zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act of 2015

This bill provides a safe harbor for depository institutions providing financial services to a marijuana-related legitimate business insofar as it prohibits a federal banking regulator from: (1) terminating or limiting the deposit or share insurance of a depository institution solely because it provides financial services to a marijuana-related legitimate business; or (2) prohibiting, penalizing, or otherwise discouraging a depository institution from offering such services.

A federal banking regulator may neither recommend, motivate, provide incentives, nor encourage a depository institution to refuse to offer financial services to an individual, nor downgrade or cancel financial services offered to an individual, solely because the individual: (1) is a manufacturer, producer, owner or operator of a marijuana-related legitimate business; or (2) the depository institution was not aware that the individual is the owner or operator of a marijuana-related legitimate business.

 A federal banking regulator may not take any adverse or corrective supervisory action, solely because of the business involved, on a loan made to an owner or operator of: (1) a marijuana-related legitimate business, or (2) real estate or equipment that is leased to a marijuana-related legitimate business.

Immunity from federal criminal prosecution or investigation is granted, subject to certain conditions, to a depository institution that provides financial services to a marijuana-related legitimate business in a state or one of its political subdivisions that allows the cultivation, production, manufacture, sale, transportation, display, dispensing, distribution, or purchase of marijuana. Neither the depository institution nor its officers, directors, nor employees may be held liable under federal law or regulation solely for providing such financial services or further investing income derived from those services.

The Department of the Treasury must require any suspicious activity report filed by a financial institution regarding a marijuana-based business to comply with specified guidance of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Treasury must ensure that the guidance is consistent with the Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act of 2015 and does not inhibit the provision of financial services to a marijuana-related legitimate business in a state or local government that allows the cultivation, production, manufacturing, transportation, display, dispensing, distribution, sale, or purchase of marijuana.

Date: 2015-07-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Community Bank Sensible Regulation Act of 2015

 This bill amends the following Acts governing insured depository institutions to authorize the respective regulatory agencies to exempt from their regulatory purview depository institutions having less than $10 billion in total assets after the agencies have considered specified factors:

 the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (insured depository institutions), the Revised Statutes (national banks), the Home Owners' Loan Act (savings associations, savings and loan holding companies, and mutual holding company), the Federal Reserve Act (state member banks), and the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (bank holding companies). When issuing an exemption from a provision or rule the regulatory agencies must consider the extent to which:

 the provision or rule would impose an unnecessary or undue burden or cost on the depository institution; the provision or rule is unnecessary or unwarranted to promote the safety and soundness of the depository institution; and the exemption is necessary, appropriate, or consistent with the public interest. The asset threshold of such depository institutions shall increase annually at a percentage equal to the percentage change in the total aggregate assets of insured depository institutions for each 12-month period ending in December of each year, rounded to the nearest $10 million.

Date: 2015-07-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Community Bank Access to Capital Act of 2015

This bill directs the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC): (1) to each promulgate a regulation exempting community banks from regulations implementing "Basel III: A global regulatory framework for more resilient banks and banking systems," and (2) to revise capital requirements as they determine appropriate in light of such required regulations.

 A community bank is defined as one whose consolidated assets are not greater than $50 billion.

The bill also exempts from the internal control attestation requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 both an insured depository institution and a depository institution holding company with consolidated assets of not greater than $1 billion.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is prohibited from adjusting under Regulation D the $1 million net worth threshold and $200,000 and $300,000 income thresholds that define a natural person as an accredited investor.

The SEC shall increase from 35 to 70 the number of purchasers of securities in transactions deemed not to involve a public offering and so are exempt from regulation under the Securities Exchange Act of 1933.

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is amended to: (1) subject a savings and loan holding company to registration requirements for securities whose issuer has total assets exceeding $10 million and a class of non-exempt equity security held of record by 2,000 or more persons; and (2) apply the automatic termination of registration, and suspension of the duty to file supplementary and periodic information, to a savings and loan holding company whose securities are found to be held by less than 1,200 persons.

