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
Ultrasound Informed Consent Act This bill requires abortion providers to conduct an ultrasound before performing an abortion. Specifically, before a woman gives informed consent to any part of an abortion, the abortion provider must perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman; provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting; display the ultrasound images so the woman may view them; and provide a complete medical description of the images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, cardiac activity if present and visible, and the presence of external members and internal organs if present and viewable. Providers are subject to civil actions and penalties for violations. The bill's ultrasound requirements do not apply in cases where a physical disorder, illness, or injury caused by the pregnancy endangers a woman's life. A woman is also not required to view the ultrasound images; nor may she or the provider be penalized if she declines to do so.
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 · 16 January 2024
This resolution calls on the Taliban to immediately release Ryan Corbett (an American citizen wrongfully detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan on August 10, 2022) and all other American detainees. The resolution also (1) urges the Taliban to respect Ryan Corbett's fundamental human rights and provide full, unfettered, and consistent health and welfare visits; and (2) condemns the Taliban’s practice of hostage-taking.
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 · 14 December 2023
Achieving Choice in Education Act or the ACE Act This bill modifies provisions of qualified tuition programs (i.e., 529 plans) and provides other tax incentives to promote education. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of qualified higher education expense to include tuition, books or instructional material, fees, and educational therapies for disabled students. It also increases to $20,000 the limitation on distributions from 529 plans for elementary and secondary school expenses. Further, the bill provides for an increased gift tax exclusion for contributions to 529 plans and limits tax-exempt bond financing to states that implement school choice laws.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2023
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that regular journalistic activities, including the obtainment and publication of information, are protected under the First Amendment and that the federal government should drop all charges against and attempts to extradite Julian Assange.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2023
Enabling Necessary Discipline with the Defense of Executives’ Endeavors to Properly Staff Their Agencies with Trustworthy Employees Act or the END the DEEP STATE Act This bill requires the Office of Personnel Management to withdraw the proposed rule titled Upholding Civil Service Protections and Merit System Principles and published on September 18, 2023. The bill also prohibits further action to finalize, implement, or enforce the same or a substantially similar rule. The proposed rule addresses civil service protections for federal employees. Among other things, the proposed rule provides that federal employees shall not lose their status or civil service protections when they involuntarily leave the competitive service to enter the excepted service or move between positions in the excepted service; establishes related procedures that apply when moving to these positions; and specifies that the phrase confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating, which is used to describe certain positions that are excepted from civil service protections, is intended to apply to noncareer, political appointments.
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 · 8 November 2023
Alaska’s Right to Produce Act of 2023 This bill provides for oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Specifically, the bill nullifies any order or action by the President or the Department of the Interior that places a moratorium on, suspends, or otherwise pauses leasing in ANWR's 1002 Area. It also ratifies and approves all authorizations and permits issued for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The Environmental Protection Agency and other applicable federal departments and agencies must process, reinstate, or continue to maintain such authorizations and permits. Within 30 days of the bill's enactment, Interior must accept bids for certain ANWR leases that were canceled and reissue the leases. The bill states that the reissued leases must be considered to meet the requirements of specified existing laws, such as the Endangered Species Act of 1973. By December 22, 2024, Interior must also conduct a second lease sale. Further, the bill limits the authority of the President and Interior to cancel future leases issued under the program. The bill also directs the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw its (1) Notice of Availability of the Draft Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement , and (2) proposed rule titled Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska . It also nullifies Section 4 of Executive Order 13990 and Secretarial Order 3401. Finally, the bill limits judicial review of approvals of leases under the program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2023
Stop Climate Hysteria in Diplomacy Act This bill rescinds Executive Order 14027, which established the Climate Change Support Office in the Department of State.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2023
21st Century Dyslexia Act This bill addresses the education of children with disabilities, with a particular focus on children with dyslexia. Currently, dyslexia is listed as one of the disabilities under the definition of specific learning disability in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This bill instead removes dyslexia from the definition of specific learning disability and establishes a stand-alone definition for dyslexia within the IDEA. Specifically, the bill defines dyslexia for purposes of the IDEA as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in the phonological processing (the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken language), which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell. Additionally, the bill requires a local educational agency or other agency, in determining eligibility for or providing an accommodation or service under the IDEA, to provide equal access to (1) children from low-income families, (2) children from families with low socioeconomic status, and (3) children who are limited English proficient.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2023
Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for research or publications concerning gender transitions in individuals under the age of 18.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2023
This resolution supports the designation of National Dyslexia Awareness Month and calls on Congress, schools, and educational agencies to recognize that dyslexia has significant educational implications that must be addressed.
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 · 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.