To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions classified to title 7, title 20, and title 43, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors.

Bill Number

H.R. 5204

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Agriculture and Food

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-09-10: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

Last Updated

2025-12-15T21:38:13Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This legislation, H.R. 5204, aims to update outdated references to specific sections of the U.S. Code (the compilation of federal laws) in various statutes, particularly those classified under Titles 7 (Agriculture), 20 (Education), and 43 (Public Lands). It corrects technical errors to ensure the law remains accurate and consistent after changes in how laws are organized and numbered.

Key Provisions

The bill consists of 10 sections, each targeting amendments in different titles of the U.S. Code. These are primarily "strike and insert" changes to fix cross-references (links between different parts of the law). Highlights include:

• Title 5 (Government Organization and Employees): Updates a reference in civil service pay rules from an old agriculture section to the current one (7 U.S.C. 2204-2).
• Title 7 (Agriculture): Makes multiple updates across acts like the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, National Agricultural Research Act, and others, replacing outdated citations (e.g., 7 U.S.C. 450i) with current ones (e.g., 7 U.S.C. 3157) and adjusting references to specific subsections.
• Title 11 (Bankruptcy): Removes an outdated reference to education laws in bankruptcy exemptions.
• Title 16 (Conservation): Updates references in wildlife, forestry, and land management acts, such as changing dates and section numbers for acts related to federal aid in wildlife restoration and rural schools (e.g., from 43 U.S.C. 1181f to 43 U.S.C. 2605).
• Title 20 (Education): Adds a citation to the Higher Education Act in a section about student financial aid.
• Title 21 (Food and Drugs): Inserts a reference to agricultural research funding in a law on animal quarantine.
• Title 26 (Internal Revenue): Adds a citation to a Higher Education Act section in tax rules for scholarships.
• Title 42 (Public Health and Welfare): Updates education aid references in community service and biomass energy laws (e.g., shifting from 42 U.S.C. 2751 to 20 U.S.C. 1087-51).
• Title 43 (Public Lands): Revises multiple references in federal land policy acts to reflect current codifications (e.g., updating acts from 1937 and 1939 to their modern section ranges like 43 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.).
• Title 48 (Territories and Insular Possessions): Corrects education references in the Compact of Free Association (affecting U.S. relations with Pacific island nations).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• These amendments are non-substantive and technical, focusing on recodification (reorganizing laws into new section numbers without changing their meaning).
• No new policies, rights, or obligations are created; instead, it aligns citations with the latest U.S. Code editions to avoid errors from past reorganizations.
• Examples include updating obsolete statute citations (e.g., "79 Stat. 431" to modern U.S.C. sections) and fixing minor typographical or structural issues in cross-references.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: Agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Education, and Department of the Interior will benefit from clearer legal references, reducing confusion in implementing programs related to agriculture, education aid, wildlife conservation, and land management.
• Citizens: Minimal direct impact, but it ensures laws are easier to understand and apply, potentially preventing disputes in areas like student loans, farm research funding, or rural land use.
• International Relations: Slight effect on U.S. territories and associated states (e.g., via Title 48 updates to education aid under the Compact of Free Association), but no broader changes to foreign policy.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Agencies: USDA (agriculture and research programs), Department of Education (student aid and higher education), Department of the Interior (land and wildlife management), and related bodies like the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
• Legal and Legislative Professionals: Congress, lawyers, and courts, who rely on accurate U.S. Code citations for interpretation and enforcement.
• Indirectly Affected Groups: Farmers, educators, rural communities, and students benefiting from programs tied to the updated laws, though changes are clerical.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Enhances the precision of the U.S. Code, reducing risks of misinterpretation in court or administrative decisions. No challenges to constitutional principles, as it maintains the status quo.
• Constitutional: None significant; technical fixes do not alter powers, rights, or federal-state balances.
• Political: Bipartisan and routine "housekeeping" bill, unlikely to spark controversy. Introduced by Rep. Moskowitz and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, it promotes efficient law maintenance without policy debates.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23]

Recent Actions

• 2025-09-10: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
• 2025-09-10: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
• 2025-09-08: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• 2025-09-08: Introduced in House
• 2025-09-08: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions classified to title 7, title 20, and title 43, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors. — issued 2025-09-08 — PDF (12 pages)