S 293, the Fair Access to Banking Act, prohibits large financial institutions (with $10 billion+ in assets) from denying banking services to lawful businesses based on political reasons, bias, or industry category. It requires these "covered banks" to justify service denials using documented, objective risk assessments - not subjective political judgments - and to provide written explanations for denials. The bill directly affects businesses operating legally in industries often targeted by banks (like cannabis or firearms), ensuring equal access to services like loans, credit cards, or payment processing. Violations allow affected businesses to sue for treble damages and attorney fees, with payment networks and credit unions also barred from blocking access based on "reputational risk."
This bill requires prosecutors in large jurisdictions (population over 360,000) receiving federal crime funds to submit annual reports on how they handle serious crimes like murder, rape, robbery, and firearm offenses. The reports must detail cases declined for prosecution, plea agreements, and whether defendants had prior similar offenses or were on probation/parole. Prosecutors who comply receive priority in federal funding disbursement, while the Attorney General must publish the data for public access. It also prohibits federal funding for jurisdictions with policies banning cash bail for firearm-related offenses. The bill focuses on transparency and accountability in prosecution decisions, not altering legal standards.
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General to regularly investigate and report on how people apprehended at the southwest border are processed. Specifically, it mandates reports every 60 days (until monthly apprehensions drop below 35,000 for three months) detailing vetting, releases, parole decisions, asylum applications, removal proceedings, and monitoring of individuals released without detention. The reports must cover specific data points like the number of people released without tracking devices, those given reporting notices, and where released individuals were resettled. The bill directly affects DHS operations and its oversight, focusing on transparency in border processing procedures rather than changing immigration laws.
HR 863 prohibits publishing houses from knowingly supplying schools or school districts with sexually explicit material (including digital books), imposing fines up to $500,000 or imprisonment for executives who authorize such actions. It also blocks federal funding for public schools that obtain such material or for school districts that distribute it to schools, requiring them to destroy the material before funding resumes. Exceptions apply for material with serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. The bill directly affects publishers, public schools, and school districts, targeting both the supply chain and funding for sexually explicit content in educational settings.
HR 865, the United States Colored Troops Congressional Gold Medal Act, authorizes a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to be presented to all African American soldiers and sailors who served with Union forces during the Civil War. The medal, designed by the Treasury Secretary, will be awarded collectively to this group in recognition of their service and bravery. After presentation, the gold medal will be donated to the Smithsonian Institution for public display, with the option to sell bronze duplicates to cover costs. This bill does not change existing laws but formally honors the historical contributions of approximately 200,000 African American soldiers in the Union Army and 19,000 in the Union Navy.
Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2023 This bill restricts the performance of dismemberment abortions. It defines the term dismemberment abortion . Specifically, the bill prohibits a physician from knowingly performing a dismemberment abortion. It provides an exception for a dismemberment abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or condition. The bill establishes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to two years, or both—for a physician who performs a prohibited dismemberment abortion. It also authorizes civil remedies for a woman or parent of a minor who undergoes a dismemberment abortion. A woman who undergoes a dismemberment abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable.
HR 857, the Presidential Budget Accountability Act, requires the President to submit the annual budget to Congress by the first Monday in February. If the budget is late, federal funds cannot be used for the President's travel expenses starting the Tuesday after that date until the budget is submitted. The bill specifically restricts funds for the President's expense allowance, travel costs, entertainment, and subsistence during travel. This directly affects the President's travel budget and aims to incentivize timely budget submissions by the executive branch.
The PAYSTUB Act requires the President to submit the federal budget to Congress by the first Monday in February. If the President misses this deadline, the bill prohibits using federal funds for salaries and expenses of political appointees (including Executive Schedule positions, certain Senior Executive Service roles, and policy-determining Schedule C positions) from the Tuesday after the deadline until the budget is submitted. Affected employees must then be paid retroactively at their standard rate once the budget is filed. This creates a direct financial consequence for the executive branch if the President fails to meet the constitutional budget deadline.
HCONRES 13 is a concurrent resolution expressing Congress's support for maintaining the current policy that prohibits imposing new fees on local radio stations for playing music. It states that Congress should not impose any performance fee, tax, royalty, or charge on local radio stations for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on businesses like bars and restaurants that play music publicly. The resolution argues that such fees would harm local radio stations - critical sources for emergency information and community programming - and jeopardize the economic model that has supported both radio and the music industry for decades. This resolution does not create new law but formally opposes potential legislative changes to the existing fee structure.
Freight Rail Assistance and Investment to Launch Coronavirus-Era Activity and Recovery Act of 2023 or the Freight RAILCAR Act of 2023 This bill provides a new tax credit through 2025 for 10% of freight railcar fleet modernization expenses (i.e., railcar replacement and modernization expenses for meeting fuel efficiency and performance standards). The bill provides that no more than 2,000 freight railcars per taxpayer may be taken into account for purposes of determining the credit in a taxable year. The Department of the Treasury must report to Congress on the credit to provide information on the number of times the credit was claimed and the number of railcars scrapped or built as a result of the credit.
HR 828, the TROOP Act, allows service members involuntarily separated from the military solely for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine to request reinstatement to their previous rank and grade. It requires the military to provide back pay for the period between separation and reinstatement upon such a request. The bill specifically applies to individuals separated "solely" due to vaccine refusal, as defined in the legislation. It does not create new requirements for vaccination but addresses past separations by restoring pay and status.
The Better Care Better Jobs Act (HR 547) aims to improve access to home and community-based services (HCBS) for Medicaid beneficiaries by providing states with planning grants and enhanced federal funding. States that develop approved HCBS infrastructure improvement plans will receive a 10 percentage point increase in federal Medicaid funding for HCBS services, with additional incentives for self-directed care programs. The bill requires states to address barriers to access, expand workforce development, improve payment rates for direct care workers, and track demographic data on service utilization. It also establishes quality measurement requirements and mandates regular reporting on progress toward improving HCBS access and quality.
