zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Financial Consumers Association Act of 2012 - Authorizes the establishment of, and sets forth operational requirements for, a nonprofit corporation to be known as the Financial Consumers Association whose mission shall be to advance the rights and remedies available to consumers with respect to financial services, by developing initiatives to reduce the use of dangerous features in financial products and services, and to improve the flow of accurate information to consumers. Includes among the Association's duties to: (1) represent and promote the interests of financial services consumers and negotiate on their behalf, (2) take affirmative measures to encourage membership by low- and moderate-income and minority consumers and disseminate information and advice, (3) monitor the availability and quality of financial services to low- and moderate-income constituencies and the elderly, and (4) develop data to assist financial services consumers in making informed decisions in the marketplace. Gives the Association the right to include inserts in financial services mailings, in paper or by electronic means, that inform customers about the Association and its representation of financial services consumers and solicit information and contributions or membership fees. Requires annual reports to the President and Congress on the Association's activities of the preceding year.

Date: 2012-12-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Consumer Bounty Act - Directs courts to require defendants to pay a minimum of $10,000 to prevailing plaintiffs in civil actions brought under specified citizen suit provisions of: (1) the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); (2) the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977; (3) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act); (4) the Safe Drinking Water Act; (5) the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972; (6) the Noise Control Act of 1972; (7) the Energy Policy and Conservation Act; (8) the Solid Waste Disposal Act; (9) the Clean Air Act; (10) the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA); (11) the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978; (12) the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986; (13) the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act; and (14) pipeline safety laws. Makes multiple defendants in such actions jointly and severally liable.

Date: 2012-12-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Law
Fair Debt Collection Practices Technical Correction Act of 2012 - Amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to exclude from the definition of "debt collector" any law firm or licensed attorney: (1) serving, filing, or conveying formal legal pleadings, discovery requests, or other documents pursuant to the applicable rules of civil procedure; or (2) communicating in, or at the direction of, a court of law or in depositions or settlement conferences, in connection with a pending legal action to collect a debt on behalf of a client.

Date: 2012-12-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act - Makes any institution of higher education (IHE) postsecondary program designed to prepare students for a recognized occupation or profession requiring licensing or other entry pre-conditions ineligible to participate in a federal financial assistance program, unless it meets specified student consumer protection requirements. Requires each program to: (1) fully prepare students to satisfy those entry pre-conditions in the state in which the program is operated and in any state the program claims a successful program graduate will be prepared to work in the particular occupation or profession involved; (2) provide timely placement of students in required pre-licensure positions, such as internships or apprenticeships; and (3) meet specialized state accreditation requirements, or notify students if the program has not yet been fully accredited. Requires an IHE to notify out-of-state applicants as to whether or not its program satisfies the requirements of the applicant's state.