Date: 2015-07-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Small Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2015

 Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to prohibit an insured credit union from making any member business loan that would result in the total amount of such loans outstanding at that credit union at any one time exceeding either: (1) 1.75 times the actual net worth of the credit union, or (2) 12.25% of the total assets of the credit union.

Authorizes the National Credit Union Administration Board to approve an application by an insured credit union to make one or more member business loans that would result in a total amount of such loans outstanding at any one time of up to 27.5 % of the total assets of the credit union, if the credit union meets specified safety and soundness criteria. Prohibits an insured credit union that has made such a member business loan but that is not well capitalized from making any new member business loans until it becomes well capitalized and obtains Board approval.

Directs the Board to develop a tiered approval process, including lending standards, under which an insured credit union gradually increases the amount of member business lending in a manner that is consistent with safe and sound operations.

Directs the Government Accountability Office to study the status of member business lending by insured credit unions.

Date: 2015-09-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act of 2016

This bill amends the Home Owners' Loan Act to permit a federal savings association to elect to operate subject to supervision by the Comptroller of the Currency with the rights and duties of a national bank.

Date: 2016-03-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Financial Institution Customer Protection Act of 2016

 This bill prohibits a federal banking agency from formally or informally suggesting, requesting, or ordering a depository institution to terminate either a specific customer account, or group of customer accounts, or otherwise restrict or discourage it from entering into or maintaining a banking relationship with a specific customer or group of customers, unless: (1) the agency has a material reason to do so, and (2) the reason is not based solely on reputation risk to the institution.

The "material reason" criterion shall be satisfied if an agency believes that a specific customer or group of customers poses a threat to national security, including any belief that they are involved in terrorist financing.

Unless the appropriate agency determines that the customer or group of customers has used due diligence to avoid doing business with any entity described below, the bill deems the criteria addressing "material reason" to be met if the agency believes a customer or group of customers is, or is acting as, a conduit for an entity which:

 poses a threat to national security; is involved in terrorist financing; is an agency of the government of Iran, North Korea, Syria, or any country listed from time to time on the state sponsor of terrorism list; is either located in, or subject to the jurisdiction of, any of such countries; or does business with any entity located in such countries. If an appropriate federal banking agency orders a depository institution to terminate a specific customer account or a group of customer accounts, the depository institution shall inform the customer or customers of the justification for the termination.

No notice may be given to the customer, however, if the agency requests or orders a depository institution to terminate a customer account (or a group of customer accounts) based upon a belief that customer or those customers pose a threat to national security or are otherwise described above.

The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 is amended to revise requirements for summoning witnesses and requiring production of books or other records the Attorney General deems relevant or material to a civil investigation in contemplation of a civil proceeding which may result in civil penalties for specified violations.

Date: 2016-04-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk Act of 2016 or the TAILOR Act of 2016

This bill requires the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, for any rule, regulation, or guidance, to: (1) consider the risk profile and business models of individual financial institutions and those of similar type that are subject to the regulatory action; and (2) tailor the action so that it limits the regulatory impact on an individual or type of institution as is appropriate for the risk profile and business model involved.

In carrying out such requirements, each such agency shall consider:

 whether it is necessary to apply such regulatory action to accomplish policy objectives; the impact of such action on the ability of such institutions to flexibly serve their customers and local markets; the aggregate impact of all applicable regulatory actions on such ability; the potential impact of implementing the action upon efforts to tailor it; and the statutory provision authorizing the action, the congressional intent of such provision, and the policy objectives sought by the agency in implementing it. The bill requires: (1) each such agency to report on the specific actions taken to tailor its regulatory actions pursuant to this bill, and (2) the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council to report on the extent to which each such agency differs in the treatment of similarly situated institutions.

Each agency shall: (1) conduct a review of all final regulations issued pursuant to statutes enacted between July 21, 2010, and the date of this bill's enactment, and (2) apply this bill's requirements to such regulations.

