zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Amends the Export Apple Act to permit apples to be exported to Canada in bulk bins (a quantity of apples weighing more than 100 pounds) without complying with certain inspection and certification requirements.

Date: 2012-03-20
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Revenue Loss Assistance and Crop Insurance Enhancement Act of 2012 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a revenue loss assistance program (program) beginning with crop year 2013 in lieu of the supplemental revenue assistance payments (SURE) and the average crop revenue election programs (ACRE). (Extends the SURE program for crop year 2012.) Provides producers with program assistance for losses between 12% and 25 % of their historic revenue. Provides counter-cyclical payments for each covered commodity through crop year 2017 on farms for which payment yields and base acres are established if the effective price for the covered commodity is less than its target price. Sets forth 2013-2017 target prices, payment rates, and payment amounts for covered commodities. Provides a special payment calculation rule for long grain and medium grain rice, and a specified four-year alternative election. Sets forth 2013-2017 commodity marketing assistance loan rates. Extends specified agricultural and livestock assistance programs. Repeals the direct payment and ACRE programs. Limits the total revenue loss assistance payments and countercyclical payments that a person or entity may receive in a crop year. Reduces the catastrophic risk protection coverage premium. Authorizes agricultural producers to purchase supplemental crop insurance coverage based on: (1) an individual yield and loss basis, or an area yield and loss basis; or (2) an individual yield and loss basis, supplemented with coverage based on an area yield and loss basis to cover a part of the deductible under the individual yield and loss policy.

Date: 2012-03-29
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Amends the Export Apple Act to permit apples to be exported to Canada in bulk bins (a quantity of apples weighing more than 100 pounds) without complying with certain inspection and certification requirements.

Date: 2013-03-20
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Shellfish Marketing Assistance Fairness Act - Amends the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to include farmed shellfish as a specialty crop.

Date: 2013-04-17
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Eliminate the MAP Act - Amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to repeal the Market Access Program (MAP) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA). (MAP is a program that uses funds from the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation to aid in the creation, expansion, and maintenance of foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products.)

Date: 2013-06-14
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Lacey Act Clarifying Amendments Act of 2013 - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit such Act from applying to: (1) any plant that was imported into the United States before May 22, 2008, or (2) any finished plant product the assembly and processing of which was completed before May 22, 2008.

Date: 2013-10-09
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Environmental protection
Lacey Act Paperwork Reduction Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to require any person, upon importation of any plant, to possess and have available for inspection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) a declaration that contains: (1) the scientific name of any plant (including the genus and species of the plant) contained in the importation; and (2) a description of the declared value of the plant or the merchandise containing the plant, the quantity of the plant, and the name of the country from which the plant was taken. (Currently, a person is required to file such a declaration that describes the value of the importation.)

Revises the rulemaking procedure applicable to such importation to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the USFWS and in consultation with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, to issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) distinguish among different species; and (2) limit the applicability of the Act to a particular class or type of species if the Secretary determines that application of this Act would not be feasible, practicable, or effective.

Date: 2013-10-23
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Environmental protection
Dairy COOL Act of 2014 - Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to define dairy product for country of origin purposes.

Requires a retailer of a covered commodity that is a dairy product to designate the origin of the covered commodity as: (1) each country in which or from which the one or more dairy ingredients or dairy components of the covered commodity were produced, originated, or sourced; and (2) each country in which the covered commodity was processed.

Declares that, with respect to a dairy product produced exclusively in the United States, designation by a retailer of the state, region, or locality of production shall be sufficient to identify the United States as the country of origin.

Date: 2014-01-27
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
American Livestock Protection and Ranching Opportunity Act of 2014 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: the majority of consumers in the United States want to know where animals used to produce the meat eaten are born, raised, and slaughtered; country-of-origin labeling provides information that consumers have a right to know; and country-of-origin labeling facilitates supply chain information critical for food safety.