Date: 2012-12-30
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Education
Commercial Seafood Consumer Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to strengthen federal activities for ensuring that commercially distributed seafood meets federal food quality and safety requirements. Directs the Secretary and other appropriate federal agencies to enter into agreements to strengthen interagency cooperation on seafood safety, labeling, and fraud, including regarding examining and testing seafood imports, inspections of foreign facilities, establishing a distribution chain tracking system, data sharing, and public outreach. Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to report deceptive seafood marketing and fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Directs the Secretary to increase the number of laboratories certified to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards in the United States and in countries that export seafood to the United States to analyze food and ensure that the laboratories comply with applicable federal laws. Authorizes the Secretary to increase the number and capacity of laboratories operated by NOAA involved in testing and other activities under this Act as necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act and as provided for in appropriations Acts. Sets forth provision authorizing: (1) the refusal of admission of imported seafood or seafood products originating from a country or exporter if such seafood does not meet federal requirements, and (2) increased inspection of shipments of seafood from countries that do not meet federal requirements and that lack adequate certified laboratories. Authorizes the Secretary to send inspectors to an originating country or exporter to assess seafood practices and processes and to provide technical assistance related to U.S. requirements. Requires the development and publication of an annual list of standardized names to identify seafood at the distribution, marketing, and consumer retail stages.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Common Sense in Consumer Product Safety Act of 2011 - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to: (1) provide that neither any sale after the first retail sale of a children's product that exceeds the lead limit nor the repair of such a product shall be considered an introduction into interstate commerce of a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act; and (2) exclude as a children's product to which such lead limit applies any vehicle designed or intended primarily for children six years of age or older.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Health Insurance Rate Review Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to declare that federal provisions requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review unreasonable premium increases in health care coverage shall not be construed to prohibit a state from imposing additional rate requirements on health insurance issuers that are more protective of consumers. Expands such review to include all rate increases, not only premium increases. Directs the Secretary or the relevant state insurance commissioner (or state regulator) to take corrective actions to ensure that any excessive, unjustified, or unfairly discriminatory rates are corrected prior to, or as soon as possible after, implementation, including through mechanisms such as denying rates, modifying rates, or requiring rebates to consumers. Requires the Secretary to determine whether the state insurance commissioner or regulator or the Secretary will undertake such corrective actions based on whether the state can adequately undertake such actions. Applies these provisions to grandfathered health plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health
Confidence in Long-Term Care Insurance Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to request the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to: (1) conduct reviews every five years of the national and state-specific markets for long-term care (LTC) insurance policies; (2) issue a white paper on disclosure requirements for LTC insurance policies, standardized definitions for LTC services, and issues related to the development of a proposed form for marketing LTC insurance policies; (3) establish a Working Group to develop a model disclosure form for marketing LTC insurance policies; and (4) incorporate such form into the Model Act and regulation. Sets forth requirements related to the use of the proposed model disclosure form for marketing LTC insurance policies, including requiring states to require issuers to use such forms. Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to reauthorize through FY2015 the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information. Requires the Clearinghouse to establish an Internet directory of information regarding LTC insurance ("to be known as LTC Insurance Compare). Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require a state Medicaid plan to provide for the annual submission of data relating to functional criteria for the receipt of nursing facility services under the plan. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to apply Medicaid partnership required model provisions to all tax-qualified LTC insurance contracts. Outlines a process for secretarial review of model provisions adopted by NAIC with respect to their application to tax-qualified LTC policies and Medicaid partnership policies to determine if updating such provisions would improve consumer protections for insured individuals. Applies 2006 NAIC model regulations to Medicaid partnerships. (Currently, 2000 NAIC model regulations apply). Sets forth additional requirements applicable to such policies.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health
Charging America Forward Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2014 the tax credit for purchasing a new qualified hybrid motor vehicle, increase the the amount of such credit for certain hybrid and heavy vehicles, and provide for the transferability of such credit; (2) increase and extend through 2014 the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property; (3) increase the limitation on the number of new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles manufactured in a taxable year that are eligible for a tax credit; (4) make refundable and provide for the transferability of the tax credit for new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles; (5) allow accelerated depreciation of smart meters and smart grid systems; (6) allow a 50% tax credit for investment in qualified used energy storage property (30% for energy storage property used for onsite storage); and (7) allow a nonbusiness energy tax credit for qualified used energy storage property. Defines "qualified used energy storage property" as property comprised of pre-owned advanced large format automotive propulsion battery cells previously used in a qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle which are reconditioned into: (1) property that is designed to receive and store electrical energy, convert it to electricity, and to deliver such electricity for support to the transmission or distribution grid or for sale to unrelated parties and that has the ability to store 50 kilowatt hours of energy or to attain a peak power output of 20 kilowatts; or (2) property that is primarily designed and used to receive and store intermittent renewable energy generated on-site and to deliver such energy for primarily on-site consumption, or which provides supplemental energy to reduce peak energy requirements on-site, and that has the ability to store the energy equivalent of 20 kilowatt hours of energy and to maintain an output of the energy equivalent of 20 kilowatt hours of electricity for not less than 2 hours. Directs the Secretary of Energy to make grants for the manufacturing of advanced batteries and components and provide facility funding awards to manufacturers of advanced battery systems and vehicle batteries that are produced in the United States.

Date: 2011-02-07
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation
Consumer Recall Protection Act of 2011 - Prohibits a person from selling to consumers any covered product that is subject to a recall. Exempts from such prohibition the sale of a covered product that was subject to a recall because of a defect in such product if: (1) such defect was remedied prior to such sale; and (2) the seller of such product notifies such consumer of such recall, defect, and remedy. Defines a "covered product" to include a motor vehicle or replacement equipment, food, drugs, devices, cosmetics, a biological product, a consumer product, a meat or meat food product, a poultry or poultry product, and an egg or egg product. Defines "recall" for each type of covered product. Treats a violation of such prohibition as a violation of a rule defining an unfair or deceptive act or practice described under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish, maintain, and make available to the public a searchable list of covered products that are subject to a recall.

