zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
National Sustainable Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish an Office of Sustainable Offshore Aquaculture in the National Marine Fisheries Service at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) headquarters and at satellite offices in each of NOAA's regional fisheries offices. Requires the Office to establish a Sustainable Offshore Aquaculture Advisory Board. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish and maintain in the Office an aquaculture database, and (2) make the database available to the public but protect proprietary information of owners and operators of offshore aquaculture facilities. Requires, for permit issuance, a regional programmatic environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for each Regional Fishery Management Council and a separate environmental review under NEPA. Prohibits engaging in offshore aquaculture without a permit under this Act and authorizes the Secretary to issue such permits. Requires the Secretary to: (1) assess application and annual fees with respect to such permits that are sufficient to pay the costs of issuing, monitoring, and enforcing such permits, and (2) assess resource rental fees to recover from permittees a reasonable portion of the value of the use under the permits of ocean resources held in public trust. Directs the Secretary to establish and conduct a research program to guide the sustainable development of offshore aquaculture, including regarding: (1) industry expansion that ensures ecological sustainability and functional ecosystems and fisheries, and (2) cost-effective solutions to environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Requires a related competitive, peer-reviewed grant program. Prohibits permit issuance: (1) for a species having a fishery management plan under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act) or in a Regional Fishery Management Council's jurisdiction unless all relevant Councils recommend approval, or (2) if opposed by the nearest coastal state. Regulates the relationship of this Act to the Magnuson Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act. Regulates the assessment and liability for natural resource damages associated with offshore aquaculture.

Date: 2011-06-24
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Electronic Device Recycling Research and Development Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award multiyear grants to consortia: (1) to conduct research to create innovative and practical approaches to manage the environmental impacts of electronic devices through recycling, reuse, reduction of the use of hazardous materials, and life-cycle extension; and (2) through such research, to contribute to the professional development of scientists, engineers, and technicians in the fields of electronic device manufacturing, design, refurbishing, and recycling. Provides for the protection of proprietary information of trade secrets provided by any person or entity pursuant to this Act. Requires the Administrator to enter into an arrangement for the National Academy of Sciences to report to Congress on: (1) opportunities for, and barriers to, increasing the recyclability of electronic devices and making electronic devises safer and more environmentally friendly; (2) the risks posed by the storage, transport, recycling, and disposal of unwanted electronic devices; (3) the current status of research and training programs to promote the environmental design of electronic devices to increase the recyclability of such devices; and (4) regulatory or statutory barriers that may prevent the adoption or implementation of best management practices or technological innovations that may arise from the research and training programs established in this Act. Requires such reports to: (1) identify gaps in the current research and training programs in addressing the opportunities, barriers, and risks relating to electronic device recycling; and (2) recommend areas where additional research and development resources are needed to reduce the impact of unwanted electronic devices on the environment. Requires the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to develop curricula that incorporates the principles of environmental design into the development of electronic devices: (1) for the training of engineers and other students; and (2) to support the continuing education of professionals in the electronic device manufacturing, design, refurbishing, or recycling industries. Requires: (1) the Administrator to conduct outreach to minority serving institutions to provide information about the grants, and (2) such grants to be used for activities that enhance the ability of an institution to broaden the engineering or professional continuing education curriculum to include environmental engineering design principles and consideration of product lifecycles related to electronic devices and increasing the recyclability of such devices. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to: (1) establish an initiative to develop a comprehensive physical property database for environmentally friendly alternative materials for use in electronic devices, and (2) develop a strategic plan to establish priorities and physical property characterization requirements for the database.

