Legislation

The Smart Cities and Communities Act of 2025 aims to significantly enhance the development and adoption of smart city technologies across the U.S. It establishes federal coordination, creates grant programs for local implementation and cybersecurity training, and mandates efforts to improve technology interoperability through standard-setting. Ultimately, the bill seeks to streamline federal support, accelerate safe technology adoption, and promote U.S. leadership in the global smart city sector.

The PATRIOT Parks Act authorizes National Parks to charge an additional surcharge specifically targeting international visitors who hold B-2 or Visa Waiver Program status. This new fee must be set by the park superintendent to maximize revenue without significantly deterring tourism. All revenue generated from this surcharge must remain at the collecting park unit to fund local maintenance and visitor services. The Act also establishes a separate surcharge on the sale of National Park passes to international visitors, with those funds directed to the Legacy Restoration Fund.

This resolution urges all NATO members to commit to spending a minimum of 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense, clarifying the breakdown between traditional and non-traditional defense expenditures. It emphasizes that failing to meet current spending goals reflects a lack of political will rather than financial inability. Ultimately, the resolution reaffirms the U.S. Senate's strong support for a unified and robust NATO alliance.

The SAFEGUARDS Act of 2025 mandates that airline passenger security fees be exclusively used to enhance aviation safety and security, ending any diversion of these funds by 2027. The bill increases dedicated funding for the Aviation Security Capital Fund, ensuring a minimum of \$500 million annually starting in Fiscal Year 2026. Additionally, it establishes the new Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund to finance the purchase and maintenance of advanced screening equipment at airports. This legislation aims to guarantee consistent and robust financial support for critical TSA security operations and technology upgrades.

This bill establishes new restrictions and transparency requirements for donations made to Presidential Libraries and Centers. It bans certain prohibited entities, such as lobbyists and foreign nationals, from donating while a President is in office or for two years after leaving. The legislation also imposes a $10,000 aggregate donation limit per person and mandates public quarterly reporting of all significant contributions.

The Military Learning for Credit Act of 2025 allows eligible veterans to use their existing educational assistance benefits to cover the costs of approved examinations, such as CLEP and DSST tests, to earn college credit. This benefit is capped at \$500 per exam and will count against the veteran's total educational entitlement time. Using these funds for testing will not affect any separate educational assistance received from the Department of Defense.

This bill authorizes the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion to recognize their crucial and heroic service as the only all-Black unit defending the D-Day invasion in Normandy. The medal will be struck by the Treasury and ultimately deposited with the Smithsonian Institution for public display. The Act also permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover production costs, with proceeds returning to the U.S. Mint fund.

The Preparing And Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act establishes a new federal grant program to help states recruit and retain paraprofessionals in public schools. Funds are distributed to states based on Title I allocations and must be used for state administration or competitive subgrants to local entities. Subgrants must support activities like mentoring, professional development, credentialing assistance, or wage increases, with priority given to entities serving high-poverty areas. States must report annually on wage changes and program effectiveness.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Claim Sharks Effective Warnings Act of 2025 mandates that the VA immediately display a prominent warning to veterans using its online tools. This warning must explicitly advise veterans against sharing their VA account or bank login credentials with anyone. This measure aims to protect veterans from predatory practices by third-party agents and attorneys.

The FAIR Act prohibits state utility regulators from approving electricity rates for utilities that engage in certain Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices or use Environmental, Social, or Governance (ESG) factors in their rate-setting decisions. This legislation places strict limitations on utility considerations, banning rates tied to practices that discriminate or enforce specific ideological training based on protected characteristics. Utilities may only consider ESG factors if strictly mandated by existing Federal or State law.

The Protections and Transparency in the Workplace Act mandates that publicly traded companies significantly increase disclosure regarding workplace discrimination and harassment claims in their SEC filings. The bill also requires these companies to hire independent outside counsel to investigate all such claims and implement mandatory annual training for all employees on prevention and reporting. Furthermore, covered issuers must conduct annual employee safety surveys and establish an anonymous whistleblower tip line.

The Health Records Enhancement Act allows designated individuals or immediate family members to supplement the health records of deceased veterans with observed health information after their passing. This process ensures that important post-mortem details can be added to the existing records maintained by the DoD and VA. Any added information will serve only as a supplement and will not alter the original medical documentation.

The ALERT Communities Act aims to enhance overdose prevention by allowing states and tribes to use grant funds to distribute fentanyl and xylazine test strips where legally permitted. The bill also mandates training for first responders on the use and distribution of these test strips. Furthermore, it directs the HHS to establish clear research and marketing frameworks for new test strip technology and to study the impact of these interventions on overdose rates and treatment access.

The McCarran-Walter Technical Corrections Act updates immigration eligibility for members of federally recognized Native American Tribes in the U.S. and First Nations in Canada. This bill removes outdated "blood quantum" requirements, instead requiring only verifiable membership in a recognized tribe or First Nation. Individuals admitted under this revised status will immediately receive permanent resident status.

The Payment Choice Act of 2025 affirms the right of consumers to use U.S. currency for in-person retail transactions up to $\$500$. This Act mandates that businesses accepting in-person payments must offer equal pricing for cash and non-cash transactions. It establishes exceptions for technical failures or lack of change, and outlines a process for consumers to enforce compliance through civil action.

The Microplastics Safety Act mandates the FDA to conduct a comprehensive study on the human health impacts of microplastic exposure through food and water. This research must specifically investigate effects on children's health, the endocrine system, cancer risk, and reproductive health. Following the study, the Secretary of Health and Human Services must report findings and recommend necessary legislative or regulatory actions to Congress within one year.

The LEAD Act of 2025 revises U.S. arms export controls for specific advanced, reusable unmanned aircraft systems. This legislation mandates that these covered drones be treated identically to manned aircraft systems under export regulations, including those related to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). The goal is to separate the export review of these sophisticated drones from that of missile technology. The President is required to update relevant regulations within 180 days to reflect this new treatment.

The Military Learning for Credit Act of 2025 allows eligible veterans to use their existing educational assistance benefits to pay for specific exams and assessments designed to earn college credit. This provision caps the benefit usage at \$500 per covered test, including DSST and CLEP exams. Using these benefits for testing will count against the veteran's total entitlement time, calculated based on the cost of the exam.

The Halting the Epidemic of Addiction and Loss Act of 2025 mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) update all relevant grant programs to include any FDA-approved medication for emergency opioid overdose reversal. This ensures that federal funding guidance reflects the broadest range of life-saving reversal agents available. HHS has one year to revise all existing regulations and guidance documents to incorporate these updated definitions.

The Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act establishes new federal grants to strengthen coordination between health, behavioral health, disability, and sexual assault service providers. These funds aim to create trauma-informed, culturally relevant support systems for survivors of sexual assault, including adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Grantees will use the funding to develop integrated services such as direct support, case management, and specialized healing approaches. The bill authorizes $30 million annually for these grants from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.