zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns. Abolishes the Presidential Election Campaign Fund and the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer all amounts remaining in the Fund after enactment of this Act to the general fund of the Treasury to reduce the deficit.

Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to terminate the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the EAC Standards Board, and the EAC Board of Advisors. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to perform EAC functions with respect to certain existing contracts and agreements during the transition period for winding up EAC affairs.

Transfers specified election administration functions of the EAC to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Replaces the Standards Board and the Board of Advisors with a Guidelines Review Board to review voluntary voting system guidelines proposed by the Technical Guidelines Development Committee.

Sets forth special requirements relating to the transfer of certain EAC authorities to the FEC with respect to development of such guidelines.

Transfers to the FEC the EAC Office of Voting System Testing and Certification.

Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) study the procedures used to adopt and modify the voluntary voting system guidelines applicable to the administration of elections for federal office, and (2) develop recommendations on methods to improve such procedures.

Requires the FEC to: (1) study the procedures for the testing, certification, decertification, and recertification of voting system hardware and software used in federal elections; and (2) develop a recommendation on the entity best suited to oversee and carry out such procedures.

Requires the recommendations in both studies to take into account the needs of persons affected by such guidelines, including state and local election officials, voters with disabilities, absent military and overseas voters, and the manufacturers of voting systems.

Date: 2013-01-15
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Fair Elections Now Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) with respect to:

 candidate benefits of fair elections financing of House of Representatives election campaigns; allocations to candidates from the Fair Elections Fund established by this Act; 500% matching payments to candidates for certain small dollar contributions; Fund allocation eligibility requirements; certification of a federal election candidate as a participating candidate; contribution, expenditure, and fundraising requirements; a public debate requirement; remission to the Fair Elections Fund of unspent funds after an election; establishment of the Fair Elections Fund and of a Fair Elections Oversight Board; civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; and transfer of a portion of collected civil money penalties into the Fair Elections Fund. Prohibits: (1) use of contributions by a participating candidate for any purposes other than an election campaign, and (2) establishment of joint fundraising committees with any political committee other than a candidate's authorized committee. Prescribes a limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates.

Amends FECA to empower the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action.

Requires all designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed: (1) directly with the FEC, and (2) in electronic form accessible by computers. Reduces from 48 hours to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet.

Date: 2013-01-15
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Voter Access Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit a state or local election official from requiring an individual to: (1) present a photo identification (or a copy if voting by mail) as a condition for receiving or casting a ballot in any election for federal office, or (2) cast a provisional ballot solely on the grounds that the individual does not present a photo identification at the polling place.

Prohibits a state or local election election official from requiring an individual to provide a photo identification (or a copy if registering by mail) as a condition of registering to vote in an election for federal office.

Date: 2013-01-15
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Redistricting Transparency Act of 2013 - Requires states to carry out congressional redistricting in accordance with a process under which members of the public are informed of redistricting proposals via the Internet and have the opportunity to participate in the development of such proposals prior to their adoption.

Requires each state redistricting entity to establish and maintain a public Internet site meeting specified requirements.

Requires the state redistricting entity to: (1) solicit the input of members of the public in its work to develop initial congressional redistricting plans for the state; and (2) post the proposed final plan on the Internet site at least 10 days before its adoption, as well as no later than 7 days after its adoption, together with a map, the reasons for adoption, dissenting opinions, and certain other information.

Date: 2013-01-22
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Congress
Stop the Revolving Door in Washington Act - Amends the federal criminal code regarding the two-year ban on lobbying contacts by former Senators with any Member, officer, or employee of either chamber, or employee of any other legislative office.

Imposes: (1) a five-year lobbying ban on all former Members of Congress; and (2) a two-year (currently, one-year) ban on lobbying contacts by former elected officers of either chamber, former congressional employees, or former employees of any other legislative office with any Member, officer, or employee.

Date: 2013-01-29
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
End the Congressional Revolving Door Act - Prohibits a former Member of Congress or former congressional employee who is a registered lobbyist, and entitled to compensation as such, from being eligible for any benefits beginning after enactment of this Act under:

 the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), including the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP); the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), including the TSP; the Federal Employees' Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, including federal enhanced dental and vision benefits; or the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program. States that nothing in this Act shall be considered to prevent the payment of any: (1) CSRS or FERS lump-sum credit to which an individual is entitled, or (2) nonforfeitable amount in an individual's TSP account.