Date: 2011-06-24
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2012 - Amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. (The Board provides scientific advice to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA].) Revises the procedures for providing advice and comments to the Administrator by: (1) including risk or hazard assessments in the regulatory proposals and documents made available to the Board, and (2) requiring advice and comments to be included in the record regarding any such proposal and published in the Federal Register. Revises the operation of Board member committees and investigative panels to: (1) require that they operate in accordance with the membership, participation, and policy requirements (including new requirements for public participation in advisory activities of the Board) contained in this Act; (2) deny them authority to make decisions on behalf of the Board; and (3) prohibit direct reporting to EPA. Adds guidelines for the conduct of Board advisory activities, including concerning: (1) avoidance of making policy determinations or recommendations, (2) communication of uncertainties, (3) dissenting members' views, and (4) periodic reviews to ensure that such activities address the most important scientific issues affecting EPA.

Date: 2012-09-28
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
Water Resources Research Amendments Act of 2012 - Amends the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to: (1) declare that additional research is required into increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of new and existing treatment works through alternative approaches, including non-structural alternatives, decentralized approaches, water use efficiency, and actions to reduce energy consumption or extract energy from wastewater; (2) require each water resources research and technology institute to arrange for research that fosters the exploration of new ideas that expand understanding of water resources (currently, of water-related phenomena); (3) direct the Secretary of the Interior to report to specified congressional committees annually on each institute's compliance with matching fund requirements and provisions permitting the use of funds only to reimburse direct cost expenditures incurred for the conduct of the water resources research program; (4) require the Secretary to conduct his or her evaluation of each institute's research and effectiveness as an institution for planning, conducting, and arranging for research at least once every five (currently, three) years; and (5) authorize appropriations for such institutes through FY2017.

Date: 2012-02-14
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Water resources development
EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise requirements for the Science Advisory Board, which gives scientific advice to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and address public disclosure of scientific and technical information that the EPA uses as a basis for agency actions.

Emphasizes that the Board provides such advice independently.

Revises the process of selecting members of the Board. Requires at least 10% of Board membership to represent state, local, or tribal governments. Excludes from membership any federally registered lobbyists.

Directs the Board to ensure that:

 the points of view represented on the Board are fairly balanced among the members, persons with substantial and relevant expertise are not excluded from the Board because of affiliation with or representation of entities that might have a potential interest in the Board's advisory activities, and members do not participate in advisory activities that involve review or application of their own work. Revises Board terms of office.

Revises the procedures for providing advice and comments to the EPA by: (1) including draft risk or hazard assessments in the regulatory proposals and documents made available to the Board, and (2) requiring advice and comments to be included in the record regarding any such proposal and published in the Federal Register. Revises the operation of Board member committees and investigative panels to: (1) require that they operate in accordance with the membership, participation, and policy requirements (including new requirements for public participation in advisory activities of the Board) contained in this Act; (2) deny them authority to make decisions on behalf of the Board; and (3) prohibit direct reporting to EPA. Revises requirements for public participation and transparency. Requires the EPA and the Board to make all reports and relevant scientific information available to the public concurrently when that information is made available to the Board. Adds guidelines for the conduct of Board advisory activities, including: (1) avoidance of making policy determinations or recommendations, (2) communication of uncertainties, (3) dissenting members' views, and (4) periodic reviews to ensure that such activities address the most important scientific issues affecting EPA. (Sec. 3) Prohibits this Act from being construed as supplanting the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act or the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

Date: 2013-04-09
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study Improvement Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in conducting the study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, with respect to which a request for information was issued in November 2012, to:

 prior to issuance and dissemination of any final or interim report summarizing EPA research on such relationship, consider such reports to be Highly Influential Scientific Assessments requiring peer review in accordance with specified EPA and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy documents; require the reports to meet the standards and procedures for the dissemination of influential scientific, financial, or statistical information set forth in the EPA's Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by the Environmental Protection Agency, developed in response to guidelines issued by OMB under the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001; and ensure that identification of the possible impacts included in such reports be accompanied by objective estimates of the probability, uncertainty, and consequence of each identified impact, taking into account the risk management practices of states and industry, and that estimates or descriptions of probability, uncertainty, and consequence are as quantitative as possible given the validity, accuracy, precision, and other quality attributes of the underlying data and analyses, but no more quantitative than the data and analyses can support. Requires public release of the final report by September 30, 2016.

