United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2023
9/11 Memorial and Museum Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to award to the nonprofit organization that operates the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City a one-time grant to be used solely for the purposes of the operation, security, and maintenance of the memorial and museum. As a condition of receiving the grant, the organization must provide for free admission to all facilities and museums associated with the memorial and museum for active and retired members of the Armed Forces, individuals who were registered first responders to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and family members of victims of such attacks; provide for dedicated free admission hours for the general public at least once a week; and allow for annual federal audits of its financial statements.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2023
CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act This bill prohibits a Federal Reserve bank from offering products or services directly to an individual, maintaining an account on behalf of an individual, or issuing a central bank digital currency (i.e., a digital dollar) directly or indirectly to an individual. Further, The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Open Market Committee are prohibited from using a central bank digital currency to implement monetary policy.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2023
Crucial Communism Teaching Act This bill directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources for high school students to promote understanding of certain political ideologies (e.g., communism and totalitarianism) that conflict with principles of U.S. democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule submitted by the Department of Education titled Improving Income Driven Repayment for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and published on July 10, 2023. The rule creates a new income-driven repayment plan called the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.
United States · United States Congress · 22 August 2023
Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act of 2023 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide Medicare payment on a reasonable-cost basis for anesthesia services furnished by an anesthesiologist in a rural hospital. Specifically, the CMS shall provide payment for such services in the same manner as payment is provided under current law for services furnished in a rural hospital by a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
United States · United States Congress · 18 August 2023
This bill requires various changes to the passport application process and addresses related issues. The bill requires all U.S. regular passports to contain a written notice advising travelers (1) to check travel.state.gov for updated travel warnings, (2) to register with the Department of State prior to overseas travel, (3) that many countries deny entry to travelers whose passport expires within six months, and (4) to renew their passports within at least one year of the expiration date. Further, the bill makes permanent existing State Department authority to assess a surcharge on the passport application fee to cover the costs of increased demand prompted by certain legal requirements. This authority currently expires on September 30, 2026. For three years starting from this bill's enactment, the State Department may use direct hire authority to expedite the hiring of individuals into Passport and Visa Examining positions (Series 0967). Finally, the bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress about passport processing wait times, agency plans for a public outreach campaign, and related information.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2023
Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act This bill authorizes the use of federal elementary and secondary education funds to purchase or use dangerous weapons for purposes of training students in archery, hunting, or other shooting sports. Current law prohibits the use of these funds to provide any person with a dangerous weapon or training in the use of a dangerous weapon. The bill specifies that this prohibition shall not apply to training students in archery, hunting, or other shooting sports.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2023
Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act This bill expands the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) producer indemnity and compensation program to include compensation for all poultry growers and layers located in an APHIS-determined control area. Currently, APHIS provides indemnity and compensation to producers to remove animals classified as affected, suspect, or exposed to diseases of concern, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). An APHIS-determined control area consists of both an infected zone and a buffer zone. Under the bill, APHIS must compensate all owners of poultry growing or laying facilities for flocks of birds that the facility owner was prohibited from growing or laying due to the location of the facility within a control area. This may include facilities that are located in the buffer zones and have non-infected poultry. Further, the bill establishes a new compensation payment formula that requires payments to be based on the owner’s average income from the five most recent flocks. Under the bill, APHIS's compensation determination is final and not subject to judicial or administrative review (other than by the Secretary of Agriculture or a designee).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
