Legislation

The Department of Defense’s Cost of ‘War’ Act of 2025 mandates that any expenses associated with renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War must be covered using existing travel funds. If travel budgets are insufficient, the Secretary of Defense must draw the remaining necessary funds from the travel allocations of the individual military departments. The Secretary is also required to report the total costs of this name change to Congress within one year of enactment.

The Weatherization Resilience and Adaptation Program Act establishes a grant program to help low-income homeowners and eligible property owners adapt their homes against increasing climate-driven hazards like floods and extreme heat. This program requires the development of new resilience and adaptation standards in consultation with NIST. Funding is authorized to support these critical upgrades, ensuring vulnerable communities can better withstand the impacts of a changing climate.

The Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 ensures that employees of federal contractors are compensated for losses incurred due to government funding lapses or shutdowns. It requires federal agencies to adjust existing contracts to cover reasonable costs associated with furloughs, pay cuts, or mandatory leave taken by contractor employees. The bill appropriates necessary funds to cover these contract price adjustments and mandates public reporting on the compensation provided.

The Affordability and Fairness for Mountain Communities Act of 2025 establishes a new waiver program allowing local governments to calculate Area Median Income (AMI) using smaller geographic areas, such as specific ZIP codes, for federal housing programs. This flexibility aims to better reflect local housing costs in mountain communities. Furthermore, the bill mandates a comprehensive study by HUD to assess and recommend improvements to how AMI calculations support affordable housing for low-income and seasonal workers in these specific areas.

The Protect America’s Workforce Act nullifies two specific Executive Orders related to federal labor-management programs and prohibits the use of federal funds to enforce them. Furthermore, the Act ensures that all existing collective bargaining agreements between the federal government and labor organizations remain fully in effect until their original expiration dates. This legislation solidifies current federal union contracts while removing the authority of the voided orders.

This Act establishes a six-year pilot program for eligible hospitals to provide medically tailored, home-delivered meals and nutrition therapy to certain high-risk Medicare patients upon discharge. The program aims to evaluate whether these specialized meals reduce hospital readmissions and improve patient health outcomes. Participating hospitals must screen patients, arrange for daily meals meeting specific nutritional needs, and report data to the Secretary of HHS. Funding for the meals will be offset by reducing payments to other hospitals to ensure the program is budget-neutral.

The Energizing Our Communities Act establishes the Community Economic Development Transmission Fund to provide direct financial benefits to local communities hosting major new electric power transmission projects. This Fund is capitalized by a portion of the interest collected from related federal transmission loans. Host communities will receive a one-time payment to be used for local infrastructure, public services, and dedicated conservation or recreation efforts.

The Alaska’s Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition Act, or ARTIST Act, creates an exemption under federal law allowing Alaska Natives living along the North Pacific or Arctic Ocean coasts to take marine mammals for subsistence or to create and sell authentic handicrafts. This bill strictly defines what qualifies as an authentic Alaska Native article, ensuring it is handmade by a coastal Alaska Native without mass-copying tools. Furthermore, the Act prevents states from banning the sale of these authentic handicrafts incorporating marine mammal materials.

The Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 renames and updates the national TBI surveillance program, expanding data collection to focus on high-risk populations and long-term outcomes. The bill extends funding authorizations for federal TBI programs and state grant initiatives through fiscal year 2030. It also mandates a comprehensive report to Congress on TBI risk factors and requires a new study on the long-term symptoms and conditions following a brain injury.

The Patients Over Profit Act (POP Act) prohibits entities from simultaneously owning or controlling both a health insurance issuer and certain healthcare providers under Medicare. This aims to prevent conflicts of interest arising from vertical integration in healthcare delivery and payment. Violators will be required to divest one of the assets and may face legal action, including the forfeiture of illegally earned revenue. The law specifically restricts Medicare Advantage and Part D organizations from contracting with entities that violate this new common ownership ban.

The America’s CHILDREN Act of 2025 establishes a new pathway to permanent residency for certain college graduates who entered the U.S. as long-term dependents of temporary visa holders. It also introduces significant age-out protections, allowing many individuals to retain their original priority dates for visa processing. Furthermore, the bill updates the definition of "child" for immigration purposes and grants work authorization to certain nonimmigrant dependents.

The CCAMPIS Reauthorization Act establishes a federal grant program to help student parents remain in college by making childcare accessible. The Secretary of Education can award five-year grants to eligible colleges and universities to provide on-campus or subsidized childcare services to student parents who qualify for Pell Grants. Grantees must ensure the funded programs meet specific quality benchmarks within three years and report annually on student outcomes. The Act authorizes $500 million annually for this program from Fiscal Years 2026 through 2031.

This bill facilitates an administrative land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service in Tuolumne County, California, near Ackerson Meadow. It transfers approximately 160 acres of Stanislaus National Forest land to be managed as part of Yosemite National Park. In return, about 170 acres of National Park land will be managed as part of the Stanislaus National Forest. The transfer maintains existing liability for hazardous waste cleanup and preserves any pre-existing legal rights on the exchanged parcels.

The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2025 requires colleges receiving federal aid to update their campus safety reports with comprehensive anti-harassment policies that specifically address technology-facilitated harassment. This legislation also establishes a competitive grant program to fund campus initiatives focused on harassment prevention, counseling, and training. Crucially, the Act supplements existing civil rights laws without overriding any current student protections or legal remedies.

The Restoring Trust in Public Servants Act imposes strict new financial restrictions on covered officials across the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches, including mandatory divestment of "covered investments" like stocks and digital assets within 90 days. Furthermore, the bill bans nearly all outside earned income and service on corporate boards for Members of Congress. Finally, it institutes significantly harsher lobbying restrictions, including a lifetime ban for former Members of Congress lobbying high-ranking officials or foreign entities.

The China Military Power Transparency Act of 2025 extends the requirement for the annual report on China's military and security developments until 2030. This legislation updates the report's scope to include critical new areas such as Chinese cooperation on nuclear and drone development, foreign farmland acquisitions, and detailed analysis of potential Taiwan conflict scenarios. The updated report must also specifically address the role of Chinese cyber capabilities in a conflict with the U.S.

This Joint Resolution expresses the disapproval of Congress regarding a specific rule issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) concerning the Miles City Field Office's Resource Management Plan Amendment. By invoking the Congressional Review Act, this action immediately nullifies the BLM's decision and prevents it from taking effect.

The Redistricting Reform Act of 2025 fundamentally overhauls how congressional districts are drawn by mandating the use of independent, citizen-led commissions across the nation to prevent partisan gerrymandering. This bill establishes strict criteria for map drawing, bans mid-decade redistricting, and creates a federal court backstop to ensure maps are finalized on time. Ultimately, it aims to shift power from politicians to impartial bodies to create fairer electoral maps, beginning with the process following the 2030 Census.

The QUAHOGS Act of 2025 establishes the East Coast Bivalve Research Task Force to investigate declining and unpredictable harvests of commercially important shellfish, such as clams. This group will coordinate research efforts across East Coast states to address threats like habitat loss and climate change impacts on bivalves. The Task Force is charged with delivering a final report with recommendations to ensure the sustainability of wild and farmed shellfish populations.

The Safer Emergency and Evacuation Routes Response Act of 2025 establishes a voluntary pilot program to improve driver safety during wildfires. This program will automatically connect real-time wildfire hazard alerts from the National Weather Service with state and local traffic management systems. The goal is to ensure drivers receive immediate, accurate information regarding road closures and evacuation routes.