Date: 2013-07-30
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
Secret Science Reform Act of 2014 - Amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating a covered action unless all scientific and technical information relied on to support such action is specifically identified and publicly available online in a manner sufficient for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of research results. Includes as a covered action a risk, exposure, or hazard assessment, criteria document, standard, limitation, regulation, regulatory impact analysis, or guidance.

Date: 2014-02-06
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
Arctic Research, Monitoring, and Observing Act of 2013 - Amends the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to direct the Arctic Research Commission to award merit-based grants to federal, state, local, or tribal governments and academic and private organizations to conduct research on or related to the Arctic in accordance with the national Arctic research program plan.

Authorizes the Commission to enter into agreements with appropriate agencies or organizations to administer grants made pursuant to this Act for Arctic research, including reimbursement from funds of the Commission to administer such grants.

Revises the requirements for compensation of Commission members not presently employed by the federal government or any state or local government.

Instructs the Commission to adopt conflict of interest and recusal requirements that apply to decisions of the Commission and to all Commission members as if each member is an affected individual within the meaning of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Requires disclosure of any financial interest in or relationship to a party that is applying for funding from the Commission held by the Commission member.

Amends the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998, with respect to the North Pacific Research Board, to: (1) increase the maximum percentage of funds provided to the Secretary of Commerce for grants to conduct marine research in the north Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean that may be used for support for the Board and to administer such grants; (2) authorize the Secretary to accept funds from a source other than the U.S. government to be used by the Board for such grants; and (3) direct the Board to adopt conflict of interest provisions similar to those required of the Commission by this Act.

Revises the administration of the Environmental Improvement and Restoration Fund to: (1) reduce by half the amount of interest earned and covered into the Fund and make available such amount without further appropriation to the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Forest Service for high priority deferred maintenance and modernization of facilities to enhance visitors' experience; (2) increase to 25% the amount made available to carry out marine research activities in the North Pacific; and (3) require 25% of such amounts to be made available to the Commission to carry out Arctic research and monitoring and 10% to fund the Alaska Ocean Observing System as provided in this Act.

Requires the North Pacific Research Board, the Commission, and the Alaska Ocean Observing System to meet at least once annually to promote coordination among research programs and projects and report annually on the status of the research conducted pursuant to this Act.

Date: 2013-02-11
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Water Resources Research Amendments Act of 2013 - Amends the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to: (1) declare that additional research is required into increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of new and existing treatment works through alternative approaches, including non-structural alternatives, decentralized approaches, energy use efficiency, water use efficiency, and actions to extract energy from wastewater; (2) require each water resources research and technology institute to arrange for research that fosters the exploration of new ideas that expand understanding of water resources (currently, of water-related phenomena); (3) direct the Secretary of the Interior to report to specified congressional committees annually on each institute's compliance with matching fund requirements and provisions permitting the use of funds only to reimburse direct cost expenditures incurred for the conduct of the water resources research program; and (4) authorize appropriations for such institutes through FY2018.

Date: 2013-05-16
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Water resources development
Arctic Research, Monitoring, and Observing Act of 2013 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to direct the Arctic Research Commission to establish (under current law, assist in establishing) a national Arctic research program plan to implement the Arctic research policy.

 Directs the Commission to award merit-based grants to federal, state, local, or tribal governments and academic and private organizations to conduct research on or related to the Arctic in accordance with the national Arctic research program plan.

Authorizes the Commission to enter into agreements with appropriate agencies or organizations to administer grants made pursuant to this Act for Arctic research, including reimbursement from funds of the Commission to administer such grants.

Instructs the Commission to adopt conflict of interest and recusal requirements which shall apply to decisions of the Commission and to all Commission members which at a minimum are substantially equivalent to those requirements set forth in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act as if each member is an affected individual within the meaning of such Act. Requires disclosure of any financial interest in or relationship to a party that is applying for funding from the Commission held by the Commission member.

