zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Patents for Humanity Program Improvement Act of 2013 - Allows the holder or successor of an acceleration certificate issued pursuant to the Patents for Humanity Program (a pilot awards program established by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO] entitling awardees to accelerate certain USPTO proceedings for patented technologies addressing humanitarian needs among an impoverished population or for further research on humanitarian technologies) to transfer, including by sale, the entitlement to such certificate to another person.

Date: 2013-04-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection-Inspector General Reform Act of 2013 or CFPB-IG Act of 2013 - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to repeal the authority of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to appoint the Inspector General of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Requires the CFPB Inspector General to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Date: 2013-07-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2013 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish an office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection to advise the FTC on the prevention of fraud targeting seniors and to assist the FTC in monitoring the market for mail, television, Internet, and telemarketing fraud including recorded message telephone calls (robocalls) targeting seniors.

Requires the FTC, through such office, to: (1) disseminate to seniors and their families and caregivers information on the most common fraud schemes, including methods of reporting complaints either to the FTC's national toll-free telephone number or to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network, where complaints become immediately available to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), state attorneys general, and other appropriate law enforcement agencies; (2) provide, in response to a specific request about a particular entity or individual, publicly available information regarding the FTC's enforcement action; and (3) maintain a website as a resource for information on fraud targeting seniors.

Directs the FTC to establish procedures through such office to: (1) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints by individuals who believe they have been a victim of such fraud in the Consumer Sentinel Network and to make such complaints immediately available to federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities; and (2) provide individuals with information on such fraud as well as the most common schemes.

Date: 2013-07-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
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: 2013-09-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Environmental protection
FIX Credit Reporting Errors Act or the FIX Act - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act with respect to the procedures followed by consumer reporting agencies when a consumer disputes the completeness or accuracy of information contained in the consumer's credit report.

Requires consumer reporting agencies to: (1) expand the dispute notification furnished to any person who provided disputed information to include all documentation provided by the consumer, and (2) consider such consumer documentation when conducting reinvestigations of disputed information.

Directs a consumer reporting agency that operates as reseller, if it receives notice from a consumer of a dispute concerning a report that the reseller produced but the reseller determines that the information is not incomplete or inaccurate as a result of an act or omission of the reseller, to convey the notice of the dispute, together with all relevant information and documentation provided by the consumer, to each consumer reporting agency that provided the reseller with the information that is the subject of the dispute.

Date: 2013-09-23
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Tallying of the Actual Liabilities Act of 2013 or the TOTAL Act of 2013 - Prohibits a retailer under the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from selling a product or service through an Internet website without presenting the total transaction amount it expects to collect from the potential purchaser (including all fees, taxes, and shipping and handling charges) before the person commits to the purchase.

Sets forth authority for: (1) the FTC to enforce a violation of this Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, and (2) states to bring civil actions on behalf of residents threatened or adversely affected by such a violation.

Date: 2013-12-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), when sharing information obtained under the federal-state cooperation program with a foreign government agency for official law enforcement or consumer protection purposes, to authorize a foreign government agency to make that information available to another agency of the same foreign government (including a political subdivision of that foreign government that is located within the same territory or administrative area as the agency disclosing the information) if an appropriate official of the foreign government agency disclosing the information certifies (by prior agreement, memorandum of understanding with the CPSC, or other written certification) that it will establish and apply specified confidentiality restrictions under the Consumer Product Safety Act.

Date: 2013-12-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to expand the prohibition against the manufacture, distribution, or importation of any children's toy or child care articles containing specified phthalates to include any children's products containing those chemicals. Expands also the list of prohibited phthalates.

Declares that such prohibition shall not apply to any component of a children's product (currently, only of a children's toy or child care article) that is not accessible to a child through normal and reasonably foreseeable use and abuse of that product.

Date: 2014-03-12
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on September 17, 2014. The summary of the Senate passed version is repeated here.)

Sunscreen Innovation Act - (Sec. 2) Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a process for the review and approval of over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen active ingredients.