Date: 2011-02-14
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Senior Financial Empowerment Act of 2011 - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): (1) to disseminate to seniors and their families and caregivers information on mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud targeting seniors, including on ways of referring complaints to appropriate law enforcement agencies; (2) in response to a request about a particular entity or individual, to provide publicly available information on any record of civil or criminal law enforcement action for such fraud; and (3) to maintain a website as a resource for such individuals on those kinds of fraud. Directs the Attorney General (DOJ) to establish and administer a competitive grant program for mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud prevention education programs for senior citizens. Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to public awareness of the impact of such fraud on senior citizens and designation of a National Senior Fraud Awareness Week.

Date: 2011-03-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Button Cell Battery Safety Act of 2011 - Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to promulgate: (1) a standard requiring button cell battery compartments of battery-operated or assisted consumer products to be secured in a manner that reduces access to such batteries by children that are three years of age or younger; and (2) standards requiring warning labels to be included in any literature that accompanies such a product, on packaging for such batteries sold to consumers, and directly on such a product in a manner that is visible to the consumer upon installation or replacement of the battery. Requires such labels to clearly identify the hazard of ingestion and to instruct consumers to keep new and used batteries out of the reach of children and to seek immediate medical attention if a battery is ingested. Exempts such regulations from procedures for consumer product safety rules. Makes such regulations effective one year after the standard is promulgated.

Date: 2011-06-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Data Security Act of 2011 - Prescribes security procedures which an entity that maintains or communicates sensitive account or personal information must implement and enforce in order to protect the information from an unauthorized use likely to result in substantial harm or inconvenience to the consumer. Grants exclusive enforcement powers to specified federal regulatory agencies with oversight of financial institutions. Denies a private right of action, including a class action, regarding any act or practice regulated under this Act. Prohibits any civil or criminal action in state court or under state law relating to any act or practice governed under this Act. Prescribes data security standards to be implemented by federal agencies. Preempts state law with respect to the responsibilities of any person to protect against and investigate such data security breaches and mitigate any losses or harm resulting from them.

Date: 2011-07-28
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2011 - Makes it unlawful for a rental company, unless the defect or noncompliance has already been remedied, to rent, lease, or sell a covered vehicle on or after the earlier of: (1) the receipt by the company of a Secretary of Transportation (DOT) ordered notification from the manufacturer that the vehicle or equipment is defective or is noncompliant with federal motor vehicle safety standards; or (2) when the vehicle or equipment manufacturer gives notice to owners, purchasers, and dealers that the vehicle or equipment contains a defect or is noncompliant. Requires a rental company that receives a notification of a vehicle or equipment defect or noncompliance during the vehicle rental or lease period to: (1) contact the renter or lessee and any authorized driver of the covered vehicle about the defect or noncompliance; and (2) offer to provide them, at no additional cost, with a comparable alternative vehicle until the defect or noncompliance has been remedied. Treats violations of the requirements of this Act as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Subjects persons who violate such requirements to certain penalties. Requires the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to report to Congress on: (1) sales of motor vehicles to rental companies without standard safety features, and (2) sales by rental companies of covered vehicles known to include safety defects before they are recalled.

Date: 2011-07-28
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Consumer Product Safety Flexibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to apply the limit on lead content in children's products only to products manufactured after the effective date of the limit. Exempts off-highway vehicles from the limit on lead content in children's products. Exempts bicycles from such lead limit and applies an alternate limit for the metal component part of the products. Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a final rule on safety standards pertaining to all-terrain vehicles within one year of enactment of this Act.

Date: 2011-07-28
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Identify [sic] Theft and Tax Fraud Prevention Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a fine and/or prison term on any person who knowingly or willfully misappropriates another person's tax identification number in connection with any list, return, account, statement, or other document submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); (2) increase the civil and criminal penalties for improper disclosure or use of taxpayer information by tax return preparers; (3) require the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to submit to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Ways and Means an annual report on the number of reported cases of tax fraud and suspected tax fraud and the actions taken in response to such reports; and (4) require the head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to submit to Congress a detailed plan on how it will use tax information provided by the IRS to reduce prison tax fraud. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) implement an identity theft tax fraud prevention program; and (2) review whether current federal tax law prevents the effective enforcement of local, state, and federal identity theft statutes. Authorizes the Commissioner to transfer appropriated funds to be used solely to prevent and resolve potential tax fraud cases. Directs the Commissioner to establish in the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS the position of Local Law Enforcement Liaison to coordinate the investigation of tax fraud with state and local law enforcement agencies and communicate the status of tax fraud cases involving identity theft. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report on the role of prepaid debit cards and commercial tax preparation software in facilitating fraudulent tax returns through identity theft. Prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from disclosing information contained on the Death Master File relating to a deceased individual to persons who are not certified to access such information.

