President Biden signed 50 bills into law on Christmas Eve, marking a significant legislative milestone as the year and his presidency progress. Among the bills signed was the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, championed by activist Paris Hilton. This law establishes a federal work group to oversee the health, safety, and care of minors in residential treatment facilities, an issue Hilton has passionately advocated for, sharing her personal experiences of abuse as a teenager.
Other notable measures include the Stop Campus Hazing Act, which mandates colleges and universities to report hazing incidents in their annual security reports and educate students about hazing dangers. Another bill, S. 932, blocks members of Congress convicted of corruption-related crimes from collecting pensions, addressing gaps in previous laws highlighted by recent corruption cases.
Additionally, the president signed a bill officially designating the bald eagle as the national bird, a symbolic move aligning with the country’s heritage.
On the same day, President Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 federal inmates, converting their sentences to life without parole—a decision that sparked mixed reactions. However, he also vetoed a controversial bill proposing 66 new federal judgeships, citing unresolved concerns and a rushed legislative process.