Allows any person to request that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) determine whether an OTC sunscreen active ingredient or combination of ingredients is safe and effective.

Requires the Secretary to review any request regarding a sunscreen active ingredient or combination of ingredients that has been in use and that is not included in the stayed sunscreen monograph published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Directs the Secretary to invite the sponsor of the request to provide data and other information on the safety and efficacy of the sunscreen active ingredient or combination of ingredients. Requires the Secretary to determine whether the provided information is sufficient to conduct a review, and if so, file the request, and if not, explain to the sponsor why the provided information is insufficient.

Requires the Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to complete a review of a filed request and determine the safety and efficacy of the sunscreen active ingredient or combination of ingredients within 300 days for new requests or a shorter timeframe for requests pending before enactment of this Act. Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to make the determination if the Director does not make a determination in the allowed timeframe.

Allows sunscreen active ingredients that are determined to be safe and effective to be used in OTC sunscreen products.

Allows the Secretary to amend a determination if additional information becomes available.

(Sec. 3) Allows sponsors of eligible non-sunscreen OTC drug applications to request that the Secretary provide a framework for review of their application. Requires the Secretary to respond with framework options, including options that follow the review process set forth in this Act for sunscreen active ingredients. (Sec. 4) Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report on the progress of the Secretary in establishing this process and the role of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs in issuing determinations on pending requests. Requires the Secretary to report on the decisions made about the safety and efficacy of sunscreen active ingredients, the amount of time between submission and decision for each request, the cost of the review process, and recommended improvements to the review process.

Date: 2014-03-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health
Consumer Financial Protection Commission Act of 2014 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, title X of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to replace the position of Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with a five-member Commission whose members are appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Prohibits the Chair of the Commission from making requests for estimates related to appropriations without the prior approval of the Commission.

Date: 2014-04-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Safety Over Secrecy Act of 2014 - Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit courts, except when balancing confidentiality interests against public awareness interests in response to a party's motion, from approving or ordering the enforcement of any provision of a settlement agreement in a civil suit if: (1) a pleading in the suit alleges facts relevant to protecting the public from a hazard to public safety or health; and (2) the provision prohibits a party from disclosing settlement terms (other than the amount of any money paid under the settlement) or from discussing the suit, evidence produced in the suit, or the hazard to public safety or health.

Defines "hazard to public safety or health" as an activity, substance, or condition that has a potential to cause harm to the health or safety of the public.

Authorizes a court, upon a motion by a party to the settlement agreement, to approve or order enforcement of such a provision if: (1) the public interest in disclosure of facts relevant to protecting the public is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information or records, and (2) the requested order is no broader than necessary to protect such confidentiality.

Establishes a rebuttable presumption that the interest in protecting financial, medical, or other similar personal information relating to an identifiable individual outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Permits courts to redact language to accommodate personal privacy and public awareness.

Prohibits courts from approving or ordering the enforcement of a settlement agreement provision in a civil suit that includes allegations concerning public safety and health hazards if the provision restricts a party from disclosing such information to a federal or state agency with law enforcement or regulatory authority over related activity. Requires facts disclosed to a federal or state agency to be protected as confidential under any other laws, regulations, or agreements.

Date: 2014-05-12
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Law
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014 - Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to promulgate a rule requiring liquid nicotine containers to be designed with special packaging that is difficult for children under five years of age to open or to obtain harmful contents from.

Date: 2014-07-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Caller ID Scam Prevention Act of 2014 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to expand the prohibition on the provision of inaccurate caller identification information (which makes it unlawful to cause a caller identification service to knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value) to persons outside the United States if the recipient is within the United States.

Revises the definitions of "caller identification information" and "caller identification service" to include text messages sent using a text messaging service.

Defines "text message" as real-time or near real-time messages consisting of text, images, sounds, or other information transmitted from or received by a device identified by a telephone number. Excludes from such definition a real-time, two-way voice or video communication.

