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H.J.Res.138 / 119th Congress

Expressing support for the designation of the second Saturday of January as "National Desert Day".

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Official summary

No official summary is available in the imported record yet.

Who introduced it

Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25] · D–CA

Committees

  • Natural Resources Committee
0 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

    Actions

    A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

    1. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

    2. Introduced in House

    3. Introduced in House

    Bill text & related measures

    Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.

    Related bills identified by Congress.gov

    No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

    Source last updated: Jan 12, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

    Explore the bill from different angles

    Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

    Neutral evidence review

    Objective

    Analyze H.J.Res.138 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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    Fairness and public impact

    Progressive lens

    Examine H.J.Res.138 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

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    Institutions and government scope

    Conservative lens

    Examine H.J.Res.138 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

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    Individual rights and government power

    Liberty lens

    Examine H.J.Res.138 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

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    Read the proposal in plain language

    AI-generated · Source-checked by AI · Oct 19, 2026

    Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-01-08 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.

    What it would do

    This proposed resolution would express Congress’s support for National Desert Day and ask the President to call on people across the United States to observe it through programs, ceremonies, and activities. It would also encourage policies to protect and preserve deserts worldwide, without setting out specific conservation rules.

    Check the sources
    (1) supports the designation of National Desert Day and requests the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities;
    Official bill text · Introduced in House · 2026-01-08
    (5) encourages the pursuit of policies that ensure the protection and preservation of the world’s deserts.
    Official bill text · Introduced in House · 2026-01-08

    How it would work

    The resolution’s introductory statements describe deserts as important for their distinctive plants and animals, ecological functions, and cultural significance. These statements give Congress’s stated reasons for the proposal.

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    Whereas deserts are among of the most significant ecosystems in the country due to their unique biodiversity, ecological functions, and cultural importance: Now, therefore, be it
    Official bill text · Introduced in House · 2026-01-08

    Congress would support designating National Desert Day and request a presidential proclamation encouraging public observance. This language requests action from the President and participation by the public.

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    That Congress— (1) supports the designation of National Desert Day and requests the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities;
    Official bill text · Introduced in House · 2026-01-08

    Congress would acknowledge deserts’ role as winter stops for migrating birds and their contribution to the variety of living things worldwide.

    Check the source
    (2) acknowledges that deserts are a crucial stop for migrating birds to spend the winter and are part of supporting global biodiversity;
    Official bill text · Introduced in House · 2026-01-08

    Congress would reaffirm its support for native landscapes by committing to reduce invasive plant species and continue maintaining a pollinator garden—a garden that supports animals that transfer pollen between flowers.

    Check the source
    (3) reaffirms its advocacy for native landscapes by committing to reduce invasive plant species and continue to maintain a pollinator garden;
    Official bill text · Introduced in House · 2026-01-08

    Congress would honor ongoing United States efforts to educate citizens about their role in conserving the variety of life in deserts.

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    (4) honors the ongoing efforts by the United States to educate citizens on their role in conserving desert biodiversity;
    Official bill text · Introduced in House · 2026-01-08

    Congress would encourage the pursuit of policies to protect and preserve deserts worldwide. This provision expresses a policy goal.

    Check the source
    (5) encourages the pursuit of policies that ensure the protection and preservation of the world’s deserts.
    Official bill text · Introduced in House · 2026-01-08

    What the record shows

    The official-actions snapshot updated January 12, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Natural Resources on January 8, 2026.

    Check the source
    Source snapshot updated 2026-01-12T16:56:39Z. 2026-01-08: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. 2026-01-08: Introduced in House
    Official legislative record · 2026-01-12T16:56:39Z

    Riders & Targeted Benefits

    Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-01-08. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.

    This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.

    Riders

    Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.

    None identified in the reviewed text

    No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.

    Earmarks

    Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.

    None identified in the reviewed text

    No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.

    Other targeted benefits

    Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.

    None identified in the reviewed text

    No materially narrow exemption, carve-out, or preferential treatment was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.

    What this analysis cannot establish

    • The supplied text is the introduced version. The January 12, 2026, actions snapshot does not establish subsequent advancement or enactment.
    • The text does not specify a calendar date for National Desert Day, an implementation deadline, or a termination condition.
    • The conservation commitments do not identify a responsible administrator, the pollinator garden’s location, funding, measurable requirements, or enforcement mechanisms.
    • The source bundle does not include member spending requests, earmark disclosures, committee reports, or conference materials; it cannot establish whether those materials contain additional provisions or spending designations.

    Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jan 12, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI