Governing for the People Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7007 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7007

              To govern on behalf of the American people.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 12, 2026

 Mr. McGovern introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
   Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on
Transportation and Infrastructure, the Judiciary, Agriculture, Natural
  Resources, Science, Space, and Technology, Education and Workforce,
  Small Business, Energy and Commerce, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence
 (Permanent Select), Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform,
 Veterans' Affairs, Financial Services, House Administration, Homeland
 Security, Rules, Ethics, the Budget, and Appropriations, for a period
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

              To govern on behalf of the American people.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Governing for the People Act''.

                                TITLE I

SECTION 101. FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION DEDUCTION AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Extension.--Section 181(g) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
is amended by striking ``December 31, 2025'' and inserting ``December
31, 2030''.
    (b) Increase in Dollar Limitation.--Section 181(a)(2)(A) of such
Code is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(A) In general.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to
                so much of the aggregate cost of any qualified film or
                television production or any qualified live theatrical
                production as exceeds $30,000,000.''.
    (c) Higher Dollar Limitation for Productions in Certain Areas.--
Section 181(a)(2)(B) of such Code is amended in the matter following
clause (ii) by striking ``substituting `$20,000,000' for
`$15,000,000''' and inserting ``substituting `$40,000,000' for
`$30,000,000'''.
    (d) Inflation Adjustment.--Section 181(a)(2) of such Code is
amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Inflation adjustment.--
                            ``(i) In general.--In the case of any
                        taxable year beginning in a calendar year after
                        2026, each dollar amount in subparagraph (A) or
                        (B) shall be increased by an amount equal to--
                                    ``(I) such dollar amount,
                                multiplied by
                                    ``(II) the cost-of-living
                                adjustment determined under section
                                1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which
                                the taxable year begins, determined by
                                substituting `calendar year 2025' for
                                `calendar year 2016' in subparagraph
                                (A)(ii) thereof.
                            ``(ii) Rounding.--Any increase determined
                        under clause (i) shall be rounded to the
                        nearest multiple of $1,000.''.
    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to productions commencing after the date of the enactment of this
Act.

                                TITLE II

SEC. 201. ADDITIONAL TOOL TO PREVENT CERTAIN FRAUDS AGAINST VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1352. Fraud regarding veterans' benefits
    ``(a) Whoever knowingly executes, or attempts to execute, any
scheme or artifice to defraud an individual of veterans' benefits, or
in connection with obtaining veteran's benefits for that individual,
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 5 years,
or both.
    ``(b) In this section--
            ``(1) the term `veteran' has the meaning given that term in
        section 101 of title 38; and
            ``(2) the term `veterans' benefits' means any benefit
        provided by Federal law for a veteran or a dependent or
        survivor of a veteran.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 63 of
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:

``1352. Fraud regarding veterans' benefits.''.

                               TITLE III

SEC. 301. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this title is to ensure that parties affected by
wildland fires resulting from management activities conducted by the
Department of Agriculture on National Forest System land are eligible
to receive 100 percent funding for the cost of remediating direct and
indirect damages under authorized Federal recovery programs.

SEC. 302. COST-SHARE WAIVER FOR REHABILITATION FROM WILDLAND FIRES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered matching requirement.--The term ``covered
        matching requirement'' means a requirement under a program of
        the Secretary for wildland fire recovery for a State, Indian
        Tribe, locality, or individual to provide matching funds, in
        cash, for a project.
            (2) Covered wildland fire.--The term ``covered wildland
        fire'' means a wildland fire that the Secretary determines to
        be a result of management activities conducted by the Secretary
        on National Forest System land.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
        of Agriculture.
            (4) Wildland fire.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``wildland fire'' means
                any non-structure fire that occurs in vegetation or
                natural fuels.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``wildland fire''
                includes wildfire, prescribed fire, and any direct or
                indirect damage resulting in watershed impairment.
    (b) Waiver.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary may waive any covered matching requirement for a project in
response to a covered wildland fire that is in an area affected by that
covered wildland fire.

