Congress Laws: Who Do They Affect?

The laws passed by Congress are applicable to private individuals and organisations. The laws are divided into public and private laws. Public laws are intended for general application, such as those that apply to the nation as a whole or a class of individuals. Private laws, on the other hand, are enacted for the benefit of a particular individual or small group, such as claims against the government or individual immigration or naturalisation matters. Private laws are designated with the term private law followed by a number. For example, a private law passed during the 115th Congress would be designated as P.L.115-101.

Immigration and citizenship

Congress has the power to pass laws on immigration and citizenship, and these laws apply to private individuals.

In the United States, immigration and citizenship laws are primarily passed by Congress in the form of public bills, which affect the general public. However, there are also private bills, which apply to specific individuals or groups. Private bills can grant benefits or powers that are not available under general law, such as granting citizenship to individuals who would otherwise be ineligible.

The process of passing immigration and citizenship laws typically involves the introduction of a bill in the House of Representatives or the Senate, consideration by relevant committees, and approval by both chambers before being enacted by the President.

For example, the U.S. Citizenship Act, introduced in 2021, aimed to establish a path to citizenship for certain undocumented individuals and replace the term "alien" with "noncitizen" in immigration statutes. The Act also addressed border security, family unity, and economic growth.

Another example is the American Dream and Promise Act, which provided a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children, known as "Dreamers." This Act was passed by the House of Representatives with bipartisan support and was supported by the Biden administration.

The legislative process for immigration and citizenship laws allows for public input, consideration by committees, and amendment before the final enactment, ensuring that the laws are thoroughly reviewed and represent the interests of the American people.

Tax liabilities

The US Constitution grants Congress the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. The laws of Congress apply to private human beings, and they are liable to pay taxes as per the law.

In the US, public bills are the most common type of law. However, private bills, which affect a specified individual or a private entity rather than the population at large, are also introduced in Congress. Private bills were previously more common in the US, but various federal agencies now deal with most of the issues that were previously addressed through private bills as these agencies have been granted sufficient discretion by the United States Congress to deal with exceptions to the general legislative scheme of various laws.

Private bills that are still introduced in Congress include grants of citizenship to individuals, alleviation of tax liabilities, armed services decorations, and veteran benefits.

An example of a private bill introduced in the House of Representatives in 2019 was the No Taxation Without Representation Act. This bill aimed to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to tax bona fide residents of the District of Columbia in the same manner as bona fide residents of possessions of the United States.

Armed services decorations

The laws of Congress apply to private citizens in the United States, and private bills are a type of proposed law that affects only a single person, group, or area. Private bills can grant unique benefits or powers that are not available under general law.

In the United States, private bills were previously more common, but federal agencies now have the authority to handle many of the issues that were previously addressed through private bills. However, private bills are still introduced for certain matters, including armed services decorations.

An example of a private bill related to armed services decorations is H.R.4641, which was passed by the 115th Congress (2017-2018). This bill authorised the President to award the Medal of Honor to John L. Canley for acts of valor during the Vietnam War while serving in the Marine Corps.

Another example is a bill passed by the 117th Congress (2021-2023) to congratulate and express gratitude to Commander Jeremy Robertson and the crew of the USS Carney for their exemplary and historic performance during their 235-day deployment to the United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa and the United States Naval Forces Central Command.

Veteran benefits

The US Constitution grants legislative powers to Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The legislative process involves several steps, from the proposal of a bill to its publication as a statute. While the majority of laws originate in the House of Representatives, both houses have equal legislative functions and powers.

A bill is a proposal for a law, which can be public or private. A public bill affects the general population, while a private bill targets a specific individual, group, or area. In the US, private bills were once common but have been largely replaced by federal agencies. However, private bills are still introduced for issues like grants of citizenship, tax relief, armed services decorations, and veteran benefits.