Date: 2016-07-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Municipal Bond Market Support Act of 2016 

This bill amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the small issuer exemption from interest expense allocation rules for financial institutions to: (1) permanently increase from $10 million to $30 million the annual limit on the amount of tax-exempt obligations that a small issuer may issue, and (2) allow an inflation adjustment to such increased limit amount after 2016.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Taxation
This bill amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to exclude reciprocal deposits of an insured depository institution from consideration as prohibited broker deposits if the total reciprocal deposits of the institution do not exceed the lesser of $10 billion or 20% of its total liabilities.

Reciprocal deposits are those received by an agent institution through a deposit placement network with the same maturity (if any) and in the same aggregate amount as covered deposits placed by the agent institution in other network member banks.

(Generally, an insured depository institution that is not well capitalized may not accept funds obtained by or through any deposit broker for deposit into one or more deposit accounts.)

Date: 2016-09-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
This bill amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to require certain municipal obligations to be treated as level 2B liquid assets if they are investment grade, liquid, and readily marketable. Under current law, corporate debt securities and publicly traded common-equity shares, but not municipal obligations, may be treated as level 2B liquid assets (which are considered to be high-quality assets).

Date: 2016-09-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
This bill amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to require the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Federal Reserve Board to provide that a bank's or a savings association's investments in Trust Preferred Securities (pooled and individual instruments) shall not be subject to deduction from such institution's regulatory capital (provided such instruments were held as investments prior to July 21, 2010) for purposes of the final rules entitled "Regulatory Capital Rules: Regulatory Capital, Implementation of Basel III, Capital Adequacy, Transition Provisions, Prompt Corrective Action, Standardized Approach for Risk-Weighted Assets, Market Discipline and Disclosure Requirements, Advanced Approaches Risk-Based Capital Rule, and Market Risk Capital Rule" (Basel III Capital Regulations), published on October 11, 2013.

The OCC, the FDIC, and the Federal Reserve Board must amend such Basel III Capital Regulations to implement this bill.

Date: 2016-12-05
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Banking)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Brownfields Housing and Community Renewal Development Act - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a grants program for redevelopment activities for brownfield sites and abandoned, idled, and underused industrial, commercial, or housing structures located in brownfield sites.

Date: 2007-01-04
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Environmental protection
National Enterprise Zone Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to designate areas in the United States and its possessions as National Enterprise Zones and to publish a list of such Zones. Requires a Zone to: (1) have more than 50,000 residents; (2) have a poverty rate of two times the national poverty rate; and (3) have an unemployment rate two times the national average. Allows corporate and noncorporate taxpayers with taxable income from an active trade or business within such a Zone to elect a reduced alternative income tax in lieu of existing income and alternative minimum tax rates.Requires the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the effectiveness of such program.

Date: 2007-03-06
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Neighborhood Reclamation and Revitalization Program Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to a local government to fund the demolition of vacant housing, or such demolition in combination with a study of neighborhood revitalization.

Date: 2007-09-07
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Revitalizing Cities Through Parks Enhancement Act - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to qualified community organizations to develop as open space municipally owned vacant lots in urban areas.

Date: 2008-09-28
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Amends the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 to repeal provisions authorizing the President to: (1) employ the Armed Forces to restore public order and enforce the law in major public emergencies; and (2) provide supplies, services, and equipment to persons affected by the situation. Restores previous authority of the President to use the Armed Forces to suppress situations which interfere with state or federal law.

Date: 2007-02-07
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Economic Development Act of 2007 - Authorizes any state to provide to any person for economic development purposes tax incentives that otherwise would be the cause or source of discrimination against interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Disqualifies any incentive that: (1) is dependent upon the state or country of incorporation, commercial domicile, or residence of an individual; (2) requires the recipient to acquire, lease, license, use, or provide services to property created in the state; (3) is reduced or eliminated as a result of an increase in out-of-state activity by the recipient or other person or as a result of such other person not having a taxable presence in the state; (4) results in loss of a compensating tax system, because the tax on interstate commerce exceeds the tax on intrastate commerce; (5) requires that other taxing jurisdictions offer reciprocal tax benefits; or (6) requires that a tax incentive earned with respect to one tax can only be used to reduce a tax burden for, or provide a tax benefit against, any other tax that is not imposed on apportioned interstate activities.

