United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2024
Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act This bill imposes sanctions against foreign persons (individuals and entities) who assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting certain individuals. The bill categorizes as protected persons (1) any U.S. individual, U.S. entity, or person in the United States, unless the United States is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC and provides formal consent to ICC jurisdiction; and (2) any foreign person that is a citizen or lawful resident of a U.S. ally that is not a state party to the Rome Statute or has not consented to ICC jurisdiction. If the ICC attempts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute a protected person, the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against the foreign persons that engaged in or materially assisted in such actions, as well as against foreign persons owned by, controlled by, or acting on behalf of such foreign persons. The President must also apply visa-blocking sanctions to the immediate family members of those sanctioned. Upon enactment, the bill rescinds all funds appropriated for the ICC and prohibits the subsequent use of appropriated funds for the ICC.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2024
Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE Act This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. Further, the bill (1) prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in a federal election unless, at the time the individual applies to register to vote, the individual provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship; and (2) requires states to establish an alternative process under which an applicant may submit other evidence to demonstrate U.S. citizenship. Each state must take affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, which shall include establishing a program to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using information supplied by specified sources. Additionally, the bill requires states to remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters. The bill allows for a private right of action against an election official who registers an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill also establishes criminal penalties for registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The Election Assistance Commission must, within 10 days, adopt and transmit guidance for implementing the bill's requirements to chief state election officials.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2024
This concurrent resolution recognizes local law enforcement officers, extends gratitude to local law enforcement officers and their families, and condemns calls to defund or abolish the police.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2024
This resolution thanks elementary and secondary school teachers and promotes the teaching profession by encouraging students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to recognize National Teacher Appreciation Week.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2024
This bill authorizes the Department of State to expand certain passport application processing services and directs related changes. The bill requires the State Department to increase (1) the number of companies certified to provide expedited processing (formally known as hand-carry courier services ) of passport applications, and (2) the daily maximum number of passport applications that passport offices may accept from certified passport expeditors. The bill also authorizes the State Department to designate notaries public, among others, as passport acceptance agents. Additionally, the bill provides that passports issued 180 days or more after the bill's enactment shall expire on the passport holder's birthday.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2024
Remote Access Security Act This bill broadens the scope of the U.S. export control system to include remote access of items. Remote access means (1) access to an item subject to the jurisdiction of the United States by a foreign person through a network connection, including the internet or a cloud computing service, from a location other than where the item is physically located; or (2) any other form of access specified in regulations promulgated by the Department of Commerce. The Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA), which is implemented through the Export Administration Regulations, provides a permanent statutory basis for controlling the export of dual-use goods (e.g., items with both civilian and military uses) and certain military parts and components. This bill applies export controls under ECRA to remote access of items, thereby allowing Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security to issue licenses and impose penalties related to remote access of controlled items.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2024
Help Extend Auditory Relief Act of 2024 or the HEAR Act of 2024 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of hearing aids and hearing rehabilitation services. Covered services include hearing aid assessments, fittings, and related instructional services.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2024
Rosatom Sanctions Enforcement Act This bill requires the President to take actions against Russian nuclear suppliers (e.g., Rosatom). (Rosatom is Russia's state nuclear power conglomerate.) Specifically, the bill requires the President to impose property-blocking sanctions on Rosatom and others, including foreign persons involved in Rosatom’s construction of nuclear reactors. Additionally, the President must submit to Congress a strategy to (1) replace Rosatom and other Russian nuclear suppliers with those from the United States and U.S. allies and partners, and (2) effect a permanent decoupling from the Russian nuclear industry. Within 60 days of submitting this strategy, the President must issue a directive prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in any significant transaction with Rosatom and others involved with Rosatom. The bill also requires the President to prescribe regulations to prohibit or impose strict conditions with respect to certain financial accounts held by foreign financial institutions. The bill allows the President to waive the aforementioned sanctions under specified circumstances. The President must, within 60 days of receiving a request from Congress, determine whether a person or foreign financial institution described in the request meets the criteria to be subject to sanctions imposed in two specified regulations relating to Russia. The President must submit a report to Congress stating whether the President imposed or intends to impose sanctions on persons or institutions described in the request from Congress. The President must also pause the issuance of export licenses granted under a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia until certain conditions are met.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2024
21st Century Peace through Strength Act This bill establishes law on various foreign policy matters. For example, the bill requires the President to impose property-blocking sanctions on foreign persons (i.e., individuals and entities) associated with transnational criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl; authorizes the President to seize and transfer certain Russian sovereign assets to fund Ukrainian war compensation or reconstruction; prohibits entities in the United States from distributing, updating, or maintaining a website or application operated by ByteDance, Ltd., TikTok, or certain other entities; prohibits data brokers from providing personally identifiable sensitive data of U.S. persons to foreign adversary countries; imposes property-, docking-, and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons operating ports, ships, and refineries supporting Iranian petroleum exports; imposes property- and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons supporting Iranian missile programs and on certain Iranian leaders; imposes property-blocking sanctions on foreign states providing material support to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad; requires the United States to regulate exports of certain foreign-produced items related to Iran; extends the authority of the President to impose sanctions on foreign persons using human shields; imposes property- and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons involved in the trafficking of captagon; requires U.S. financial institutions to close certain accounts related to Iranian leaders and the Department of the Treasury to seek the closure of such accounts in foreign financial institutions; and prohibits U.S. financial institutions from opening or maintaining certain accounts with Chinese financial institutions that support Iranian petroleum exports.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2024
Jackie Robinson Commemorative Site Act This bill designates the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida, as the Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site. It also makes the site a part of the African American Civil Rights Network established under the African American Civil Rights Network Act of 2017. In addition, the bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the site to evaluate its national significance and determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the site as a national historic landmark.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2024
Securing American Agriculture Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assess, on an annual basis, U.S. dependency on critical agricultural products or inputs that could be exploited in the event that China weaponizes such a dependency. USDA must submit a report to Congress on the assessment, which must include recommendations to reduce U.S. dependency on China to supply critical agricultural products or inputs. Under the bill, critical inputs include all farm management, agronomic, and field-applied production inputs (e.g., agricultural equipment, fertilizers, veterinary drugs, and seed). The bill specifies that, in conducting the assessment, USDA may not require a private entity to provide information to USDA. Further, the bill requires USDA to comply with certain confidentiality requirements and restricts disclosures of the information.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2024
This resolution acknowledges April 17, 2024, as the 500th anniversary of the discovery of New York Bay by Giovanni da Verrazzano. The resolution also recognizes the contributions of his voyage to North America.
![Official portrait of Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000599_200.jpg)