Expands the categories of IP-enabled voice services that are subject to such prohibition to include services with interconnection capability, whether part of a bundle of services or separately, that can originate traffic to the public switched telephone network.

Date: 2014-09-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Children and Firefighters Protection Act of 2014 - Prohibits manufacturers, distributors, or retailers from selling, manufacturing for sale, distributing in commerce, or importing into the United States any children's product or upholstered furniture that contains a flame retardant exceeding a specified amount of the total chemical content by weight for any part of the product or furniture. Specifies flame retardants that are subject to such prohibitions.

Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to appoint a chronic hazard advisory panel to study the effects on human health of all chemical flame retardants as used in such products or upholstered furniture.

Directs the CPSC, after receiving a report from the advisory panel evaluating the full range of such retardants, to promulgate a final rule specifying retardants that are not already listed in this Act that may cause substantial personal injury or illness. Makes such CPSC-specified retardants subject to the prohibitions of this Act.

Date: 2014-09-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Phone Scam Prevention Act of 2014 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require voice communications service providers to offer subscribers the option to designate a list of approved telephone numbers for which calls originating from those numbers are permitted to connect directly with the subscriber's telephone and other customer premises equipment.

 Requires providers to ensure that any call for termination that is not from a number on the subscriber's list is processed according to the subscriber's preferences, including by limiting or disabling the ability of an incoming call to connect with the subscriber's equipment.

Exempts government and public interest calls from being subject to a subscriber's preferences.

Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop authentication standards for providers to validate caller information so that subscribers may obtain secure assurances of a call's origin, including the calling party's number and identification.

Extends the prohibition on the provision of inaccurate caller identification information to persons outside the United States if the recipient is within the United States.

Expands the definition "caller identification information" to include text messages.

Revises caller identification requirements to make standards applicable to voice communications using resources from the North American Numbering Plan (currently, the requirements apply to telecommunications or IP-enabled voice services).

Date: 2014-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Do Not Disturb Act of 2014 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to expand the list of entities prohibited from making telephone calls to numbers on the FTC's "do-not-call" registry to include: (1) political committees that accept donations or contributions that do not comply with contribution limits or source prohibitions (commonly known as Super PACs), and (2) tax exempt non-profit social welfare organizations engaged in political activities.

Requires the FTC to expand rules against abusive telemarking to prohibit: (1) computer-dialed telephone calls with prerecorded messages (robo-calls) to numbers on the registry, and (2) push-polling calls regarding a candidate for public office in which voters are asked certain questions about opposing candidates or are likely to construe the call as a survey for an independent organization.

Provides exceptions to allow robo-calls for emergencies or with the consent of the called party.

Date: 2014-11-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Robocall Enforcement Improvements Act of 2014 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to impose forfeiture penalties without first sending a citation regarding the charged violation against persons not licensed by the FCC who violate prohibitions on the use of automated telephone equipment. (Currently, if existing exceptions do not apply, forfeiture penalties may not be imposed unless the person is sent a citation prior to a notice of apparent liability and that person subsequently engages in the same type of conduct described in the citation.)

Expands the statute of limitations period and increases the maximum forfeiture penalty applicable to non-licensed automated telephone equipment violations.

Expands prohibitions on the provision of inaccurate caller identification information to persons outside the United States if the recipient is within the United States.

Directs providers of spoofing services to take such steps as the FCC may prescribe to verify that users do not engage in caller identification information violations. Defines "spoofing service" as a service that substitutes, or permits a user to substitute, another name or any number for display as the caller identification information for a call or text message.

Requires the FCC to impose recordkeeping and reporting obligations on spoofing service providers. Authorizes the FCC to subpoena caller identification information transmitted by a subscriber to or customer of the spoofing service.

Expands the definition "caller identification information" to include text messages.

Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) telecommunications carriers have the legal authority to offer consumers services that block or filter robocalls, and (2) the federal government should encourage telecommunications carriers to develop and implement such services.