Date: 2007-03-19
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Empowerment Zone and Renewal Community Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to tax-preferred empowerment zones, rural enterprise communities, and renewal communities to: (1) extend the period of designation for such areas through 2015; (2) provide a safe harbor standard for employee residency requirements in empowerment zones; (3) eliminate certain residency requirements for the empowerment zone employment tax credit; (4) grant authority to expand the boundaries of empowerment zones and enterprise communities, including those located in rural areas; (5) allow carryovers of unused expensing allowances for enterprise zone businesses; (6) allow certain empowerment zone businesses to elect to receive payments in lieu of tax benefits; (7) allow federal guarantees and tax exemptions for enterprise zones and renewal communities; and (8) allow the issuance of tax-exempt rural enterprise community bonds.

Date: 2007-06-14
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Neighborhood Reclamation and Revitalization Program Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to a local government to fund the demolition of vacant housing, or such demolition in combination with a study of neighborhood revitalization.

Date: 2007-09-17
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Metro Economies Green Act or MEGA - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a metro area green zone grant program to make grants to local government units to support and establish green job programs that: (1) target low-income, difficult-to-employ, and formerly incarcerated persons; and (2) involve local business, academia, trade associations, nonprofits, and other stakeholders in energy-efficient economic development and green job training and creation. Authorizes the Secretary also to establish competitive programs to make grants to local government units to support and establish: (1) a similar mini-metro green program that engages smaller communities in green economic and workforce development; and (2) an alternative green academies program that provides green job training, employment opportunities, and other life skills to high school dropouts, formerly incarcerated youth, and individuals unable to attend traditional institutions of higher education. Directs the Secretary to select one unit of general local government or nonprofit organization designated by such a unit to establish and operate a Metro Area Green Institute to serve as a national resource center to support municipally based, green economic and workforce development efforts.

Date: 2009-01-08
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Labor and employment
Community Regeneration, Sustainability, and Innovation Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a demonstration program, under multiyear cooperative agreements with local governments experiencing at least 20% population loss since 1970 (or consortia of them), to encourage and test innovative vacant property reclamation and urban infrastructure renewal strategies in older industrial cities, their suburbs, and metropolitan areas with a history of severe population and employment loss, blight, and decay caused by vacant properties. Specifies as vacant property and program capacity activities establishment of: (1) local or regional land banks; (2) recovered building materials reuse and recycling infrastructure, facilities, and technical support; (3) local government purchasing requirements for deconstruction to make use of existing building materials stock in new and rehabilitation construction; and (4) the ability of state and local courts and administrative agencies to address problems caused by vacant and abandoned properties, and to facilitate their transfer to public control under a local or regional land bank. Enumerates other related activities, including: (1) expansion and improvement of code enforcement capabilities; (2) development of data and information systems such as comprehensive real property systems, early warning systems, and vacant property inventory and tracking systems; and (3) amendment or reform of state and local property tax foreclosure procedures. Specifies stabilization, design, development, reuse, and planning and policy innovation activities. Requires an applicant local government or consortium to establish a regeneration plan for the community or region. Directs the Secretary by regulation to provide for citizen participation requirements relating to the development and implementation of such plans. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to local governments (and consortia of them) for sustainability demonstration projects. Directs the Secretary to convene a Federal Interagency Regeneration Communities Coordinating Council to develop federal agency support plans for communities receiving such grants.