Date: 2011-09-08
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation
Visa Improvements to Stimulate International Tourism to the United States of America Act or the VISIT USA Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide qualifying nationals of China (PRC) with a five-year multiple entry/exit visitor visa. Requires such persons to be screened through the automated electronic travel authorization system. Transfers authority to establish and collect the premium fee for employment-based petitions and applications from the Attorney General (DOJ) to the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) offer for a fee premium visitor visa processing; (2) develop, subject to security concerns, a pilot program for processing visitor visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology to conduct visa interviews; and (3) decrease nonimmigrant visa application and issuance fees in selected countries when there is a low demand from such countries for visitor visas. Establishes a W (nonimmigrant)-visa for: (1) a Canadian citizen who is older than 50 years of age and owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of his or her stay; and (2) such alien's accompanying spouse and children. Makes such visa renewable every three years with a maximum stay of 240 consecutive days in each authorized period. Revises the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions. Establishes an X (nonimmigrant)-visa for: (1) an alien who invests (and maintains) at least $500,000 in U.S. residential real estate, of which at least $250,000 must be for a U.S. primary residence where such person will reside for more than 180 days per year; and (2) such alien's accompanying spouse and children. Makes such visa renewable every three years. Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to include in the Global Entry Trusted Traveler Network individuals who meet security requirements and are employed and sponsored by an international organization which maintains a strong working relationship with the United States.

Date: 2011-10-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Immigration
Children's Sleepwear Labeling Act of 2011 - Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to require flame resistant children's sleepwear to include a label that indicates: (1) that it is flame resistant, and (2) the chemical name of the flame retardant used.

Date: 2011-12-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Amends the Truth in Lending Act with respect to the requirement that a creditor, in connection with the consummation of a consumer credit transaction secured by a first lien on the consumer's principal dwelling (other than under an open end credit plan or a reverse mortgage) establish an escrow or impound account for the payment of taxes, hazard insurance, and specified other insurance premiums, if any. Directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to exempt from this escrow or impound account requirement any loan secured by a first lien on a consumer's principal dwelling if the loan is held by a smaller insured depository institution having assets of $10 billion or less.

Date: 2012-03-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act - Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to publish the American National Standard for Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms and the American National Standard for Gas and Vapor Detectors and Sensors as mandatory consumer product safety standards. Authorizes the CPSC to initiate a rulemaking to amend either standard to include any provision reasonably necessary to ensure the safe and effective operation of carbon monoxide alarms. Requires the CPSC to establish a grant program to provide assistance to states and local governments that require approved carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in dwelling units to carry out specified carbon monoxide poisoning prevention activities.

Date: 2012-06-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
End Debt Collector Abuse Act of 2012 - Amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to require a debt collector, in the absence of such information in an initial communication or payment of the debt, to include in a written notice to the consumer specified information regarding: (1) the last payment to the creditor on the debt; (2) the name and address of the last person to extend credit with respect to the debt; (3) an itemization of the principal, fees, and interest composing the debt; (4) a description of consumer rights to cause debt collector communication to cease and collection efforts to stop; and (5) the name and contact information of the person responsible for handling complaints on the debt collector's behalf. Prohibits communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt in a hospital emergency department, labor and delivery department, or any department where critical care medical services are provided, such as the intensive care unit. Permits a health care provider, however, to: (1) provide a consumer with information about a debt upon the consumer's direct request, and (2) discuss a debt at the time the consumer is discharged. Makes it an unfair medical debt collection practices to: (1) withhold emergency medical services or threaten to withhold them, (2) delay such services, or (3) give the impression that such services will be withheld until a debt is paid. Applies to the collection of a medical debt the prohibition of certain practices, including harassment or abuse, false or misleading representations, and enumerated unfair practices, as well as certain requirements for legal actions by debt collectors. Requires any person attempting to collect a medical debt to inform the consumer how to apply for: (1) charity care coverage, (2) financial assistance, (3) discounts based on income eligibility, or (4) public or private insurance coverage that may assist in the payment of all or part of the debt. Revises procedures governing disputed debts to require a debt collector, upon notification that a debt is disputed by the consumer, to undertake a thorough investigation of the substance of the dispute and timely provide specific responsive information and verification of the disputed debt. Requires the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to provide inflation adjustments to damages awarded in cases of noncompliance with fair debt collection practices under the Act. Allows a court, in a civil action alleging violations of fair debt collection practices, to award appropriate relief, including injunctive relief. Deems as an unfair practice a request by a debt collector to a court or law enforcement agency for the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of a debtor or any other similar request that a debt collector knows or should know would lead to the issuance of an arrest warrant, in relation to collection of a debt.