Date: 2013-01-29
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to reduce from $2,000 to $1,000 the maximum amount of contributions that any person may make to any candidate with respect to election for federal office.

Requires adjustment to such amount (indexing) for inflation after 2016.

Date: 2013-02-04
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Leadership PAC Limitation Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit the conversion of leadership PAC funds to personal use.

Date: 2013-02-04
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Campaign Sunlight Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to direct the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to establish and operate a website (Campaign Accountability Site) through which members of the public may view the contents of political advertisements.

Requires the sponsor of a political advertisement to submit its contents to the FEC in a format the FEC may require. Requires the format to make the sources of such contents available on the website directly or through hyperlinks to the sources.

Requires the sponsor to submit an advertisement to the FEC within: (1) 24 hours after its dissemination, if it is disseminated during the 7 days before the election involved; or (2) 72 hours after dissemination during any other period.

Date: 2013-02-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
State and Local Law Enforcement Hatch Act Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Hatch Act to allow sheriffs to engage in political campaigns or endorse candidates by attending or speaking at political campaign rallies or events, holding or sponsoring political fundraisers, or appearing on political advertisements.

Establishes a limitation period of six months after the later of the date of the alleged violation or the date of enactment of this Act for presenting charges against a law enforcement officer for Hatch Act violations.

Date: 2013-02-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose on corporations a 500% excise tax on the total amount of their campaign contributions and electioneering communications on behalf of a candidate for federal office. Denies such corporations a tax deduction for payment of such taxes.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Taxation
Applies the antitrust laws to a political committee under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 which is established and administered by a separate segregated fund of a corporation. Prohibits any such political committee for multiple legal entities in the same business.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
End Political Kickbacks Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit: (1) for-profit recipients of federal funds from making contributions to any political party, committee, or candidate for public office, or to any person for any political purpose or use; and (2) any person knowingly to solicit such a contribution from any such entity, or for the entity to solicit such a contribution from its employees.

Limits to $1,000, indexed for inflation, the amount of contributions any employee of a for-profit recipient of federal funds may make during any calendar year.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require the application for registration of a security on a national securities exchange, as well as periodic reports by issuers of securities, to contain a statement certifying that the issuer is in compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 with respect to contributions and expenditures it made in the most recent quarter and year, as such Act applied to elections held in 2008.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
End the Hijacking of Shareholder Funds Act - Deems expenditure to influence public opinion by the officers and directors of a public company on matters not related to company products or services to be a breach of fiduciary duty if such expenditure has not been approved by a prior majority shareholder vote.

Subjects such officers and directors to joint and several liability to any shareholder or class of shareholders for the amount of such an expenditure.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
America is for Americans Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to apply the ban on contributions and expenditures by foreign nationals in connection with a federal, state, or local election to domestic corporations in which one or more foreign principals directly or indirectly have an ownership interest.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Pick Your Poison Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit a corporation from making any expenditure, or make any disbursement for an electioneering communication, if it employs or retains a registered lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Bailouts Are Not For Sale Act - Prohibits a corporation which has made any independent expenditure or disbursement for an electioneering communication in connection with a federal election campaign from: (1) having any notes discounted by any federal reserve bank, or (2) otherwise accessing or receiving the benefit of any financing provided by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any federal reserve bank (including any credit facility established by the Board or any federal reserve bank).

Directs the Board to require a corporation that has entered into such a transaction or financing agreement before enactment of this Act to unwind it and repay any amount outstanding within 90 days after enactment of this Act.

Date: 2013-03-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Restoring Confidence in Our Democracy Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to set forth special rules for electioneering communications, especially targeted communications, which national banks, corporations, and labor organizations are prohibited from paying for.

Defines "targeted communications" as electioneering communications distributed from a television or radio broadcast station or provider of cable or satellite television service and, in the case of a communication which refers to a candidate for an office other than President or Vice President, is targeted to the relevant electorate.

Prohibits independent expenditures by national banks, corporations, and labor organizations.

