Legislation

On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, the President signed into law:

S. 50, the “Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary of National Significance Act of 2024,” which amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to give priority consideration to selecting Pensacola and Perdido Bays as an estuary of national significance.

Thank you to Senators Rubio and Rick Scott for their leadership.

S. 310, the “Disaster Contract Improvement Act,” which requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish an advisory working group to encourage collaboration among entities engaged in disaster recovery relating to debris removal.

Thank you to Senators Rick Scott, Peters, and Rosen, and Representatives LaLota and Pappas for their leadership.

S. 1478, which designates as the “National Medal of Honor Highway” United States Route 20 in the States of Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts.

Thank you to Senator Ron Wyden, Representative Mike Kelly, and many others for their leadership.

S. 2781, the ” Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024,” which promotes remediation of abandoned hardrock mines.

Thank you to Senators Heinrich and Risch, and Representatives Maloy, Peltola, and Susie Lee for their leadership.

S. 3475, the “Strengthening the Commercial Driver’s License Information System Act,” which allows the Secretary of Transportation to authorize a qualified entity to operate the Commercial Driver’s License Information System.

Thank you to Senators Peters and Young for their leadership.

S. 3613, the “Improving Federal Building Security Act of

2024,” which requires Facility Security Committees to respond to security recommendations issued by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service (FPS) regarding facility security.

Thank you to Senators Peters and Young, and Representatives Ezell and Troy Carter for their leadership.

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On Thursday, December 12, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 1432, the “VSO Equal Tax Treatment Act” or the “VETT Act,” which amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the deductibility of charitable contributions to certain organizations for members of the Armed Forces.

Thank you to Representatives Wenstrup and Panetta, and Senators Cassidy and Duckworth for their leadership.

H.R. 3821, the “Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023,” which reauthorizes the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018.

Thank you to the late Representative Bill Pascrell, Representatives Fitzpatrick, Hoyer, and Bost, and Senators Klobuchar, Fischer, Tester, Rubio, and Brown for their leadership.

H.R. 5863, the “Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023,” which provides tax relief with respect to certain Federal disasters.

Thank you to Representatives Steube, LaMalfa, and Mike Thompson, and Senators Cassidy, Butler, and Padilla for their leadership.

S. 91, the “Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which awards a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to 60 diplomats, in recognition of their bravery and heroism during the Holocaust.

Thank you to Senators Hagerty and Kaine, and Representatives Salazar and Ritchie Torres for their leadership.

S. 4243, the “Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which awards posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal to Shirley Chisholm.

Thank you to Senators Butler and Warnock, and Representatives Barbara Lee, Jeffries, Waters, Clarke, and Donalds for their leadership.

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On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 2950, the “Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 2023,” which codifies the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Costal Program and supports efforts to assess, protect, and enhance important costal landscapes.

Thank you to Representatives Huffman and González-Colón, and Senators Cardin and Graham for their leadership.

H.R. 5302, the “Michel O. Maceda Memorial Act,” which designates the Air and Marine Operations Marine Unit of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection located at 101 Km 18.5 in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, as the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit.

Thank you to Representatives González-Colón, Mark Green, Salazar, Radewagen and Soto, and Senators Rick Scott, Rubio, and Padilla for their leadership.

H.R. 5536, the “Grant Transparency Act of 2023,” which establishes transparency requirements for notices of funding availability for Federal grant programs.

Thank you to Representatives Fry and Crockett, and Senators Cornyn, Hassan, and Peters for their leadership.

H.R. 5799, the “James R. Dominguez Memorial Act of 2023,” which designates the checkpoint of the United States Border Patrol located on United States Highway 90 West in Uvalde County, Texas, as the James R. Dominguez Border Patrol Checkpoint.

Thank you to Representatives Tony Gonzales, Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez, and Ciscomani, and Senators Cornyn, Sinema, Cruz, and Manchin for their leadership.

H.R. 7218, the “BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act of 2024,” which reauthorizes programs supporting research and resources related to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias through fiscal year 2029.

Thank you to Representatives Guthrie, Tonko, Chris Smith, and Waters, and Senators Collins, Capito, and Kaine for their leadership.

H.R. 7438, the “FIFA World Cup 2026 Commemorative Coin Act,” which directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in commemoration of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and will be held in the United States for the first time in 32 years.

