United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2024
Laken Riley Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U. S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The bill also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement. Under this bill, DHS must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted for, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The bill also authorizes state governments to sue for injunctive relief over certain immigration-related decisions or alleged failures by the federal government if the decision or failure caused the state or its residents harm, including financial harm of more than $100. Specifically, the state government may sue the federal government over a decision to release a non-U. S. national from custody; failure to fulfill requirements relating to inspecting individuals seeking admission into the United States, including requirements related to asylum interviews; failure to fulfill a requirement to stop issuing visas to nationals of a country that unreasonably denies or delays acceptance of nationals of that country; violation of limitations on immigration parole, such as the requirement that parole be granted only on a case-by-case basis; or failure to detain an individual who has been ordered removed from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2024
Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act This bill prohibits payment card networks from using merchant codes that distinguish firearms retailers from other retailers. The Department of Justice must enforce this bill and report annually on the resulting investigations and cases.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2024
Veterans Expedited TSA Screening Safe Travel Act or the VETS Safe Travel Act This bill makes certain veterans eligible for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck Program at no cost if they meet the program's background check and security requirements. Veterans who are eligible for this fee waiver are those who are in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and require the use of a wheelchair, prosthetic limb, or other assistive device to aid with mobility due to (1) loss, or loss of use, of a limb; (2) full or partial paralyzation; or (3) permanent blindness. The VA and the TSA must develop and implement a process under which eligible veterans may receive the PreCheck Program benefit. Further, the VA and the TSA must develop and implement a process to provide disabled veterans with effective outreach about TSA programs that are designed to improve the screening process for passengers with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2024
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) titled National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Performance of the National Highway System, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measure and published on December 7, 2023. Under current law, each state must set targets for and report on the progress of performance metrics related to the U.S. surface transportation system. The rule establishes a specific measure for assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with transportation (GHG measure). The rule also requires state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to establish declining carbon dioxide (CO2) targets for the GHG measure and report to the FHWA on their progress towards achieving these targets.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2024
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that former President Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against, nor give aid or comfort to the enemies of, the United States.
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 · 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 · 25 January 2024
Restricting Administration Zealots from Obliging Raiders Act or the RAZOR Act This bill prohibits the federal government from removing or altering a barrier, fence, barbed wire, or obstacle constructed by a state on the U.S. border for the purpose of preventing unlawful crossings.
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 · 11 January 2024
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15 South Valdosta Road in Lakeland, Georgia, as the "Nell Patten Roquemore Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2023
Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act This bill addresses issues related to the passport issuance process, including by providing the Department of State with emergency hiring authorities. Under this bill, the State Department may hire additional personal services contractors to meet the exigent needs of the Bureau of Consular Affairs from FY2024 through FY2026. The State Department may have up to 100 such positions at any given time, and such positions may not be for longer than two years. Furthermore, the bureau must award or expand contracts to implement certain information technology (IT) programs. Specifically, these contracts shall be to (1) provide a digital dashboard to congressional offices to track individual passport applications; (2) establish a program to provide automated messages and notifications to passport applicants, such as notifications of application errors; (3) establish a mobile application to allow passport applicants to communicate with the State Department and submit documents; (4) expand the online passport renewal system to also accommodate routine first-time adult passport applications; and (5) provide rules-based tools to screen online passport renewal applications with no changed biographical information against commercial databases. The bureau must also solicit the private sector for proposals about commercially available technologies that may improve the passport issuance process. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must report to Congress a comprehensive review of the passport issuance process, including opportunities to enhance the process. The bureau must periodically report to Congress on its progress in implementing the GAO's recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2023
This resolution mourns the passing of First Lady Rosalynn Carter, extends sympathies to her husband and family, and honors her contributions to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2023
Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act or EXPLORE Act This bill sets forth policies for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture related to recreation on certain public lands. Issues addressed include itemized budget information for outdoor recreation across departments; long-distance bike trails; recreational climbing activities; target shooting ranges; overnight campsites in Arkansas; filming and still photography; motorized and nonmotorized access; invasive species; gateway communities; real-time information for the public on visitor levels; broadband and cellular service; public-private partnerships; access for persons with disabilities to trails and recreation opportunities; recreational and job opportunities for military members and veterans; youth access to recreational lands; issuance of special recreation permits; a digital version of the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass; extension of seasonal recreation opportunities; and volunteers on public recreational lands.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2023
This resolution condemns District of Columbia (DC) Mayor Muriel Bowser, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmember Charles Allen, and the rest of the DC government for crime in DC.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2023
This resolution impeaches Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors, including for his handling of issues involving fentanyl and border security.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2023
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2023 or the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes, revises, and establishes several programs related to weather forecasting, monitoring, and research. For example, the bill reauthorizes through FY2028 programs that are administered by the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the U.S. Weather Research Program. It also provides statutory authority for NOAA's Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (known as VORTEX-USA). The bill also requires NOAA to establish programs that support weather forecasting technology, including improvements to radar accuracy, weather forecasting in underserved areas, and coastal flooding forecasting. NOAA must also contract with the private sector to obtain weather-related data and establish a pilot program to test the compatibility of this data with NOAA infrastructure. In addition, NOAA must improve weather-related communication systems, including those related to hazardous weather events, through system upgrades that use more modern technology (e.g., cloud-based services) and that allow for expanded coverage (e.g., in rural areas). Finally, NOAA must administer programs that support weather forecasting for agricultural and water management, including pilot programs to improve precipitation forecasts in the western and central states and a soil moisture monitoring network.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2023
This resolution (1) censures Representative Jamaal Bowman for knowingly causing a false fire alarm in an attempt to obstruct official proceedings of the House of Representatives, and (2) removes him from committee assignments.
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 · 19 October 2023
This resolution condemns the President and the Secretary of State for failing their duty to U.S. citizens in Israel by failing to take reasonable steps to provide viable methods to evacuate such U.S. citizens from Israel following the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2023
This bill terminates the presidential waiver of certain sanctions on Iran and the licenses issued by the Department of the Treasury that allowed for the transfer of previously blocked Iranian funds (namely, the approximately $6 billion of Iranian funds that the Biden Administration permitted to be transferred from restricted accounts in South Korea to restricted accounts in Qatar to facilitate the release of five U.S. citizens detained in Iran). Furthermore, the President may not exercise waiver authority related to certain accounts belonging to Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2023
This resolution censures Representative Rashida Tlaib. The resolution also rejects anti-Semitism and renounces beliefs that Israel is an apartheid state.
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 expresses unwavering support for Israel and a readiness to consider urgent requests for additional assistance to Israel to defend its people and sovereignty. The resolution also states that (1) Israel is entitled to act in self-defense against Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and associated forces, as well as their state sponsors; and (2) the cross-border attacks and kidnappings against Israel constitute acts of international terrorism and aggression.
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.
![Official portrait of Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001129_200.jpg)