Applies certain limitations on contributions made by any person to a political committee to any contribution to a political committee which accepts donations or contributions that do not comply with contribution or source prohibitions (or made to any account of a political committee established to accept such noncompliant donations or contributions).

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Federal Election Integrity Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official to take active part in political management or in a political campaign with respect to any election for federal office over which the official has supervisory authority.

Waives application of this Act if the chief state election administration official himself or herself, or an immediate family member, is a candidate.

Date: 2013-04-18
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Weekend Voting Act - Amends the Revised Statutes with respect to the time of election to establish the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November, in every even numbered year, as the days for the election, in each state and territory, of Delegates to, or Members of, Congress.

Amends federal law with respect to presidential elections and vacancies to establish the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November, in every fourth year, as the days for the election of the President and Vice President of the United States.

Amends such federal laws to establish the same polling place hours in the United States for both congressional and presidential elections, namely from 10:00 a.m. EST on Saturday till 6:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, with polls allowed to close between the hours of 10:00 p.m. local time on Saturday and 6:00 a.m. local time on Sunday as provided by the law of the state in which the polling place is located.

Date: 2013-04-18
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Military Overseas Ballot Protection Act - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to prohibit a state from certifying the results of a regularly scheduled election for federal office until it has counted all valid ballots of absent servicemember voters collected by the presidential designee and delivered to the appropriate state election officials.

Allows a state to certify such results on the later of ten days after such election or the date provided under state law.

Date: 2013-04-18
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Restoring Confidence Through Smarter Campaigns Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to limit expenditures by candidates for the House of Representatives to $500,000 during the election cycle ($250,000 for a primary election and $250,000 for a general election). Sets at $250,000 the maximum amount of expenditures which may be made for a runoff election ($125,000 for a primary runoff election and $125,000 for a general runoff election). Excludes from such limits expenditures for legal services. Provides for indexing such amounts for inflation.

Date: 2013-04-23
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Shareholder Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that any solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any security of an issuer: (1) describe the specific nature (to the extent known) and total amount of expenditures proposed for political activities for the forthcoming fiscal year but not yet authorized by a vote of the issuer's shareholders, and (2) provide for a separate shareholder vote to authorize such proposed expenditures.

Prohibits an issuer from making an expenditure for political activities in any fiscal year unless: (1) such expenditure is of the nature of those proposed by the issuer according to the requirements of this Act, and (2) authorization for such expenditure has been granted by votes representing a majority of outstanding shares.

Deems a violation of this requirement to be a breach of the fiduciary duty of the officers and directors who authorized such expenditure. Subjects officers and directors who authorize the expenditure without prior shareholder authorization to joint and several liability to any shareholder or class of shareholders for the amount of such expenditure.

Requires certain institutional investment managers to disclose annually in mandatory reports how they voted (proxies) in certain shareholder votes.

Prohibits any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against an institutional investment manager, or any of its employees, officers, or directors, based solely upon the investment manager's decision to divest from, or not to invest in, securities of an issuer because of expenditures for political activities made by that issuer.

Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to direct the national securities exchanges and national securities associations to prohibit the listing of any equity security of an issuer whose corporate bylaws do not expressly provide for a vote of the issuer's directors on any individual expenditure for political activities in excess of $50,000. Requires an issuer to make public, within 48 hours, the individual votes of the directors regarding any such expenditure.

Directs the SEC to: (1) require issuers to disclose expenditures for political activities made during the preceding quarter and the individual votes by board members authorizing such expenditures, and (2) make such reports publicly available through the SEC website.

Requires the SEC to make annual assessments of the compliance by public corporations and their management with the reporting and disclosure requirements of this Act, and the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate periodically the effectiveness of SEC oversight of these requirements.

Date: 2013-04-25
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Election Assistance Commission Termination Act - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to terminate the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the EAC Standards Board, and the EAC Board of Advisors. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to perform EAC functions with respect to certain existing contracts and agreements during the transition period for winding up EAC affairs.

Transfers specified election administration functions of the EAC to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Terminates the Technical Guidelines Development Committee.

