

Veterans Administration Legislative and Objective Review Act of 2015 or the VALOR Act of 2015

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to contract with a non-government entity to conduct a biannual audit of VA health care functions, the results of which shall be made publicly available on a VA website.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-23 00:00:00

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to transfer to any covered medical account any amounts made available to it before enactment of this Act that remain available for obligation.

Amounts so transferred shall be merged with and be available for the same purposes as the covered medical account to which transferred and shall be available for obligation or expenditure without fiscal year limitation.

Covered medical accounts are the following VA accounts: (1) Veterans Health Administration, Medical Services; (2) Veterans Health Administration, Medical Support and Compliance; and (3) Veterans Health Administration, Medical Facilities.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-28 00:00:00

Grants the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) temporary authority (through October 1, 2015) to use certain transfers from the Veterans Choice Fund to pay for health care for eligible veterans at non-VA facilities, including pharmaceuticals for treatment of Hepatitis C.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Veterans Dignified Burial Act 

Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): (1) upon confirming the veteran status of a deceased veteran in the custody of a local medical examiner, funeral director, county service group, or other similar entity, to request from that entity the specific date of the veteran's scheduled interment; and (2) during each 30-day period following the request to repeat it until the entity confirms the scheduled internment date or that the veteran has been interred.

Requires the VA, by March 1 of each year, to report to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees on unclaimed deceased veterans interred after the 30-day period following the initial VA request.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2016 or the HIRE Vets Act

(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Labor to establish a HIRE Vets Medallion Program to solicit voluntary information from employers for purposes of recognizing, by the award of a HIRE Vets Medallion, verified efforts by these employers to: (1) recruit, employ, and retain veterans; and (2) provide community and charitable services supporting the veteran community.

Labor shall annually: (1) solicit voluntary medallion applications from employers, and (2) review applications and present the President with a list of recipients.

The President shall annually present the medallion and corresponding certificate to recipients at a time to coincide with the annual commemoration of Veterans Day.

Labor shall begin soliciting applications by January 31, stop accepting applications not earlier than April 30, and finish application review by August 31. The President shall notify chosen applicants no later than October 11. Medallions shall be awarded in November.

(Sec. 3) Labor shall establish two levels of medallions for large and small employers, to be designated the Gold HIRE Vets Medallion and the Platinum HIRE Vets Medallion. The bill prescribes awards criteria.

(Sec. 4) A recipient: (1) may publicly display the medallion and certificate through the end of the calendar year, and (2) may not publicly display the award as part of any advertisement implying receipt of the award for any calendar year other than the one in which it was awarded.

(Sec. 5) The bill establishes the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Fund.

Labor may assess a reasonable medallion application fee and shall deposit such fees into the fund.

(Sec. 6) Beginning two years after enactment of this bill, Labor shall submit annual reports on fees, program costs, the number of applications, and the medallions awarded, including the name and medallion level of each recipient.

(Sec. 7) The bill excludes from the definition of "employer" the federal government, any state, or any foreign state.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Veterans Benefits Network Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to make a grant to an eligible entity to establish or expand a regional technology system to provide an active database and enrollment system that can be used by a network of private, public, and non-profit entities to assist veterans and their family members in applying for benefits and services offered by such entities.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Access to Veterans Benefits Improvement Act 

Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide veterans' case-tracking information access to employees of a Member of Congress or of a state or local governmental agency assisting veterans with benefit claims.

Directs the VA to ensure that such access does not: (1) allow the employee to modify the data in the case-tracking system, and (2) include access to medical records. Requires such employees to complete a certification course on privacy issues before receiving such access.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

This bill designates the portion of Moffett Federal Airfield, California, containing the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard, as Moffett Air National Guard Base.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to review each covered whistle blower complaint that is filed with the Office of the Special Counsel during the previous calendar quarter.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2015

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to reimburse up to $1,000 monthly to a veteran participating in a vocational rehabilitation program for the cost of child care provided by a licensed provider if the veteran: (1) is the child's sole caretaker, and (2) would not otherwise be able to afford such child care.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Statute Of Limitations for DOD Inactive Employee Repossessions Act or the SOLDIER Act

This bill declares that, if the indebtedness of a member of the uniformed services to the United States occurs, through no fault of the member, as a result of the overpayment of pay or allowances or upon the settlement of the member's accounts, the department or agency concerned may not recover the indebtedness from the member, including a retired or former member, using deductions from pay, deductions from retired or separation pay, or any other collection method unless recovery of the indebtedness begins before the end of the 10-year period beginning on the date on which the indebtedness was incurred.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Agent Orange Extension Act of 2015

This bill extends for two years the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicides, including Agent Orange, with respect to veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975.

The Agent Orange Act of 1991 is amended to extend for two years the authority of the VA to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the scientific evidence regarding associations between diseases and exposure to dioxin and other chemical compounds in herbicides, including the association between exposure to a herbicide used in U.S. and allied military operations in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era and each disease suspected to be associated with such exposure.
Topic: Defense — Other
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-08-04 00:00:00

This bill directs the Department of Defense to provide for the inclusion on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the District of Columbia of the names of those members of the Armed Forces who died in transit to or from a covered combat zone during the Vietnam conflict, including the members who died in the Loma Ridge plane crash in California on June 25, 1965.