lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2008-04-30 00:00:00

Green Energy Production Act of 2008 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a green technology investment program to develop high-tech green research capabilities, promote green innovation and green energy investment, and increase scientific knowledge that may reveal the basis for new or enhanced products, equipment, or processes in target areas.Establishes in the Department of Energy the Green Technology Investment Corporation to allocate funds, provide grants, and carry out component programs for all phases of technology commercialization. Requires the Corporation to establish: (1) a green development loan program for green technology investment; (2) a green markets grant program; (3) a green redevelopment, opportunity, and workforce grant program; (4) a green energy manufacturing loan program; (5) a green energy community pilot program; (6) a green energy institution of higher education pilot program; (7) a National Guard base green energy grant pilot program; (8) a green energy technology internship program; and (9) a green energy technology apprenticeship program.Establishes in the Treasury the Green Technology Investment Fund to provide grants, loans, and assistance under this Act. Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish an energy efficiency grant program.Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) a project's eligibility for grants, loans, and assistance; and (2) grant priorities.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Education
Date: 2008-06-12 00:00:00

Community College Sustainability Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a sustainablity workforce training and education program by awarding grants to community colleges for workforce training and education in industries and practices, such as: (1) alternative energy; (2) green construction, retrofitting, and design; (3) green chemistry, nanotechnology, or technology; (4) water and energy conservation; (5) recycling and waste reduction; and (6) sustainable agricultural or culinary practices. Requires at least one-half of the funds provided under this Act to be awarded to schools that have existing sustainability programs leading to certificates or degrees in at least one of the industries or practices listed above.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2008-06-12 00:00:00

Close the London Loophole Act of 2008 - Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to authorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), in the case of a registered entity located within the United States, and subject to CFTC jurisdiction, which trades on a foreign board of trade, exchange, or market located outside the United States, to: (1) enforce criminal prosecution of violations, including manipulation or attempted manipulation, the making of false statements, and willful violations of this Act; (2) require a person to limit, reduce, or liquidate any position to prevent or reduce the threat of price manipulation, excessive speculation, price distortion, or disruption of delivery or the cash settlement process; and (3) apply necessary recordkeeping requirements. Addresses the kind of case in which the CFTC grants or considers granting relief to a foreign board of trade from the requirement that it become a designated contract market, derivatives transaction execution facility, or other registered entity with respect to an energy commodity physically delivered in the United States. Requires the CFTC, before granting or considering such relief, to determine that the foreign board of trade: (1) applies comparable principles or requirements regarding the daily publication of trading information and position limits or accountability levels for speculators as apply to a designated contract market, derivatives transaction execution facility, or other registered entity trading energy commodities physically delivered in the United States; and (2) provides such information to the CFTC regarding the extent of speculative and nonspeculative trading in the energy commodity that is comparable to the information the CFTC determines necessary to publish a Commitment of Traders report for such a designated contract market, derivatives transaction execution facility, or other registered entity.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2008-06-19 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) modify tax-exempt bond financing rules to exclude from the private business use and private loan financing tests certain property used to transmit electricity or carbon dioxide or to transport crude oil and other petroleum products; and (2) reduce the state volume cap for tax-exempt bonds by the amount of bonds issued for such property.Describes the following as acts that unreasonably burden and discriminate against interstate commerce, and prohibits states, political subdivisions, and any other taxing authority from: (1) assessing natural gas pipeline property at a value that has a higher ratio to its true market value than the ratio used to assess other commercial and industrial property in the same assessment jurisdiction; (2) levying or collecting a tax on such an assessment; (3) levying or collecting an ad valorem property tax on natural gas pipeline property at a rate that exceeds the rate applicable to commercial and industrial property in the same assessment jurisdiction; or (4) imposing any other tax that discriminates against a natural gas pipeline providing transportation subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.Grants jurisdiction to U.S. District Courts and provides specified relief for claims of discriminatory taxation of natural gas pipeline property. Amends federal transportation law to modify the criteria for natural gas pipeline integrity reassessments to require the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations basing the intervals for reassessments on certain technical data, risk factors, and engineering analysis.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Civil rights and liberties, minority issues
Date: 2008-06-26 00:00:00

