U.S. Congress legislation · 119th Congress
HR1608: Expressing support for the designation of October 5, 2026, as the "National Beyond the Milky Way Day" and celebrating a transformative achievement in American science.
Status: In committee, October 5, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, October 5, 2026:
IV 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1608 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 5, 2026 Ms. Chu (for herself, Ms. Lofgren , Ms. Kamlager-Dove , and Mr. Lieu ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of October 5, 2026, as the National Beyond the Milky Way Day and celebrating a transformative achievement in American science. Whereas, on October 5, 1923, Carnegie Science astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble, working overnight at the institution's Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena, California, identified a Cepheid variable star in what was then thought to be the Andromeda Nebula; Whereas Hubble's observation built upon the groundbreaking work of Harvard University astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt, whose discovery of the period-luminosity relationship of Cepheid variable stars provided a reliable method for measuring astronomical distances in the cosmos; Whereas the application of Leavitt's Law enabled Hubble to determine that Andromeda was beyond the boundaries of the Milky Way galaxy; Whereas this discovery demonstrated that Earth's galaxy is not the entirety of the universe, but rather one among countless other galaxies in the vastness of the universe; Whereas this achievement fundamentally transformed humanity's understanding of its place in the cosmos and ranks among the most significant scientific discoveries in human …
Sponsors
- Judy Chu (D, HD-CA-28) · primary sponsor
- Zoe Lofgren (D)
- Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D)
- Ted Lieu (D)
Latest actions
- : Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
- : Submitted in House
Subjects: Science, Technology, Communications
Common questions
- What is HR1608?
- HR1608 is a bill in Congress (119th Congress): Expressing support for the designation of October 5, 2026, as the "National Beyond the Milky Way Day" and celebrating a transformative achievement in American science.
- What is the status of HR1608?
- In committee as of October 5, 2026. Latest action: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. (October 5, 2026).
- Who sponsored HR1608?
- Judy Chu (D, HD-CA-28), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HR1608?
- On the Congress website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-res/1608
Source: official Congress record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.