Legislation

This resolution designates August as "Slavery Remembrance Month" to remember the evils of slavery, its continuing impact, and the freedom fighters who fought to end it. It condemns slavery and its legacies, such as convict leasing, Black codes, and discrimination. The resolution encourages acknowledgement of the importance of remembering slavery and requests the President to issue a proclamation for the observance of this month.

The RAIL Act aims to improve the safety of trains transporting hazardous materials by mandating updated safety regulations, enhancing inspection protocols for railcars and locomotives, and requiring the use of defect detectors. It also increases the maximum civil penalties for rail safety violations, phases out older, less safe tank cars, and improves hazardous materials training for first responders. Finally, the act sets a minimum crew size of two people for most freight trains to ensure safe operation.

The "Train More Primary Care Doctors Act of 2025" amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize funding for primary care training and enhancement programs. It increases funding from $48,924,000 to $49,924,000 for each fiscal year from 2025 through 2030. This will help ensure continued support for primary care training programs.

This bill proposes across-the-board rescissions to nonsecurity discretionary spending, reducing such appropriations by 1% in fiscal year 2026, 2% in 2027, and 5% in 2028 and subsequent years. The rescissions take effect the day after appropriations are available and apply pro rata across all applicable accounts. The Office of Management and Budget is required to report to Congress on the specific rescissions made each fiscal year.

The "Health Care Workforce Innovation Act of 2025" establishes a program supporting innovative, community-based training for allied health professionals, particularly in underserved and rural areas. Eligible applicants, such as Federally Qualified Health Centers and rural health clinics, can receive funding to launch or expand healthcare partnerships, improve workforce readiness, and encourage disadvantaged students to pursue healthcare careers. Priority is given to programs increasing access to care in underserved communities and demonstrating cost-effective, replicable models. The bill authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 2026-2028, with grants or contracts capped at $2,500,000 per grant period.

The "Stop Musk Act" protects federal employees from retaliation if they act to stop Elon Musk or those under his direction from taking unlawful or unconstitutional actions against federal agencies. This protection applies to any retaliatory actions taken on or after the date the law is enacted.

This resolution supports the Local Radio Freedom Act, opposing any new performance fees on local radio stations for playing music. It emphasizes the mutually beneficial relationship between the radio and recording industries, where radio provides free publicity and essential local services. The resolution warns that new fees would harm local radio stations, small businesses, and the communities they serve. Ultimately, it asserts that Congress should not impose any new charges on local radio for broadcasting sound recordings.

The "SHUSH Act" seeks to deregulate firearm silencers by removing them from the definition of firearms under federal law, thus treating them as firearm accessories. It preempts state laws that impose taxes, marking, registration, or record-keeping on silencers, and removes silencers from regulation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Act also eliminates additional penalties for using a firearm with a silencer during a crime and removes silencer restrictions for law enforcement officers.

The "COOL Online Act" requires online sellers to clearly disclose the country of origin for products that require origin marking under existing tariff laws, as well as the country where the seller's primary business is located. Certain products, like food, drugs, and used items, are excluded, as are small sellers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will enforce these rules, and retailers have some protection from liability if they rely in good faith on incorrect information provided by a third party.

This bill authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to Navy Lieutenant E. Royce Williams for his extraordinary heroism during the Korean War on November 18, 1952. During this event, Lieutenant Williams shot down four Soviet MiG-15s while sustaining heavy damage to his own aircraft. The bill waives the usual time restrictions for awarding the Medal of Honor due to the extraordinary nature of Williams' valor.

The NO BAN Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to limit the President's power to suspend or restrict the entry of foreign nationals based on nationality. It requires the President to provide Congress with specific evidence justifying any such restrictions, ensuring they are narrowly tailored and time-limited. The bill also expands nondiscrimination provisions in immigration law and allows those harmed by violations to sue the government. Additionally, the Act mandates detailed reports to Congress on visa applicants affected by any restrictions.

The Modernizing the Veterans On-Campus Experience Act of 2025 amends title 38 of the United States Code to improve on-campus educational and vocational counseling for veterans. This bill eliminates the requirement that these counseling services be provided exclusively by specific Department of Veterans Affairs employees, allowing for more flexible staffing.

This bill aims to improve veterans' healthcare by updating community care program eligibility and notification processes, enhancing mental health treatment program standards and access, and modernizing the VA's healthcare system through online tools and streamlined processes. It focuses on ensuring timely access to care, accommodating veterans' preferences, and improving the overall quality and efficiency of VA services. The bill also mandates increased transparency and accountability through regular reports to Congress.

The Medal of Honor Act increases the special monthly pension for Medal of Honor recipients to match the compensation rate for a veteran without dependents. It ensures recipients receive a higher pension amount that reflects their extraordinary heroism. Additionally, the bill extends certain limits on pension payments to January 31, 2033.

The Small LENDER Act amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to ease the burden of new small business lending data collection rules. It provides financial institutions with a three-year compliance period, followed by a two-year safe harbor from penalties. The act defines "financial institution" as one originating at least 500 small business credit transactions in each of the previous two years, and "small business" as one with $1,000,000 or less in gross annual revenue.

The "Health Out-of-Pocket Expense Act of 2025" or the "HOPE Act of 2025" establishes tax-exempt "Hope Accounts" for eligible individuals to pay for qualified medical expenses. Contributions to these accounts are capped at \$4,000 annually for self-only or married individuals with family coverage, and \$8,000 for heads of household with family coverage, with employer and Medicaid contributions limited to 50% of the individual's limit. Distributions used for qualified medical expenses are tax-free, while non-qualified distributions are subject to income tax and a 30% penalty, with exceptions for distributions after death or due to disability. These provisions will take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act of 2025" amends existing law to establish an interest-bearing account within the U.S. Treasury for non-federal contributions to the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. This fund will hold contributions and earned interest, making the funds available to the Secretary for program expenditures without further appropriation. The bill also outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Treasury Secretary and State Parties in managing and protecting these funds.

The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act aims to improve obstetric emergency care in rural areas by establishing programs to train healthcare providers, provide grant funding for equipment and supplies, and create a pilot program for teleconsultation. It focuses on equipping rural facilities without specialized obstetric units to handle emergencies during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period. The act also mandates a study on the closure of maternity wards and patient transport patterns in rural areas.

The "Reducing the Federal Workforce Through Attrition Act" aims to decrease the size of the Federal workforce by limiting the number of Federal employees in each agency to a maximum of 90% of the total as of September 30, 2025, starting in fiscal year 2028. It mandates that agencies can only hire one new employee for every three that leave between the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 and September 30, 2027, with strict monitoring and restrictions for agencies exceeding their limits, and allows for presidential waivers in cases of war, national security concerns, or emergencies. This reduction will be achieved through attrition, without increasing service contracts unless financially advantageous, and does not prevent Federal employees from transferring between agencies if the receiving agency is in compliance.

The "Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act of 2025" directs the Secretary of Agriculture to contract a covered institution to review the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program's effectiveness, benefits, and burdens on cattle producers. Following the review, the Secretary must submit a report to the Senate and House Agriculture Committees with findings and recommendations for program improvements, including ways to reduce burdens on cattle producers.