                                TITLE IV

SEC. 401. AWARDS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LITERACY PROGRAMS.

    (a) Awards.--
            (1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
        Foundation (NSF) may make awards to eligible entities,
        including nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, or
        consortiums of such entities, to develop, implement, and
        evaluate programs that promote AI literacy at the local level
        allowing communities to learn about AI from local, trusted
        sources.
            (2) Use of funds.--Awards made under this subsection may be
        used for the following:
                    (A) To develop curricula, educational materials,
                and resources focused on AI literacy, including
                relating to understanding the basics of AI, its
                applications, ethical considerations, and the societal
                impacts of AI.
                    (B) To provide AI literacy education and training
                to marginalized communities, with priority given to
                communities of color, low-income populations, rural
                areas, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and
                other underserved groups.
                    (C) To conduct outreach and engagement activities
                to raise awareness of AI literacy and encourage
                participation in AI literacy programs.
                    (D) To evaluate the effectiveness of AI literacy
                programs and share best practices and lessons learned
                with other organizations and institutions.
            (3) Prioritization.--In making awards under this
        subsection, the Director of the NSF may encourage applications
        that--
                    (A) demonstrate a strong commitment to serving
                marginalized communities, including senior citizens;
                    (B) have experience launching technology education
                local programs working with target populations; and
                    (C) propose innovative and scalable approaches to
                AI literacy education.
            (4) Reporting.--Each recipient of an award made under this
        subsection shall submit to the Director of the NSF an annual
        report that may include the following:
                    (A) A description of the AI literacy programs
                funded by the award.
                    (B) Information relating to the number and
                demographics of individuals served by the award.
                    (C) An assessment of the impact of the award on
                participants' understanding of AI and its implications.
    (b) Interagency Coordination, Reporting, and Award
Identification.--
            (1) Reports to congress.--Not later than one year after the
        date of the enactment of this Act, the heads of the following
        Federal agencies shall each submit to Congress a report
        detailing how the respective agency can more effectively
        advance AI literacy:
                    (A) The Secretary of Labor shall assess how AI
                literacy can be integrated into workforce development
                programs, with a focus on preparing workers for the
                jobs of the future and maintaining the United States
                competitive advantage and national security through
                artificial intelligence.
                    (B) The Secretary of Commerce shall evaluate how AI
                literacy can enhance the competitiveness of United
                States businesses, particularly small and medium-sized
                enterprises, in the global AI economy, and contribute
                to maintaining the United States competitive advantage
                and national security through artificial intelligence.
                    (C) The Administrator of the Small Business
                Administration shall evaluate opportunities to support
                AI literacy among small business owners and
                entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on underserved
                communities, to maintain the United States competitive
                advantage and national security through artificial
                intelligence.
                    (D) The Secretary of Education shall identify
                strategies for incorporating AI literacy into K-12 and
                higher education curricula, ensuring that all students
                have access to quality AI education, and that AI
                literacy contributes to maintaining the United States
                competitive advantage and national security through
                artificial intelligence.
            (2) Award identification and modification.--The head of
        each agency specified in paragraph (1) shall also include in
        the respective reports required under such paragraph the
        following:
                    (A) An identification of existing awards under the
                jurisdiction of the respective agency that can be
                modified to include AI literacy as an eligible use of
                funds.
                    (B) Recommendations on how such awards can be
                adapted to support AI literacy initiatives,
                particularly in the context of workforce development,
                business competitiveness, education, and national
                security.
                    (C) Specific examples of award programs that could
                be modified and the potential impact of such
                modifications.
            (3) Consultation.--In preparing the reports and
        recommendations required under this subsection, the head of
        each agency shall consult with relevant stakeholders, including
        educators, industry representatives, community organizations,
        and AI experts.
            (4) Public availability.--The reports required under this
        subsection shall be made publicly available on the websites of
        the respective agencies.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) AI.--The term ``AI'' means artificial intelligence.
            (2) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial
        intelligence'' means an engineered system that can generate
        output for a given set of human-defined objectives, such as
        content, predictions, recommendations, or decisions that
        influence people or environments.
            (3) Artificial intelligence literacy; ai literacy.--The
        terms ``artificial intelligence literacy'' and ``AI literacy''
        mean the ability for humans to understand, evaluate, and
        effectively use artificial intelligence technologies, including
        understanding artificial intelligence basics and knowing what
        artificial intelligence can do, how artificial intelligence
        works, and being aware of the effects on society of artificial
        intelligence.
            (4) Ethical artificial intelligence.--The term ``ethical
        artificial intelligence'' means the practice of designing,
        developing, deploying, and using artificial intelligence
        systems to align with ethical principles and human values,
        considering the potential impact on society of such systems.