Date: 2014-12-12
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Dangerous Products Warning Act

Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to 5 years on any business entity or product supervisor with respect to a product or business practice who knows of a serious danger associated with such product or business practice and knowingly fails within 15 days after discovering such danger to inform an appropriate federal agency in writing, warn affected employees in writing, and inform other affected individuals.  Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to 1 year on any individual who intentionally discriminates against an employee who informs a federal agency or warns employees of a serious danger associated with a product or business practice. 

Date: 2015-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Firearm Safety Act of 2015

Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to remove from the definition of "consumer product" the exclusion for any article sold by a manufacturer, producer, or importer that would be subject to a firearms sales tax under the Internal Revenue Code for pistols, revolvers, and other firearms, including shells and cartridges, thereby permitting the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue safety standards for such articles.

Date: 2015-01-08
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Better On-line Ticket Sales Act of 2014 or the BOTS Act

Prohibits: (1) intentionally using or selling software to circumvent a security measure, access control system, or other control or measure on a ticket seller's Internet website that is used by the seller to ensure equitable consumer access to tickets for any given event; or (2) selling any ticket in interstate commerce knowingly obtained in violation of such prohibition.

Treats a violation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Authorizes a person who suffers injury as a result of a violation of this Act to bring a civil action for damages plus $1,000 for each distinct use or sale of software, or sale of a ticket, that caused such injury and reasonable attorneys' fees.

Amends the federal criminal code to prescribe criminal penalties for such an offense.

Date: 2015-02-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Robo Calls Off Phones Act or the Robo COP Act

Directs the Federal Trade Commission 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 that: (1) promotes, advertises, campaigns, or solicits donations for or against a political candidate or regarding a political issue; or (2) uses a political candidate's name.

Date: 2015-02-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection-Inspector General Reform Act of 2015 or the CFPB-IG Act of 2015

 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to repeal the authority of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to appoint the Inspector General of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

(Sec. 3) The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is amended to create an Inspector General for the CFPB.

Within 60 days after enactment of this bill, the President must appoint a CFPB Inspector General.

Date: 2015-02-12
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.)

Retail Investor Protection Act

 (Sec. 2) Prohibits the Secretary of Labor from prescribing any regulation under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) defining the circumstances under which an individual is considered a fiduciary until 60 days after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issues a final rule governing standards of conduct for brokers and dealers under specified law.

(Sec. 3) Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to prohibit the SEC from promulgating a rule establishing an investment advisor standard of conduct as the standard of conduct of brokers and dealers before it reports to certain congressional committees whether:

 retail investors and other customers are being harmed due to brokers or dealers operating under different standards of conduct than those applicable to investment advisors under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; alternative remedies will reduce any confusion or harm to retail investors due to brokers or dealers operating under such different standards of conduct; adoption of a uniform fiduciary standard of conduct for brokers or dealers and investment advisors would adversely impact their commissions and the availability of proprietary products offered by brokers and dealers, as well as the ability of brokers and dealers to engage in principal transactions with customers; and adoption of a uniform fiduciary standard of conduct for brokers or dealers and investment advisors would adversely impact retail investor access to personalized, cost-effective investment advice and recommendations. Requires the SEC: (1) to publish in the Federal Register formal findings that such rule would reduce retail customer confusion or harm due to standards of conduct applicable to brokers, dealers, and investment advisors; and (2) in proposing rules to consider the differences in the registration, supervision, and examination requirements applicable to brokers, dealers, and investment advisors.

Date: 2015-02-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Detergent Poisoning And Child Safety Act of 2015 or the Detergent PACS Act of 2015

Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish safety standards for liquid detergent packets to protect children who are younger than five years of age from injury or illness.

 Directs the CPSC to establish such standards by promulgating a rule or adopting voluntary ASTM International standards.

Provides for any final rule that is promulgated to include: (1) requirements for special packaging and warning labels, (2) standards to make the color and design of packets less attractive to children, and (3) liquid composition standards to make the consequences of exposure less severe.

Requires the rule or standards to be treated as consumer product safety standards under the Consumer Product Safety Act.