Amends the Animal Health Protection Act to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) from allowing or advancing regulations that allow the importation of fresh meat and meat products from a country until the Secretary certifies to Congress that a country is free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination.

Amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to establish a USDA livestock disease initiative to provide competitive grants for research and development related to surveillance methods, vaccines, vaccination delivery systems, or diagnostic tests for diseases in domestic livestock that present a potential concern to public health and safety. Makes federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and state agricultural experiment stations eligible for grants.

Amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to provide eligible livestock producers with assistance for losses due to brucellosis and to alter the payment rates USDA uses to provide agricultural disaster assistance under the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program.

Date: 7/31/2014
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Protect Interstate Commerce Act 

This bill prohibits a state or local government from imposing a standard or condition on the production or manufacture of agricultural products sold or offered for sale in interstate commerce if: (1) the production or manufacture occurs in another state, and (2) the standard or condition adds to standards or conditions applicable under federal law and the laws of the state or locality in which the production or manufacture occurs.

Date: 2015-02-03
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Safe Chicken and Meat for Children Act 

This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to prohibit poultry or meat that is processed or produced in China from being used in the Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program.

Date: 2015-04-30
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Reducing food-based Inorganic Compounds Exposure Act of 2015 or the RICE Act

This bill directs the Food and Drug Administration to promulgate a final regulation establishing the minimum quantity of inorganic arsenic contained in rice or a rice product that will cause sale of the rice or rice product to be prohibited.

The regulation must: (1) apply the minimum quantity to rice and rice products regardless of the origin of the arsenic, (2) include the establishment of tolerances, and (3) establish a standard for inorganic arsenic that is based on the maximum achievable reduction in health risks and is protective of the long-term health of children.

Date: 2015-05-21
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Health
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on September 20, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Clarification of Treatment of Electronic Sales of Livestock Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to expand the definition of "marketing agency" to include any person who engages in the business of buying or selling livestock, on a commission or other fee basis, through the use of online, video, or other electronic methods. The term "marketing agency" does not include a person whose annual average of online, video, or electronic sales of livestock, on a commission or other fee basis, is less than $250,000.

(Sec. 3) The bill also permits electronic funds transfers and other expeditious payment methods that the Department of Agriculture determines to be appropriate to be used as options for meeting prompt payment requirements for livestock purchases.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Agricultural Export Expansion Act of 2015 

This bill amends the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 to permit a person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to provide payment or financing for sales of agricultural commodities to Cuba or to an individual or entity in Cuba.

Date: 2015-04-22
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Foreign trade and international finance
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

United States Grain Standards Act Reauthorization Act of 2015 

This bill reauthorizes and amends provisions of the United States Grain Standards Act. The Act authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish official marketing standards for grains, and to provide procedures for grain inspection and weighing. The bill reauthorizes several expiring provisions through FY2020, establishes procedures in the event of an interruption of inspection and weighing services, revises the process for delegating inspections to state agencies, and revises fees for inspection and weighing services.

 (Sec. 2) The bill provides that transfers of grain into an export elevator by any mode of transportation are not required to be officially weighed. In the case of a disruption in official grain inspection or weighing services, the bill requires USDA to immediately take the actions necessary to address the disruption and resume services. USDA must also report to Congress on the disruption and provide daily updates until services have resumed.

The bill ends the permanent delegation to state agencies to carry out export inspection and weighing services. Every five years, USDA must certify that each state agency with a delegation of authority is meeting specified criteria. The certification process must include public notice and a comment period. State agencies that have been delegated authority and intend to temporarily discontinue official inspection or weighing services, except in the case of a major disaster, must notify USDA in advance.

In order to review the performance of states, local agencies, and individuals that have applied to perform official inspections other than at export port locations, USDA must periodically consult with customers of the applicant and work with the applicant to address any concerns.

The bill extends the duration of licenses for inspectors from three to five years. Designations of official agencies terminate at a time specified by USDA that is no later than every five years.

The bill changes the fee calculation for inspection and weighing services and extends the authority to collect fees through FY2020.

