This bill prohibits entities controlled by the governments of Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States. It also prevents these entities from participating in most Department of Agriculture programs if they own or lease agricultural land, with limited exceptions for food safety and certain agency programs. The bill amends existing reporting requirements to include security interests and leases in the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, requiring more comprehensive transparency about foreign ownership. It mandates annual reports to Congress on foreign ownership risks and the effectiveness of current monitoring systems. The legislation aims to protect agricultural land from foreign influence while improving transparency about who owns U.S. farmland.
Science-Based Grizzly Bear Management Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to reissue the final rule relating to removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, published on June 30, 2017 (82 Fed. Reg. 30502), without regard to any other provision of statute or regulation that applies to issuance of such rule. Such reissuance shall not be subject to judicial review. Interior shall issue a final rule removing the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife without regard to any other provision of statute or regulation that applies to the issuance of such rule. Such issuance shall also not be subject to judicial review.
HR 1043 requires the U.S. Department of the Interior to immediately resume quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales in specific states, including Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, and others. It mandates offering all eligible lands nominated under existing land use plans for leasing, with replacement sales if original sales are canceled or receive insufficient bids. The bill directly affects federal land management practices and oil/gas companies seeking leases on public lands. It specifies that lease sales must occur quarterly in designated states and requires reports to Congress if sales are missed. The legislation focuses on restoring routine leasing processes under existing laws, without altering environmental review requirements.
This bill requires the CDC to collect and publicly share information about concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) affecting public safety officers, including research on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It mandates updating the CDC website and developing targeted resources for medical professionals, public safety employers, mental health providers, patients/families, and researchers. The goal is to improve care for officers, reduce injury incidents through better protocols, and enhance awareness of TBI impacts. The bill specifically covers law enforcement, firefighters, and other public safety personnel as defined by federal law.
Merchant Category Code Neutrality Act This bill prohibits the Internal Revenue Service from auditing a taxpayer based primarily on the Merchant Category Codes, or other similar codes, used to classify the goods or services provided by the taxpayer's business. The bill defines Merchant Category Code to mean classification codes assigned by payment card organizations to merchants or payees that accept their payment cards to classify the goods or services provided or furnished by a merchant or payee.
S 893, the "Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act," raises the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots from 65 to 67 years old for most scheduled passenger flights. It directly affects pilots employed by airlines operating under standard commercial regulations (most major airline flights in U.S. airspace). The bill amends existing FAA rules to allow pilots over 65 to continue flying if already employed before the law's enactment or hired new, while requiring pilots aged 60+ to maintain a current first-class medical certificate. This change aims to retain experienced pilots without altering safety training requirements or medical standards for age.
Protecting Legal Firearms Ownership Act of 2023 This bill states that any firearm or firearm attachment that was lawfully manufactured before the effective date of a new rule or regulation shall be grandfathered and shall be permitted to be sold, transferred, and possessed in accordance with the previous rule regime. The bill specifies that the manufacturing date of a firearm or firearm attachment shall be determined by the serial number recorded on the firearm or firearm attachment, or any other legal method of recording the date of manufacturing, including packaging.
Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Ownership Act of 2023 This bill prohibits Members of Congress and their spouses from owning or trading stocks, bonds, commodities, futures, or any other form of security. Each current Member must divest within 180 days after the bill is enacted and each new Member must divest within 180 days after becoming a Member. However, Members and their spouses have 5 years to divest from specified complex investment vehicles. The bill does not apply to certain investments, such as investments in widely held investment funds that are diversified and do not present a conflict of interest and investments held in government employee retirement plans. A Member or spouse who violates the bill may be subject to a fine of up to $50,000 for each violation. The bill permits a Member or spouse who is required to divest property under the bill to avoid recognizing gain for income tax purposes from the sale of that property to the extent that the Member or spouse purchases permitted bonds or diversified investment funds within 60 days of the divestiture.
Department of Veterans Affairs Telehealth Strategy Ac t This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit a strategy to Congress for the telehealth services furnished by the Veterans Health Administration. Additionally, the VA must report on the utilization of end-user devices provided to veterans by the VA to facilitate telehealth during FY2023 and FY2024.
This bill adds a new section to federal law making murder of law enforcement officers a capital offense. It mandates death or life imprisonment for individuals who murder federal officers during official duties, or state/local officers when the crime involves interstate activity (like using a weapon that crossed state lines). Key provisions include specific aggravating factors considered for sentencing, such as ambush tactics, prior violent advocacy, or ties to extremist groups. The bill explicitly states it does not affect state court jurisdiction over such cases.
The DAIRY PRIDE Act would require food products using dairy-related terms (like "milk," "yogurt," or "cheese") to meet the FDA's definition of dairy - derived from animal milk - to prevent misleading labeling of plant-based alternatives. It directly affects producers of plant-based products currently marketed with dairy terms, such as almond or oat milk, which often lack comparable nutrition. The bill mandates the FDA issue enforcement guidance within 180 days and report to Congress on actions taken after two years. This policy change aims to align product names with the FDA's existing definition of dairy products under federal law.
No Federal Funds for Abortion Travel Expenses Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to support interstate travel to obtain an abortion.