Title VII Fairness Act - Amends the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and title VII (Equal Employment Opportunities) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to delay the start of the time period for filing charges of employment discrimination until the aggrieved person has, or should be expected to have, enough information to support a reasonable suspicion of the discrimination, provided the aggrieved person demonstrates that the person did not have, and should not have been expected to have, enough information to support a reasonable suspicion of such discrimination on the date on which the alleged discrimination occurred. Prohibits applying these amendments to alleged discrimination relating to pensions or pension benefits. Applies the above Civil Rights Act of 1964 amendment to discrimination claims brought under: (1) specified provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and (2) provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 relating to employment by the federal government.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2008-06-26 00:00:00

Strengthening Management of Advanced Recycling Technologies Act of 2008 or the SMART Act of 2008 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to offer to enter into cooperative agreements with specified persons, municipalities, or electric utilities to: (1) develop licensing documentation and technical criteria for new recycling plants; (2) conduct specified design and engineering work on recycling technology designs; and (3) share the cost of obtaining construction and operating licenses for specified used fuel recycling facilities. Requires assistance for such agreements to be awarded only to private entities that propose to develop recycling facilities that meet specified prerequisites.Requires the Secretary to offer to enter into long-term contracts with specified persons, municipalities, or electric utilities to recycle commercial used nuclear fuel.Requires the Secretary to: (1) offer to enter into temporary agreements to store high-level radioactive waste produced by specified facilities; (2) make payments to specified local governments that have submitted notices that they are willing to have a privately owned and operated temporary used fuel storage facility located within their jurisdiction; (3) offer to enter into temporary used fuel storage facility economic impact agreements with local governments upon the docketing of license applications for such facilities by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); and (4) offer to enter into a long-term contract for the storage of used fuel from civilian nuclear power plants with a private entity that owns or operates an independent used fuel storage facility licensed by the NRC within the jurisdiction of local governments that receive assistance.Authorizes the Secretary to settle specified claims against the Secretary for failure to dispose of high-level radioactive waste or used nuclear fuel by January 31, 1998. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide priority for the acceptance of used nuclear fuel from a facility that has been decommissioned and shut down permanently; and (2) provide for the transportation of used fuel. Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to set a fee for electricity generated by a civilian nuclear power reactor and sold by a specified date.Changes the name of the Nuclear Waste Fund to the Nuclear Waste Revolving Fund and authorizes the Secretary to make expenditures from it for the management of used nuclear fuel.Declares that for purposes of NRC license determinations under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and this Act, the Secretary's obligation to develop a repository in accordance with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 provides sufficient and independent grounds for any further NRC findings of reasonable assurances that used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste would be disposed of safely and in a timely manner.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2008-07-10 00:00:00

Better Energy Strategy for Tomorrow Act of 2008, or the BEST Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Energy each year to: (1) analyze all federal policies that encourage, or have the potential to encourage, energy production in the United States; and (2) report to specified congressional committees recommendations for the adjustment of such policies to reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign sources of energy, air pollutants in the environment, greenhouse gas emissions, and the cost of energy. Requires the President to develop every four years and report to Congress on an energy security strategy that proposes comprehensive and long-range energy policies to reduce such dependence, air pollutants, emissions, and cost.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2008-07-24 00:00:00