The bill extends the limitation on total administrative and supervisory costs, the authorization of appropriations, and the authorization of the advisory committee through FY2020.

(Sec. 3) USDA must report to Congress on the disruption in federal inspection of grain exports at the Port of Vancouver in the summer of 2014. The report must include factors that led or contributed to the disruption and changes in policy USDA has implemented to ensure that a similar disruptions does not occur in the future.

(Sec. 4) USDA must report to Congress on policy barriers to U.S. grain producers in countries that: (1) produce grain that receives official grading in the United States, and (2) do not offer official grading for U.S. grain or provide only the lowest designation for U.S. grain.

Date: 2015-05-21
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Voluntary Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and Trade Enhancement Act of 2015

This bill amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to revise country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken.

Under current law, country of origin labeling requirements are administered by the Department of Agriculture and require a retailer to inform consumers of the country of origin of a covered commodity.

The bill repeals the mandatory requirements for beef, pork, and chicken and permits a packer to voluntarily designate any raw single-ingredient beef, pork, or chicken intended for retail sale as exclusively having a U.S. country of origin.

Date: 2015-07-23
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Securing American Food Equity Act of 2016 or the SAFE Act of 2016 

This bill amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to include the Secretary of Agriculture on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and to require CFIUS to consider the national security-related effects on agricultural assets in reviewing transactions.

(CFIUS is an interagency committee authorized under current law to review transactions that could result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person in order to determine the effects of the transactions on national security.)

Date: 2016-07-12
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Foreign trade and international finance
Clarification of Treatment of Electronic Sales of Livestock Act of 2016

 This bill amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to expand the definition of "marketing agency" to include any person who engages in the business of buying or selling livestock, on a commission or other fee basis, through the use of online, video, or other electronic methods. The term "marketing agency" does not include a person whose annual average of online, video, or electronic sales of livestock, on a commission or other fee basis, is less than $250,000.

 The bill also permits electronic funds transfers and other expeditious payment methods that the Department of Agriculture determines to be appropriate to be used as options for meeting prompt payment requirements for livestock purchases.

Date: 2016-09-15
Topic: Agriculture (Trade)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Transparency and Accountability in Security Contracting Act of 2007 - Requires each contract, subcontract, or task order awarded or issued by a federal agency that includes private security functions (covered contract) to require the contractor to provide to the agency contracting officer specified information, including the number of persons to perform the security functions and the hiring and training process for such employees. Requires agency oversight in the performance of the covered contract. Directs the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to issue rules of engagement regarding the circumstances under which force may be used by contractor personnel performing private security functions within the area covered by a contingency operation, and the types of force authorized. Provides for: (1) hiring, training, and equipment standards relating to private security contractors; and (2) coordination and communication between U.S. Armed Forces and contractor personnel. Provides for the legal status of contractor personnel with respect to investigations and prosecution of abuses by private security contractors. Requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for each theater of operations established in connection with a contingency operation in which contract personnel are carrying out work under a covered contract, to establish a Theater Investigative Unit to investigate allegations of contractor personnel criminal misconduct. Requires a study by the Comptroller General of the total federal costs of procuring security services through private contractors.

Date: 2007-01-10
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Repeals provisions of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 requiring federal, state, and local governmental entities to withhold 3% of payments due to vendors providing goods and services to such entities.

Date: 2007-02-13
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Taxation
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income amounts awarded to a plaintiff in a qui tam action (a civil action brought by a private citizen on behalf of a governmental entity alleging fraud or misuse of government funds by contractors or other individuals).