Thank you to Representatives LaHood, Larsen, Bacon, and Castor, and Senators Young and Butler for their leadership.

H.R. 7764, the “Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act,” which establishes a commission to study the potential transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution.

Thank you to Representatives Wasserman Schultz, Turner, Boyle, and Max Miller, and Senators Casey, Crapo, Fetterman, Collins, and Rosen for their leadership.

H.R. 8932, the “FAFSA Deadline Act,” which requires the release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by October 1.

Thank you to Representative Houchin and Senator Cassidy for their leadership.

The post Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 2950, H.R. 5302, H.R. 5536, H.R. 5799, H.R. 7218, H.R. 7438, H.R. 7764, H.R. 8932 appeared first on The White House.

On Monday, November 25, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 599, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3500 West 6th Street, Suite 103 in Los Angeles, California, as the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Gomez and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 807, the “Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act,” which requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the invaluable service that working dogs provide to society;

Thank you to Representatives McHenry and McGovern, and Senators Budd, Kelly, Tillis and Duckworth for their leadership.

H.R. 1060, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1663 East Date Place in San Bernardino, California, as the Dr. Margaret B. Hill Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Aguilar and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 1098, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 50 East Derry Road in East Derry, New Hampshire, as the Chief Edward B. Garone Post Office;

Thank you to Representatives Pappas and Kuster, and Senators Shaheen and Hassan for their leadership.

H.R. 3608, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 28081 Marguerite Parkway in Mission Viejo, California, as the Major Megan McClung Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Young Kim and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 3728, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 25 Dorchester Avenue, Room 1, in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Caroline Chang Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Pressley, Senators Markey and Warren, and the entire Massachusetts delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 4190, the “Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act,”
which permits restoration of defrauded benefits after the death of a beneficiary;

Thank you to Representatives Trone and Ciscomani, and Senators Manchin and Tuberville for their leadership.

H.R. 5464, which names the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Guntersville, Alabama, as the Colonel Ola Lee Mize Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic;

Thank you to Representative Aderholt, Senators Tuberville and Britt, and the entire Alabama delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 5476, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1077 River Road, Suite 1, in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, as the Susan C. Barnhart Post Office;

Thank you to Representatives Fitzpatrick and Watson Coleman, Senators Casey and Fetterman, and the entire Pennsylvania delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 5490, the “Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act” or the “BEACH Act,” which amends the Coastal Barrier Resources Act to expand the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System;

Thank you to Representatives Kiggans and Blunt Rochester, and Senator Carper for their leadership.

H.R. 5640, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 12804 Chillicothe Road in Chesterland, Ohio, as the Sgt. Wolfgang Kyle Weninger Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Dave Joyce, Senators Vance and Brown, and the entire Ohio delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 5712, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 220 Fremont Street in Kiel, Wisconsin, as the Trooper Trevor J. Casper Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Grothman and the entire Wisconsin delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 5861, the “Building on Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act” or the “BRIDGE for Workers Act,” which extends reemployment services and eligibility assessments to all claimants for unemployment benefits;

Thank you to Representatives LaHood and Danny Davis, and Senators Coons, Cassidy, Kaine and Tillis for their leadership.

H.R. 5985, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 517 Seagaze Drive in Oceanside, California, as the Charlesetta Reece Allen Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Levin and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 6073, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9925 Bustleton Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Sergeant Christopher David Fitzgerald Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Boyle and the entire Pennsylvania delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 6249, the “Think Differently About Emergencies Act,” which provides for a review and report on the assistance and resources that the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides to individuals with disabilities and the families of such individuals that are impacted by major disasters;

Thank you to Representatives Molinaro, Titus, Carbajal and Norton for their leadership.

H.R. 6324, the “Fiscal Year 2024 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act,” which authorizes major medical facility projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2024;

Thank you to Representatives Bost and Amodei, and Senators Tester and Moran for their leadership.

H.R. 6651, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 603 West 3rd Street in Necedah, Wisconsin, as the Sergeant Kenneth E. Murphy Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Tiffany and the entire Wisconsin delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7192, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 333 West Broadway in Anaheim, California, as the Dr. William I. ‘Bill’ Kott Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Correa and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7199, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at S74w16860 Janesville Road, in Muskego, Wisconsin, as the Colonel Hans Christian Heg Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Fitzgerald and the entire Wisconsin delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7333, which names the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center;

Thank you to Representative Mast, Senators Rubio and Rick Scott, and the entire Florida delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7423, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 Benedette Street in Rayville, Louisiana, as the Luke Letlow Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Scalise, Senators Cassidy and Kennedy, and the entire Louisiana delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7777, the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living
Adjustment Act of 2024,” which provides for a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for veterans’ disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation beneficiaries equal to the Social Security COLA;

Thank you to Representatives Luttrell and Pappas, and Senators Tester and Moran for their leadership.