Date: 2015-02-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
We Are Watching You Act of 2015

Prohibits an operator of a video service from collecting visual or auditory information from the vicinity of the device used to display the video programming stream to the consumer unless the operator: (1) displays, as part of the stream, a message that reads, "We are watching you"; and (2) describes to the consumer the types of information that will be collected and how such information will be used.

Requires the description of information collection to be provided: (1) as part of the terms and conditions to which the consumer must agree before using the video service; and (2) in the case of a video service accessed through a device sold or provided to the consumer by the operator, as part of the written instructions and other materials accompanying such device.

Directs operators to offer an alternative video service that does not involve the collection of such information but is otherwise identical. Requires any devices provided in connection with such alternative service to be incapable of collecting such information.

Allows operators to disclose such information only with the express consent of the consumer or as required by a court order in connection with a law enforcement investigation.

Requires violations of this Act to be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Date: 2015-02-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act

 (Sec. 2) Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish a Small Business Advisory Board to: (1) advise and consult with the CFPB in the exercise of its functions under the federal consumer financial laws regarding eligible financial products or services, and (2) provide information on evolving small business practices.

Requires Board members to be representatives of small business concerns that:

 provide financial products or services for use by consumers primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, are service providers to covered persons; and use consumer financial products or services in financing the business activities of such small businesses. Requires the Director, in making such Board appointments, to include members representing minority-, women-, and veteran-owned small business concerns and their interests, without regard to party affiliation.

Requires the Director to establish a Credit Union Advisory Council and a Community Bank Advisory Council to advise and consult with the CFPB on consumer financial products or services that impact credit unions and community banks, respectively.

 Directs the Director, in making appointments to the Councils, to include members representing credit unions and community banks predominantly serving traditionally underserved communities and populations and their interests, without regard to party affiliation.

(Sec. 3) Prohibits the Director from requesting funds: (1) during FY 2020 in an amount that would exceed $655 million, and (2) during FY 2025 in an amount that would exceed $720 million.

Date: 2015-03-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Innocent Sellers Fairness Act

Exempts a lawful seller from liability for personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property arising out of an accident or transaction involving a seller's products, unless the claimant proves one or more of the following activities by the seller:

 the seller was the manufacturer or participated in the design or installation of the product; the seller altered, modified, or expressly warranted the product in a manner not authorized by the manufacturer; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product as a result of a recall from the manufacturer or governmental entity authorized to make such recall or actual inspection at the time the seller sold the product to the claimant; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product at the time the seller supplied the product; the seller intentionally altered or modified a product warranty, warning, or instruction from the manufacturer in a way not authorized by the manufacturer; or the seller knowingly made a false representation about an aspect of the product not authorized by the manufacturer. Limits the seller's liability to the personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property directly caused by such activity where a claimant proves one or more of such activities was negligent.

Date: 2015-03-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Law
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act of 2015 

This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to eliminate provisions that fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) using transfers from the earnings of the Federal Reserve System. The transfers under current law permit the CFPB to be funded outside of the annual appropriations process, and this bill brings the CFPB into the regular process.

Date: 2015-03-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015

 Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to revise the prohibition against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)'s obtaining, from a covered person or service provider, any personally identifiable financial information about a consumer.

Prohibits the CFPB, in addition, from requesting, accessing, collecting, using, retaining, or disclosing nonpublic personal information about a consumer unless: (1) the CFPB clearly and conspicuously discloses to the consumer, in writing or in an electronic form, what information will be requested, obtained, accessed, collected, used, retained, or disclosed; and (2) the consumer informs the CFPB, before such information is requested, obtained, accessed, collected, used, retained, or disclosed, that such information may be requested, obtained, accessed, collected, used, retained, or disclosed.

 Subjects to the same restrictions and conditions to any person directed or engaged by the CFPB to collect such information on its behalf.

Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to repeal the exemption from its application for CFPB examination or disclosure of financial records or information in the exercise of CFPB authority with respect to a financial institution (thus applying the Act to CFPB examinations and disclosures).