Date: 2007-03-01
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Taxation
Prohibits any entity performing lead system integrator functions in the acquisition of a major system by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from having any direct financial interest in the development or construction of any individual system or element of any system of systems with respect to contracts entered into after May 1, 2007. Makes exceptions if: (1) the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that an entity was selected by DHS as a contractor through competitive procedures and DHS took appropriate steps to prevent any organizational conflict of interest in the selection process; (2) an entity was selected by a subcontractor to serve as a lower-tier subcontractor through a process over which the entity exercised no control; or (3) the work to be performed is work necessary to integrate two or more individual systems or elements.Directs the Secretary, by May 1, 2007, to update DHS's acquisition regulations to: (1) specify the matters regarding lead system integrators set forth in this Act; and (2) include a definition of "lead system integrator" modeled after that used by the Department of Defense (DOD) and a specification of appropriate types of contracts and fee structures for use by integrators in the production, fielding, and sustainment of complex systems.

Date: 2007-03-22
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Emergency management
Contractor Tax Enforcement Act - Amends federal claims law to direct the head of any federal agency that administers either a loan or a loan guarantee program, or issues a request for proposals for a federal contract, to require each loan or guarantee applicant and each entity that submits a contract proposal to submit a form authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to disclose to the head of the agency information on whether the applicant or prospective contractor has an outstanding debt under the Internal Revenue Code in delinquent status.

Date: 2007-04-17
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Taxation
Prompt Payment Improvement Act of 2007 - Requires: (1) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to set forth in writing the prompt payment policy applicable to subcontractors under federal contracts; and (2) the head of each federal agency to provide a copy of such policy to each contractor and to require each contractor to provide a copy to each subcontractor. Directs each agency head to require contractors to include in each subcontract a clause containing: (1) the requirements and penalties relating to the timely payment obligations of the government and prime contractors; (2) the name and number of a senior employee with authority to resolve progress payment questions; and (3) the obligations of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization in assisting small business contractors and subcontractors in receiving prompt payments.

Date: 2007-04-18
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Federal Contractor Accountability Act of 2007 - Prohibits a federal agency from awarding a contract to a prospective contractor, extending an existing contract, or issuing an order for goods and services to such contractor without a written certification that such contractor owes no federal tax debt (i.e., tax delinquencies).Requires a prospective contractor submitting an offer to an agency to include a certification as to whether such contractor has, within the preceding three years, been convicted of, or suffered a civil judgment for, violating any tax law or failing to pay any tax or has been notified of any delinquent taxes or unsatisfied tax liens.

Date: 2007-04-20
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
MEJA Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 - Provides that persons who, while employed under a federal agency contract in, or in close proximity to, an area where the Armed Forces are conducting a contingency operation, engage in conduct that would constitute an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year if engaged in within U.S. jurisdiction, shall be punished as provided for that offense.Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report to Congress on: (1) the status of DOJ's investigations of alleged violations committed by contract personnel; (2) findings and recommendations about the number of criminal cases prosecuted by DOJ involving such violations; and (3) with respect to covered contracts where the work is carried out in Iraq or Afghanistan, a list of each charge brought against contractors or contract personnel and a description of any legal actions taken by the United States as a result of such a criminal charge or a complaint.Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to ensure that there are adequate personnel, through the creation of Theater Investigative Units, to investigate allegations of such criminal violations by contract personnel. Requires such a Unit to refer a case, if appropriate, to the Attorney General for further action. Requires the Director to request security assistance from the Secretary of Defense in any case in which a Unit does not have the resources or is otherwise unable to provide adequate security to ensure its safety. Authorizes the Attorney General to request assistance from the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the head of any other agency, including the assignment of additional personnel and resources to a Unit.Requires the Director to report annually to Congress on the number of reports received by Units relating to suspected criminal misconduct by contractors or to fatalities resulting from the use of force by contractors, the number of cases referred by the Units to the Attorney General for further investigation or action, and any recommended changes to federal law that the Director considers necessary to perform the duties of the Director under this Act.

Date: 2007-06-15
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Prohibits an executive agency from: (1) entering into a contract for the procurement of goods or services with any person or entity unless that person or entity has certified that the person or entity, and each of its officers, employees, and agents, have not violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, or any comparable law of other countries; or (2) allowing any contractor awarded a contract by the agency to enter into a subcontract (at any tier) with any person or entity that has not made such certification.