(Sec. 3) Amends the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998, with respect to the North Pacific Research Board, to: (1) authorize the Board to adopt rules of procedure and establish committees as necessary to carry out the purposes of the Environmental Improvement and Restoration Fund, (2) require all of the Board's decisions to be made by majority vote of the full board in regular session, (3) direct the Board to adopt the same conflict of interest requirements as those for the Commission, and (4) allow the Secretary of Commerce to accept funds from a source other than the federal government for use by the Board to carry out its functions.

Date: 2013-07-23
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. (The Board provides scientific advice to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA].) Prohibits federally registered lobbyists from being appointed to the Board.

Revises the procedures for providing advice and comments to the Administrator by: (1) including risk or hazard assessments in the regulatory proposals and documents made available to the Board, and (2) requiring advice and comments to be included in the record regarding any such proposal and published in the Federal Register. Revises the operation of Board member committees and investigative panels to: (1) require that they operate in accordance with the membership, participation, and policy requirements (including new requirements for public participation in advisory activities of the Board) contained in this Act; (2) deny them authority to make decisions on behalf of the Board; and (3) prohibit direct reporting to EPA. Adds guidelines for the conduct of Board advisory activities, including concerning: (1) avoidance of making policy determinations or recommendations, (2) communication of uncertainties, (3) dissenting members' views, and (4) periodic reviews to ensure that such activities address the most important scientific issues affecting EPA. Prohibits this Act from being construed as supplanting the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act or the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

Date: 2013-12-18
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2015

 Prohibits the executive branch of the government from:

 exempting or deferring from removal, by executive order, regulation, or any other means, categories of aliens considered under the immigration laws to be unlawfully present in the United States; treating such aliens as if they were lawfully present or had a lawful immigration status; or treating them other than as unauthorized aliens. States that such prohibition shall not apply:

 to the extent prohibited by the Constitution; upon the request of federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies for purposes of maintaining aliens in the United States to be tried for crimes or to be trial witnesses; or for humanitarian purposes where the aliens are at imminent risk of serious bodily harm or death. Declares that any executive branch action intending to circumvent the objectives of this Act shall be null and void and without legal effect.

States that this Act shall take effect as if enacted on November 20, 2014, and shall apply to requests submitted on or after that date for: (1) work authorization; or (2) exemption from, or deferral of, removal.

Date: 2015-01-06
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Immigration
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 2, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Secret Science Reform Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating a covered action unless all scientific and technical information relied on to support such action is the best available science, specifically identified, and publicly available in a manner sufficient for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of research results. A covered action includes a risk, exposure, or hazard assessment, criteria document, standard, limitation, regulation, regulatory impact analysis, or guidance. Scientific and technical information includes: (1) materials, data, and associated protocols necessary to understand, assess, and extend conclusions; (2) computer codes and models involved in the creation and analysis of the information; (3) recorded factual materials; and (4) detailed descriptions of how to access and use the information.

This Act may not be construed as requiring the EPA to disseminate scientific and technical information, or superseding any nondiscretionary statutory requirement.

The EPA may not spend more than $1 million per fiscal year on carrying out this Act.

Date: 2015-02-24
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
Agriculture Delivering Vastly Improved Science at the EPA Now Act or the ADVISE Now Act

This bill amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to require the Environmental Protection Agency and its Science Advisory Board to establish a standing agriculture-related committee (as the Act currently requires without a deadline) within 30 days of enactment of this bill.

If an agriculture committee is not established by this deadline, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall establish and appoint members to such a committee within 15 days.

If such a contingent establishment occurs, USDA shall have the continuing authority to appoint members to it.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. The Board provides scientific advice to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This bill requires the Board to independently provide that advice. Federally registered lobbyists may not be appointed to the Board.