S. 1510, the “GAO Inspector General Parity Act,” which amends provisions relating to the Office of the Inspector General of the Government Accountability Office;

Thank you to Senator Braun and Peters, and Representatives Robert Garcia and McClain for their leadership.

S. 2143, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 320 South 2nd Avenue in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as the Staff Sergeant Robb Lura Rolfing Post Office Building;

Thank you to Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership.

S. 2274, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 112 Wyoming Street in Shoshoni, Wyoming, as the Dessie A. Bebout Post Office;

Thank you to Senators Barrasso, Lummis and Carper for their leadership.

S. 3126, the “Mark Our Place Act,” which amends title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish or replace a headstone, marker, or medallion for the grave of an eligible Medal of Honor recipient regardless of the recipient’s dates of service in the Armed Forces;

Thank you to Senators Braun, Brown and Tester, and Representative Luttrell for their leadership.

S. 3267, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 410 Dakota Avenue South in Huron, South Dakota, as the First Lieutenant Thomas Michael Martin Post Office Building; and

Thank you to Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership.

S. 3419, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1765 Camp Hill Bypass in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, as the John Charles Traub Post Office.

Thank you to Senators Fetterman and Casey for their leadership.

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The post Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 599, H.R. 807, H.R. 1060, H.R. 1098, H.R. 3608, H.R. 3728, H.R. 4190, H.R. 5464, H.R. 5476, H.R. 5490, H.R. 5640, H.R. 5712, H.R. 5861, H.R. 5985, H.R. 6073, H.R. 6249, H.R. 6324, H.R. 6651, H.R. 7192, H.R. 7199, H.R. 7333, H.R. 7423, H.R. 7777, S. 1510, S. 2143, S. 2274, S. 3126, S. 3267, S. 3419 appeared first on The White House.

On Thursday, November 21, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 7189, the “Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization

Act of 2024,” which reauthorizes the National Congenital Heart Disease Research, Surveillance, and Awareness Program.

Thank you to Representatives Bilirakis, Soto, Buddy Carter, Schiff, Salazar and Cárdenas, and Senators Durbin and Young for their leadership.

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On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, the President signed into law:

S. 2228, the “Building Chips in America Act of 2023,” which exempts certain projects relating to the production of semiconductors from environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

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On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, the President signed into law:

S. 1549, the “Congressional Budget Office Data Access Act,” which allows the Congressional Budget Office to obtain records of individuals from Federal agencies without prior written consent of the individual.

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On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the President signed into law:

S. 133, the “NAPA Reauthorization Act,” which extends and amends the National Alzheimer’s Project and the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services.

Thank you to Senators Collins, Warner, Capito, Markey, Moran, Murkowski, and Stabenow, and Representatives Tonko, Chris Smith, and Waters for their leadership.

S. 134, the “Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act,” which requires direct transmittal of the annual National Institutes of Health budget estimate for the National Alzheimer’s Project.

Thank you to Senators Collins, Warner, Capito, Markey, Moran, Murkowski, and Stabenow, and Representatives Chris Smith, Tonko, and Waters for their leadership.

S. 612, the “Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act,” which reauthorizes the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act through September 30, 2034.

Thank you to Senators Cortez Masto, Rosen, Padilla, and Butler, and Representatives Amodei, Susie Lee, Titus, Horsford, Garamendi, Kiley, and Duarte for their leadership. Thank you to the late Senator Dianne Feinstein for her leadership as well.

S. 656, the “Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023,” which revises the rules for VA approval of commercial driver education programs for purposes of veterans education assistance.

Thank you to Senators Fischer and Padilla, and Representatives Edwards, Pappas, Crane, and Spanberger for their leadership.

S. 670, the “IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act,” which establishes two programs within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to provide: outreach and training to HSI employees who have been exposed to various forms of trauma in working with victims of human trafficking; and services for trafficking victims.

Thank you to Senators Peters, Lankford, and Cornyn, and Representatives Dave Joyce, Titus, Wagner, and Slotkin for their leadership.

