Legislation

The School MEALS Act of 2025 aims to improve access to free school meals by establishing a pilot program allowing states to use Medicaid data for direct certification. It also creates grants and technical assistance to boost direct certification rates across the nation. Furthermore, the bill enhances the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) counting periods and increases the minimum verification sample size for direct certification.

The Veteran Suicide Prevention Act mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a comprehensive review of veteran suicides over the preceding five years, focusing on prescription practices. This review will analyze medication use, diagnoses, and demographic data for veterans who died by suicide while receiving VA care. The VA must then submit a detailed report of its findings and recommendations to Congress and the public.

The Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act seeks to release specific Wilderness Study Areas—Middle Fork Judith, Hoodoo Mountain, and Wales Creek—from outdated wilderness study requirements. This action allows land managers to implement existing, collaboratively developed management plans. These plans aim to enhance sportsmen opportunities, improve public access, and support wildlife and wildfire mitigation efforts on these lands.

The BRIDGE for Young-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Act of 2025 aims to provide immediate financial and medical support to individuals diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's disease. This bill eliminates the five-month waiting period for Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the standard 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage for these individuals. By making these changes, the legislation treats young-onset Alzheimer's the same as ALS regarding access to critical federal benefits.

The D-BLOC Act establishes a national 10-minute time limit for trains blocking public highway-rail grade crossings, with specific exceptions for safety or emergencies. The bill mandates investigations and potential civil penalties for railroads that frequently violate this limit. Additionally, it enhances public access to reporting mechanisms by requiring railroads to establish public contact numbers and link to the federal blocked crossing portal.

The Protecting Health Care Workforce Pipelines Act amends the Higher Education Act to extend the availability of Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for graduate and professional students at certain health professions schools. This extension pushes key loan termination and limit dates from 2026 to 2030. The affected schools must be located near designated health professional shortage areas or medically underserved communities.

This bill establishes the Land Port of Entry Community Infrastructure Program to address deficiencies in local infrastructure supporting U.S. land ports of entry. The program authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to award grants for projects that improve trade, security, emergency preparedness, and community quality of life near these ports. Projects generally require a 30% non-Federal funding match, though exceptions exist for rural areas or specific security needs.

The WALZ Act mandates that the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services investigate specific HHS programs when payments to providers and suppliers surge by 10% or more within a six-month period. This legislation aims to ensure oversight and accountability for significant increases in federal health program spending.

The Championing Local Efforts to Advance Resilience Act of 2025 (CLEAR Act of 2025) establishes a grant program to help state, territory, and tribal governments create and maintain offices focused on community resilience. These offices will develop frameworks to identify risks from extreme weather and other challenges, and implement programs to address them. The bill authorizes $100 million annually through 2030, prioritizing assistance for communities with the greatest need.

The Veterans’ Burial Improvement Act of 2025 makes several key changes to veterans' burial benefits. It permanently authorizes benefits like headstones and interment in national cemeteries for spouses and children who predecease active-duty service members. The bill also establishes new rules for the VA to pay for transporting the remains of certain deceased veterans and allows for the provision of group burial markers. Finally, it expands eligibility for burial in private cemeteries that accept VA allowances to include veterans who meet service requirements but lack sufficient active duty time for national cemetery burial.

The Schedules That Work Act aims to provide workers with greater stability and predictability in their work hours. It grants employees the right to request flexible or stable schedules and requires employers to engage in a good-faith discussion about these requests. For covered sector employees (like retail and food service), the bill mandates 14 days' advance notice of schedules and establishes "predictability pay" for last-minute changes or split shifts. The Act also grants employees the right to 11 hours of rest between shifts, with premium pay required if this rest period is violated.

The Public Health Air Quality Act of 2025 aims to significantly enhance air quality monitoring and public data access across the United States. It establishes new federal requirements for industrial facilities to monitor and report hazardous air pollutant emissions, including real-time fenceline data. The Act also mandates the deployment of hundreds of new, advanced air quality monitors in vulnerable communities to better assess compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Ultimately, this legislation seeks to use improved, publicly accessible data to protect public health from industrial air pollution.

The CLEAR Act of 2025 aims to prevent the U.S. Forest Service from enforcing a specific recent rule concerning "Law Enforcement; Criminal Prohibitions." This legislation effectively nullifies that particular regulation, removing its force and effect.

The S.T.O.P. Illicit Vapes Act establishes a high-level, multi-agency federal task force to combat the illegal importation, distribution, and sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes. Co-chaired by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, this group will coordinate enforcement strategies and share information. The task force is required to meet regularly and submit detailed semi-annual reports to Congress outlining enforcement actions and recommendations for new legal authorities.

This bill officially renames Newark Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey, to the "Donald M. Payne, Jr. Transit Center at Newark Penn Station." It mandates that all future federal references to the station must use this new designation.

The American Citizenship Healthcare Integrity Act of 2025 mandates that hospitals participating in Medicare must ask patients about their U.S. citizenship status during intake. This legislation requires hospitals to annually report data on care provided to non-citizens and the associated uncompensated costs. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will then issue a public report detailing the total national costs of this uncompensated care.

This bill, the DRIVE to HALT Drunk Driving Act, mandates that large vehicle manufacturers begin installing specific drunk and impaired driving prevention technology in a minimum number of new passenger vehicles annually. These requirements are tied to established performance specifications, including those from the Euro NCAP safety program. The mandate will remain in effect until a related final rule under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act takes effect.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate the tax-exempt status of organizations designated as "terrorist supporting organizations." It defines such organizations as those providing material support to designated terrorist groups within the last three years. The legislation establishes a process for designation, including prior notice and an opportunity for the organization to cease support and avoid losing tax-exempt status.

This Act mandates enhanced annual public disclosure from large investment advisers regarding their private fund assets invested in designated "countries of concern." It also requires issuers conducting large private securities offerings connected to these nations to report detailed information about the transaction and use of proceeds to the SEC. The goal is to increase transparency around U.S. investment flows into geopolitical adversaries.

The Schedules That Work Act aims to provide employees, particularly those in retail, food service, and warehouse sectors, with greater stability and predictability in their work hours. It grants employees the right to request schedule changes for caregiving, education, or other needs, and requires employers to discuss these requests in good faith. Furthermore, the Act mandates advance notice of schedules, predictability pay for last-minute changes, and a minimum rest period between shifts.