Compensation and Respect for Energy Workers Act of 2008 or the CARE Act - Amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to expand the diseases for which individuals who were exposed to radiation from nuclear testing may claim compensation to include chronic lymphocytic leukemia, posterior subcapsular cataracts, nonmalignant thyroid nodular disease, parathyroid adenoma, malignant tumors of the brain and central nervous system, and brochio-alveolar carcinoma, and benign neoplasms of the brain and central nervous system. Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to: (1) provide to potential claimants of compensation a list of physicians qualified to perform medical and impairment screenings and a written notice of benefits for which they may be eligible under such Act; (2) require exposure assessments of contaminated sites to identify by trade name (if any) any chemical commonly used in such sites; (3) require the Secretary of Labor to provide the public with site profiles and other information used to evaluate claims for compensation; (4) require payment of compensation to a claimant's estate if such claimant dies after filing a claim but before any compensation is paid and leaves no survivors; (5) expand the duties of the Office of the Ombudsman in the Department of Labor to include providing benefit information to claimants and contracting for expert services; and (6) extend to one year the limitation period for filing a petition for review in federal district court of any denial of a compensation claim. Allows claimants under the Act 120 days to respond to a request for information from the Secretary.Requires the promulgation of regulations for: (1) the direct payment to providers of personal care services and transportation expenses for claimants who receive medical benefits under the Act; (2) providing clear, concise, and easily understandable explanations of the claims process, including denials of claims; and (3) the retention of records in the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Labor that might be used by claimants in the claims process.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2008-09-10 00:00:00

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of Energy to: (1) designate field or district offices of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming to serve as Renewable Energy Pilot Project Offices for coordination of federal permits for renewable energy projects and transmission lines to integrate renewable energy; and (2) enter into an amended memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Chief of Engineers to provide for the inclusion of the additional Renewable Energy Pilot Project Offices in the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project.Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to make the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund available to the Secretary of the Interior for expenditures for the coordination and processing of oil and gas and renewable energy use authorizations on onshore federal land under the jurisdiction of the Pilot Project Offices.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2009-01-06 00:00:00

Save America's Utility Infrastructure and Secure America Now Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Power Act to grant the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) enforcement powers with respect to electric reliability standards (currently such powers are exercised by an Electric Reliability Organization [ERO]).Revises penalty guidelines to subject to federal criminal law any person who violates a FERC-approved electric reliability standard.Requires FERC to issue a rule in connection with electric reliability standards to prohibit disturbances lasting greater than five days at certain substations (other than planned maintenance).Instructs the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to study and report to Congress on gaps in emergency planning preparedness and management regarding specified vulnerable populations.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2009-01-07 00:00:00

Instructs the Secretary of Energy to report to Congress on the Secretary's review of the fuel supply plan components of state evacuation plans and the National Capital region. Prescribes report contents.Authorizes the Secretary, during any federally declared emergency or disaster, to provide direct assistance to private sector entities that operate critical energy infrastructure, including refineries.Allows such assistance to include emergency preparation and recovery assistance, particularly power generation equipment, other protective or emergency recovery equipment, assistance to restore access to water, power, or other raw materials, and transportation and housing for critical employees.Establishes in the Treasury the Critical Energy Assurance Account.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2009-01-14 00:00:00

New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence - Requires the President to convene a summit to review the progress and promise of, the interrelationship of, and the additional funding needed to accelerate the progress of: (1) developing alternative technology vehicles that are not more than 10% more expensive than comparable model year vehicles; (2) developing and building energy efficient buildings that use no more than 50% of the energy of buildings of similar size and type; (3) constructing a large scale solar thermal power plant or solar photovoltaic power plant capable of generating 300 megawatts or more at a cost of 10 cents or less per kilowatt-hour; (4) developing and producing biofuel that does not exceed 105% of the cost for the energy equivalent of unleaded gasoline; (5) developing and implementing a carbon capture and storage system for a large scale coal-burning power plant that does not increase operating costs more than 15% compared to a baseline design without carbon capture and storage while providing an estimated chance of carbon dioxide escape of no greater than 1% over 5,000 years; (6) developing both a process to remediate radioactive waste so that it is not harmful for at least 5,000 years and a model that accounts for the effects of nuclear waste in that process; and (7) developing a sustainable nuclear fusion reaction capable of providing a large-scale sustainable source of electricity for residential, commercial, or government entities. Requires the Secretary of Energy to implement: (1) a program to support such technologies; and (2) a program to competitively award cash prizes to advance the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application necessary to advance such technologies. Establishes the New Manhattan Project Commission on Energy Independence and sets forth its duties, including recommending to Congress steps to achieve 50% energy independence within 10 years and 100% energy independence within 20 years and assessing the impact of foreign energy dependence on national security.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2009-02-04 00:00:00