Veterans' benefits are a key area where Congress has passed legislation to support and protect those who have served in the military. Here are some examples of veteran benefits laws passed by Congress:

• The Honoring Our PACT Act: Introduced by Rep. Mark Takano, this act expands VA healthcare and benefits to service members, veterans, and their survivors exposed to toxins, burn pits, and other harmful substances during their overseas service.
• The VA VACCINE Act: Also introduced by Rep. Mark Takano, this act expands the Department of Veterans Affairs' ability to provide COVID-19 vaccines to veterans, their caregivers, and those living abroad.
• The Veterans Economic Recovery Act: Introduced by Rep. Mike Bost, this act aims to help eligible veterans, members of the National Guard, and reservists who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing rapid retraining for in-demand jobs.
• The Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act: Introduced by then-Rep. Steve Stivers, this act aims to connect veterans with PTSD to service dogs and establish a service dog training pilot program.
• The Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act: Introduced by Rep. Axne and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, this act expands mental health care and support for veterans living in rural and remote areas.
• The DUMP Opioids Act: Allows anyone, including veterans, to dispose of unneeded prescription medication at VA medical centers.
• The Major Medical Facility Authorization Act: Authorizes the VA to carry out significant medical facility construction projects.
• The RAISE Act: Raises the salary cap for VA nurses and physicians' assistants.
• The Patient Advocate Tracker Act: Creates an online portal for veteran patients to track the status of formal complaints filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• The MAMMO Act: Requires the VA to improve breast imaging services, create a tele-mammography pilot program for veterans in underserved areas, and expand veterans' access to clinical trials through partnerships.
• The VET OPP Act: Introduced by Rep. Brad Wenstrup, this act aims to streamline veteran services and place more focus on opportunity-based programs within the VA.
• The HELP Act: Introduced by Rep. Mike Bost, this act mandates the establishment of qualification standards and performance metrics for HR professionals working in the Veterans Health Administration.
• The Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act: Introduced by Rep. Julia Brownley, this act eliminates copays for birth control at VA facilities to ensure women veterans pay the same or less than they would while on active duty or through private healthcare.
• The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act: Introduced by Rep. Steve Stivers, this act creates a work therapy grant program at the VA to connect veterans with service dogs.
• The Deborah Sampson Act: Introduced by Rep. Julia Brownley, this act ensures that women veterans have access to high-quality healthcare, benefits, and services, including support for those who have experienced military sexual trauma, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, or harassment.
• The Veterans Burial Benefit Correction Act: Ensures that veterans buried in VA-grant-funded state or tribal cemeteries are provided with an outer burial receptacle at no cost.
• The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act: Introduced by Rep. Elaine Luria, this act provides veterans and their surviving family members with a cost-of-living adjustment to keep their disability compensation in line with inflation.
• The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act: Extends the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange to veterans who served in the Blue Water Navy during the Vietnam War.
• The Ryan Kules and Paul Benne Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act: Introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, this act improves the Specially Adaptive Housing program at the VA to enable severely wounded veterans to live more independently and comfortably in their homes.
• The Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act: Introduced by Senator Jon Tester, this act enhances VA suicide prevention programs, increases mental health staff, and expands access to care in VA facilities and community-based organizations to address the high rate of suicide among service members and veterans.

These examples demonstrate Congress's role in passing laws that directly benefit veterans and address their diverse needs, from healthcare and mental health support to economic opportunities and burial benefits.

Divorce

Under the United States Constitution, Congress has little direct authority to legislate in the field of domestic relations. The authority to legislate in the domestic relations arena lies with individual states, which has led to substantial variation in laws surrounding divorce across the country. For example, some states have a common law property system, while nine states have a community property concept of marital property. While all states have some form of no-fault divorce, many also allow divorces based on fault or consider marital fault when awarding spousal support or dividing marital property.

The Philippines is one of only two sovereign states in the world that prohibits divorce, the other being the Vatican City. However, in 2020 and 2021, bills were proposed to legalise divorce in the Philippines. The 2021 bill included the following grounds for divorce:

• Separation of the spouses for at least five years
• Gender reassignment surgery or transitions from one sex to another by one of the spouses
• Irreconcilable marital differences
• Domestic or marital abuse
• A divorce decree obtained abroad by one of the spouses

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