HJRES 170 is a resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a federal rule that would have required new housing projects financed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to meet specific energy efficiency standards. The rule, published in April 2024, aimed to set these standards for new construction in federally subsidized housing. If passed, this resolution would block the rule under the Congressional Review Act, making it legally void. It directly affects developers and builders of HUD- and USDA-financed housing by removing the requirement to comply with these energy standards.
This bill bans developers and deployers of AI algorithms from using them to deceive voters about election procedures (like voting locations or registration rules) or intimidate people from voting. It requires clear disclaimers - such as "AI Disclaimer: This output was generated by artificial intelligence" - on AI-generated election content, including fake candidate videos or altered voting information. The law sets safety standards for election-related AI, requiring developers to ensure algorithms are "safe and effective" before use. The Federal Trade Commission enforces these rules, with violations potentially leading to fines or up to one year in prison.
HR 8859, the Deafblind DATA Act, requires the Census Bureau to create and publish a new annual table starting in 2026 showing the number of people in the U.S. who reported both hearing and vision loss in the American Community Survey. This table will display data by state, including sex, race, age, and economic factors like employment and income, without revealing personal details. The bill directly addresses the lack of a centralized count for deafblind individuals, who currently aren't accurately represented in census data. By cross-referencing existing survey responses, the Act aims to provide a clearer national picture to better understand and serve this population's needs.
This bill strengthens the HUD-VASH program, which provides housing vouchers and case management to homeless veterans. It requires the VA to prioritize vulnerable homeless veterans - especially those with disabilities - for case managers and mandates annual reports tracking program effectiveness, staffing ratios, and veteran outcomes. The law also prohibits revoking housing assistance solely because a veteran refuses case management and protects veterans from eviction for this reason. Additionally, it directs a GAO report assessing veterans' housing stability, case manager recruitment, and program demographics.
HR 8206 prohibits Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida from being designated as wilderness or added to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This means the preserve will not receive wilderness protections, which typically restrict activities like off-road vehicle use and logging. The bill directly affects future management decisions for the preserve by legally blocking federal wilderness designations. It is a specific policy change preventing new restrictions on land use within the preserve.
HR 8847, the "Confronting CCP Human Rights Abusers Act," requires the U.S. Commerce Department to add China's Ministry of Public Security's Institute of Forensic Science (including its aliases) to the Commerce Department's sanctions list within 60 days of the bill's enactment. The law directly affects this Chinese entity by restricting its access to U.S. technology and exports through sanctions. A waiver is permitted if the President certifies the institute is not involved in human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, submitting this certification to Congress within 60 days. The bill's key mechanism is the mandatory inclusion on the sanctions list, with the waiver option tied to human rights certification.
This bill creates a federal framework for "extreme risk protection orders" (ERPOs) that temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a risk of harming themselves or others. Family members or law enforcement officers can petition a federal court for a temporary order (up to 14 days) based on probable cause, followed by a hearing within 72 hours to determine if a longer-term order (up to 180 days) is warranted. The bill requires clear and convincing evidence of risk at the hearing and mandates respondents to surrender firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours. It also includes provisions for reporting, training law enforcement on ERPOs, and a federal grant program to support state ERPO implementation, without preempting state laws.
This bill (HJRES 169) is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that would have listed six freshwater mussels as endangered and one as threatened, with critical habitat protections. It directly aims to block the rule's implementation, preventing federal protections for species like the Guadalupe Fatmucket and Texas Fawnsfoot. The resolution would nullify the rule (published June 4, 2024) under a specific legal process, meaning the listed mussels would not receive the designated endangered or threatened status and habitat protections. The bill does not create new protections but seeks to halt an existing regulatory action.
HR 8800 designates the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States, amending Title 36 of the U.S. Code to formally state this. The bill directly affects official federal designations but does not change existing policies or government actions. It includes findings about the bald eagle's historical, cultural, and symbolic significance, including its role in Indigenous traditions and government imagery. The bill explicitly states that this designation cannot be used to alter any current government plans or regulations.
This non-binding Senate resolution (SRES 748) expresses that the United States should not enter into new security agreements with Ukraine. It specifically targets the June 2024 Bilateral Security Agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine, demanding that this existing agreement be submitted to the Senate for ratification as a treaty - requiring two-thirds approval - before it can have legal force. The resolution argues the current agreement bypasses constitutional requirements by circumventing Senate oversight and could commit the U.S. to indefinite military support without congressional authorization. As a resolution, it does not change policy but formally opposes the agreement’s current status and requires Senate ratification for future security commitments.
HRES 1305 is a procedural resolution that formally rescinds subpoenas issued by the January 6th Select Committee to four individuals (Stephen Bannon, Mark Meadows, Daniel Scavino Jr., and Peter Navarro) and withdraws the committee’s recommendations finding them in contempt of Congress. The bill specifically cancels subpoenas from September 2021, October 2021, and February 2022, along with related contempt resolutions adopted in 2021-2022. It does not alter legal proceedings but withdraws the committee’s authority to enforce these actions. The resolution is supported by House members who argue the committee was partisan and illegitimate, though the bill itself only addresses the committee’s procedural actions.
HRES 1311 is a symbolic resolution commemorating the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision (June 24, 2022), which overturned *Roe v. Wade*. It celebrates the ruling as a step toward protecting unborn life and commits the House to supporting families and policies aligned with its view of unborn life's humanity. The resolution does not create new laws or affect any specific group directly - it is purely ceremonial, expressing the House's position on the Dobbs ruling.