Date: 2015-03-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act of 2015

 Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to authorize the Chairperson of the Financial Stability Oversight Council to issue a stay of, or set aside, any regulation issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) upon the affirmative vote of the majority of Council members (currently, two-thirds), excluding the Director of the Bureau.

Requires the Council, upon the petition of a member agency of the Council, to set aside a final regulation prescribed by the CFPB if the Council decides that such regulation is inconsistent with the safe and sound operations of U.S. financial institutions. (Currently the Council is merely authorized, upon petition, to set aside a final regulation if it would put the safety and soundness of the U.S. banking system or the stability of the U.S. financial system at risk.)

Repeals: (1) the prohibition against Council set-aside of a regulation after expiration of a specified time period, and (2) mandatory dismissal of a petition if the Council has not issued a decision within such time period.

Requires the CFPB Director, when prescribing a rule under federal consumer financial laws, to consider its impact upon the financial safety or soundness of an insured depository institution.

Date: 2015-03-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act

(Sec. 2) Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to declare the Federal Advisory Committee Act applicable to each advisory committee and subcommittee of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Date: 2015-03-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Financial Product Safety Commission Act of 2015

This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to remove the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from the Federal Reserve System and instead establish an independent Financial Product Safety Commission (FPSC) to regulate the offering and provision of consumer financial products or services.

The FPSC shall be composed of five members serving staggered five-year terms who are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Not more than three members shall be of any one political party.

The President must appoint a chair of the FPSC from among its members.

The bill prohibits the chair from submitting requests for estimates related to appropriations without prior commission approval.

Date: 2015-03-04
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015

Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a rule requiring liquid nicotine containers to be designed with special packaging that is difficult for children under five years of age to open or to obtain harmful contents from.

Requires the rule to be treated as a standard applicable to a household substance under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970.

Date: 2015-03-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2015 or the JOLT Act of 2015

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Department 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 (in a single 365-day period) 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.

Revises the secure travel partnership program (the visa waiver program as renamed by this Act) to: (1) authorize DHS 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.

 Expresses the sense of Congress that DHS should, in evaluating countries participating in the secure travel partnership program, give review priority to countries where circumstances indicate that such a review is necessary or desirable.

Directs the Department of State 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 State Department 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.

 Requires an alien at the time of application for U.S. entry under the secure travel partnership program to have a valid, unexpired electronic passport that incorporates biometric and document authentication identifiers that comply with internationally accepted practices.

Date: 2015-03-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Immigration
End Discriminatory State Taxes for Automobile Renters Act of 2015

This bill prohibits a state or locality from levying or collecting a discriminatory tax on the rental of motor vehicles, the business of renting motor vehicles, or motor vehicle rental property, except where such tax is imposed as of the enactment date of this Act, the tax does not lapse, the tax rate does not increase, and the tax base for such tax does not change.

A tax is considered discriminatory if it is applicable to the rental of motor vehicles or to motor vehicle businesses or property, but not to the majority of other rentals of tangible personal property or businesses within a state or locality.

The bill allows a person who is aggrieved by a discriminatory tax to bring a civil action in a U.S. district court for damages, injunctive relief, other legal or equitable relief, or declaratory relief.

Date: 2015-03-23
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation
Robin Danielson Feminine Hygiene Product Safety Act of 2015

Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Institutes of Health to provide for the conduct or support of research on the extent to which components (including contaminants and substances used as fragrances, colorants, dyes, and preservatives) in feminine hygiene products pose any risks to the health of women or the health of the children of women who use those products during or before the pregnancies involved.

Date: 2015-03-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health
Reforming CFPB Indirect Auto Financing Guidance Act 

 (Sec. 2) Declares without force or effect Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Bulletin 2013-02 (Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act), published March 21, 2013.

(Sec. 3) Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the CFPB, when proposing and issuing guidance primarily related to indirect auto financing, to:

 provide for a public notice and comment period before issuing the guidance in final form; make publicly available all information relied on by the CFPB; redact any information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act; consult with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice; and study the costs and impacts of the guidance to consumers and women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and small businesses, including consumers and small businesses in rural areas.