Date: 2012-06-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2012 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit a creditor from extending credit to a consumer under an open end consumer credit plan (credit card) for which the fee and interest rate exceeds 36%. Sets forth criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Empowers state Attorneys General to enforce this Act. Revises requirements for a periodic statement for each billing cycle with respect to where the total finance charge exceeds 50 cents for a monthly or longer billing cycle, or the pro rata part of 50 cents for a billing cycle shorter than monthly. Requires inclusion of the fee and interest rate, displayed as "FAIR," instead of the total finance charge expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR).

Date: 2012-07-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act - Makes any institution of higher education (IHE) postsecondary program designed to prepare students for a recognized occupation or profession requiring licensing or other entry pre-conditions ineligible to participate in a federal financial assistance program, unless it meets specified student consumer protection requirements. Requires each program to: (1) fully prepare students to satisfy those entry pre-conditions in the state in which the program is operated and in any state the program claims a successful program graduate will be prepared to work in the particular occupation or profession involved; (2) provide timely placement of students in required pre-licensure positions, such as internships or apprenticeships; and (3) meet specialized state accreditation requirements, or notify students if the program has not yet been fully accredited. Requires an IHE to notify out-of-state applicants as to whether or not its program satisfies the requirements of the applicant's state.

Date: 2012-08-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Education
Telemarketing Fraud Modernization Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to modify telemarketing fraud prohibitions by including: (1) measures to induce investment for financial profit, participation in a business opportunity, or commitment to a loan; and (2) marketing by use of emails, text messages, or electronic instant messages. Imposes enhanced criminal penalties for health care fraud offenses in connection with the conduct of telemarketing.

Date: 2012-09-19
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Gift Card Consumer Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to repeal the exclusion from, and so include within, the definitions of "general-use prepaid card," "gift certificate," and "store gift card" a loyalty, award, or promotional gift card (thus extending to the latter the same consumer protections). Repeals exceptions to the prohibitions against: (1) imposition of a dormancy fee, an inactivity fee, or a service fee in connection with a gift certificate, store gift card, or general-use prepaid card; and (2) the sale of gift cards with expiration dates. (Thereby renders such fees and expiration dates unlawful without exception.) Makes it unlawful for a person that has filed for federal bankruptcy protection to either sell, resell, issue, or reissue a gift certificate or store gift card. Amends federal bankruptcy law to declare that the filing of a petition in bankruptcy shall not operate as a stay against the presentation or redemption of a gift certificate or store gift card at full value. Requires the trustee in bankruptcy, if the debtor's business is authorized to be operated, unless the court orders otherwise, to: (1) honor at full value a gift certificate or store gift card issued by the debtor, and (2) treat the gift certificate or gift card the same as cash.

Date: 2012-11-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Cliff Alleviation at Last Minute Act or the CALM Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide for a phased increase in income and capital gain tax rates beginning in 2013 through 2015, and (2) establish a permanent maximum estate tax rate of 45% and a unified estate and gift tax credit of $3.5 million. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to authorize the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine which defense and nondefense accounts will be reduced in FY2013-FY2021 to meet deficit reduction requirements and to report to Congress on its recommendations. Sets forth a congressional disapproval procedure for overriding OMB's recommendations. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement reforms under Medicare that result in reduced expenditures equal to $40 billion in each of FY2014-FY2023. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should address comprehensive tax reform in the 113th Congress.