The EPA must provide draft risk or hazard assessments in its regulatory proposals and documents to the Board. The Board's advice and comments must be included in the record regarding any such proposal and published in the Federal Register.

The Board's member committees and investigative panels must operate in accordance with the membership, participation, and policy requirements contained in this Act, including new requirements for public participation in advisory activities of the Board. The member committees and investigative panels do not have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Board and may not report directly to the EPA. The Board must: (1) strive to avoid making policy determinations or recommendations, (2) communicate uncertainties, (3) encourage dissenting members to make their views known, (4) conduct periodic reviews to ensure that its activities address the most important scientific issues affecting the EPA, and (5) respond to Congress fully and in a timely manner. This Act may not be construed as supplanting the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act or the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

Date: 2015-02-24
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Environmental protection
This bill establishes a U.S. Green Bank that provides financial support to assist regional, state, and local institutions finance: (1) clean energy (e.g. solar or wind energy) projects, or (2) energy efficiency projects that reduce energy use or substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Department of the Treasury must issue Green Bonds to provide the bank with: (1) an initial capitalization of $10 billion; and (2) additional capitalization, upon the bank's request, of no more than $50 billion in aggregate at any one time.

Treasury must also establish a revolving Green Bank Establishment Fund.

Date: 2016-09-22
Topic: Environment (R&D)
Subject: Energy
Genomic Research and Accessibility Act - Prohibits patents from being obtained for a nucleotide sequence, or its functions or correlations, or the naturally occurring products it specifies.

Date: 2007-02-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to prohibit U.S. courts from recognizing, enforcing, or otherwise validating any assertion of rights by an individual (currently, by a designated Cuban national) of a mark, trade name, or commercial name that was used in connection with a business or assets that were confiscated by the Cuban government unless the original owner of such mark or name, or such owner's bona fide successor, has expressly consented. Applies such prohibition only if the individual asserting the rights knew or had reason to know at the time of acquiring the rights asserted that the mark or name was the same or substantially similar to the mark or name used in connection with the business or assets that were confiscated.

Date: 2007-03-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Law
Curb Illegal Downloading on College Campuses Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to use the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education to support efforts by institutions of higher education and other nonprofit institutions and agencies to establish pilot programs and initiatives on college campuses to reduce illegal downloading of copyrighted content, thereby improving the security and integrity of campus computer networks and saving telecommunications bandwidth costs, while ensuring the availability of such bandwidth for research and educational purposes.

Date: 2007-03-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Education
Authorizes the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to accept any application or other filing made by an applicant for, or owner of, a patent or trademark after the applicable deadline, as the Director considers appropriate, if the applicant or owner files a petition within 30 days after such deadline showing that the delay was unintentional. Deems such a petition denied if the Director has not made a decision within 60 days. Provides that the Director's decision is not subject to judicial review. Deems that the 30-day period to file a petition after the deadline begins on the date of enactment of this Act for trademark applicants or owners.

Date: 2007-03-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Design Piracy Prohibition Act - Extends copyright protection to fashion designs. Excludes from such protection fashion designs that are embodied in a useful article that was made public by the designer or owner more than three months before the registration of copyright application. Gives fashion designs copyright protection for three years.Declares that is not infringement to make, have made, import, sell, or distribute any article embodying a design which was created without knowledge or reasonable grounds to know that protection for the design is claimed and was copied from such protected design.Extends the definition of infringing article to include any article the design of which has been copied from an image of a protected design without the consent of the owner.Applies the doctrines of secondary infringement and secondary liability to actions related to original designs. Makes any person who is liable under either such doctrine subject to all the remedies, including those attributable to any underlying or resulting infringement.Requires the Register of Copyrights to determine whether or not the application relates to a design which on its face appears to be within the subject matter protected as original designs and, if so, register the design.Increases allowable damage awards for infringement of original designs.

