Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 1105, S. 227, S. 1973, S. 3249, S. 3285, S. 3706, S. 4548

On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 1105, the "Debbie Smith Act of 2023," which authorizes appropriations to the Department of Justice for each of FYs 2024-2029 in the amount of $151 million for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program;

Thank you to Representatives Wagner, Cohen, Hunt, and Cline, and Senators Cornyn, Graham and Klobuchar for their leadership. Thank you to the late Representative Sheila Jackson Lee and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein for their leadership as well.

S. 227, the "Improving Access to Our Courts Act," which adds Alpine, Texas, and Mount Vernon, Washington, to the list of locations where court may be held in the Western District of Texas and in the Western District of Washington;

Thank you to Senators Cornyn, Murray, Cruz and Cantwell, and Representatives Gonzales, Rick Larsen, and DelBene for their leadership.

S. 1973, the "All-American Flag Act," which prohibits, with certain specified exceptions, Federal agencies from purchasing U.S. flags that are not domestically manufactured;

Thank you to Senators Brown, Collins, Manchin and Peters, and Representatives Sorensen and Mace for their leadership.

S. 3249, which designates the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, as the Captain Elwin Shopteese VA Clinic;

Thank you to Senators Moran and Marshall, Representative LaTurner, and the entire Kansas delegation for their leadership.

S. 3285, which renames the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, as the Charlie Dowd VA Clinic;

Thank you to Senator Daines and Representative Zinke for their leadership.

S. 3706, the " Victims' Voices Outside and Inside the Courtroom Effectiveness Act or the Victims' VOICES Act," which requires defendants convicted of certain Federal crimes, including violent crimes, to make restitution to a person who has assumed the rights of a victim; and

Thank you to Senators Cornyn, Blumenthal, Blackburn and Whitehouse, and Representatives Hageman, McBath, Moran and Hank Johnson for their leadership.

S. 4548, the "Foreign Extortion Prevention Technical Corrections Act," which amends the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) enacted as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act and prohibits foreign officials from demanding bribes.

Thank you to Senators Whitehouse and Tillis for their leadership.