Date: 2007-08-03
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Construction Quality Assurance Act of 2007 - Provides implementation dates for proposed revisions to the Federal Acquisition Regulation and final regulations necessitated by this Act. Requires each solicitation by an executive agency for the procurement of construction in excess of $1 million to require each bidder to submit as part of such bid the name, business location, and nature of work of each subcontractor with whom such bidder, if awarded the contract, will subcontract for work in excess of $100,000. Considers as non-responsive any bidder that fails to list such subcontractors. Outlines required procedures for the substitution of a listed subcontractor, including consent by the contracting officer for good cause shown. Outlines examples of good cause and requirements for substitution requests. Prohibits, without good cause shown, the assignment or transfer of a subcontract. Imposes damages upon a contractor for violation of substitution requirements. States that the imposition of such damages shall be grounds for the disbarment or suspension of a contractor from federal contracts.

Date: 2007-10-16
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Enacts title 41 of the United States Code into positive law to be entitled "Public Contracts." Makes technical and conforming amendments.

Date: 2007-12-18
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2008 - Establishes a policy that no U.S. government contracts or grants should be awarded to individuals or companies with seriously delinquent tax debts.Requires a person who has such a debt to be proposed for debarment from any federal government contract unless such requirement is waived by a federal agency head. Requires an agency head that issues an invitation for bids or a request for proposals for a contract in an amount greater than the simplified acquisition threshold to require prospective contractors to: (1) certify that they do not have such a debt; and (2) authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to disclose information describing whether they have such a debt. Exempts contracts designated by agency heads as assisting the agency in the performance of disaster relief authorities or as necessary to national security.Prohibits the head of an agency offering a grant exceeding such threshold from awarding it to a person who does not submit such certification and authorization. Requires the Federal Acquisition Regulation and regulations governing grants to be revised to require such certification and authorization. Defines "seriously delinquent tax debt" as an outstanding tax debt for which a notice of lien has been filed in public records. Excludes a tax debt: (1) that is being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an installment agreement; or (2) for which a collection due process hearing, or for which relief from liability for a tax deficiency applicable to joint filers, is requested or pending.

Date: 2007-12-19
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Close the Contractor Fraud Loophole Act - Requires the Federal Acquisition Regulation to be amended within 180 days after enactment of this Act to include provisions that require timely notification by federal contractors of violations of federal criminal law or overpayments in connection with the award or performance of covered contracts or subcontracts, including those performed outside the United States and those for commercial items.Defines the term "covered contract" to mean any contract in an amount greater than $5 million and of more than 120 days' duration.

Date: 2008-04-03
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Secure the Capitol Act - Prohibits an office of the legislative branch from entering into a contract for goods or services within the Capitol Complex with any contractor employing individuals unless the contractor: (1) elects to participate in the basic pilot program for employment eligibility confirmation under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 with respect to all of its employees and those providing goods or services under the contract; (2) is in compliance with the terms and conditions of such election; and (3) certifies that each of its subcontractors providing goods or services has elected to participate in such program, and is also in such compliance, with respect to all of its employees as well as those providing goods or services under the subcontract.

Date: 2008-04-08
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Congress
Scientific Transformations through Advancing Research (STAR) Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to accept and use donations of real and personal property, laboratory and office space, utility services, and infrastructure upgrades to carry out research, development, testing, evaluation, and related activities.

Date: 2008-04-09
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Emergency management
Declares that any claim of the United States to certain property relating to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, his family, or staff shall be treated as having been waived and relinquished on the day before any person makes a gift of such property to the National Archives and Records Administration. Specifies such property as any part of the collection of documents, papers, and memorabilia relating to Roosevelt, or any member of his family or staff, which was originally in the possession of Grace Tully and retained by her at the time of her death, and included in her estate.