Date: 2015-04-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the nutritional information that chain restaurants and retail food establishments must disclose. The nutrient content disclosure statement on the menu or menu board must include: (1) the number of calories contained in the whole menu item; (2) the number of servings and number of calories per serving; or (3) the number of calories per common unit of the item, such as for a multi-serving item that is typically divided before presentation to the consumer. Nutritional information may be provided solely by a remote-access menu (e.g., an Internet menu) for food establishments where the majority of orders are placed by customers who are off premises.

Establishments with self-serve food may comply with the requirements for restaurants or place signs with nutritional information adjacent to each food item.

Reasonable variations in the actual nutrient content of items are permissible, including variations in serving size or ingredients or variations due to inadvertent human error.

Establishments with standard menu items that come in different flavors, varieties, or combinations, that are listed as a single menu item can determine and disclose nutritional information using specified methods or methods allowed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Regulations pursuant to this Act cannot take effect earlier than two years after final regulations are promulgated.

The FDA must give establishments in violation of nutritional labeling requirements 90 days to correct violations.

The FDA may no longer allow states or localities to vary from federal nutritional labeling requirements for chain restaurants.

(Sec. 3) Restaurants and retail food establishments are not liable in a civil action for claims regarding federal or state nutritional labeling requirements unless the action is brought by the United States or a state.

Date: 2015-04-23
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Child Support Assistance Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act, with respect to the permissible purposes of consumer reports, to authorize a consumer reporting agency to furnish a consumer report in response to a request by the head of a state or local child support enforcement agency (or an authorized state or local government official), if the requester certifies that the report is needed for enforcing a child support order, award, agreement, or judgment.

Repeals the requirement for 10 days' prior notice to a consumer whose report is requested.

Date: 2015-04-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to develop a model form for a disclosure notice to be used by depository institutions and credit unions to inform consumers before they open a checking account.

Exempts from the requirement to use such a form any depository institutions or credit unions with total assets of less than $2 billion.

Date: 2015-04-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Consumer Review Freedom Act of 2015

Declares a provision of a form contract to be void from the inception if it: (1) prohibits or restricts a person who is a party to the contract from engaging in written, verbal, or pictorial reviews, or other similar performance assessments or analyses of, the products, services, or conduct of a business that is a party to the contract; (2) imposes penalties or fees against persons who engage in such communications; or (3) transfers or requires the individual to transfer any intellectual property rights in any such otherwise lawful communications about the person or the goods or services provided by the person or business. (Thus, bars certain contract provisions that prohibit consumers from commenting publicly about businesses.)

Sets forth exceptions under which a provision shall not be considered void under this Act if the provision prohibits disclosure of certain: (1) trade secrets or commercial or financial information, (2) personnel and medical files, or (3) law enforcement records.

Provides for this Act to be inapplicable to contracts establishing an employer-employee or independent contractor relationship.

Prohibits businesses from offering or entering into form contracts containing a provision that is considered void under this Act. Sets forth authority for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and state attorneys general to enforce such prohibition.

Requires DOJ to bring an action against any business that violates such prohibition for civil penalty of not more than $16,000 for each day that the business requires the use of such a form contract by a distinct person.

Date: 2015-04-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a program to evaluate the potential use of evidence from clinical experience to support the approval of a new indication for an approved drug and to support post-approval study requirements.

"Evidence from clinical experience" means data from sources other than randomized clinical trials, including from observational studies, registries, and therapeutic use.

Before implementing the program, the FDA must establish a draft framework for the program that describes current sources of data from clinical experience, gaps in current data collection activities, standards and methodologies for collection and analysis of data from clinical experience, and priority areas, remaining challenges, and potential pilot opportunities that the program will address.

The FDA must use the program to inform guidance to industry on the collection and use of evidence from clinical experience.

Date: 2015-05-19
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health