Date: 2013-05-15
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Prohibits the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from implementing or enforcing any requirement of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or title I of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 until the Secretary of the Treasury certifies under penalty of perjury that: (1) taxpayer information is not and will not be used for targeting any individual or group for political reasons or on the basis of political views; and (2) the IRS has terminated the employment of all employees found to have violated the constitutional rights of any taxpayer or who knew of abuses related to the targeting of a political group, declined to come forward, or willfully misled investigators.

Prohibits taxpayer information from being used for targeting any individual or group that provides information to the IRS for political reasons or on the basis of political views. Prohibits a federal agency from implementing or enforcing any requirement of PPACA or title 1 of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 until the head of such agency certifies under penalty of perjury that the agency has terminated the employment of any employee who is found to have violated the constitutional rights of any taxpayer. Requires such certification to be submitted to Congress.

Date: 2013-05-16
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Health
Helping Heroes Vote Act of 2013 - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (the Act) to direct the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to notify the appropriate election official of the state in which a servicemember is registered to vote of any change in the servicemember's current mailing address due to being deployed on active duty for more than 30 days away from his or her permanent duty station or being redeployed without first returning to such duty station.

Repeals a state's authority to waive ballot transmission requirements with respect to absentee military voters and overseas citizens who request such ballots within 45 days of a federal election. Requires the use of express delivery in the case of a failure to meet such requirement.

Requires each state to establish alternative procedures to accept and process absentee ballots of military voters and overseas citizens in the event of a major disaster in that state.

Prohibits a state from refusing to accept voter registration and absentee ballot applications from overseas voters (under current law, only from absent servicemember voters) on the grounds of early submission.

Authorizes additional funding to carry out the Act.

Date: 2013-05-23
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Corporate Politics Transparency Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that quarterly and annual reports of an issuer, any proxy solicitation or consent or authorization in respect of any security, and the issuer's registration statement disclose total political expenditures in support of or in opposition to any candidate for federal, state, or local public office made by the issuer during the preceding six-year period.

Requires such disclosures to include: (1) the name and political party affiliation of each candidate in support of whom or in opposition to whom a political expenditure was made; (2) the amount of each such expenditure; (3) the public office that such candidate was or is seeking; (4) the relevant state, city, or district; and (5) a statement of the issuer's interest in and reason for making such expenditure.

Date: 2013-05-24
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
State Ethics Law Protection Act of 2013 - Considers a state transportation department not to have violated federal contract requirements for the construction of a federal-aid highway project solely because the state in which the department is located, or a local government within that state, has in effect a law or order that limits the amount of money an individual or entity doing business with a state or local agency with respect to such a project may contribute to a political party, campaign, or elected official (pay to play).

Date: 2013-06-12
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Transportation and public works
501(c)(4) Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax exemption for civic leagues or organizations operated for the promotion of social welfare, to prohibit such entities from participating or intervening (including the publishing or distributing of statements) in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office.

Date: 2013-06-26
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Taxation
Revolving Door Pension Prevention Act - Prohibits any former Member of Congress who is registered as a lobbyist from receiving pension benefits under either the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) while such former Member is employed as a lobbyist and is receiving an annual income from lobbying activities in excess of $1 million.

Date: 2013-06-28
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Congress
Openness in Political Expenditures Now Act or OPEN Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require a corporation which submits regular, periodic reports to its shareholders and a labor organization which submits similar reports to its members to include in each such report specified information on disbursements it has made for certain political activity (including independent expenditures and electioneering communications) during the period covered by the report. Limits the amount of disbursements reported, however, to the amount that equals or exceeds the applicable threshold for the covered political activity.

Defines "applicable threshold" for a disbursement as: (1) $250 for an independent expenditure, (2) $10,000 for an electioneering communication or another kind of communication meeting specified criteria, and (3) the amount of the applicable limitation on contributions in effect for payment of dues or other amounts to a trade association or to a tax-exempt non-profit civic league meeting certain criteria (501[c][4] organization).

Requires a corporation or labor organization reporting such expenditures to: (1) file a statement about them with the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and (2) post on its website (if any) a hyperlink from its homepage to this statement on the EAC website.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to subject a 501(c)(4) organization to the income tax on corporations if: (1) its expenditures for the taxable year for covered political activity exceed the lesser of 10% of its total expenditures or $10 million, and (2) its governing instrument does not effectively prohibit its expenditures for a covered political activity from exceeding these thresholds.

