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H.R. 185 119th Congress House

Responsible Legislating Act

Official title: To advance responsible policies.

Introduced: January 3, 2025 Introduced by: James P. McGovern Democratic · Massachusetts See on congress.gov
Government Operations and Politics Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAdvisory bodiesAgricultural marketing and promotionAppropriations
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Bank accounts, deposits, capitalBanking and financial institutions regulationBusiness recordsCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA)Child safety and welfareComputers and information technologyCongressional oversightData collection, sharing, protectionDepartment of DefenseDepartment of EnergyDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDepartment of Homeland SecurityDepartment of LaborDepartment of StateDepartment of the TreasuryDisability assistanceEmployee benefits and pensionsEmployment discrimination and employee rightsExecutive agency funding and structureFinancial services and investmentsFirst responders and emergency personnelGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementGovernment information and archivesHigher educationHistorical and cultural resourcesHouse of RepresentativesHuman traffickingIncome tax creditsIncome tax deferralIncome tax exclusionInflation and pricesInterest, dividends, interest ratesLaw enforcement officersLife, casualty, property insuranceLivestockManufacturingMilitary personnel and dependentsMuseums, exhibitions, cultural centersNavigation, waterways, harborsOffice of Personnel Management (OPM)Sales and excise taxesSecuritiesSmall businessStudent aid and college costsSupply chainTax administration and collection, taxpayersU.S. and foreign investmentsVeterans' education, employment, rehabilitationWages and earnings
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 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 14, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
Mar 12, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Jan 3, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Oversight and Government Reform, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Foreign Affairs, Education and Workforce, Small Business, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Homeland Security, Science, Space, and Technology, Appropriations, Rules, Ethics, Transportation and Infrastructure, the Budget, and Financial Services , 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.
Jan 3, 2025
Introduced in House
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What's happening now March 14, 2025

Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Responsible Legislating Act

This bill establishes or modifies various federal programs and requirements, including those related to retirement accounts, penalties for certain sex offenses, foreign investment and ownership, and appropriations.

The bill makes changes to retirement account contributions and distributions, including increasing the maximum amount that may be contributed to a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to include certain contributions to a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE IRA) or Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan, subject to limitations. 

The bill establishes an enhanced penalty—an additional prison term of up to five years—for certain interstate human trafficking offenses or coercion of sexual activity that occurs in a school zone or related area.

The Department of Commerce must report on efforts to increase foreign direct investment in semiconductor-related manufacturing and production. The Federal Maritime Commission must evaluate the effect of foreign ownership of marine terminals at the 15 largest U.S. container ports on U.S. economic security.

The bill provides additional appropriations for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, State, Defense, Homeland Security, and Energy.

The bill extends mandatory livestock market reporting requirements through FY2025.

The bill revises the required frequency of meetings held by a credit union's board of directors by decreasing the frequency for existing credit unions with satisfactory soundness ratings. 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) enhanced-use leasing authority is reauthorized through 2033.

The bill requires hearings on the bill's implementation within one year of the date of enactment.

 Related & companion bills 5
  • HR 7315 Advancing Policy Priorities Act
  • HR 7314 Advancing Commonsense Policies Act
  • S 97 Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act
  • HR 975 Credit Union Board Modernization Act
  • HR 2480 Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act of 2025
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 23
 Lobbying activity 1

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

Bodies those filers lobbied

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 185: Responsible Legislating Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-185/
MLA
"H.R. 185: Responsible Legislating Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-185/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 185, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-185/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 185: Responsible Legislating Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-185/)
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