Read the Bills Act

Last updated

The Read the Bills Act (RTBA) is proposed legislation intended to require the United States Congress to read the legislation that it passes. It was originally written in 2006 [1] by Downsize DC, a non-profit organization focused on decreasing the size of the federal government. The proposed act is a response to the passing of bills that are thousands of pages long and are passed without copies being made available to the members of Congress who vote on the bill. The bill is aimed at limiting the size and growth of the federal government.

Contents

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) stated his support for it in November 2010. [2] Paul went on to sponsor and propose the bill in the 112th congress as S.3360 on June 28, 2012.

Similarly, a separate bill nicknamed the "Read the Bill Act" would require bills to be posted publicly 72 hours prior to consideration in Congress. Unlike the Downsize DC proposal, this bill is supported by ReadTheBill.org (part of the Sunlight Foundation) with the primary aim to increase transparency in government. [3] It was introduced in the U.S. House (by Brian Baird in 2006 H.Res. 688, 2007 H.Res. 504, and 2009 H.Res. 554) and Senate (by Jim Bunning in 2009 S.Res. 307, and by John Ensign in 2011 S.Res. 16). The Senate version differs in a few ways, including a requirement to have the Congressional Budget Office provide an evaluation of the proposed legislation. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Contract with America was a legislative agenda advocated for by the Republican Party during the 1994 congressional election campaign. Written by Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey, and in part using text from former President Ronald Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address, the Contract detailed the actions the Republicans promised to take if they became the majority party in the United States House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. Many of the Contract's policy ideas originated at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Statehood movement in the District of Columbia Movement to make the United States capital a state

The District of Columbia statehood movement is a political movement that advocates making the District of Columbia a U.S. state, to provide the residents of the District of Columbia with voting representation in the Congress and full control over local affairs.

District of Columbia voting rights Suffrage and representation of the United States capital

Voting rights of citizens in the District of Columbia differ from the rights of citizens in each of the 50 U.S. states. The Constitution grants each state voting representation in both houses of the United States Congress. As the federal capital, the District of Columbia is a special federal district, not a state, and therefore does not have voting representation in Congress. The Constitution grants Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the District in "all cases whatsoever".

National World War I Memorial (Washington, D.C.) Planned memorial honoring U.S. soldiers

The National World War I Memorial is a national memorial commemorating the service rendered by members of the United States Armed Forces in World War I. The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the World War I Centennial Commission to build the memorial in Pershing Park, located at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The park, which has existed since 1981, also contains the John J. Pershing General of the Armies commemorative work. In January 2016, the design commission selected the submission "The Weight of Sacrifice", by a team consisting of Joseph Weishaar, Sabin Howard, Phoebe Lickwar, and GWWO Architects, as the winning design, which is expected to be completed by 2024.

Paul Broun American physician, politician, and former U.S. Representative

Paul Collins Broun Jr. is an American physician and politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 10th congressional district from 2007 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party Caucus.

The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 was a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives of the 114th United States Congress by Congressman Thomas Massie (KY-4). It included proposals for a reformed audit of the Federal Reserve System. The Senate version was introduced by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)..

The Respect for Marriage Act, abbreviated as RFMA, was a proposed bill in the United States Congress that would have repealed the Defense of Marriage Act and required the U.S. federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages. It was supported by former U.S. Representative Bob Barr, original sponsor of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and former President Bill Clinton, who signed DOMA in 1996. The administration of President Barack Obama also supported RFMA.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives of the 111th United States Congress on October 29, 2009. The bill was sponsored by Representative Charles Rangel. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system. Known as the "House bill,” HR 3962 was the House of Representatives' chief legislative proposal during the health reform debate.

The Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act or DISCLOSE Act is a federal campaign finance reform bill that has been introduced in the United States Congress since 2010. The bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for greater and faster public disclosure of campaign spending and to combat the use of "dark money" in U.S. elections.

Secure Federal File Sharing Act

The Secure Federal File Sharing Act, also known as H.R. 4098, was a bill that has been under review by the United States Senate since March 25, 2010. The legislation originated in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 17, 2009 as a part of the 111th Congress. The bill sought to impose additional restrictions and requirements regarding the use of peer-to-peer filesharing by employees of and contractors to the United States government.

Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act was a proposed law in the United States which would allow for the sharing of Internet traffic information between the U.S. government and technology and manufacturing companies. The stated aim of the bill is to help the U.S. government investigate cyber threats and ensure the security of networks against cyberattacks.

The 2014 United States federal budget is the budget to fund government operations for the fiscal year (FY) 2014, which began on October 1, 2013 and ended on September 30, 2014.

Marketplace Fairness Act

The Marketplace Fairness Act is proposed legislation pending in the United States Congress that would enable state governments to collect sales taxes and use taxes from remote retailers with no physical presence in their state. Identical versions were introduced into both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate during the 113th United States Congress. During the previous, 112th Congress, a bill was considered but expired without enactment.

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 United States bill

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 is an omnibus spending bill that packages several appropriation bills together in one larger bill. The 113th United States Congress failed to pass any of the twelve regular appropriations bills before the beginning of Fiscal Year 2014. The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 temporarily funded the government from October 1, 2013 to January 15, 2014. A second continuing resolution extended funding until January 18, 2014, giving both the House and the Senate enough time to vote on this bill.

The Email Privacy Act is a bill introduced in the United States Congress. The bipartisan proposed federal law was sponsored by Representative Kevin Yoder, a Republican from Kansas, and then-Representative Jared Polis, a Democrat of Colorado. The law is designed to update and reform existing online communications law, specifically the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986.

2016 Washington, D.C. statehood referendum District of Columbia referendum in support of becoming a U.S. state

A referendum on statehood for the District of Columbia was held on November 8, 2016. It was the first referendum on statehood to be held in the district. The District of Columbia was created following the passage of the Residence Act on July 9, 1790, which approved the creation of a national capital, the City of Washington on the Potomac River.

For the People Act Election reform and anti-corruption bill in the 117th Congress

The For the People Act was a bill in the United States Congress to expand voting rights, change campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of money in politics, ban partisan gerrymandering, and create new ethics rules for federal officeholders.

Justice for Victims of Lynching Act Failed bill that would have made lynching as a federal hate crime

The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018 was a proposed bill to classify lynching a federal hate crime in the United States. The largely symbolic bill aimed to recognize and apologize for historical governmental failures to prevent lynching in the US.

George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 is a civil rights and police reform bill drafted by Democrats in the United States Congress, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The legislation was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on February 24, 2021. The legislation aims to combat police misconduct, excessive force, and racial bias in policing.

DC Admission Act Bill originally introduced during the 116th United States Congress, reintroduced during the 117th United States Congress

The Washington, D.C. Admission Act, often referred to simply as the D.C. Admission Act, is a bill introduced during the 116th United States Congress. The intention of the bill is to grant Washington, D.C., admission into the Union as a state and hence make it the country's first and only city-state. The bill was originally introduced in the 116th Congress on January 3, 2019, and was reintroduced on January 4, 2021, in the 117th Congress. It passed on April 22, 2021 in the House of Representatives.

References

  1. "RTBA Full Text". Downsize DC. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  2. "The Grand New—and Old—Party". Wall Street Journal. November 6, 2010.
  3. "Read The Bill: About Read The Bill". ReadTheBill.org. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  4. "Read the Bill Act Stalled in Congress". OMB Watch. October 14, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2011.