Date: 2013-07-11
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Strict Standards and Accountability Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) acknowledge in writing the receipt of an application submitted by a non-profit social welfare organization for recognition of its tax-exempt status within 28 days; (2) inform such organization of the status of its application if the Secretary has not approved or denied such application within six months after acknowledgment of receipt, enumerate the reasons for such delay, provide an estimate of when a final decision may be made, and consider such application under fast track procedures; (3) inform such organization in writing as to the status of its application if it is not approved or denied within 365 days after acknowledgment of receipt and enumerate reasons specific to the application for its delay; and (4) report to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee on extenuating circumstances that prevent a timely determination of pending applications and on the number of applications pending for over 365 days.

Date: 2013-08-01
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Taxation
Let the People Draw the Lines Act of 2013 - Prohibits a state that has been redistricted after an apportionment from being redistricted again until after the next apportionment of Representatives, unless the state is ordered by a court to conduct such a subsequent redistricting in order to comply with the Constitution or enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Requires any congressional redistricting to be conducted according to: (1) a plan developed by the independent redistricting commission established in the state; or (2) if such plan is not enacted into law, the redistricting plan selected by the state's highest court or developed by a U.S. district court.

Requires each state to establish an independent redistricting commission to develop a redistricting plan for the state in accordance with specified criteria, including requirements that districts: (1) have equal population per representative as nearly as practicable; (2) comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965; (3) are geographically contiguous; (4) have boundaries that minimize the division of any municipality, county, neighborhood, or community of interest; and (5) are geographically compact and use visible geographic features. Prohibits consideration, in developing a redistricting plan, of the political party affiliation of the population of a district or the residence of any Member of the House of Representatives or candidate. Sets forth requirements for public notice and hearings on redistricting plans and a process for enactment of a final redistricting plan.

Sets forth alternative procedures for the the development of a redistricting plan by a state's highest court or a federal district court if a plan developed by a state independent redistricting commission is not enacted into law by a specified date.

Provides for: (1) Election Assistance Commission payments to states for carry out redistricting, and (2) civil enforcement to carry out this Act by the Attorney General or an individual state elector who is aggrieved by a violation of this Act.

Date: 2013-08-02
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Congress
Healthcare Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to prohibit the expenditure of federal funds to pay any portion of the premium for a health plan purchased by a Member of Congress pursuant to the Act.

Date: 2013-09-18
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Health
Clean Campaign Contributions Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 with respect to the use of campaign contributions to: (1) apply the prohibition against the conversion to personal use of contributions accepted by candidates also to contributions accepted by political committees; and (2) allow the use of contributions accepted by political committees for authorized expenditures in connection with political activities.

Date: 2013-10-28
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
No Political Funds for Personal Use Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 with respect to the use of campaign contributions to apply the prohibition against the conversion to personal use of contributions accepted by candidates also to contributions accepted by political committees.

Date: 2013-11-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
No Taxpayer Money for Corporate Campaigns Act of 2013 - Prohibits: (1) the use of federal funds received by any entity, other than a natural person, to advocate the election or defeat of a political candidate or to engage in any lobbying activity; (2) use such funds for voter registration or get-out-the-vote activities; or (3) donate such funds to any entity that advocates for the election or defeat of a political candidate or engages in lobbying activities. Exempts from this ban the use of funds by an entity for an activity specifically authorized by federal law, rule, or regulation.

Date: 2013-11-13
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to extend through December 31, 2018, the authority of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to impose civil money penalties on the basis of a schedule of penalties it has established and published.

Applies such penalties to violations of qualified campaign contribution and expenditure disclosure requirements.

Date: 2013-11-14
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Exempt Organization Simplification and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require an organization that intends to operate as a tax-exempt social welfare organization to notify the Secretary of the Treasury of such intent with information as to its identity and purpose, (2) allow such an organization to seek a declaratory judgment concerning its status and classification as a tax-exempt organization, and (3) authorize the Secretary to disclose information for investigations of violations of internal revenue laws relating to unauthorized disclosure or inspection of tax information and unlawful acts of revenue officers or agents.

Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study and report on the process used for determining how Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement cases are selected and processed.

Prohibits any IRS officer or employee from using a personal email account to conduct official business.