This resolution condemns Iran for the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. It also urges the Biden Administration and U.S. allies to publicly condemn the massacre and to pressure Iran to provide information to the families of the victims.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Anti-CCP Espionage via Social Media Act of 2023 or the ACES Act of 2023 This bill requires certain actions related to ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese parent company of TikTok (a video-sharing mobile application). Specifically, the bill grants Executive Order 13942 the force and effect of law. That order prohibits certain transactions by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States with ByteDance. The bill provides statutory authority for that prohibition and specifies exceptions. Further, the bill establishes enforcement procedures and penalties for related violations. The bill requires ByteDance, within 90 days of this bill's enactment, to divest itself of (1) any assets or property used to enable or support ByteDance's operation of the TikTok application in the United States, and (2) any data obtained or derived from TikTok application or Musical.ly application users in the United States. The bill outlines further requirements and procedures for such divestment. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) must review proposed sales or transfers by ByteDance to a third party. CFIUS may implement measures as necessary to verify compliance with the required divestment. CFIUS must review and issue a report to the President on the relationship of each covered U.S. business with ByteDance to determine the effects of such relationship on U.S. national security. The President may take actions to suspend or prohibit the relationship.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Stop China’s Continuous Purchase of Land Act or the Stop CCP Land Act This bill requires states that receive certain federal program funds to restrict the purchase of agricultural land by a covered foreign country. Covered foreign country means a country included in Department of State regulations as subject to certain prohibitions (i.e., Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela), as well as Russia. Specifically, a state may not receive funds for certain programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (e.g., certain energy efficiency and conservation programs) unless that state has a law prohibiting a covered foreign country (or persons acting on behalf of the country) from purchasing agricultural land in the state. Further, a state must require that a person from a covered foreign country that holds agricultural land in the state prior to the state law's enactment submit an annual report to the state on the agricultural holdings. The Department of Agriculture must submit a report to Congress on how the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 should be updated to ensure accurate documentation and monitoring of foreign investment in agricultural land. The Government Accountability Office must submit a report to Congress that includes (1) an assessment of this bill's impact on national security, and (2) any measures that can be taken to better secure U.S. real estate from foreign manipulation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2023
Protecting Americans from Fentanyl Trafficking Act of 2023 This bill permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. The temporary scheduling order issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration to place fentanyl-related substances into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act expires on December 31, 2024.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2023
Main Street Tax Certainty Act This bill makes permanent the tax deduction for qualified business income. (Under current law, the deduction expires after December 31, 2025.) Qualified business income is defined as the net amount of qualified items of income, gain, deduction and loss with respect to any trade or business, excluding capital gains or losses, dividends, interest income, or income earned outside the U.S.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2023
Interactive Federal Review Act This bill revises the environmental review process for federal-aid highway projects. Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must encourage recipients of federal highway funding to utilize interactive, digital, cloud-based platforms when carrying out environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); select at least 10 federal-aid highway projects to demonstrate the use of interactive, digital, cloud-based platforms in carrying out the environmental impact analysis and community engagement processes under NEPA; and publish technology-neutral best practice guidance to encourage sponsors of projects that receive federal funds from DOT to use an interactive, digital, cloud-based platform in carrying out the environmental impact analysis and community engagement processes required under NEPA.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2023
Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites From Foreign Adversaries Act This bill expands the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) related to agriculture and land transactions. (CFIUS reviews the national security implications of foreign investment in the United States.) Specifically, the bill requires parties to an elevated risk real estate transaction to submit a mandatory declaration to CFIUS. Generally, this requirement applies to a transaction for a purchase or lease of certain real estate (e.g., real estate that is in close proximity to a sensitive site, such as a military installation or airspace) by a foreign adversary entity (e.g., a foreign person subject to the jurisdiction of a foreign adversary, such as China or Russia). Additionally, the bill creates a presumption that an elevated risk real estate transaction presents a risk to national security that cannot be resolved through any agreement or condition unless CFIUS (1) determines, based on clear and convincing evidence, that the risk to national security of the transaction can be resolved in a manner other than by suspending or prohibiting the transaction; and (2) notifies Congress about this determination and its reasoning. The bill authorizes CFIUS to consider U.S. food security as a factor in its national security reviews. The bill also expands the membership of CFIUS to include the Secretary of Agriculture on all transactions related to the purchase of agriculture land, agriculture biotechnology, and any other transaction related to the agriculture industry in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2023