Date: 2008-07-30
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Federal Agency Environmental Procurement Act - Directs the head of each agency to ensure that: (1) when procuring a consumer electronic or information technology product, the agency meets at least 95% of the agency's requirements with an Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)-registered product, unless there is no EPEAT standard for such product; (2) the Energy Star feature is enabled on agency computers and monitors; and (3) the agency establishes and implements policies to extend the useful life of agency electronic equipment; and (4) the agency uses environmentally sound practices with respect to disposition of electronic equipment that has reached the end of its useful life.Excludes the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from the definition of "agency" for purposes of this Act.

Date: 2008-10-03
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Freedom to Fly Act of 2007 - Allows a pilot who has attained 60 years of age to serve as a passenger airline pilot until the age of 65 years old only if the pilot serves: (1) as a required pilot in multi-crew aircraft operations; and (2) with another required pilot who has not yet attained 60 years of age. Terminates the age-60 rule (mandatory retirement age) 30 days after enactment of this Act. Declares that such requirements shall not provide the basis for a claim of seniority made under any labor bargaining agreement in effect between the pilots and an air carrier by any pilot who has attained age 60 before the effective date of this Act and who is seeking a position as a pilot with such carrier following that pilot's termination or cessation of employment or promotion or transfer to another position with such air carrier.

Date: 2007-01-04
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Natural Stock Conservation Act of 2007 - Amends the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 to prohibit specified agencies with aquaculture regulatory jurisdiction from issuing permits for marine aquaculture facilities in the exclusive economic zone until requirements for such permits are enacted into law.

Date: 2007-02-08
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Honest Leadership and Accountability in Contracting Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose fines and penalties on war profiteering and fraud. Requires revision of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide that no prospective contractor shall be considered to have a satisfactory record of integrity and ethics if it has a pattern of either overcharging the government or failing to comply with the law. Provides for the disclosure to Congress of audit reports issued by executive agencies. Requires the Federal Procurement Data System to be modified to include publication of information on specified federal contractor penalties and violations. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to prohibit awarding of certain monopoly federal contracts. Requires revision of the FAR to require competition for certain multiple award contracts. Denies protest rights for certain awards. Prohibits an agency from contracting for the performance of: (1) any inherently governmental function; or (2) acquisition functions closely associated with inherently governmental functions. Prescribes minimum requirements for political appointees holding public contracting and safety positions. Includes as a protected disclosure by a federal employee: (1) any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure; and (2) the disclosure of information required to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs that the employee or applicant reasonably believes is direct evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement if such disclosure is made to a Member or employee of Congress who is authorized to receive information of the type disclosed. Sets forth provisions concerning review and appeal of actions concerning such disclosures. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide that, for purposes of provisions regarding the protection of voluntarily shared critical infrastructure information, a permissible use of independently obtained critical infrastructure information includes any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. Requires agencies to inform employees on how to make a lawful disclosure of information.

Date: 2007-02-15
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide an alternate sulfur dioxide removal measurement for certain coal gasification project goals.Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish milestones for such projects so that by year 2020 they will be able to: (1) remove at least 99% of sulfur dioxide (as currently required); or, in the alternative, (2) emit not more than 0.04 pound SO2 per million Btu, based on a 30-day average.

Date: 2007-02-15
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Energy
Transparency and Accountability in Military and Security Contracting Act of 2007 - Requires reports to Congress by specified federal officials on information with respect to federal military and security contracts being performed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Requires a separate report from the Secretary of Defense on Department of Defense (DOD) strategy and activities with respect to contractors and subcontractors in support of DOD missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Global War on Terror. Requires each contract, subcontract, or task order awarded or issued by a federal agency that includes private security functions (covered contract) to require the contractor to provide to the agency contracting officer specified information, including the number of persons to perform the security functions and the hiring and training process for such employees. Requires agency oversight in the performance of the covered contract. Directs the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to issue rules of engagement regarding the circumstances under which force may be used by contractor personnel performing private security functions within the area covered by a contingency operation, and the types of force authorized. Provides for: (1) hiring, training, and equipment standards relating to private security contractors; and (2) coordination and communication between U.S. Armed Forces and contractor personnel. Provides for the legal status of contractor personnel with respect to investigations and prosecution of abuses by private security contractors. Requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for each theater of operations established in connection with a contingency operation in which contract personnel are carrying out work under a covered contract, to establish a Theater Investigative Unit to investigate allegations of contractor personnel criminal misconduct.