Date: 2013-11-18
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Taxation
Safeguarding Elections for our Nation's Troops through Reforms and Improvements Act or the SENTRI Act - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for federal office held in November 2014 and thereafter, to:

 require the chief election official of a state to report, not later than 43 days before any federal election held in the state, on the number of absentee ballots validly requested by absent uniformed services and overseas voters whose requests were received by the 46th day before the election, and whether such ballots were timely transmitted; eliminate the hardship waiver allowed for states from the requirement to provide absent members of the uniformed services and overseas voters abstentee ballots 45 days prior to an election; require express delivery of an absentee ballot that is not timely transmitted; allow an absentee voter to use a single abstentee ballot application for subsequent elections; make such Act applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; modify reporting requirements to require a biennial report on the effectiveness of the federal voting assistance program; and require the Comptroller General (GAO) to review and report on such biennial reports for elections occurring in calendar years 2014 through 2020. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Secretary of each military department, to: (1) affirmatively offer, on an annual basis, each member of the Armed Forces on active duty (other than active duty for training) the opportunity, through an online system, to register to vote in a federal election, update voter registration information, or request an absentee ballot; (2) implement an online system for such purpose; and (3) implement a system to track a change of address or duty status of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty to provide an automatic notice to such member of voter registration requirements.

Repeals the demonstration project allowing absent members of the uniformed services to vote in the regularly scheduled general election for federal office for November 2002 through an electronic voting system.

Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permit dependents of an absent member of the Armed Forces to retain residency status in their state for voting purposes.

Date: 2013-11-21
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Citizen Involvement in Campaigns Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a $200 tax credit ($400 for joint returns) for contributions to a candidate for federal elective public office or to the national committee of a national political party; or (2) a tax deduction (available to taxpayers who do not itemize deductions) for such political contributions up to $600 ($1,200 for joint returns).

Date: 2013-11-21
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Taxation
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on February 18, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act of 2014 - Requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) standards and definitions in effect on January 1, 2010, for determining whether an organization qualifies for tax-exempt status as an organization operated exclusively for social welfare to apply to such determinations after enactment of this Act. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury, or any delegate of the Secretary, from issuing, revising, or finalizing any regulation (including proposed regulations), revenue ruling, or other guidance not limited to a particular taxpayer relating to such standards and definitions. Makes this Act applicable to organizations claiming tax-exempt status as a social welfare organization that were created on, before, or after the enactment of this Act. Terminates this Act one year after its enactment.

Date: 2014-01-14
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Taxation
Fixing America's Inconsistent Redistricting (FAIR) Act - Requires any congressional redistricting conducted by a state to be conducted in accordance with a redistricting plan developed by a nonpartisan agency of the legislative branch of the state government and enacted into law by the state.

Requires each state, by December 31 of the year preceding a redistricting year, to establish a nonpartisan agency in the state government's legislative branch to develop the state's redistricting plan according to specified criteria. Requires the state to appoint a Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission by February 15 of each redistricting year to: (1) guide the agency in development of the plan, (2) analyze and review the plan, and (3) recommend to the state legislature whether it should be adopted or rejected. Requires the state legislature to approve or reject the plan within three days after receiving the Commission's report.

Prescribes requirements for development and submission of revised plans when preceding plans are rejected.

Date: 2014-01-16
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Congress
Amends the federal criminal code to replace the current two-year ban on lobbying contacts by former Senators and one-year ban on lobbying contacts by former Members of the House of Representatives with any Member, officer, or employee of either chamber with an outright ban at any time on such contacts, subject to fines and/or imprisonment.

Specifies a one-year ban on lobbying contacts by former elected officers of the House with any House Member, officer, or employee.

Date: 2014-02-06
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to revise the requirement of a 48-hour notification of a campaign contribution of $1,000 or more to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and certain other officials by the principal campaign committee of a candidate for federal office.

Applies this requirement, with certain additions, but for reporting exclusively to the FEC, to any political committee regarding cumulative contributions of $1,000 or more from any contributor during a calendar year.

(Currently, a candidate's principal campaign committee is required to give a written 48-hour notification to the Secretary of the Senate or the FEC, and the Secretary of State, as appropriate, after the receipt of any contribution of $1,000 or more by any authorized committee of such candidate after the 20th day, but more than 48 hours before, any election.)