Date: 2012-12-30
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation
Protect and Save Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to disclose tax return information to federal and state law enforcement agencies to assist in the investigation of the misuse of the identity of another person for purposes of filing a false or fraudulent tax return, (2) direct the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to establish within the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the position of Local Law Enforcement Liaison to coordinate the investigation of tax fraud with state and local law enforcement agencies, and (3) make permanent the authority of the Secretary to disclose tax return information to federal and state prison officials to prevent the filing of false or fraudulent tax returns by prison inmates.

Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) implement an identity theft tax fraud prevention program; and (2) review whether current tax laws and regulations related to the confidentiality and disclosure of tax return information prevent the effective enforcement of federal, state, and local identity theft statutes.

Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study and report on: (1) the role of prepaid debit cards and commercial tax preparation software in facilitating fraudulent tax returns through identity theft, and (2) the role e-filing and electronic tax returns play in either facilitating or preventing fraudulent tax returns through identity theft.

Prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from disclosing information contained on the Death Master File relating to a deceased individual to persons who are not certified to access such information.

Requires the head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to submit a detailed plan to Congress on how information obtained from the IRS will be used to reduce prison tax fraud.

Date: 2013-01-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation
Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of  any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components.

Date: 2013-01-18
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Environmental protection
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to subject the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to regular appropriations.

Repeals the requirement of an annual transfer to the CFPB of funds from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Subjects the CFPB to the regular authorization, budget, and appropriations process of the Department of the Treasury.

Repeals establishment of the CFPB Fund.

Replaces the authorization of appropriations for FY2010-FY2014 with an authorization for FY2013 only.

Date: 2013-02-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Inter-Affiliate Swap Clarification Act - Amends the Commodity Exchange Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to exempt from certain regulatory requirements any swaps and security-based swaps entered into by parties neither of which is a swap dealer or a major swap participant: (1) that is also an insured depository institution, (2) that reports information or prepares financial statements on a consolidated basis, or (3) for which a company affiliated with both parties reports information or prepares financial statements on a consolidated basis.

Requires that such exempted agreements, contracts, or transactions be reported to an appropriate data repository, or, if there is no such repository that would accept them, to: (1) the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the case of exempted swaps, or (2) the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the case of exempted security-based swaps.

Date: 2013-02-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Eliminate Privacy Notice Confusion Act - Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt from its annual privacy policy notice requirement any financial institution which: (1) provides nonpublic personal information only in accordance with specified requirements, and (2) has not changed its policies and practices with regard to disclosing nonpublic personal information from those disclosed in the most recent disclosure sent to consumers.

Date: 2013-02-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Social Security Identity Defense Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the Secretary of the Treasury to make certain disclosures to the holder of a social security account number and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) if the Secretary determines that there is a substantial likelihood that there has been a fraudulent use of such account number in the employment context. Authorizes the FBI Director to disclose information received from the Secretary to federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, but restricts the use of such information to carrying out criminal investigations or prosecutions.

Requires employers who have been notified of suspected misuse of an employee's social security account number to cease including such account number on statements provided to such employee.

Date: 2013-02-28
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act with respect to the prohibition against certain federal assistance to swaps entities, namely the use of any advances from specified Federal Reserve credit facilities or discount windows, or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance or guarantees, for the purpose of: (1) making any loan to, or purchasing any stock, equity interest, or debt obligation of, any swaps entity; (2) purchasing the assets of any swaps entity; (3) guaranteeing any loan or debt issuance of any swaps entity; or (4) entering into any assistance arrangement (including tax breaks), loss sharing, or profit sharing with any swaps entity.

Extends to any major swap participant or major security-based swap participant that is an uninsured U.S. branch or agency of a foreign bank the exemption from the prohibition against federal assistance to swaps entities which is currently limited to any major swap participant or major security-based swap participant that is an FDIC-insured bank or savings association.

Designates both uninsured U.S. branches or agencies of a foreign bank and insured depository institutions as "covered depository institutions."

Requires any covered depository institution exempted from the prohibition to limit its swap and security-based swap activities to hedging and similar risk mitigating activities (as under current law), non-structured finance swap activities, or certain structured finance swap activities. (Defines "structured finance swap" as a swap or security-based swap based on an asset-backed security [or group or index primarily composed of asset-backed securities].)