Date: 2009-02-10
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Empowerment Zone, Renewal Community and Enterprise Community Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to tax-preferred empowerment zones, rural enterprise communities, and renewal communities to: (1) extend the period of designation for such areas through 2015; (2) provide a safe harbor standard for employee residency requirements in empowerment zones; (3) eliminate certain residency requirements for the empowerment zone employment tax credit; (4) grant authority to expand the boundaries of empowerment zones and enterprise communities, including those located in rural areas; (5) allow carryovers of unused expensing allowances for enterprise zone businesses; (6) allow certain empowerment zone businesses to elect to receive payments in lieu of tax benefits; (7) allow federal guarantees and tax exemptions for enterprise zones and renewal communities; and (8) allow the issuance of tax-exempt rural enterprise community bonds and empowerment zone facility bonds.

Date: 2009-03-24
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Revitalizing Cities Through Parks Enhancement Act - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to qualified community organizations to develop as open space municipally owned vacant lots in urban areas.

Date: 2009-12-16
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Cluster-Based Economy Enhancement Act of 2010 - Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make block grants to a state or local government, an institution of higher education, or a nonprofit economic development organization to: (1) assess the potential for the development or enhancement of business clusters (geographic concentrations of business entities that are competing, complementary, or interdependent firms and industries, that do business with one another, and that have common needs for talent, technology, and infrastructure); (2) establish cluster development programs in specified regions of the United States; and (3) promote cluster development programs in such regions and support the staff who operate such programs. Permits a recipient of grant funds to use the funds to provide assistance for startup costs, worker training, relocation costs, planning, and other projects identified by the recipient that are consistent with the purposes of this Act. Limits: (1) the federal share of the cost of projects carried out using funds authorized by this Act to 50%; and (2) the portion of the non-federal share of project costs that may be provided through in-kind contributions to 50%.

Date: 2010-02-23
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Economics and public finance
Main Street Manufacturing Communities Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to revise the economic adjustment assistance grant program. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) waive the requirement that a manufacturing area suffering from severe unemployment or severe changes in economic conditions have a comprehensive economic develop strategy prior to a request for a grant for a project to alleviate such special need, provided it has a streamlined economic development strategy plan approved by the Governor; and (2) provide assistance to alleviate economic dislocation in a manufacturing area regardless of whether it was sudden or arose more than 24 months before the filing for a grant. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to award national emergency grants to an eligible entity to provide employment and training assistance to manufacturing workers who lost employment due to a plant closure, or mass layoff, or experienced a change in employment status due to a plant shutdown, at a single employment site for 50 or more workers. Allows the use of such a grant to provide a job search allowance and a relocation allowance of up to $1,250 each, as well as needs-related payments to an eligible manufacturing worker. Revises energy efficiency and renewable energy worker training program eligibility requirements. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) award advanced training partnership grants to eligible institutions of higher education for the design, engineering, manufacture, or supply of equipment for new technologically advanced, energy efficient, and renewable fuel powered motor vehicles; and (2) provide other services to upgrade the skills of automobile industry workers (including equipment supply industry workers) to manufacture such vehicles.

Date: 2009-01-28
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Economics and public finance
Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to the building rehabilitation tax credit to: (1) allow an increased 30% credit for projects involving $7.5 million or less in rehabilitation expenditures; (2) allow rehabilitated buildings used for lodging to qualify for such credit; (3) establish a 50-year placed-in-service requirement for non-historic rehabilitated buildings; (4) allow such credit for certain tax-exempt use property; (5) provide for the transferability of such credit; (6) increase the energy efficiency tax credit allowed to rehabilitated buildings; and (7) exempt from taxation refunds attributable to state historic tax credits.

Date: 2009-10-01
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Sustainable Urban Development Act of 2010 - Directs the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a strategy to foster sustainable urban development in developing countries that updates the Making Cities Work Urban Strategy. Requires such strategy to: (1) review U.S. foreign assistance strategy and programs; (2) assess the feasibility of establishing a USAID senior advisor for urban sustainable development; (3) evaluate options to leverage private sector partnerships; (4) support U.S. government collaboration with other donors; (5) assess the feasibility of establishing a pilot urban strategies initiative; and (6) analyze approaches to improve environmental sustainability in urban areas.