Treats any amount transferred by a joint fundraising committee established by a candidate's authorized committee to any other authorized committee of that candidate as a contribution by the joint fundraising committee to such authorized committee (and thus subject to the 48-hour notification requirement). Requires Senate candidates to file designations, statements, and reports directly with the FEC (instead of via the Secretary of the Senate, as currently required).

Date: 2014-04-03
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Real Time Transparency Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to revise the requirement of a 48-hour notification of a campaign contribution of $1,000 or more to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and certain other officials by the principal campaign committee of a candidate for federal office.

Applies this requirement, with certain additions, but for reporting exclusively to the FEC, to any political committee regarding cumulative contributions of $1,000 or more from any contributor during a calendar year.

(Currently, a candidate's principal campaign committee is required to give a written 48-hour notification to the Secretary of the Senate or the FEC, and the Secretary of State, as appropriate, after the receipt of any contribution of $1,000 or more by any authorized committee of such candidate after the 20th day, but more than 48 hours before, any election.)

Treats any amount transferred by a joint fundraising committee established by a candidate's authorized committee to any other authorized committee of that candidate as a contribution by the joint fundraising committee to such authorized committee (and thus subject to the 48-hour notification requirement).

Requires Senate candidates to file designations, statements, and reports directly with the FEC (instead of via the Secretary of the Senate, as currently required).

Date: 2014-04-09
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Stand By Every Ad Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the identification of funding and authorizing sources in communications expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate (as under current law) or which consist of the functional equivalent of express advocacy.

Prescribes special rules for express advocacy radio and television communications which are not authorized by a candidate, an authorized political committee of a candidate, or its agents. Requires individual disclosure statements about the head of the entity paying for the communication and about any other person that disbursed funds to the entity to finance the communication.

Requires disclosure of such identifying information within paid audio and video communications made through the Internet or e-mail.

Applies such disclosure requirements to prerecorded telephone calls.

Date: 2014-04-30
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Native Contract and Rate Expenditure Act of 2014 or the Native CARE Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to remove the restriction to hospitals furnishing inpatient Medicare services and allow all service providers to participate under: (1) the Purchased/Referred Care program (formerly called the contract health services program) funded and operated by the Indian Health Service (IHS), and (2) any program funded by IHS and operated by an urban Indian organization.

Prohibits Medicare payment for an item or service furnished by a supplier unless the supplier agrees to participate under both such programs.

Prohibits any reduction, offset, or limitation to any appropriations made to IHS under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the Snyder Act, or any other provision of law as a result of this Act.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of IHS, to study the impact of this Act on access to care under the IHS Purchased/Referred Care program.

Date: 2014-06-11
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Health
Making Every Representative's Integrity Transparent Act of 2014 or the MERIT Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit a candidate's authorized committee from employing any of the candidate's relatives in a paid position.

Prohibits a leadership political action committee (PAC) from employing in a paid position any relative of the candidate or any individual holding federal office who establishes, finances, maintains, or controls the leadership PAC.

Limits the interest rate an authorized committee may pay on a loan accepted from the candidate to an annual rate no higher than the prime rate plus 2%.

Revises political committee disclosure requirements about:

 loans made by candidates, expenditures to relatives of candidates for operating expenses, and disbursements received by a candidate's relative or a business organization one of whose officers or dicrectors is a relative of the candidate. Applies the prohibition against the conversion to personal use of contributions accepted by candidates also to contributions accepted by political committees.

Allows the use of contributions accepted by political committees for authorized expenditures in connection with political activities.

Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to: (1) require lobbying registrations to contain, for each employee of the registrant who has acted or who the registrant expects to act as a lobbyist on behalf of the client, the name of each relative of the employee who serves currently or who has served previously as a covered executive or legislative branch official, including the Congressional Bioguide Identifier of any covered official who is or was a Member of Congress; (2) require updates to registrations for employees who become relatives of covered officials, and (3) include lobbying contacts with relatives who are covered officials in quarterly reports on lobbying activities.

Date: 2014-06-26
Topic: Government Operations (Political Campaigns)
Subject: Government operations and politics