Date: 2007-04-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Internet Radio Equality Act - Declares to be ineffective: (1) the March 2, 2007, Determination of Rates and Terms of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Judges regarding rates and terms for the digital performance of sound recordings and ephemeral recordings; (2) the April 17, 2007, modification of that determination by an order denying motions for rehearing; and (3) any subsequent modification by the Copyright Royalty Judges published in the Federal Register. Replaces standards for determining reasonable rates and terms of royalty payments for public performances of sound recordings by means of eligible nonsubscription transmission services and new subscription services with a requirement that such rates and terms be established in accordance with stated objectives of the Copyright Royalty Judges. (Currently, rates and terms are required to distinguish among different types of eligible nonsubscription transmission services and include a minimum fee for each type.) Allows a minimum annual royalty for each provider subject to such rates and terms. Provides a transition rule for payment of royalties by providers of digital audio transmissions that would have been subject to the rates and terms nullified by this Act. Revises royalty payment provisions concerning the use of certain works in noncommercial broadcasting to include: (1) sound recordings; and (2) performance or display by nonprofit organizations and public broadcasting entities. Provides a transition rule for the payment by a public broadcasting entity to owners of copyrights in sound recordings. Requires a report to the Copyright Royalty Judges by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information on the competitiveness of the Internet radio marketplace and the effect on Internet radio providers of proposed rate determinations in proceedings concerning: (1) public performances of sound recordings by means of the services described above; or (2) the use of certain works in noncommercial broadcasting. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), upon publication of the commencement of proceedings of the Copyright Royalty Judges to determine rates and terms under the statutory license described in this Act, to report on the effect of such proposals on localism, diversity, and competition in the Internet radio marketplace (including in rural areas). Requires a report to Congress and the Copyright Royalty Judges by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) on the effect of such proposals upon public broadcasting licensees and permittees.

Date: 2007-04-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Modifies provisions relating to the funding of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to allow such Office to retain and use all fees paid to such Office (currently, the availability of such fees is provided in advance by appropriations Acts).

Date: 2007-05-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Prohibits a civil action and certain civil remedies against taxpayers or tax practitioners for infringement of a patent for tax planning methods.

Date: 2007-05-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Extends for a 60-day period beginning on July 15, 2007, the rates and terms determined by the Copyright Royalty Judges for statutory licenses for the transmission of sound recordings.

Date: 2007-07-12
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Intellectual Property Enhanced Criminal Enforcement Act of 2007 - Makes copyright registration requirements applicable to only civil (not criminal) copyright infringement actions. Authorizes the court, in civil copyright infringement actions, to: (1) order the impounding of records documenting the manufacture, sale, or receipt of items; and (2) determine that parts of a compilation or derivative work constitute separate works in assessing statutory damages.Establishes criminal violations for any attempt or conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, with the same penalties as prescribed for the offense.Deems the unauthorized importation or exportation of copies or phonorecords to be an infringement of the exclusive right to distribute, in certain circumstances.Includes within the definition of "traffic in," for copyright infringement purposes, to import, export, or possess with intent to transport, transfer, or otherwise dispose of.Increases the penalties for criminal copyright offenses, including: (1) criminal copyright infringement; (2) unauthorized recording of a motion picture; and (3) trafficking in counterfeit goods or services.Provides for forfeiture of any property constituting or derived from proceeds of civil copyright infringement. Requires the court to order restitution for victims of criminal copyright infringement.Directs the Attorney General to: (1) create an operational unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assist in the investigation and coordination of intellectual property crimes; (2) implement a program to train FBI agents in the investigation and prosecution of such crimes; (3) assign federal prosecutors to Department of Justice (DOJ) offices in Hong Kong and Budapest to coordinate international enforcement of intellectual property laws; and (4) create a task force to implement a plan to investigate and prosecute international organized crime syndicates involved in theft of intellectual property.Authorizes additional funding through FY2011 to investigate and prosecute criminal activity involving computers.

