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3 versions
CosmeticWhat changed in REFERRED IN SENATEcompared with ENGROSSED IN HOUSE (Aug 31, 2026)

Technical corrections only. The two versions of H.R. 5210 are substantively identical, with the only differences being the legislative status headers indicating the bill's progression from being engrossed in the House to being referred in the Senate. No textual or policy changes were made between v2 and v3.

H.R. 5210·119th Congress·Introduced Sep 8, 2025

To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions classified to title 2, United States Code, title 50, United States Code, and title 52, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors.

Passed HouseCongressNarrow
View bill text
Sponsor
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
Committees
Judiciary Committee (primary)
Last action
Sep 14, 2026

This analysis was written for v2 (ENGROSSED IN HOUSE, Aug 31, 2026). REFERRED IN SENATE changed too little to need its own, so it reuses that one rather than a rewrite. The differences between the two are summarized above. View v2

Bottom line

H.R. 5210 is a technical clean-up bill that updates outdated statutory references in federal law to ensure accuracy without changing underlying policy.

What it actually does

This bill makes numerous technical amendments to update statutory references across various titles of the United States Code, specifically focusing on titles 2 (The Congress), 50 (War and National Defense), and 52 (Voting and Elections). It corrects outdated citations to ensure consistency and accuracy in federal law, reflecting changes made during prior code reclassifications. The amendments are purely technical and do not alter the substance or policy of the referenced laws.

Division A, Sections 101-105

Technical Amendments to Update References to Title 2, United States Code

prominently featuredstraightforward

This division makes technical corrections to statutory references that point to provisions now classified under Title 2 of the U.S. Code, which pertains to the legislative branch. It updates old citations to their current, correct locations within Title 2, and also corrects related technical errors in other titles (5, 39, 42, 44) where they reference Title 2. This ensures that cross-references in federal law accurately point to the intended sections, improving the clarity and usability of the code.

Division B, Sections 201-218

Technical Amendments to Update References to Title 50, United States Code

prominently featuredstraightforward

This division focuses on updating statutory references to provisions classified under Chapters 44, 45, 46, and 47 of Title 50, U.S. Code, which primarily deals with War and National Defense, including national security and intelligence matters. It corrects outdated citations to their new, accurate locations within Title 50 and addresses related technical errors in other titles (3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 28, 31, 41, 42, 44) that reference Title 50. This ensures that legal texts related to national security and intelligence are consistent and correct.

Division C, Sections 301-319

Technical Amendments to Update References to Title 52, United States Code

prominently featuredstraightforward

This division implements technical amendments to update statutory references to provisions classified under Title 52, U.S. Code, which covers Voting and Elections. It corrects outdated citations to their proper locations within Title 52 and resolves related technical errors in other titles (2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 29, 31, 36, 39, 42, 47, 48, 50) that reference Title 52. This ensures that laws pertaining to elections and voting rights are accurately cited throughout federal statutes, improving clarity for election officials, voters, and legal practitioners.

FOUND

Amends Section 701(c) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (2 U.S.C. 288(c)) by striking the outdated reference "(2 U.S.C. 72a(i))" and inserting the current reference "(2 U.S.C. 4301(i))". This is one specific instance of the hundreds of technical corrections made throughout the bill.

Section 101(1)

Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice for technical clean-up bills. Bundling many minor, non-controversial corrections into a single bill is an efficient way to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the U.S. Code without requiring individual legislative action for each outdated reference. There is no intent to hide policy changes.

Case for: The case for this provision, and all similar ones in the bill, is to ensure the U.S. Code is accurate and easy to navigate for legal professionals, government officials, and the public. Correcting outdated citations prevents confusion and errors in legal research and application, thereby upholding the reliability of federal law.

Case against: There is no substantive case against this type of technical correction. These amendments do not change the substance or policy of the laws they reference; they merely update the pointers to those laws. Any opposition would likely be procedural rather than substantive.

Estimated impact: The direct impact of any single correction is minimal, affecting only the precise citation of a legal provision. However, the cumulative impact of all corrections in the bill is significant for the overall accuracy, consistency, and long-term integrity of the United States Code, facilitating more efficient and reliable legal work.

About this analysis. AI-Generated from the official bill text and available committee reports. Gaps in available data are noted explicitly. Verify important details with the official Congress.gov record.

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