Date: 2010-04-20
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: International affairs
Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make competitive grants to local governments, public housing agencies (PHAs), community development corporations, assisted housing owners, and other for-profit and nonprofit entities to implement transformational programs in eligible neighborhoods with a concentration of extreme poverty, severely distressed housing, and a potential for long-term viability, once certain key problems are addressed. Requires such programs to include neighborhoods with characteristics such as proximity to educational institutions, medical centers, central business districts, major employers, effective transportation alternatives (including public transit, walking, and bicycling), and low poverty neighborhoods. Prohibits the use of such grants for construction or rehabilitation of a K-12 school building or a higher educational institution. Limits the use of grants for certain non-housing activities and supportive services. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such limitations. Exempts from specified requirements of the United States Housing Act of 1937 the demolition and disposition of severely distressed public and assisted housing pursuant to a transformation plan.

Date: 2010-12-22
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Urban Jobs Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to make grants to the National Urban League to operate, through local affiliates, an Urban Jobs Program to provide job training, education, and support services and activities for eligible young adults to prepare them for entry into the workforce. Defines "eligible young adults" as individuals ages 18 to 24 who: (1) are not enrolled in secondary or post-secondary school, or (2) are or have been subject to the criminal justice process. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Jobs Council Advisory Committee. Expresses the sense of Congress that National Urban League affiliates should establish local jobs council advisory committees to aid in establishing local community support for local implementation of the program.

Date: 2011-02-11
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Labor and employment
Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to promulgate regulations establishing an urban revitalization and livable communities program to provide federal grants to eligible local governments for various park and recreation purposes, including grants for rehabilitation and construction, innovation, at-risk youth recreation, and recovery action programs. Authorizes the Secretary to authorize local governments not meeting program eligibility requirements required to be established in standard metropolitan statistical areas to receive up to a specified portion of such grants, if such a government applies for a partial eligibility waiver. Authorizes the Secretary, upon approval of an application by the chief executive of an eligible applicant, to provide 70% matching rehabilitation and construction, innovation, and at-risk youth recreation grants directly to such applicant. Allows a recipient, at its discretion, to transfer a grant in whole or in part to private nonprofit agencies for recreational areas and facilities they own or operate which offer recreational opportunities to the general population. Requires an applicant, for project approval, to submit to the Secretary evidence of its commitment to ongoing planning, rehabilitation, service, operation, and maintenance programs for its park and recreation systems, expressed in a five-year local park and recreation recovery action program. Requires an eligible applicant for an at-risk youth recreation grant to include in its five-year program the goal of, and implementation strategies for, reducing crime and juvenile delinquency. Authorizes the Secretary to increase all grants to a state under this Act by up to 15% (but not more than 85%) of total project or program cost. Prohibits the conversion of any property improved or developed with assistance under this Act, without HUD approval, for uses other than for public recreation. Limits to 10% the use of funds appropriated for rehabilitation and construction grants for acquisition of land or interests in land.

Date: 2011-02-15
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Directs each Secretary of the military department concerned to: (1) establish procedures to implement flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) for military health care and dependent care for active-duty military personnel on a pre-tax basis; and (2) consider life events of members of the Armed Forces that are unique to them, including changes relating to permanent changes of duty station and deployments to overseas contingency operations. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to submit to Congress recommendations on the advisability of authorizing FSAs for members of the Selected Reserve.

Date: 2011-02-17
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2012, the designation period of areas as renewal communities and tax incentives for investment in such areas, including: (1) the exclusion from gross income for income tax purposes of gain from the sale or exchange of assets (stock or business property) in such areas, (2) the tax deduction for commercial revitalization expenditures in such areas, and (3) an increased expensing allowance for the acquisition of business and investment assets in such areas.

Date: 2011-04-07
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Monroe County HUBZone Act of 2011 - Provides that, for purposes of the Small Business Act, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, shall be a HUBZone (historically underutilized business zone) during the three-year period beginning on October 1, 2011.

Date: 2011-07-06
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Commerce
National Youth Sports Program Revitalization Act of 2011 - Amends the Community Services Block Grant Act to authorize appropriations for FY2012-FY2022 for national or regional instructional programs for low-income youth.

Date: 2011-08-12
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Detroit Jobs Trust Fund Act - Establishes in the Treasury the Detroit Jobs Trust Fund to finance projects and activities undertaken by the city of Detroit, Michigan, including payment of debt obligations and projects for jobs development, public safety, education, business infrastructure, or public infrastructure.  Requires the city to create a five-year plan describing development goals.

Date: 2011-09-14
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Protecting Transit Through Increased Flexibility Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to make urbanized area formula grants for the operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of at least 200,000, if: (1) the term of the grant does not exceed one year; and (2) such grant funds are derived from formula grants requested by the grantee and approved by the Secretary for capital projects, planning, or transit enhancements. Repeals current requirements that: (1) the area population not exceed 225,000, (2) the urbanized area include parts of more than one state; (3) the portion of the urbanized area receiving grant funds include only one state; (3) the population of the portion of the urbanized area receiving such funds be less than 30,000; and (4) the grant will not be used to provide public transportation outside of the portion of the urbanized area receiving the funds. Requires grant applications to: (1) document reduced tax revenue or appropriations of funds available to the recipient over the previous year, as well as increased fuel costs or any other factor affecting the operating costs in the recipient's budget; and (2) certify that the amount requested does not exceed such reductions in tax revenues and appropriations.

Date: 2011-09-22
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2012 the authority for issuance of bonds in empowerment and enterprise zones with unused bond limitations.

Date: 2011-11-18
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
National Cooperative Development Act - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to: (1) establish a National Cooperative Development Program to create jobs and increase economic development in underserved areas by promoting cooperative development; and (2) select, through a competitive process and enter into a grant agreement with, a national cooperative development center. Defines "cooperative organization" as an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Defines "cooperative development" as specified technical assistance for the establishment of cooperative organizations. Requires the national center to select local cooperative development centers. Authorizes the national center to establish up to three local cooperative development centers in each of FY2012-FY2016.

Date: 2011-12-15
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Restore our Neighborhoods Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a new category of tax credit bonds to be known as qualified urban demolition bonds. Allows the issuance of $4 billion of such bonds for the purpose of demolishing vacant, abandoned, and tax delinquent properties in urban areas. Provides for the allocation of $2 billion to all states to fund such demolition projects, and an additional $2 billion for certain other states that have greater numbers of vacant or foreclosed properties and higher unemployment rates (qualified states).

Date: 2012-03-19
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Detroit Growth and Stability Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) make loans to a financing agent authorized by the state of Michigan to act on behalf of the city of Detroit, Michigan, for which the financing agent and the city shall be jointly and severally liable; and (2) require the city and the financing agent to provide security for such loans. Limits the aggregate amount of loans outstanding to $500 million. Terminates the authority of the Secretary to make such loans on January 1, 2016. Establishes in the Treasury the City of Detroit Growth and Stability Fund for purposes of making such loans.

Date: 2012-03-29
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Economics and public finance
Air and Health Quality Empowerment Zone Designation Act of 2012 - Allows the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate an area as an air and health quality empowerment zone if the air pollution control district or other local governmental entity (area entity) authorized to regulate air quality for the area nominates the area for such designation, including by submitting a strategic plan designed to address air quality challenges, achieve attainment of air quality standards, and improve the health of the population in the area. Requires a designated area to meet the following criteria: (1) it has been designated as being in extreme nonattainment of the national ambient air quality standard for ozone and in nonattainment of the national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5 (particulate matter diameter); (2) it had nitrogen oxide emissions from farm equipment and emissions of volatile organic compounds from farming in excess of specified limits; (3) it meets or exceeds the national average per capita incidence of asthma; (4) it experiences unemployment rates higher than the national average; and (5) the area entity will provide matching contributions of federal funds toward the activities to be carried out under the strategic plan, which may be in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services. Makes the effective period of area designation the shorter of 10 years or the period ending with revocation by the Administrator. Authorizes grants to an area entity on behalf of each air and health quality empowerment zone for the purpose of carrying out the strategic plan submitted under this Act. Requires a report to Congress on the impact of this Act.