Date: 2007-07-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Act - Amends the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2000 to repeal provisions establishing the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council.Establishes the Intellectual Property Enforcement Network (IPEN), consisting of specified representatives of various government agencies, to: (1) establish policies, objectives, and priorities concerning international intellectual property protection and law enforcement; (2) coordinate and facilitate implementation of such policies, objectives, and priorities; and (3) protect U.S. intellectual property rights overseas, including by creating an international task force.Requires the agencies in IPEN to: (1) share the information they collect; (2) coordinate civil and criminal actions related to intellectual property rights; (3) establish formal processes for consulting and working with state and local government agencies and consulting with companies, writers, artists, labor unions, and other interested persons and groups; and (4) consult with the Register of Copyrights on law enforcement matters.Urges the President and relevant agency officers, when meeting with certain foreign countries, to stress the importance of establishing and participating in the international task force.Requires the Director of the Office of Mangement and Budget and the Coordinator of IPEN to submit to the President and the relevant congressional committees a strategic plan, which includes the goals, objectives, and priorities of IPEN.Calls for other government intellectual property initiatives to be consolidated into the work of IPEN to prevent duplication.

Date: 2007-09-18
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Orphan Works Act of 2008 - Limits the remedies in a civil action brought for infringement of copyright in an orphan work if the infringer proves that: (1) the infringer performed and documented a reasonably diligent search in good faith to locate the copyright owner before using the work, but was unable to locate the owner; (2) a Notice of Use was filed with the Register of Copyrights before the work was used; and (3) the infringing use of the work provided attribution to the owner of the copyright, if known. Permits an award of reasonable compensation for the use of the infringed work, except if: (1) the infringement is performed without any commercial advantage and for primarily a charitable, religious, scholarly, or educational purpose; and (2) the infringer ceases the infringement expeditiously after receiving notice of the claim for infringement. Directs the Register of Copyrights to: (1) undertake a certification process for the establishment of an electronic database to facilitate the search for pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works that are subject to copyright protection; and (2) study and report to Congress on remedies for copyright infringement claims by an individual copyright owner or a related group of copyright owners seeking small amounts of monetary relief. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the function of the deposit requirement in the copyright registration system .

Date: 2008-04-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Transfers from the director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to the Secretary of Commerce the authority to appoint administrative patent judges and administrative trademark judges. Requires the Secretary to consult with the director on such appointments.

Date: 2008-06-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Fair Copyright in Research Works Act - Prohibits any federal agency from imposing any condition, in connection with a funding agreement, that requires the transfer or license to or for a federal agency, or requires the absence or abandonment, of specified exclusive rights of a copyright owner in an extrinsic work. Prohibits any federal agency from: (1) imposing, as a condition of a funding agreement, the waiver of, or assent to, any such prohibition; or (2) asserting any rights in material developed under any funding agreement that restrain or limit the acquisition or exercise of copyright rights in an extrinsic work. Defines "funding agreement" as any contract, grant, or other agreement entered into between a federal agency and any person under which funds are provided by a federal agency for the performance of experimental, developmental, or research activities. Defines "extrinsic work" as any work, other than a work of the U.S. government, that is related to a funding agreement and is also funded in substantial part by, or results from a meaningful added value contributed by, one or more nonfederal entities that are not a party to the funding agreement.

Date: 2008-09-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008 - Allows a receiving agent (designated by the Librarian of Congress to collect royalties that ultimately are disbursed to sound recording copyright owners and performers) to enter into agreements with webcasters that establish royalty terms for the performance of sound recordings over the Internet. Provides that such agreements, which may be effective for a period of up to 11 years following January 1, 2005, are to be binding on all copyright owners of sound recordings and other persons entitled to payment, in lieu of any determination of compulsory license rates by the Copyright Royalty Judges. Terminates the authority to negotiate settlement agreements under this Act on February 15, 2009. Declares that nothing in this Act (or any agreement entered into under this Act) shall be taken into account by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in its review of the May 1, 2007 determination of royalty rates by the Copyright Royalty Judges.