Qualifies a structured finance swap activity for the exemption if: (1) it is undertaken for hedging or risk management purposes, or (2) each asset-backed security underlying the structured finance swap is of a credit quality and of a type or category with respect to which the prudential regulators have jointly adopted rules authorizing such a swap or security-based swap activity by covered depository institutions.

Repeals the exemption from the prohibition for any insured depository institution that limits its swap and security-based swap activities to acting as a swaps entity for: (1) swaps or security-based swaps involving rates or reference assets that are permissible for investment by a national bank; or (2) credit default swaps, including those referencing the credit risk of asset-backed securities unless they are cleared by a derivatives clearing organization or a clearing agency registered, or exempt from registration, under the Commodity Exchange Act or the Securities Exchange Act.

Date: 2013-03-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Health Insurance Rate Review Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to declare that federal requirements that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) review unreasonable premium increases in health care coverage shall not be construed to prohibit a state from imposing additional rate requirements on health insurance issuers that are more protective of consumers. Expands such review to include all rate increases, not only premium increases.

Directs the Secretary or the relevant state insurance commissioner (or state regulator) to take corrective actions to ensure that any excessive, unjustified, or unfairly discriminatory rates are corrected before, or as soon as possible after, implementation, including through mechanisms such as denying rates, modifying rates, or requiring rebates to consumers. Authorizes civil monetary penalties and ineligibility as a qualified health plan for failing to comply with any corrective action taken by the Secretary.

Requires the Secretary to determine whether the state insurance commissioner or regulator or the Secretary will undertake such corrective actions based on whether the state can adequately undertake such actions. Applies this Act to health plans grandfathered under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Date: 2013-03-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health
Robo Calls Off Phones Act or Robo COP Act - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to revise the do-not-call registry provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule to prohibit politically-oriented recorded message telephone calls to telephone numbers listed on that registry.

Defines a "politically-oriented recorded message telephone call" as an outbound telephone call that plays a recorded message: (1) the purpose of which is to promote, advertise, campaign, or solicit donations, for or against any political candidate or regarding any political issue; or (2) that uses any political candidate's name.

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2013 or JOLT Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of State (Secretary) to establish a pilot fee-based premium processing service to expedite visa interview appointments. Authorizes the Secretary to collect and set fee amounts.

Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to admit into the United States a qualifying Canadian citizen over 50 years old and spouse for a period not to exceed 240 days if the person maintains a Canadian residence and owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of such stay.

Directs the Secretary to require overseas visa processing posts to make public the availability of visa appointments during periods of low demand to encourage visa applicants to apply when interview wait times are lowest.

Revises the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions.

Directs the Secretary to require U.S. diplomatic and consular missions to: (1) conduct nonimmigrant visa application interviews expeditiously, consistent with national security requirements and in recognition of resource allocation considerations; and (2) set a goal of interviewing 90% of all nonimmigrant visa applicants, worldwide, within 10 days of application receipt.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and conduct a pilot program for processing visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology, and (2) seek to coordinate enrollment and interview processes for individuals eligible for both a U.S. visa and enrollment in the Global Entry program.

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Immigration
International Travelers Bill of Rights Act of 2013 - Requires an individual or entity that operates a website that provides access to international travel services to provide on its website, in a clear and conspicuous way, information regarding the health and safety risks of overseas vacation destinations marketed on the site, including (1) information compiled by the Department of State that includes country-specific travel warnings and alerts, and (2) information on the availability of onsite health and safety services or a disclaimer that such services may not be available and travel may pose an increased risk to health or safety.

Requires a site operator to: (1) establish a process under which an overseas vacation destination will be suspended from its website as a result of consumer complaints regarding poor medical care, unsafe or unsanitary facilities, or other health-related issues; and (2) make all such complaints publicly available on its website. Allows an operator to modify complaints at the request of the complainant and to remove offensive language and personal identification information.

Treats a violation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Date: 2013-03-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures.

Declares that an action for civil liability may be brought against a merchant's assignee only if the violation is apparent on the face of a rental-purchase agreement to which it relates, including, but not limited to, a disclosure that can be determined to be incomplete or inaccurate from the face of the agreement.

Authorizes the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to promulgate implementing regulations.

Grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and to state attorneys general.

Subjects to criminal penalties any willful and knowing violation of the information disclosure requirements of this Act.

Date: 2013-04-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector