# Plain Language Summary: No More Hard Stops Act

This bill is about making sure federal government officials stay for the entire time when they're testifying before Congress. Right now, when someone like a cabinet member or agency head is called to testify at a congressional hearing, they can sometimes leave after answering questions from some committee members. This bill would require them to stick around until every single member of the committee who wants to ask questions gets a chance to do so.

The practical effect is that it prevents what's sometimes called "hard stops"—when a government official's team says they have to leave at a specific time, cutting the hearing short. Under this bill, if a federal official is legally required to appear and testify, they can't leave until all present committee members have had their turn to question them. The committee chair also can't let one member ask a second round of questions until every member who wants to ask questions has gotten at least one opportunity.

This mainly affects how congressional hearings work and could make hearings longer, since officials would need to stay for the full duration. For everyday people, this could mean more thorough questioning of government officials during high-profile hearings, potentially leading to more complete information being made public. However, it could also make it harder to schedule government officials for testimony if they need to commit to longer time blocks. The bill applies to any hearings held after it becomes law.