Legislation

The "Jamie Reed Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act" establishes a federal tort allowing individuals who underwent gender-transition procedures as minors to sue pediatric gender clinics, medical practitioners, and affiliated institutions for damages resulting from physical or mental harm. It defines "gender-transition procedures," specifies liable parties, and sets a 30-year statute of limitations from the individual's 18th birthday to file a lawsuit. The bill also prohibits federal funding for pediatric gender clinics, affiliated institutions, and gender-transition procedures performed on minors, and applies retroactively, regardless of when the procedures occurred.

The "Love Lives On Act of 2025" amends titles 10 and 38 of the United States Code to improve benefits and services for surviving spouses. This act modifies Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rules, allowing surviving spouses who remarry to still receive benefits. Additionally, it ensures continued Survivor Benefit Plan annuity payments for certain remarried surviving spouses and expands TRICARE eligibility to include remarried widow/widowers whose subsequent marriage ended.

This bill relocates the National Woman's Relief Corps' incorporation and official home from the District of Columbia to Illinois. It designates Murphysboro, Illinois, as the principal office. The bill updates the legal procedures for serving papers, replacing the District of Columbia agent with an Illinois agent.

The "Cost Estimates Improvement Act" requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation to include the costs of servicing the public debt when preparing cost estimates for legislation. This aims to provide a more complete picture of the long-term financial implications of proposed laws.

The "Banning Strategic Petroleum Reserve Oil Exports to Foreign Adversaries Act" prohibits the Secretary of Energy from selling or exporting petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, or any entities controlled by them, including the Chinese Communist Party. The Secretary of Energy can waive this prohibition if it is deemed to be in the national security interest of the United States. A rule to carry out this section must be issued within 60 days of the enactment of this Act.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' support for strengthening U.S.-Africa partnerships in critical minerals development to reduce reliance on foreign entities of concern. It recommends diversifying critical mineral sources, improving coordination among U.S. agencies to support business investments in Africa, and enhancing partnerships with African countries through incentives and investment programs. The bill also urges the Secretary of State to develop a 5-year strategy to support U.S. investors, provide financing and technical assistance, and enhance economic cooperation with African mineral producers.

The "Hatchie River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2025" directs the Department of Interior to study a 163-mile segment of the Hatchie River in Tennessee for potential inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The study must be completed within three years and identify opportunities for partnership with state and local stakeholders to administer the river segment.

The "Mortgage Debt Tax Forgiveness Act of 2025" permanently extends the exclusion of forgiven mortgage debt from an individual's gross income, applying to qualified principal residence indebtedness discharged after December 31, 2025. This means homeowners will not have to pay income taxes on the amount of mortgage debt that is forgiven by their lender.

The Rural Hospital Support Act aims to improve Medicare payments to small, rural hospitals by rebasing payment calculations for sole community and Medicare-dependent hospitals to fiscal year 2016, if it results in higher payments. It also extends the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program and the increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program by removing certain deadlines, ensuring continued support for these hospitals. Additionally, the bill prohibits adjustments to payment classifications and weighting factors before October 1, 2015, when using rebased target amounts. These changes are intended to provide financial stability for rural hospitals and maintain access to care in rural communities.

The "Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025" extends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 through fiscal year 2026, providing continued payments to states and counties with federal land. It ensures that county payment elections from fiscal year 2023 remain effective and extends the authority for special projects on federal land and the expenditure of county funds. The bill also extends the Resource Advisory Committee pilot program and makes technical corrections to the original act.

The Combating International Islamophobia Act directs the State Department to establish an Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia, headed by a Special Envoy. This office will monitor and combat Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement in foreign countries. The State Department will also include information about Islamophobia in its annual reports on human rights practices and international religious freedom.

The "Veterans Cannabis Use for Safe Healing Act" ensures that veterans participating in state-approved marijuana programs will not be denied Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. It requires Veterans Health Administration healthcare providers to discuss marijuana use with veteran patients and allows them to provide recommendations about state-approved marijuana programs. This act aims to protect veterans' access to healthcare and benefits while exploring alternative treatment options.

The "No Contracts with Foreign Adversaries Act" prohibits higher education institutions from entering contracts with "foreign countries of concern" or "foreign entities of concern." Institutions can request a one-year waiver, subject to review by the Department of Education and national security officials, ensuring the contract benefits the institution and promotes U.S. security. Non-compliant institutions face financial penalties, and repeated violations can lead to ineligibility for federal programs. The bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to enforce these restrictions and compliance measures.

The "Protecting Social Security Act" aims to safeguard Social Security benefits by ensuring a Social Security field office in every county with a population exceeding 150,000 people, appropriating funds to cover benefit payments if the Social Security trust funds face insolvency, and establishing an expedited process in Congress for legislation that would fully fund Social Security benefits without raising taxes on most individuals or cutting existing benefits, instead relying on contributions from the wealthiest Americans and corporations.

The Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2025 requires the Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism when evaluating discrimination complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, concerning race, color, and national origin. This aims to address rising antisemitism in educational settings. The Act clarifies that it does not expand the Department of Education's authority, change existing discrimination standards, reduce existing rights, or infringe upon First Amendment rights.

The "Students Helping Young Students Act of 2025" amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the Federal work-study program by including off-campus community service at after-school activities. It allows institutions to use work-study funds to compensate students working in after-school programs at eligible schools, prioritizing those in low-income communities. The Secretary of Education is directed to inform schools about the program, establish registration processes and participation standards, and ensure students receive appropriate training. This act aims to support educational after-school activities through the work-study program.

This bill mandates the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify and conduct recurrent vetting of Afghan evacuees paroled into the U.S. between July 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022, who were not properly vetted before entry. It requires full screening and vetting using law enforcement and terrorist screening databases, prioritizing those who arrived without identification, and mandates ongoing vetting throughout their parole period. The Secretary of Homeland Security and the DHS Inspector General must submit a report to Congress detailing the findings, results, and the number of evacuees found ineligible for admission.

The BLOCK Act increases Congressional oversight of agency rulemaking by requiring Congressional approval for rules with an annual economic impact of at least $50,000,000. It mandates agencies to provide detailed cost-benefit analyses and other information to Congress and the public and establishes procedures for Congress to review and approve or disapprove major and non-major rules. Additionally, the Act requires agencies to review existing rules regularly, with those not approved by Congress sunsetting after five years. Finally, the Act amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to include budgetary effects of rules subject to Section 802 of Title 5, United States Code.

The "Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to enhance the paid family and medical leave credit for eligible employers. It modifies the calculation of the credit, clarifies aggregation rules, and refines the definition of qualifying employees. The act also mandates outreach by the Small Business Administration and the Treasury to educate employers about the credit and its requirements.

The "Time of Service Act" amends Title 38 of the U.S. Code to eliminate the time limitation for certain veterans to use their Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits. This change is achieved by adjusting the start date in the U.S. Code, allowing more veterans access to these benefits regardless of when they left the service.