American Confidence in Elections Act or the ACE Act This bill addresses election administration and security, campaign finance, and other related provisions. Specifically, the bill directs the Election Assistance Commission's (EAC's) Standards Board and Local Leadership Council to issue voluntary considerations for states about various aspects of election administration. Additionally, the bill reduces certain election assistance payments for states and local jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote; requires states to provide designated congressional election observers with full access to observe the administration procedures of federal elections; prohibits federal agencies from using funds made available for salaries and expenses to solicit or enter into agreements with nongovernmental organizations to conduct voter registration or voter mobilization activities on the agency's property or website; prohibits federal funds for election administration for states that allow ballot harvesting, with exceptions; establishes various requirements for elections in the District of Columbia; makes various changes to the EAC; and prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions or donations in connection with state or local ballot initiatives or referenda. The bill also establishes the Twentieth Amendment Section Four Panel, which must recommend to Congress model legislation to resolve any vacancy created by the death of a candidate in a contingent presidential or vice-presidential election. The bill makes changes to campaign finance, including by (1) repealing limits on coordinated party expenditures, and (2) prohibiting federal funds from being used to make payments in support of a congressional election campaign. It also makes changes to the Federal Election Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2023
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineworker is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2023
Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act This bill restricts state and local governments from imposing certain standards or conditions on the preharvest production of agricultural products sold or offered for sale in interstate commerce. Specifically, it prohibits the imposition of such standards or conditions if (1) the production occurs in another state, and (2) the standard or condition adds to requirements applicable under federal law and the laws of the state and locality where the product is produced. The bill also allows for a private right of action to challenge state or local regulations relating to agricultural goods sold in interstate commerce. A person may bring an action in (1) the U.S. district court for the judicial district in which the person is affected by a regulation or the person resides, operates, or does business; or (2) any other appropriate court with jurisdiction.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2023
This resolution declares that it is the policy of the United States (1) to use all means necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and (2) to support the freedom of action of partners and allies to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2023
This resolution commemorates one year since the Supreme Court's holding in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (that there is no constitutional right to abortion). The resolution also commits to protecting the right to life.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2023
Neighborhood Homes Investment Act This bill allows a business-related tax credit for certain development costs for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or remediation of qualified real property (i.e., real property affixed on a permanent foundation and comprised of four or fewer residential units, a condominium unit, or a house or apartment owned by a cooperative housing corporation). The bill also provides for the exclusion from gross income, for income tax purposes, of the value of any subsidy provided to a taxpayer by any state energy office for purposes of improvements made to a qualified residence.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2023
Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act This bill addresses unfair trade practices by making various changes to U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty law. Antidumping provides relief to U.S industries and workers that are materially injured or threatened with injury due to imports of like products sold in the U.S. market at less than fair value, while countervailing duty provides such relief from imports of products subsidized by a foreign government or public entity. Specifically, the bill establishes a process for successive antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. Successive investigations may be concurrent (an ongoing investigation of the same product) or recently completed (not more than two years before the date of the initiation of the successive investigation). Further, the bill establishes a time line for the Department of Commerce to issue determinations in successive investigations. Among other provisions, the bill authorizes Commerce to apply countervailing duty law to subsidies provided by a foreign government or public entity to a company operating in a third country, use another method for calculating the cost of production in specific circumstances, and require importers to provide a certification that the imported merchandise is not subject to an antidumping or countervailing duty order. Additionally, the bill statutorily establishes procedures for Commerce to conduct circumvention inquiries, including by specifying the deadlines for preliminary and final determinations. The bill also provides statutory authority for Commerce to investigate currency undervaluation as a countervailable subsidy.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Sustainable Agriculture Research Act This bill revises the goals of the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA). Specifically, the bill expands the goals to require AGARDA to enhance the role of sustainable agriculture in innovative voluntary resilience solutions in the United States through the development of agricultural technologies that may address the impact of extreme weather on crop production; the effects of drought and the potential of building water holding capacity in soils on croplands and rangelands; the expansion of the potential for long-term carbon storage through sustainable agriculture; increased economic and practical feasibility for renewable and sustainable energy on farms and in the agriculture industry; increased voluntary adoption of conservation practices that sequester carbon and build on-farm climate resilience; and increased economic and practical feasibility for, and voluntary adoption of, precision agriculture technology. The bill defines precision agriculture as managing, tracking, or reducing crop or livestock production inputs (including seed, feed, fertilizer, chemicals, water, and time) at a heightened level of spatial and temporal granularity to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and maintain environmental quality.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2023
