Legislation

The Veterans First Act of 2025 provides $2 billion in funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs for grants to states to construct or improve veteran care facilities. This funding will support nursing homes and domiciliary facilities for veterans. The funding is offset by rescinding $2 billion from unobligated funds available to the United States Agency for International Development.

The Open RAN Outreach Act requires the Assistant Secretary to conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to small communications network providers. This outreach will increase awareness of the uses, benefits, and challenges of Open RAN networks and other open network architectures. It will also encourage participation in the Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Grant Program.

The "Suicide Prevention Assistance Act" authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to primary care offices for self-harm and suicide prevention services. These grants will fund the hiring of clinical social workers, screening patients for self-harm and suicide, providing short-term prevention services, and referring patients for long-term care. The Act sets limitations on the number and amount of grants, requires the development of screening standards, and mandates regular reporting and evaluation of the program.

The "Protecting Americans Retirement Savings Act" (PARSA) aims to safeguard retirement savings by prohibiting plan fiduciaries from investing in or transacting with foreign adversary or sanctioned entities. It mandates additional disclosures for employee retirement funds, including detailed information about investments in these entities and any ongoing agreements with them. The bill defines "covered entities" and "sanctioned entities" based on specific lists and regulations, ensuring transparency and accountability in investment decisions.

This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act by defining "evidence-based" to include programs and activities that demonstrate statistically significant improvements in participant outcomes through experimental, quasi-experimental, or correlational studies. It also includes practices likely to improve outcomes based on research or evaluation, with ongoing study of their effects. States will be required to prioritize funding for these evidence-based programs when using funds for statewide workforce development activities.

This resolution recognizes the significant gender pay gap, where women earn less than men for comparable work, and highlights the economic impact this disparity has on women, families, and the nation. It also acknowledges the disproportionate effect on women of color. The resolution reaffirms the commitment to achieving equal pay and reducing the gender wage gap.

Lulu's Law mandates the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include shark attacks as a potential event for wireless emergency alerts. This addition will allow for public notification and safety measures in areas where shark attacks pose a risk.

The "Helping Heroes Act" establishes a Veteran Family Resource Program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to better connect veterans and their families with resources and support. It mandates the appointment of family coordinators in each Veterans Integrated Service Network to help veterans and their families navigate available resources, and requires regular surveys of disabled veterans and their families to identify their needs. The Act also ensures that all programs and activities funded by it adhere to federal nondiscrimination laws.

The "Mental Health Research Accelerator Act of 2025" introduces a tax credit for expenses related to translational research on neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric conditions. This credit aims to encourage the development of new treatments and devices for central nervous system disorders by offering a 25% tax credit for qualifying research expenses, subject to national limits and allocation based on scientific merit. The tax credit is available from 2026 through 2035, with specific funding amounts allocated for each year. This credit is designed to promote public-private partnerships and the repurposing of existing drugs while ensuring that expenses are not used for other research credits.

The Pay Our Military Act of 2025 ensures that members of the Armed Forces, essential civilian Department of Defense personnel, and supporting contractors continue to receive their pay and allowances during periods when regular budget appropriations are lacking. This act provides funding for these individuals through fiscal year 2025, or until a regular appropriation bill is passed, or January 1, 2026. The Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security are responsible for overseeing these provisions for their respective departments.

The Pink Tariffs Study Act mandates a study by the Treasury Secretary to assess if U.S. tariffs disproportionately affect consumers, particularly based on gender. The study will analyze the impact of tariffs on different consumer groups, considering gender, household type, and income. A report of the findings must be submitted to Congress within one year.

The "Save Our Shrimpers Act" aims to protect the U.S. shrimping industry by preventing federal funds from supporting foreign shrimp farming through international financial institutions. It prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from providing funds to international financial institutions that use the funds for shrimp farming, processing, or export activities in foreign countries. Additionally, the Act mandates an annual report from the Comptroller General to Congress on the compliance of U.S. Executive Directors at international financial institutions regarding opposition to financial assistance for surplus commodities and minerals.

The Women's Retirement Protection Act aims to bolster women's retirement security by increasing spousal protection under defined contribution plans, improving access to consumer information, and providing grants to promote financial literacy and assist low-income women and survivors of domestic violence in obtaining qualified domestic relations orders. The bill requires spousal consent for distributions from individual account plans, with certain exceptions, and mandates financial service providers to offer easy access to resources from the CFPB and other federal agencies. Additionally, the act allocates funds for grants to community-based organizations to enhance women's financial literacy and help them secure entitled benefits through qualified domestic relations orders.

The TLDR Act requires the FTC to create rules for online services and websites to provide short, easy-to-understand summaries of their terms of service, including data flow diagrams and information on data breaches. These summaries must highlight key aspects like data usage, user liabilities, and data deletion options. The FTC will enforce these rules, and state attorneys general can also sue on behalf of residents. This act aims to increase transparency and readability of online terms of service for consumers.

The "Unmasking Hamas Act of 2025" prohibits individuals wearing disguises, including masks, from interfering with others' constitutional or legal rights through intimidation, threats, or injury, with penalties including fines and imprisonment up to 15 years. It also adds a two-year prison sentence for wearing a disguise while destroying property within U.S. maritime and territorial jurisdiction, in addition to penalties for the underlying offense. The act does not apply to law enforcement officers lawfully performing their duties.

The Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 aims to increase transparency in federal spending by requiring the reporting of "other transaction agreements" and ensuring data is accessible on USAspending.gov. It mandates annual reports on federal spending data that has not been posted, along with reasons for non-disclosure. The Act also directs Inspectors General to submit reports to Congress, mandates specific federal agencies to post information about federal funding, and requires the Comptroller General to recommend updates to the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

The Agricultural Commodities Price Enhancement Act amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to increase reference prices for wheat, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and seed cotton. This bill aims to provide better price support for farmers by increasing the reference prices used in agricultural support programs. The reference price for wheat increases to $6.50 per bushel, corn to $4.20 per bushel, soybeans to $10.00 per bushel, peanuts to $635.00 per ton, and seed cotton to $0.45 per pound.

The "Reduction of Excess Business Holding Accrual Act" modifies the rules for calculating a private foundation's excess business holdings. It excludes certain employee-owned stock from being counted towards the limit, specifically stock bought from an ESOP after 2020 that is not publicly traded and is held as treasury stock. This adjustment aims to encourage employee ownership without penalizing private foundations. It applies to taxable years ending after the law's enactment and to stock purchases in taxable years starting after December 31, 2019.

The "Credit for Caring Act of 2025" introduces a tax credit for eligible working family caregivers to help offset expenses related to caring for a qualified spouse or relative with long-term care needs. This credit covers 30% of qualified expenses over $2,000, with a maximum credit of $5,000, and includes costs for assistance, technology, home modifications, transportation, and respite care. The credit is reduced for higher-income taxpayers and adjusted for inflation after 2025 and goes into effect after 2024.

The NFIP Extension Act of 2025 extends the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) until September 30, 2025. It reauthorizes financing and the program's expiration date, ensuring the continuation of flood insurance coverage for communities across the nation. The changes will be applied as if enacted on March 14, 2025, even if the actual enactment date is later.