                                TITLE V

SEC. 501. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees and Secretary of the
Treasury a report analyzing oil and ballistic missile-related
transactions between the People's Republic of China and the Islamic
Republic of Iran.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include
the following:
            (1) An assessment of the purchases of Iranian oil by the
        People's Republic of China since 2020, including an assessment
        of the use of transshipment points and shell companies as
        methods to insulate the People's Republic of China from
        sanctions.
            (2) An assessment of significant financial transactions by
        entities in the People's Republic of China related to the sale,
        supply, or transfer to Iran of chemical precursors and other
        materials that may support the ballistic missile program of
        Iran.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs,
        the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the
        Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign
        Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the
        Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on
        Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Armed Services, the
        Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select
        Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 502. DETERMINATION.

    Not later than 6 months after the submission of the report required
by section 2, the Secretary of the Treasury shall determine whether the
People's Republic of China is conducting any sanctionable activities
and report such determination to Congress.

                                TITLE VI

SEC. 601. COVERAGE REQUIREMENT.

    (a) Coverage Standard.--All health insurers--including a group
health plan, a health insurance issuer offering group or individual
health insurance coverage, and all applicable Federal health programs--
shall provide full coverage, without cost-sharing, for annual low-dose
computed tomography (LDCT) or other appropriate lung cancer screening
technologies for eligible individuals described in section (3).
    (b) Prohibited Barriers.--Coverage under this title may not be
subject to--
            (1) prior authorization;
            (2) step-therapy or other utilization controls;
            (3) frequency limits more restrictive than one screening
        annually; or
            (4) documentation requirements beyond those included in
        recent evidence-based clinical guidelines.

SEC. 602. ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

    An eligible individual is an adult who--
            (1) is 50 to 80 years old; and
            (2) is determined by a treating health care professional to
        be at increased risk for lung cancer based on personal,
        environmental, or familial risk factors.

SEC. 603. IMPLEMENTATION.

    The Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of
Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Director of the
Office of Personnel Management shall issue implementing regulations
within 180 days of enactment and ensure program-wide compliance.

                               TITLE VII

SEC. 701. IMPLEMENTATION OF GAO RECOMMENDATIONS.

    The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall take such actions
as may be necessary to implement the priority recommendations of the
Comptroller General of the United States contained in the report
published on November 15, 2022, and titled ``Disaster Recovery: Actions
Needed to Improve the Federal Approach'' (GAO-23-104956).

                               TITLE VIII

SEC. 801. UPDATING THE PROCESS FOR PAYING SALARIES OF THE HOUSE OF
              REPRESENTATIVES.

    Section 116(a) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002
(2 U.S.C. 4551) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The usual day'' and inserting ``(1)
        Except as provided in paragraph (2), the usual day''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) When the House of Representatives next upgrades its payroll
system, if directed by the Committee on House Administration of the
House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer may pay
salaries in or under the House of Representatives twice per month, or
on the basis of such other schedule, as such Committee may promulgate
by regulation.''.