Short Line Railroad Relief Act This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to provide emergency grants or enter into contracts and other agreements for capital projects for short line railroads. A project must protect, repair, reconstruct, or replace short line railroad equipment and facilities in danger of suffering catastrophic damage, or that have suffered catastrophic damage, as a result of an emergency. An emergency includes a natural disaster affecting a wide area or a catastrophic failure from any external cause that results in the declaration of an emergency or a major disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2023
U.S.-Israel Partnership and Abraham Accords Enhancement Act of 2023 This bill modifies and extends certain authorities related to Israel. For example, the bill extends the authorization for the Department of Defense (DOD) to transfer certain defense items to Israel; extends the authorization to finance cooperative projects among the United States, Israel, and developing countries related to water resources, agriculture, and energy storage; extends energy cooperation and authorizes the Department of Energy to make grants to Israel to support advanced nuclear technologies, as well as for carbon capture, utilization, and storage; requires the U.S. Agency for International Development to ensure that applicants from Abraham Accord countries are eligible for Middle East Regional Cooperation grants; and requires the Department of State to report to Congress on U.S. diplomatic efforts to oppose politically motivated investigations against the United States and Israel at the International Criminal Court.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau titled Small Business Lending under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B) and published on May 31, 2023. The rule requires financial institutions to collect and report to the bureau credit application data for small businesses. On July 31, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ordered the bureau not to implement or enforce the rule until a related pending case is resolved.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2023
Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act or the SHIP Act This bill requires the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against foreign persons that knowingly transport, process, refine, or otherwise deal in petroleum and petroleum products originating in Iran. These sanctions also extend to certain foreign persons associated with the sanctioned individual, such as adult family members and any entities owned or controlled by the sanctioned individual.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2023
This resolution calls on the people of the United States to observe Memorial Day to honor the men and women who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2023
Access Technology Affordability Act of 202 3 This bill allows a refundable tax credit equal to the amounts paid for qualified access technology for use by a blind individual who is the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or a dependent of the taxpayer. Qualified access technology is hardware, software, or other information technology with the primary function of converting or adapting information that is visually represented into forms or formats usable by blind individuals. The credit is limited to (1) costs that are not compensated by insurance or otherwise, and (2) an aggregate amount of $2,000 per blind individual in any period of three consecutive taxable years. The credit must be adjusted for inflation after 2024 and terminates after 2028.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2023
This bill increases funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program. This Department of Agriculture program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to maintain and improve existing conservation systems and to adopt additional conservation activities in a comprehensive manner on a producer's entire operation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2023
Reinstate Our Troops Act This bill addresses the reinstatement of members of the Armed Forces who requested an exemption from an order to receive a COVID-19 vaccination and were involuntarily separated solely on the basis of the refusal to receive such vaccination. Specifically, at the election of the separated individual, the bill requires the military department concerned to reinstate the individual, in the same rank and grade the individual held at the time of separation. An individual must elect to be reinstated within the one-year period following the enactment of this bill. Additionally, such individuals (enlisted members and officers) are not required to repay a bonus for failure to complete a period of service solely because such service was incomplete due to the exemption request and involuntary separation. The military department concerned must return a bonus repaid by an individual if the individual elects to be reinstated. If an individual does not elect reinstatement, the military department concerned must ensure the discharge of the individual is characterized as honorable. The military department concerned must also expunge from an individual's military service record any reference to adverse action related to the refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2023
Comprehensive Southern Border Strategy Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress a comprehensive southern border strategy. The strategy must include (1) an overview of current security risks along the southern border; and (2) an assessment of the barriers, technologies, and tools that are necessary to achieve and maintain situational awareness and operational control of the border.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2023
Gun Owner Registration Information Protection Act This bill prohibits federal funding of, or support for, state databases that list (1) firearms lawfully owned or possessed by individuals, or (2) individuals who lawfully own or possess firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2023