S. 679, the “GAO Database Modernization Act of 2023,” which requires Federal agencies to submit to the Government Accountability Office reports on rules that the agency revokes, suspends, replaces, or amends, or that are otherwise made ineffective.

Thank you to Senators Rick Scott and Peters, and Representative Bentz for their leadership.

S. 794, the “Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Pilot Program Act of 2023” or the “CTPAT Pilot Program Act of 2023,” which requires the Department of Homeland Security to carry out a pilot program to assess whether allowing certain third-party logistics providers to participate in the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism would enhance port security or otherwise help meet the goals of the program.

Thank you to Senators Cornyn, Carper, Lankford, and Hassan, and Representatives Slotkin, Luttrell, Menendez Jr., and Miller-Meeks for their leadership.

S. 2685, the “Reuse Excess Property Act,” which requires the General Services Administration to make data and internal guidance on excess personal property of Federal agencies publicly available.

Thank you to Senators Peters and Lankford, and Representatives McClain and Porter for their leadership.

S. 3639, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2075 West Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the Robert Hayden Post Office.

Thank you to Senators Peters and Stabenow for their leadership.

S. 3640, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 155 South Main Street in Mount Clemens, Michigan, as the Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson Post Office.

Thank you to Senators Peters and Stabenow for their leadership.

S. 3851, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 90 McCamly Street South in Battle Creek, Michigan, as the Sojourner Truth Post Office.

Thank you to Senators Peters and Stabenow, Representative Huizenga, and the entire Michigan delegation for their leadership.

S. 4698, the “DHS Joint Task Forces Reauthorization Act of 2024,” which extends by two years, until September 30, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security’s authority to establish and operate departmental Joint Task Forces.

Thank you to Senators Peters and Lankford, and Representatives Higgins and Suozzi for their leadership.

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On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 9106, “Enhanced Presidential Security Act of 2024,” which requires the U.S. Secret Service to apply the same standards for determining the number of agents required to protect Presidents, Vice Presidents, and major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates.

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On Monday, September 30, 2024, the President signed into law:

S. 3764, the “United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2024,” which extends and authorizes annual appropriations for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom through fiscal year 2026.

Thank you to Senators Rubio, Cardin, Cruz, Coons, and Lankford, and Representatives Chris Smith, Eshoo, Bilirakis, and Cuellar for their leadership.

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Presidential Determination

No.        2024-14        

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:       Presidential Determination with Respect to the Efforts of Foreign Governments Regarding Trafficking in Persons

Consistent with section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107) (the “Act”), as amended, I hereby determine as follows:

As provided for in section 110(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, that the United States will not provide nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related assistance to the Governments of Burma and Iran for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 until such governments comply with the Act’s minimum standards or make significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with the minimum standards;

As provided for in section 110(d)(1)(A)(ii) of the Act, that the United States will not provide nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related assistance to, or allow funding for participation in educational and cultural exchange programs by officials or employees of, the Governments of Belarus, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Eritrea, Macau (Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)), Nicaragua, the PRC, Russia, and Syria for FY 2025 until such governments comply with the Act’s minimum standards or make significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with the minimum standards;

As provided for in section 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act, I hereby instruct the United States Executive Director of each multilateral development bank, as defined in the Act, and of the International Monetary Fund to vote against and use best efforts to deny any loan or other utilization of the funds of the respective institution (other than for humanitarian assistance; for trade‑related assistance; or for development assistance that directly addresses basic human needs, is not administered by the government of such country, and confers no benefit to that government) for the Governments of Belarus, Burma, Cuba, the DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Macau (Special Administrative Region of the PRC), Nicaragua, the PRC, Russia, South Sudan, and Syria for FY 2025 until such governments comply with the Act’s minimum standards or make significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with the minimum standards;

Consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the Act, I determine that the provision of all nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related foreign assistance programs, projects, activities, and funding for educational and cultural exchange programs described in sections 110(d)(1)(A) and 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act to Brunei, Djibouti, Papua New Guinea, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;

Consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the Act, I determine that providing the assistance described in section 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act to Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Sudan would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;

Consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the Act, I determine that a partial waiver with respect to Belarus, Eritrea, Macau (Special Administrative Region of the PRC), the PRC, and Russia to allow funding for educational and cultural exchange programs described in section 110(d)(1)(A)(ii) of the Act would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;

Consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the Act, with respect to Afghanistan, I determine that a partial waiver of the restriction described in section 110(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act to allow for Economic Support Fund and Global Health Programs (GHP) assistance would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;

Consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the Act, with respect to Cambodia, I determine that a partial waiver of the restriction described in section 110(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act to allow for all assistance and programs other than education programs funded from Development Assistance (DA) would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;

Consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the Act, with respect to South Sudan, I determine that a partial waiver of the restriction described in section 110(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act to allow for GHP assistance would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States; and

Consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the Act, with respect to Sudan, I determine that a partial waiver of the restriction described in section 110(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act to allow for DA and GHP assistance would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States.

In addition, with respect to the Government of Sint Maarten, consistent with the United States Government’s firm stand against human trafficking, and until such government takes steps consistent with compliance with the minimum standards of the Act or makes significant efforts to do so, I hereby:  (i) direct that executive departments and agencies shall not provide nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related foreign assistance, as described in section 110(d)(1)(A) of the Act, to the Government of Sint Maarten; (ii) instruct the United States Executive Director of each multilateral development bank, as defined in the Act, and of the International Monetary Fund to vote against and use best efforts to deny any loan or other utilization of the funds of the respective institution (other than for humanitarian assistance, for trade-related assistance, or for development assistance that directly addresses basic human needs, is not administered by such government, and confers no benefit to that government) to Sint Maarten, as described in section 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act; and (iii) direct that funding for participation by officials or employees of the Government of Sint Maarten in educational and cultural exchange programs shall continue to be permitted in FY 2025, consistent with the foreign policy and all applicable laws of the United States.

You are authorized and directed to submit this determination, the certification required by section 110(e) of the Act, and the Memorandum of Justification, on which I have relied, to the Congress, and to publish this determination in the Federal Register.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Presidential Determination

No.        2024-15        

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:       Presidential Determination and Certification with Respect to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008

Pursuant to section 404 of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 2370c-1) (CSPA), I hereby:

Determine that it is in the national interest of the United States to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Cameroon to allow for the provision of International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) assistance, the issuance of direct commercial sales (DCS) licenses, and support provided pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 331 and 10 U.S.C. 333, to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance or support; to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Libya to allow for the provision of IMET and PKO assistance, the issuance of DCS licenses in connection with the export or reexport of transport aircraft and related parts, components, and technical data, and support provided pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 331 and 10 U.S.C. 333, to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance or support; to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Somalia to allow for the provision of IMET and PKO assistance and support provided pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 331 and 10 U.S.C. 333, to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance or support; to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen to allow for the provision of IMET and PKO assistance, to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance; to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to the Central African Republic to allow for the provision of IMET assistance, to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance; and to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA to allow for the issuance of DCS licenses related to other United States Government assistance for the above countries and, with respect to the Russian Federation, solely for the issuance of DCS licenses in connection with the International Space Station; and

Certify that the governments of the above countries are taking effective and continuing steps to address the problem of child soldiers.

Accordingly, I hereby waive such applications of section 404(a) of the CSPA.

You are authorized and directed to submit this determination and certification to the Congress, along with the Memorandum of Justification, and to publish this determination in the Federal Register.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Presidential Determination
No.        2024-13        

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
 
SUBJECT:       Presidential Determination on Refugee
               Admissions for Fiscal Year 2025
 
 
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, in accordance with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the “Act”) (8 U.S.C. 1157), and after appropriate consultations with the Congress, I hereby make the following determinations and authorize the following actions:
 
The admission of up to 125,000 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.
 
The admissions numbers shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the following regional allocations:
 
Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,000-50,000
East Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10,000-20,000
Europe and Central Asia . . . . . . .  2,000-3,000
Latin America/Caribbean . . . . . .  35,000-50,000
Near East/South Asia . . . . . . . . 30,000-45,000
 
The above allocation ranges are intended to provide flexibility as needs arise, but the total admissions among all of the regions may not exceed 125,000.  Upon providing notification to the Judiciary Committees of the Congress, you are hereby authorized to transfer unused admissions allocated to a particular region to one or more other regions, if there is a need for greater admissions for the region or regions to which the admissions are being transferred.
 