Date: 2012-09-12
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Environmental protection
Detroit Economic Competitiveness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish the Detroit Jobs Trust Fund to finance economic development in Detroit, Michigan. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make annual distributions from such Fund to the city of Detroit for payment of debt obligations and for job development, public safety, education, and business and public infrastructure. Prohibits any distributions unless the city of Detroit: (1) does not impose an income tax during a period of distribution, (2) has made specified reductions in aggregate property taxes, (3) has used prior distributions as required under this Act, (4) has provided required information to the Comptroller General (GAO), and (5) has implemented a five-year plan describing development goals for Detroit and detailing how distributions from the Trust Fund will be spent. Terminates such Fund five years after enactment of this Act. Requires GAO to submit annual reports to Congress describing the use of distributions from the Trust Fund, the extent to which progress has been made in meeting the plan's development goals, and Comptroller General recommendations for improving the program established under this Act. Excludes from gross income capital gain from the sale or exchange of investment property used in trade or business in Detroit.

Date: 2012-09-21
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Urban Competitiveness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any capital gain from the sale or exchange of a stock, partnership, or business property interest invested in an enterprise zone area which had an average unemployment rate of not less than 150% of the national average rate during the preceding calendar year and which experienced a population loss of at least 20% during the 10-year period beginning in 2000.

Date: 2012-12-13
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Urban Recovery and Growth Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the issuance of economic development extension bonds for the purpose of economic development or refinancing the indebtedness of a city that has an average unemployment rate of not less than 150% of the national average in the preceding calendar year and that has lost at least 20% of its population between 2000 and 2010.

Date: 2012-12-13
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Taxation
Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make competitive grants to local governments, public housing agencies (PHAs), community development corporations, assisted housing owners, and other for-profit and nonprofit entities to implement transformational programs in eligible neighborhoods with a concentration of extreme poverty, severely distressed housing, and a potential for long-term viability, once certain key problems are addressed. Requires such programs to include neighborhoods with characteristics such as proximity to educational institutions, medical centers, central business districts, major employers, effective transportation alternatives (including public transit, walking, and bicycling), and low poverty neighborhoods. Prohibits the use of such grants for construction or rehabilitation of a K-12 school building or a higher educational institution. Limits the use of grants for certain non-housing activities and supportive services. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such limitations. Exempts from specified requirements of the United States Housing Act of 1937 the demolition and disposition of severely distressed public and assisted housing pursuant to a transformation plan.

Date: 2011-03-17
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Monroe County HUBZone Act of 2011 - Provides that, for purposes of the Small Business Act, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, shall be a HUBZone (historically underutilized business zone) until not earlier than October 1, 2014.

Date: 2011-05-12
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Commerce
Shuttle Workforce Revitalization Act of 2012 - Makes Brevard County, Florida, a HUBZone (heavily underutilized business zone) until no earlier than January 1, 2020.

Date: 2012-03-06
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Commerce
Authorizes a state or state agency to use assistance provided under the Hardest Hit Fund program to demolish blighted structures.

Date: 2013-02-13
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development
Restore our Neighborhoods Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a new category of tax credit bonds to be known as qualified urban demolition bonds. Allows the issuance of $4 billion of such bonds for the purpose of demolishing vacant, abandoned, and tax delinquent properties in urban areas. Provides for the allocation of $2 billion to all states to fund such demolition projects, and an additional $2 billion for certain other states in which at least 49% of total housing units were built before 1980 and which have greater numbers of vacant or foreclosed properties and higher unemployment rates (qualified states).

Authorizes the use of funds from the Hardest Hit Fund program established by title I of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act to be used to demolish blighted structures.

Date: 2013-02-13
Topic: Housing (Urban Development)
Subject: Housing and community development