American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act This bill expands the National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program. The bill expands the battlefield acquisition grant program to allow grants to be (1) awarded to Indian tribes and nonprofit organizations, and (2) awarded to acquire certain Revolutionary War or War of 1812 battlefields. The bill expands eligibility for the battlefield restoration grant program to include battlefield land that is owned by a state, tribe, local government, or nonprofit organization. Not later than 2 years after this bill's enactment and every 10 years thereafter, the American Battlefield Protection Program must report to Congress on preservation activities and the condition of battlefields.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2023
Community College Agriculture Advancement Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make competitive grants to assist eligible entities in maintaining and expanding their capacity to conduct workforce training, education, research, and outreach activities related to agriculture and similar disciplines. An eligible entity includes a junior or community college, or a consortium or alliance of two-year public colleges, supporting agriculture advancement. In awarding grants, USDA must give priority to entities coordinating with a local agriculture industry operator to provide experiential training and other opportunities for students. Grant funds may be used to expand and maintain the capacity of the eligible entity, including through the purchase or other acquisition of equipment and other infrastructure, the professional growth and development of faculty, and the development of apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities. An eligible entity may submit to USDA an application for designation and funding as a Center of Excellence for Agriculture Advancement. Funding received as a result of such a designation must be used to demonstrate agriculture best practices and to provide leadership in capacity building at a regional or national level.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2023
Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2023 This bill replaces the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) with a new forest conservation easement program. Both the HFRP and the new program provide for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase easements on private land for forest conservation purposes. Under the new program, USDA must provide cost-share assistance to states, local governments, Indian tribes, or certain organizations for their purchase of forest conservation easements. The bill also sets aside program funding to purchase easements from certain classes of landowner, including beginning forest landowners, socially disadvantaged forest landowners, and veteran forest landowners.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2023
U.S.-Israel Cooperation Expansion Act This bill provides that it is U.S. policy to (1) support bilateral training between U.S. and Israeli law enforcement for sharing best practices related to anti-terrorism, community policing, and managing mass casualties; and (2) continue to counter threats to U.S. and Israeli security and embassy protection posed by illicit cross-border tunneling and unmanned aerial systems.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2023
This resolution expresses support for Israel's efforts of self-determination and collective security against external forces, recognizes Jerusalem as the legitimate capital city of Israel, and condemns actions by Hamas against the people of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2023
Protecting America's Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2023 This bill prohibits persons associated with the governments of Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States. Specifically, the President must prohibit any person (individual or entity) owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of these foreign governments from purchasing or leasing (1) public agricultural land that is owned by the United States and administered by a federal department or agency, or (2) private agricultural land that is located in the United States. A person that violates or attempts to violate this prohibition is subject to civil and criminal penalties. This prohibition does not require a person that owns or leases agricultural land as of the date of this bill's enactment to sell that land. Further, the President must prohibit a person associated with these foreign governments and who leases, or who has full or partial ownership of, agricultural land in the United States from participating in Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Exceptions are included to allow for participation in USDA programs related to food safety, the health and labor safety of individuals, or certain reporting and disclosure requirements. The restrictions established by the bill do not apply to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The bill also amends the agriculture foreign investment disclosure reporting requirements to include reporting on security interests and leases. Finally, USDA must submit a report every two years on foreign ownership of agriculture land in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2023
National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Program. The bill further directs DOJ to award a grant under the program to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for the expenses associated with community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness programs operated by the of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and National Law Enforcement Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2023
Sanctioning Tyrannical and Oppressive People within the Chinese Communist Party Act or the STOP CCP Act This bill imposes visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any person who is a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, as well as any adult family member of such a person. The President may waive the sanctions for renewable periods of 30 days by certifying to Congress that China's government and the Chinese Communist Party have ceased (1) any acts of genocide against the Uyghur Muslim population; (2) all threats, military exercises, and aggression toward Taiwan; (3) undermining the autonomy of Hong Kong; and (4) any efforts to steal the intellectual property of U.S. persons. The certification must also be publicly available on a federal government website.
![Official portrait of Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000591_200.jpg)