Date: 2007-02-16
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to require an executive agency, when procuring Federal Prison Industries (FPI) products to: (1) use competitive procedures; or (2) make an individual purchase under a multiple award contract in accordance with applicable competition requirements. Requires an agency to: (1) timely notify FPI of procurements; and (2) consider a timely offer from FPI in the same manner as other offers. Requires agency heads to ensure that: (1) agencies do not purchase a FPI product or service unless an agency's contracting officer determines that the product or service is comparable to products or services available from the private sector that best meet the agencies' needs; and (2) FPI performs its contractual obligations to agencies to the same extent as any other contractor. Outlines exceptions to the competitive procedures requirement. Prohibits requiring a contractor to use FPI as a subcontractor or supplier. Prohibits agencies from entering into contracts with FPI under which inmate workers would have access to classified and sensitive information. Restricts the interstate and foreign commerce of services resulting from convict labor in a prisoner work program operated by a prison or jail of a state or local jurisdiction. Subjects knowing violators of such restrictions to fine or imprisonment, or both. Requires state and local prison work programs to meet specified requirements. Provides for exemptions for services performed as part of an inmate work program conducted by a state or local government to disassemble, scrap, and recycle products, other than electronic products, that would otherwise be disposed of in a landfill. Authorizes recovered scrap from such program to be sold.

Date: 2007-02-28
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2007 - (Sec. 3) Establishes the National Commission on the Infrastructure of the United States to ensure that U.S. infrastructure meets current and future demand, facilitates economic growth, is maintained in a manner that ensures public safety, and is developed or modified in a sustainable manner.(Sec. 4) Requires the Commission to study the state of U.S. infrastructure, including: (1) the capacity of infrastructure to sustain economic development and competitiveness; (2) the age and condition of public infrastructure; (3) the methods used to finance the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and maintenance of infrastructure; (4) investment requirements needed to maintain and to improve infrastructure and the projected need of investment requirements and expenditures by federal, state, and local governments; (5) the impact of local development patterns on demand for federal funding of infrastructure; (6) the impact of deferred maintenance; and (7) the collateral impact of deteriorated infrastructure. Directs the Commission to develop recommendations regarding: (1) a federal infrastructure plan that will detail national infrastructure program priorities; (2) infrastructure improvements and methods of delivering and providing for infrastructure facilities; (3) analysis or criteria and procedures that may be used by federal agencies and state and local governments in inventorying existing and needed infrastructure improvements, assessing the condition of improvements, developing uniform criteria and procedures, and maintaining publicly accessible data; and (4) proposed guidelines for the uniform reporting by federal agencies of data regarding infrastructure improvements.(Sec. 7) Requires the Commission to submit an interim report and a final report to the President and to specified congressional committees.(Sec. 8) Makes funds available for each of FY2008-FY2010, at the Commission's request, from sums made available to the Secretary of Transportation (from any source other than the Highway Trust Fund), from the Corps of Engineers' General Expenses account, and from the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).(Sec. 9) Terminates the Commission on September 30, 2010.

