HJRES 64 reappoints Roger W. Ferguson as a citizen regent on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, filling a vacancy caused by his previous term expiration. The bill extends his service for a six-year term, beginning April 25, 2023, or the law's enactment date (December 21, 2023). This procedural resolution directly affects the Smithsonian Institution's governance structure by maintaining Ferguson's position on its Board of Regents. It does not create new policies or alter existing laws, solely addressing the appointment of a specific board member.
H.J. Res. 63 appoints Antoinette Bush of the District of Columbia to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, which became open when Steve Case's term expired on April 25, 2023. The appointment is for a six-year term beginning on the later of April 25, 2023, or the bill's enactment date (December 21, 2023). This procedural resolution directly affects the Smithsonian Institution's governance by filling a specific vacancy on its governing board. It contains no policy changes beyond authorizing this appointment.
H.J. Res. 62 reappoints Michael Govan as a citizen regent of the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents for a six-year term beginning May 6, 2023. This procedural resolution fills the vacancy created when Govan's prior term expired, without changing Smithsonian policies or affecting other individuals. The bill follows standard procedure under 20 U.S.C. § 43 for reappointing an incumbent regent. (H.J. Res. 62, enacted December 21, 2023)
S. 2747 extends the Federal Election Campaign Act's Administrative Fine Program for certain campaign finance reporting violations until December 31, 2033. This bill directly affects political committees, candidates, and other entities required to file campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The key provision amends Section 309(a)(4)(C)(v) of the Act to replace the 2023 expiration date with a 2033 deadline, ensuring fines can still be assessed for late filings of specific reports. The extension applies only to certain violations, not all campaign finance non-compliance, and maintains the existing fine structure without new requirements.
This bill approves and implements a new trade agreement between the United States and Taiwan, negotiated by the American Institute in Taiwan and Taiwan's Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office. The agreement aims to strengthen economic ties by addressing areas like supply chain security, investment screening, health, science, technology, and the digital economy. The bill establishes requirements for the President to consult with Congress before implementation, submit reports on how the agreement benefits US workers and businesses, and provide transparency about future trade negotiations. It also clarifies that the agreement doesn't override US or state laws and requires any future agreements to follow a similar approval process with congressional review.
This bill directs the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins marking the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary in 2025. It authorizes three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar coins (max 750,000), with surcharges of $35, $10, and $5 respectively. The surcharge proceeds will fund the Marine Corps Heritage Center's educational programs, with no net cost to taxpayers as the Treasury must recover all minting costs through the surcharges. The coins can only be issued during 2025, and the Treasury must ensure all costs are covered before distributing funds to the Heritage Foundation.
This bill terminates the national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020, under the National Emergencies Act. It ends the executive branch's authority to use emergency powers related to that specific declaration. The resolution passed both chambers in early 2023 and took effect April 10, 2023, without creating new policies or affecting specific groups.
Low Power Protection Act This act provides for a one-year period during which eligible low-power television stations may apply to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for Class A licenses. To be eligible, a station must serve a media market with a limited number of television households, broadcast a minimum number of hours, and meet other requirements. A low-power station with a Class A license obtains certain broadcast rights, including primary status with respect to its allocation of the electromagnetic spectrum. (Typically, low-power stations have secondary status and may be displaced from their spectrum in the event the FCC reallocates it to a primary user.)
Protecting American Intellectual Property Act of 2022 This bill imposes sanctions on certain foreign individuals and entities involved in the theft of trade secrets belonging to a U.S. individual or entity. The President shall periodically report a list of foreign individuals and entities that have knowingly engaged in, benefited from, or assisted in the significant theft of U.S. trade secrets that materially contributed to a significant threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economic health. The report shall also list foreign individuals who are chief executive officers or board members of any foreign entity engaging in such theft. The President shall impose (1) property- and visa-blocking sanctions on individuals named in the report; and (2) property- or export-blocking sanctions, including denial of certain financial assistance, on entities named in the report.
War Crimes Rewards Expansion Act This act expands the Department of State's rewards program to authorize rewards for providing information leading to the arrest, conviction, or transfer of a foreign national accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide as such crimes are defined under the law of an international criminal tribunal, the applicable country, or the United States. Currently, rewards are authorized for information leading to the arrest, conviction, or transfer of a foreign national accused of such crimes only as defined under the statutes of the relevant tribunal.
This act directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, four Americans killed in the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. (Stevens was the U.S. Ambassador to Libya at the time, Smith was an officer in the Foreign Service, and Doherty and Woods were both government contractors and former Navy SEALs.) After the medal has been awarded, it shall be given to the Central Intelligence Agency Museum.
Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act This act directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include data on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in its broadband health mapping tool. This is an online platform that allows users to visualize, overlay, and analyze broadband and health data at national, state, and county levels. The FCC must consult with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the data to incorporate into the tool.
