Tagged: government information and archives

Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination ActThis bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to streamline disaster information collection, convene a working group on preliminary damage assessments, and provide a report to Congress.FEMA must (1) conduct a study and develop a plan under which the collection of information from disaster assistance applicants and grantees will be made less burdensome, duplicative, and time consuming for applicants and grantees; and (2) develop a plan for the regular collection and reporting of information on federal disaster assistance awarded.Additionally, not later than two years after enactment of the bill, FEMA must convene a working group on a regular basis to (1) identify potential areas of duplication or fragmentation in preliminary damage assessments after disaster declarations; (2) determine the applicability of having one federal agency make the assessments for all agencies; and (3) identify potential emerging technologies, such as unmanned aircraft systems (i.e., drones), to expedite the administration of preliminary damage assessments.FEMA must submit a comprehensive report on the plans for streamlining and consolidating information collection and the findings and recommendations of the working group to Congress with a briefing. The report must be made available to the public and posted on FEMA's website.

Restoring Faith in Elections ActThis bill establishes certain standards for voting, including voting by mail, in federal elections. It also establishes certain requirements for voter registration and maintenance of official lists of eligible voters.First, the bill establishes certain requirements for voting by mail in federal elections, including by requiring mail-in ballots to be received by the time the polls close on election day.Additionally, the bill makes it unlawful to possess or return a mail-in ballot completed by another person (commonly referred to as ballot harvesting), with exceptions. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to one year, or both.Further, the bill establishes certain requirements for reporting results of federal elections, including by requiring states to count all eligible ballots within 24 hours after the election.Next, the bill provides for the automatic registration of eligible voters. The Election Assistance Commission must make grants to states to implement these automatic voter registration programs.It also requires states and jurisdictions to use standards that apply equally to all methods of voting used in federal elections, including standards related to signature verification.Finally, the bill establishes the National Deconfliction Voting Database and Clearinghouse to serve as a database and clearinghouse for voter registration records and lists of eligible voters. Additionally, each state must certify that it has removed ineligible voters from the official list of eligible voters prior to the federal election.

Prevent Family Fire Act of 2025 This bill establishes a new business tax credit on the sale of a safe firearm storage device on or before December 31, 2032. The amount of the tax credit is 10% of the retail sales price (up to a maximum price of $400 and excluding separately stated sales tax) of a safe firearm storage device. The tax credit is allowed only on the first retail sale of a safe firearm storage device for a use other than resale or long-term lease.The bill defines safe firearm storage device as a device that is (1) designed and marketed to deny unauthorized access to a firearm or ammunition or render such items inoperable; and (2) is secured by a combination lock, key lock, or lock based on biometric information. 

Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act of 2025This bill modifies requirements concerning determinations on whether a species is a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), caps attorney's fees to prevailing parties in ESA citizen suits, and makes related requirements.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) must publish online, subject to privacy or administrative limitations, the best scientific and commercial data available that are the basis for each determination. The bill states that the term best scientific and commercial data available includes all data submitted by a state, tribal, or county government. Thus, such data is automatically deemed to be the best scientific and commercial data available. Before making a determination on whether a species is an endangered or threatened species, the FWS and NMFS must provide affected states with all of the data that is the basis of the determination.The Department of the Interior must also publish and maintain an online searchable database that discloses federal expenditures related to litigation under the ESA.

Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act or the MAPWaters Act of 2025 or the MAPWaters Act of 2025This bill directs the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to standardize and publish data relating to public's access to federal waterways for recreational use.Specifically, the Forest Service and Interior must jointly develop and adopt interagency standards for data collection and dissemination of geospatial data relating to public outdoor recreational access of federal waterways and federal fishing restrictions. The standards must ensure compatibility and interoperability among applicable federal databases with respect to collection and dissemination of such data.Within five years, the Forest Service and Interior must also digitize and make publicly available online certain geographic information system data about (1) federal waterway restrictions, (2) federal waterway access and navigation information, and (3) federal fishing restrictions. They must also update the data about waterway restrictions, waterway access, and navigation information at least twice per year. Data about fishing restrictions must be updated in real time as changes go into effect. Finally, the Forest Service and Interior must develop a process to allow members of the public to submit questions or comments regarding the data regarding waterway restrictions, waterway access, and navigation information.

Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers ActThis bill directs Amtrak to comply with federal open meeting requirements under the Government in the Sunshine Act, with exceptions.Under the bill, certain open meeting requirements do not apply to any portion or portions of a meeting that Amtrak properly determines are likely to involvecontract negotiations, including negotiations for contract procurements and agreements, the disclosure of which would imperil or compromise Amtrak’s competitive position;collective bargaining agreements or any terms and conditions that are proposed for inclusion in an agreement; andmatters involving the employment, appointment, termination, terms and conditions of employment, performance evaluation, promotion, or disciplining of a current or prospective Amtrak officer, employee, or contractor (unless all affected individuals request in writing that the matter or matters be discussed at a public meeting).

Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure ActThis bill requires Amtrak to publicly disclose the annual base pay and bonus compensation paid to an Amtrak executive in a required annual report to Congress.Specifically, Amtrak must incorporate into the annual report the annual base pay and any bonus compensation paid to a member of the executive leadership team. This must include the criteria and metrics used to determine any bonus compensation.Further, Amtrak must make the annual report available on Amtrak's public website.

Federal Employee Performance and Accountability Act of 2025This bill establishes a pilot program making pay increases for certain federal employees contingent on job performance.Under the bill, each executive agency must identify employees to participate in the five-year pilot program from among employees classified at or above the GS-11 level and holding positions with clearly measurable performance criteria. Each agency must select 1%-10% of these employees to participate in the program. An agency may opt out if participation potentially risks national security or public safety.The bill provides that a participating agencymust increase an employee's pay by up to 10% if the employee significantly exceeded established performance metrics during the preceding year,  may not increase the pay of an employee who met established performance metrics during the preceding year, and must reduce by 10% the pay of an employee who rates below expectations for the preceding year.Participating employees are ineligible for annual or locality-based pay increases authorized under current law during the pilot. The bill also requires agencies to establish performance plans and evaluation systems for participating employees. Agencies must also provide training and resources to help participating employees understand and meet performance requirements.Participating agencies must report cost savings, productivity metrics, and other information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) every year. OMB and the Government Accountability Office must jointly report on the final outcome of the program. 

Landlord Accountability Act of 2025This bill prohibits housing discrimination based on income, provides protections to tenants of certain federally assisted housing, and establishes a low-income housing maintenance tax credit for eligible landlords.Specifically, the bill prohibits discrimination in rental housing and residential real estate transactions based on an individual's source of income and provides for penalties. Protected income sources includehousing vouchers and rental assistance,rental and homeownership subsidies,Social Security and disability income assistance, andspousal and child support.Additionally, landlords are prohibited from taking or failing to take certain actions with the intent to make a unit ineligible to receive Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assistance. Landlords that violate this prohibition are subject to penalties and may be sued by harmed tenants. The bill further prohibits property owners of certain multifamily housing projects from intentionally leaving a unit vacant for more than 60 days. Property owners that violate this prohibition are subject to penalties.The bill also provides protections to tenants of multifamily housing projects, which includes requiring HUD to increase the staffing level for the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line and create a Multifamily Housing Complaint Resolution Program.In addition, HUD may provide grants to develop, expand, and assist tenant harassment prevention programs.Finally, the bill establishes a tax credit for qualifying landlords that is equal to the landlord's annual low-income housing maintenance expenses. To qualify, a landlord must have addressed within 30 days any relevant complaints filed under the complaint resolution program.

Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE ActThis bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering 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. The bill specifies what documents are considered acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship, such as identification that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates 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 certain sources.Additionally, states must 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 establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses, including registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

FairTax Act of 2025This bill replaces federal income, payroll, estate, and gift taxes with a federal sales tax beginning in 2027 and eliminates the Internal Revenue Service.The bill establishes a 23% tax-inclusive (30% tax-exclusive) federal sales tax rate on taxable property and services to be administered primarily by each state. The federal sales tax rate is adjusted annually beginning in 2028 so that it is the sum of the general revenue rate (14.91%);old-age, survivors and disability insurance rate; andhospital insurance rate. The bill includes exemptions for property or services purchased for business, investment, and certain state government functions.Registered, qualified families may receive a monthly sales tax rebate in the amount of the monthly federal poverty level (or twice such amount for married individuals) multiplied by the federal sales tax rate. Each family member must have a Social Security number and be a lawful resident of the United States. Federal sales tax revenues are allocated to general revenue, the Social Security trust funds, and the Medicare trust funds. (Special allocation rules apply for 2027.)The bill eliminates appropriations for the Internal Revenue Service after FY2029 and establishes an Excise Tax Bureau and a Sales Tax Bureau within the Department of the Treasury. Finally, the bill terminates the federal sales tax if the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (authorizing a federal income tax) is not repealed within seven years from the date the bill is enacted.

Protect Our Law enforcement with Immigration Control and Enforcement Act of 2025 or the POLICE Act of 2025This bill makes assaulting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder a deportable offense.Specifically, the bill makes deportable any non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) who has been convicted of (or admits to have committed) any act that constitutes the essential elements of any offense involving assault of a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.The Department of Homeland Security must publish annually on its website a report on the number of individuals deported in the previous year pursuant to this bill.