Date: 2008-09-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine of up to $2 million ($5 million for a person other than an individual [e.g., a business entity]) and/or a prison term of up to 10 years on any person who uses a trademark, service mark, collective mark, or certification mark registered on the principal register in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with the intent to deceive the public that such use is authorized by the owner of the mark. Increases such penalties for subsequent offenses.

Date: 2008-09-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act of 2007 or the Perform Act of 2007 - Requires Copyright Royalty Judges (CRJs) to establish rates for a statutory license for the transmission of sound recordings by organizations that most clearly represent the fair market value of the rights licensed. Replaces the different processes for setting rates and terms of royalty payments for subscription transmissions by preexisting subscription services, satellite digital radio services, and eligible nonsubscription transmission services with one process for all such transmissions. Directs CRJs, when setting such rates and terms, to consider: (1) the fair market value of the rights licensed; and (2) the degree to which reasonable recording affects the potential market for sound recordings and the additional fees that are required to be paid by services for compensation. Conditions statutory licensing of transmissions on the transmitting entity using technology that is reasonably available, technologically feasible, and economically reasonable to prevent the making of copies or phonorecords embodying the transmission in whole or in part, except for reasonable recording. (Current law provides for limits on phonorecords of the transmission directly in a digital format.) Allows a performing rights society or a mechanical rights organization to monitor public performances or other uses of copyrighted works contained in transmissions. Requires the Register of Copyrights to convene a meeting among affected parties to discuss whether to recommend creating a new category of limited interactive services within certain statutory licenses for subscription transmissions.

Date: 2007-01-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce
Grants a statutory license to provide a secondary transmission of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a network station to a satellite carrier found to have engaged in a pattern or practice of violations of delivering such a primary transmission to subscribers who are not eligible to receive it, notwithstanding any injunction that has been issued.

Date: 2007-01-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to prohibit U.S. courts from recognizing, enforcing, or otherwise validating any assertion of rights by an individual (currently, by a designated Cuban national) of a mark, trade name, or commercial name that was used in connection with a business or assets that were confiscated by the Cuban government unless the original owner of such mark or name, or such owner's bona fide successor, has expressly consented. Applies such prohibition only if the individual asserting the rights knew or had reason to know at the time of acquiring the rights asserted that the mark or name was the same or substantially similar to the mark or name used in connection with the business or assets that were confiscated.

Date: 2007-03-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Law
Internet Radio Equality Act of 2007 - Declares to be ineffective: (1) the March 2, 2007, Determination of Rates and Terms of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Judges regarding rates and terms for the digital performance of sound recordings and ephemeral recordings; (2) the April 17, 2007, modification of that determination by an order denying motions for rehearing; and (3) the April 23, 2007, Final Determination of Rates and Terms and any subsequent modification by the Copyright Royalty Judges published in the Federal Register. Replaces standards for determining reasonable rates and terms of royalty payments for public performances of sound recordings by means of eligible nonsubscription transmission services and new subscription services with a requirement that such rates and terms be established in accordance with stated objectives of the Copyright Royalty Judges. (Currently, rates and terms are required to distinguish among different types of eligible nonsubscription transmission services and include a minimum fee for each type.) Allows a minimum annual royalty for each provider subject to such rates and terms. Provides a transition rule for payment of royalties by providers of digital audio transmissions that would have been subject to the rates and terms nullified by this Act.Revises royalty payment provisions concerning the use of certain works in noncommercial broadcasting to include: (1) sound recordings; and (2) performance or display by nonprofit organizations and public broadcasting entities. Provides a transition rule for the payment by a public broadcasting entity to owners of copyrights in sound recordings.Allows a credit of any royalties received under the Determination of Rates and Terms deemed ineffective by this Act against other royalties required to be paid under this Act.

Date: 2007-05-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Copyrights and Patents)
Subject: Commerce