United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2024
Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 This bill provides FY2024 supplemental appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of State for activities to respond to the attacks in Israel. The bill designates the funding as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to DOD for Military Personnel; Operation and Maintenance; Procurement; Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; Defense Working Capital Funds; and the Defense Health Program. The funding is provided for purposes such as supporting current U.S. military operations in the region; replacing defense articles that were provided to Israel; reimbursing DOD for defense services and training provided to Israel; and procuring Israel's Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Iron Beam defense systems to counter short-range rocket threats. The bill also provides appropriations to the State Department for Diplomatic Programs, Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular Service, and the Foreign Military Financing Program. The funding is provided to the State Department for purposes such as (1) increasing security at U.S. embassies impacted by the attacks on Israel, and (2) conducting emergency evacuations of U.S. government personnel and citizens in the region. Finally, the bill includes provisions that expand the authorities of the President to transfer defense articles and services from DOD to Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2024
Abortion Funding Awareness Act of 2024 This bill establishes reporting requirements for states regarding certain Medicaid payments to abortion providers. Specifically, the bill requires states that make Medicaid payments using federal funds for any items or services furnished by an abortion provider to annually (1) submit a report to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on all such payments, and (2) publish the report on the state's website. The report must include specified information, including the number of abortions performed by the providers and the gestational age with respect to each such abortion. (Current law restricts the use of federal funds for abortions to cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment of the woman. States may use their own funds to cover abortions in other cases.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2024
Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2024 This bill establishes a process to vacate convictions and expunge arrest records for certain criminal offenses committed by victims of human trafficking that directly result from or relate to having been a trafficking victim. It defines the offenses eligible to be vacated or expunged and sets forth procedures for filing a motion. The Government Accountability Office must assess the impact of this process, including the number of human trafficking survivors who file motions to vacate convictions or expunge records. The bill permits certain grants for legal representation to be used to seek post-conviction relief. Finally, the bill creates a rebuttable presumption that a defendant committed certain offenses under duress if the defendant establishes that he or she was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2024
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Federal Communications Commission titled The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Prevention and Elimination of Digital Discrimination and published on January 22, 2024. The rule prohibits broadband providers from adopting policies or practices that differentially impact consumers' access to broadband service based on their income, race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, provided such policies or practices are not justified by issues of technical or economic feasibility.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2024
Equal Representation Act This bill requires any questionnaire used in the decennial census to include a checkbox or other similar option for respondents to indicate whether the respondent and each household member is (1) a U.S. citizen, (2) a U.S. national but not a citizen, (3) a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) lawfully residing in the United States, or (4) a non-U.S. national unlawfully residing in the United States. The Department of Commerce must make public the number of persons in each state, disaggregated by each of these four categories. The bill also requires that the statement sent by the President to Congress indicating the number of persons in each state (related to the reapportionment of U.S. Representatives) exclude noncitizens.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2024
Death Tax Repeal Act This bill repeals the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. It also sets forth conforming amendments related to the gift tax.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2024
Pregnancy Center Support Act of 2024 This bill establishes a nonrefundable tax credit for contributions made to qualifying pregnancy centers. The amount of the credit is 50% of the contributions made by the taxpayer up to $10,000 per year (or $20,000 for joint filers) to a tax-exempt organization whose primary function is the operation of one or more qualified pregnancy centers. A qualifying pregnancy center is a facility that primarily provides assistance to women and families of unplanned pregnancies and encourages those women and families to carry their pregnancy to term, rather than choosing an abortion. The facility may not provide child births, perform abortions, or counsel in favor of abortions. For taxpayers that itemize their deductions on their tax return, contributions to a qualifying pregnancy center may not be counted both for this credit and the charitable contribution deduction. The amount of the tax credit that exceeds the individual’s tax liability for the tax year may be carried forward for up to five years. For businesses, the contribution amount is included in the calculation of the general business tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2024
Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act This bill revises the permit process for discharging dredged or fill material into waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act. Under the existing act, two types of discharge permits may be issued: general permits or individual permits. General permits may be issued on a state, regional, or nationwide basis for categories of activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material that are similar in nature even though the discharges may be from multiple dischargers. General permits may include activities that cause only minimal adverse environmental effects. Individual permits may be issued for more significant activities. This bill directs the U.S. Corps of Engineers—when determining whether the environmental effects of a category of activities are minimal and whether to issue or revoke general permits—to consider only the effects of the discharges of dredged or fill material from such activities. Next, the bill extends the maximum term for a general permit from a period of 5 years to 10 years. The bill also directs the Corps of Engineers to maintain a nationwide general permit for certain linear infrastructure projects (e.g., oil or gas pipelines) that do not result in the loss of greater than half an acre of waters of the United States for each single and complete project . Additionally, the bill exempts the Corps of Engineers from certain consultation and environmental review requirements when reissuing nationwide general permits. Finally, the bill prohibits the Corps of Engineers from finalizing or implementing certain modifications to such permits.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2024
Cabinet Accountability and Transparency Act This bill requires a cabinet official to notify Congress in the event that the official is temporarily unable to perform the functions and duties of the position. Specifically (1) a member of the President's cabinet appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate must notify Congress in writing at least 24 hours before such an absence, or (2) the employing agency of such official must submit the required notice if the official is unable to do so.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2024
This resolution commends Taiwan for its example of self-governance and regards Taiwan's democracy as a great strategic strength for the free world. The resolution also expresses concern about Chinese interference in Taiwan's 2024 elections and expresses commitment to continuing a strong partnership with Taiwan, regardless of the outcome of the elections.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2023
Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids Act or the PROTECT Our Kids Act This bill prohibits federal education funding for any elementary or secondary school that (1) has a partnership in effect with a cultural or language institute funded by the Chinese government, including a Confucius Institute; (2) operates a learning center supported by the Chinese government (commonly referred to as a Confucius Classroom); or (3) receives support from an individual or entity acting on behalf of the Chinese government, including support in the form of teaching materials, personnel, funds, or other resources. The bill directs the Department of Education to provide notice of the bill's requirements to schools, as well as guidance for achieving compliance with the requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2023
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 501 Mercer Street Southwest in Wilson, North Carolina, as the "Milton F. Fitch, Sr. Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2023
Securing Strictly Needy Americans’ Pivotal (SNAP) Benefits Act of 2023 This bill establishes additional limitations on the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The bill requires that a state agency suspend a SNAP household account when the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card transactions are made exclusively out-of-state for a period longer than 60 days. The state agency must maintain the suspension until (1) the household affirmatively provides substantiating evidence that the participating household members still reside in the state from which they receive benefits, or (2) an investigation conclusively determines that the participating household members still reside in the state from which they receive benefits. In addition, a SNAP household may not redeem SNAP benefits at a SNAP-approved retail food store or wholesale food concern that is owned by a household member. This does not apply to a retail food store or a wholesale food concern that is owned by a publicly owned corporation or a government.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2023
Simon Crosier Act This bill requires hospitals and other health care providers, as a condition of Medicare and Medicaid participation, to have certain written policies and procedures in place that limit the implementation of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders for unemancipated minors in accordance with specified criteria. Among other provisions, such policies and procedures must (1) require the informed consent of at least one parent and a reasonable attempt to contact the other parent before instituting a DNR order, (2) allow either parent to refuse to consent to a DNR order, and (3) allow a parent to transfer a minor to another facility after being informed of an intent to institute a DNR order.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the National Labor Relations Board titled Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status and published on October 27, 2023. The rule establishes a new joint employer standard for determining whether two employers simultaneously employ a particular employee or employees. Under the rule, an entity may be considered a joint employer of another employer's employees if the two share or codetermine the employees' essential terms and conditions of employment. The rule is currently scheduled to take effect on February 26, 2024.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2023
Preventing Adversaries from Developing Critical Capabilities Act This bill requires the President to (1) identify categories of technologies and products in certain advanced technology sectors that may pose a particularly acute threat to national security if developed or acquired by North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran; and (2) prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions related to identified categories with those countries. The Department of State should conduct bilateral and multilateral engagement with partners and allies to coordinate protocols and procedures to facilitate the prevention of such transactions. Additionally, the President is authorized to exercise all emergency economic powers to implement this bill, including imposing sanctions on foreign persons.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2023
Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act This bill prohibits federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America or its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2023
Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 This bill provides FY2024 supplemental appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of State for activities to respond to the attacks in Israel. The bill designates the funding as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. The bill provides appropriations to DOD for Operation and Maintenance; Procurement; and Research, Development, Test and Evaluation. The funding is provided for purposes such as replacing defense articles that were provided to Israel, reimbursing DOD for defense services and training provided to Israel, procuring Israel's Iron Dome and David's Sling defense systems, and developing Israel's Iron Beam defense system. The bill provides appropriations to the State Department for Diplomatic Programs, including Worldwide Security Protection; Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular Service; and the Foreign Military Financing Program. In addition, the bill includes provisions that expand the authorities of the President to transfer defense articles and services from DOD to Israel. Finally, the bill rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided for activities of the Internal Revenue Service.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2023
This concurrent resolution affirms the commitments in the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family and applauds the signatory countries for their dedication to advancing women's health, protecting life at every stage while affirming that there is no international right to abortion, and upholding the importance of the family as foundational to society. The resolution calls on President Biden to once again add the United States as a signatory to the Geneva Consensus Declaration.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2023
This resolution condemns the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations at institutions of higher education, which may lead to the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff. It also urges the Department of Education to direct the Office for Civil Rights to investigate and, where appropriate, take immediate action.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2023
This resolution condemns the release of $6 billion in sanctioned Iranian funds and urges the immediate rescission of the waiver that allowed for the transfer of such assets. It also condemns potential violations of the Taylor Force Act, which prohibits U.S. foreign assistance from directly benefiting the Palestinian Authority except for certain humanitarian purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2023
Student Loan Marriage Penalty Elimination Act of 2023 This bill allows married couples filing a joint tax return to apply the $2,500 limitation on the tax deduction for student loan interest separately to each spouse.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2023
This resolution states that the House of Representatives stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists, reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense, and condemns Hamas' brutal war against Israel. The resolution also reaffirms the United States' commitment to Israel's security, supports emergency resupply and certain other types of assistance to Israel, and urges full enforcement of sanctions against Iran to prevent Iran's funding of terrorist groups.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2023
This resolution states that the House of Representatives stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists, reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense, and condemns Hamas' brutal war against Israel. The resolution also reaffirms the United States' commitment to Israel's security, supports emergency resupply and certain other types of assistance to Israel, and urges full enforcement of sanctions against Iran to prevent Iran's funding of terrorist groups.