Consistent with section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601(b)(2)), I hereby determine that assistance to or on behalf of persons applying for admission to the United States as part of the overseas refugee admissions program will contribute to the foreign policy interests of the United States and designate such persons for this purpose.
 
Consistent with section 101(a)(42) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42)), and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I also specify that, for FY 2025, the following persons may, if otherwise qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence:

1. Persons in Cuba;
2. Persons in Eurasia and the Baltics;
3. Persons in Iraq;
4. Persons in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; and
5. In certain circumstances, persons identified by a United States Embassy or by an authorized State Department referral partner in any location.

 
You are authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register.
 
 
 
                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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On Monday, September 30, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 7032, the “Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act,” which expands Congressional Budget Office (CBO) authority to obtain materials from Executive Branch entities with or without written agreement, provided that CBO maintains a certain level of confidentiality to protect the materials.

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On Thursday, September 26, 2024, the President signed into law:

S. 2825, the “Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Dustoff crews of the Vietnam War, collectively, in recognition of their extraordinary heroism and life-saving actions in Vietnam.

Thank you to Senators Cornyn and Warren, and Representatives Kilmer and McMorris Rodgers for their leadership.

S. 2861, the “Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King in recognition of a remarkable life devoted to championing equal rights for all, in sports and in society.

Thank you to Senators Gillibrand, Capito, and Sinema, and Representatives Fitzpatrick and Sherrill for their leadership.

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The post Bills Signed: S. 2825, S. 2861 appeared first on The White House.

On Thursday, September 26, 2024, the President signed into law:

S. 265, the “Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs Reauthorization Act” or the “SIREN Reauthorization Act,” which reauthorizes and modifies a grant program to support the improvement of emergency medical services in rural areas.

Thank you to Senators Durbin and Collins, and Representatives Dave Joyce and Dingell, for their leadership.

S. 1648, the “Launch Communications Act,” which requires the Federal Communications Commission to finalize rules for access to specified frequencies for commercial space launches and commercial space reentries.

Thank you to Senators Schmitt and Hickenlooper, and Representatives Soto and Dunn, for their leadership.

S. 4351, the “Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024,” which reauthorizes national poison control programs.

Thank you to Senators Murray, Tuberville, Luján, and Romney, and Representatives Chavez-DeRemer, John Joyce, Cherfilus-McCormick, and Davis, for their leadership.

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The post Press Release: Bills Signed: S. 265, S. 1648, S. 4351 appeared first on The White House.

On Thursday, September 26, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 9747, the ” Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025,” which provides fiscal year 2025 appropriations to Federal agencies through December 20, 2024, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government. 

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The post Press Release: Bill Signed: H.R. 9747 appeared first on The White House.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:       Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) and Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State: 

(1)  the authority under section 506(a)(1) of the FAA to direct the drawdown of up to $375 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Ukraine and to make the determinations required under such section to direct such a drawdown; and

(2)  the authority under section 614(a)(1) of the FAA to determine whether it is important to the security interests of the United States to furnish up to $103 million in assistance to Ukraine without regard to any provision of law within the purview of section 614(a)(1) of the FAA.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) and Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 appeared first on The White House.

On Friday, September 20, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 7377, “Royalty Resiliency Act,” which amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 to improve the management of royalties from oil and gas leases, and for other purposes.

Thank you to Representative Hunt for his leadership.

H.R. 9468, “Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024,” which provides fiscal year 2024 supplemental appropriations to the Veterans Benefits Administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), establishes reporting requirements related to VA funding and projected funding shortfalls, and requires the VA Office of Inspector General to conduct a review on the causes that led to this funding shortfall.

Thank you to Representatives Takano, Bost, Mike Garcia, Cole, and DeLauro, and Senators Tester, Moran, Brown, Boozman, Murray, and Collins for their leadership.

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The post Bills Signed: H.R. 7377, H.R. 9468 appeared first on The White House.

On Friday, September 13, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 1076, the “Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act,” which requires the Government Accountability Office to carry out a study on illicit financing in connection with the trafficking of synthetic drugs; and

Thank you to Representatives De La Cruz, Pettersen, and Ogles, and Senators Cornyn, Cortez Masto, and Rosen for their leadership.

S. 1608, the “Starr–Camargo Bridge Expansion Act,” which provides for the expansion of the Starr–Camargo Bridge near Rio Grande City, Texas.

Thank you to Senators Cornyn, Cruz, and Kelly, and Representative Cuellar for their leadership.

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