Date: 2007-03-06
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Employer Work Incentive Act for Individuals with Severe Disabilities - Amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to require the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy to establish, annually, a government-wide target for procurement contracts awarded to businesses that employ individuals with severe disabilities. Requires such target to be established at not less than 2.5% of the total value of all prime contract procurements for each fiscal year.Directs: (1) each executive agency to have an annual procurement target that presents the maximum practicable opportunity for businesses that employ individuals with severe disabilities to participate in the performance of agency contracts; (2) the Administrator to ensure that the cumulative agency targets meet or exceed the annual targets; (3) the Administrator to work with the Administrator of General Services to establish and maintain a database of eligible entities that qualify as businesses that employ such individuals; and (4) the Administrator to promulgate regulations providing that the participation of such businesses shall be an evaluation factor in all contracts awarded by executive agencies. Provides that the failure of a business that is awarded a contract to meet the employment criteria within one year shall result in contract termination, unless a one-time waiver is approved for good cause.Makes the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training responsible for obtaining input from agencies, individuals, and organizations regarding the effectiveness, outreach, utilization, and advancement of the goals and purposes of the employment and contracting program.Requires the Secretary of Labor to utilize existing Regional Assistance Centers to provide assistance to businesses in qualifying for the evaluation factor.

Date: 2007-06-27
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Security Contractor Accountability Act of 2007 - Provides that persons who, while employed under a federal agency contract in or in close proximity to an area where the Armed Forces are conducting a contingency operation, engage in conduct that would constitute an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year if engaged in within U.S. jurisdiction shall be punished as provided for that offense.Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report to Congress on the status of the Department's investigations of violations alleged to have been committed by contract personnel and findings and recommendations about the Department's capacity and effectiveness in prosecuting misconduct by contract personnel.Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to ensure, through the creation of Theater Investigative Units, that there are adequate personnel to investigate allegations of criminal violations by contract personnel.

Date: 2007-10-04
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2008 - Amends the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 to require the head of each federal agency to review agency programs and activities every three fiscal years and identify those that may be susceptible to significant improper payments. Defines "significant" to mean improper payments in program or activity payments in the preceding fiscal year that may have exceeded: (1) $10 million and 2.5% of program outlays; or (2) $100 million. Sets forth risk factors for conducting improper payment reviews, including: (1) whether the program or activity is new to the agency; (2) the volume of payments made; (3) whether payment decisions are made outside of the agency; (4) recent major changes in program funding, authorities, practices, or procedures; (5) the level and quality of personnel training; and (6) significant deficiencies in auditing practices.Requires agency heads to: (1) annually produce a statistically valid estimate of the improper payments in their agencies; and (2) include such estimates in their annual financial statements.Expands agency reporting requirements with respect to improper payments to require reports on actions to reduce and recover improper payments.Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) report to specified congressional committees in each fiscal year on actions agencies have taken to report on and recover improper payments; and (2) provide guidance to agencies for implementing actions to reduce improper payments and strategies for addressing risks and establishing internal controls.Requires the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency to study the effectiveness of OMB Circular No. A-123 (revised) (Management's Responsibility for Internal Control) and report on such study to specified congressional committees.Requires agency heads to conduct recovery audits for agency programs that expend $1 million or more annually if such audits would be cost-effective. Requires: (1) each agency's Inspector General to report each fiscal year on agency compliance with this Act; (2) agencies determined not to be in compliance for two or three consecutive fiscal years to obligate additional funding for intensified compliance; and (3) agencies not in compliance for more than three consecutive fiscal years to submit to Congress reauthorization proposals for each noncompliant program and proposed statutory changes to achieve compliance. Authorizes the Director of OMB to establish one or more pilot programs to test accountability mechanisms to insure compliance with this Act and eliminate improper payments. Requires the Director to report to Congress on findings associated with any pilot program.

Date: 2008-01-31
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Economics and public finance
Close the Contractor Fraud Loophole Act - Requires the Federal Acquisition Regulation to be amended within 180 days after this Act's enactment to include provisions that require timely notification by federal contractors of violations of federal criminal law or overpayments in connection with the award or performance of covered contracts or subcontracts, including those performed outside the United States and those for commercial items.Defines the term "covered contract" to mean any contract in an amount greater than $5 million and more than 120 days' duration.

Date: 2008-04-24
Topic: Government Operations (Procurement & Contractors)
Subject: Government operations and politics