Save American Energy Act - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a federal energy efficiency resource standard for retail electricity and natural gas distributors. Requires the Secretary of Energy to: (1) establish a program to implement, enforce, review, and adjust performance standards for specified cumulative electricity and natural gas savings for 2012 through 2020; (2) promulgate regulations establishing performance standards for 2021 through 2030 and for subsequent years by specified deadlines; and (3) set such standards at levels reflecting the maximum achievable level of cost-effective energy efficiency potential, taking into account cost-effective energy savings achieved by leading retail electricity and natural gas distributors, opportunities for new codes and standard savings, technology improvements, and other indicators of cost-effective energy efficiency potential. Prohibits standards for any year from being lower than the standard for 2020. Requires each retail electricity and natural gas distributor to submit a report annually demonstrating that it has achieved required savings and requires the Secretary to verify that performance standards have been met. Authorizes distributors to use electricity or natural gas savings purchased from another distributor, a state, or a third party efficiency provider to meet such standards. Provides for state administration of an energy efficiency program to meet the requirements of this Act. Requires the Secretary to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to submit a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of the program established by this Act by July 1, 2017, and every 10 years thereafter.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-02-04 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for: (1) the production of renewable energy from qualified energy feedstock using a technology verified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and (2) the sale or use of such energy. Defines "qualified energy feedstock" to include manure of livestock, any nonhazardous, organic agricultural or food industry byproduct or waste material derived from renewable biomass, solid wood waste materials, or agricultural or forestry crops. Allows such credit to offset alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-02-23 00:00:00

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the tax credit for nonbusiness energy property for property placed in service in 2008.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2009-03-24 00:00:00

Clean Environment and Stable Energy Market Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require covered persons (i.e., coal producers, oil refinery operators, and producers and importers of other greenhouse gases emission substances) to purchase a federal emission permit (denominated in carbon dioxide equivalents) from the Secretary of the Treasury for the sale or use of a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission substance. Exempts from such requirement GHG emission substances to be used: (1) as material in the production of another article by such person; or (2) for noncombustion agricultural purposes. Requires the Secretary to impose a GHG emission permit equivalency fee on imports of carbon intensive goods. Requires the Secretary, after consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Secretary of Energy, to establish a price for obtaining a permit for a year based on a determination of the dollar amount necessary to ensure that the demand for permits does not exceed the GHG emission allocations for such year. Requires the Secretary to publish a five-year price schedule for permits by January 1, 2010, and every five years thereafter. Authorizes the Secretary to modify the schedule. Sets forth a formula to determine the national GHG emission allocation limitations for 2011-2050. Provides for refunds of permit fees to specified: (1) permittees that use GHG emission substances in a manner that will make a negligible or no contribution to global warming; and (2) exporters of carbon-intensive goods. Imposes a tax on covered persons who fail to obtain a required permit. Establishes in the Treasury the Climate Protection and Economic Security Trust Fund where revenue raised from permit sales shall be deposited. Applies this Act to the sale of any GHG emission substance after December 31, 2010.
Topic: Energy — General
Subject: Energy
Date: 2009-03-24 00:00:00

Establishes the Green Bank as a federally owned independent corporation with a 20-year charter. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue Green Bonds to acquire the Bank's capital stock. Requires the Bank to establish a program to provide, on a competitive basis, loans, loan guarantees, debt securitization, insurance, portfolio insurance, and other forms of financing support or risk management for qualifying clean energy or energy efficiency projects. Sets forth requirements for the provision of financial support from the Bank. Requires the Bank to assess reasonable fees on its activities to cover its costs and expenses, provided the Bank operates as a not-for-profit. Gives the Bank immunity from impairment, limitations, or restrictions by or under laws and administrative or other action. Authorizes the Bank to conduct its business without regard to state law relating to incorporation. Exempts the Bank from all state or local taxation except real property taxation. Requires the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank to set forth spending safeguards, including: (1) deobligating financial support to entities that demonstrate an insufficient level of performance or wasteful or fraudulent spending; and (2) creating a publicly available online database with information about financing support or risk management.