                                TITLE IX

SECTION 901. ADMINISTRATION OF NEXT GENERATION WARNING SYSTEM GRANT
              PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency shall take such actions as may be necessary to--
            (1) assume responsibility for administering the Next
        Generation Warning System grant program;
            (2) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
        this Act, disburse all funds made available for fiscal year
        2022 to carry out such program under the heading ``Protection,
        Preparedness, Response, and Recovery--Federal Emergency
        Management Agency--Federal Assistance'' of title III of the
        Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103) that
        are obligated as of the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (3) begin the process of awarding grants under the Next
        Generation Warning System grant program with funds made
        available to carry out such program--
                    (A) for fiscal year 2023 under the heading
                ``Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery--
                Federal Emergency Management Agency--Federal
                Assistance'' of title III of the Consolidated
                Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328); and
                    (B) for fiscal year 2024 under the heading
                ``Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery--
                Federal Emergency Management Agency--Federal
                Assistance'' of title III of the Further Consolidated
                Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47).
    (b) Communications Research and Development.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with
        other relevant Federal agencies and departments, State, local,
        Tribal, and territorial governments, and relevant owners and
        operators of critical infrastructure, as appropriate, shall, to
        the extent practicable, carry out research and development to
        support and improve the--
                    (A) accessibility of emergency warning systems;
                    (B) resiliency and security of emergency warning
                systems; and
                    (C) other matters as the Secretary determines
                appropriate.
            (2) Research and development report.--Not later than 2
        years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
        Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of
        the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland
        Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the
        research and development activities carried out pursuant to
        paragraph (1).
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Next generation warning system grant program defined.--
        The term ``Next Generation Warning System grant program'' means
        the grant program authorized pursuant to title III of the
        Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103)
        under the heading ``Protection, Preparedness, Response, and
        Recovery--Federal Emergency Management Agency--Federal
        Assistance''.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
        of Homeland Security, acting through the Under Secretary for
        Science and Technology.

                                TITLE X

SEC. 1001. HEARINGS.

    (a) In General.--Each standing committee of the House of
Representatives shall hold a hearing on the implementation of this Act
within one year of enactment.
    (b) Exercise of Rulemaking Authority.--Subsection (a) is enacted--
            (1) as an exercise of rulemaking power of the House of
        Representatives, and, as such, shall be considered as part of
        the rules of the House, and such rules shall supersede any
        other rule of the House only to the extent that rule is
        inconsistent therewith; and
            (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of
        either House to change such rules (so far as relating to the
        procedure in such House) at any time, in the same manner, and
        to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of the
        House.

                                TITLE XI

SEC. 1101. CODE OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT.

    In rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, strike
clause 18 and insert the following:
    ``18.(a) A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not
engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House who
works under the supervision of the Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner, or who is an employee of a committee on which the Member,
Delegate, or Resident Commissioner serves. This paragraph does not
apply with respect to any relationship between two people who are
married to each other.
    ``(b) A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or
employee of the House may not engage in unwelcome sexual advances or
conduct towards another Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner,
officer, or employee of the House.
    ``(c) In this clause, the term `employee' includes an applicant for
employment, a paid or unpaid intern (including an applicant for an
internship), a detailee, and an individual participating in a
fellowship program.''.

                               TITLE XII

SEC. 1201. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010, shall be determined by
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

                               TITLE XIII

SEC. 1301. APPROPRIATIONS.

    The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2027, and for other purposes, namely:

                DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

                     NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

         national institute of dental and craniofacial research

    For an additional amount for necessary expenses for carrying out
section 301 and title IV of the Public Health Service Act with respect
to dental and craniofacial diseases, $1,000,000.

               ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE

                         salaries and expenses

    For an additional amount for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service salaries and expenses, $1,000,000.

                        UNITED STATES TAX COURT

                         salaries and expenses

    For an additional amount for necessary expenses, $1,000,000, to
remain available until expended.

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, SPACE FORCE

    For an additional amount of expenses, not otherwise provided for,
necessary for the operations and maintenance of the Space Force, as
authorized by law, $1,000,000.

                       DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

               north american wetlands conservation fund

    For an additional amount of expenses necessary to carry out the
provisions of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C.
4401 et seq.), $1,000,000, to remain available until expended.

                    FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION

                         SAFETY AND OPERATIONS

    For an additional amount of expenses necessary of the Federal
Railroad Administration, $1,000,000.
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