Legislation

The Strengthening Sanctions on Fentanyl Traffickers Act of 2025 aims to combat the flow of illicit synthetic narcotics into the United States. It mandates prioritizing sanctions identification against individuals and entities from the People's Republic of China involved in the fentanyl supply chain. The bill also strengthens existing sanctions on major Mexican drug cartels and expands presidential authority to impose broad economic sanctions on foreign persons involved in the global illicit drug trade.

This act explicitly prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions or donations intended to influence state or local ballot initiatives and referenda. It amends existing federal election law to extend the current ban on foreign political spending to cover ballot measures.

The Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act of 2025 seeks to combat illegal firearms trafficking to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. It transfers regulatory control of certain munitions exports from the Department of Commerce back to the Department of State. The bill also mandates comprehensive reporting, strategy development, and increased tracking of U.S. firearm exports to designated "covered countries."

The SAFER SKIES Act expands the authority of federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement to counter unauthorized drone threats to public safety and critical infrastructure. It establishes strict training, certification, and reporting requirements for state and local agencies utilizing these new counter-drone measures. Furthermore, the bill increases criminal penalties for using drones during felonies or to smuggle contraband and allows grant funds to be used for purchasing public safety drones and counter-UAS technology.

The Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act of 2025 aims to simplify how Medicare beneficiaries authorize family caregivers to access their health information via the 1-800-MEDICARE line. This bill mandates comprehensive outreach and education to inform beneficiaries, caregivers, and providers about this authorization option. It also requires the development of best practices to protect beneficiaries from fraud related to accessing personal health information.

This bill establishes the National Flood Insurance Program Automatic Extension Act of 2025 to prevent lapses in flood insurance coverage. It institutes an automatic renewal mechanism that extends the program's operating authorities until the end of the fiscal year following its scheduled expiration, unless Congress acts otherwise. This ensures FEMA can continue to issue contracts, pay claims, and operate the program seamlessly. The extension maintains all existing terms, rates, and financial limits in effect prior to the termination date.

The Streamline Transit Projects Act reforms the environmental review process under NEPA for large transit agencies. It allows eligible agencies in urban areas over 200,000 people to assume the federal government's authority to determine categorical exclusions for certain transit projects. This transfer of responsibility, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding, aims to expedite project delivery while maintaining federal oversight and accountability.

The Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act comprehensively reforms mental health care by strengthening Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) across Medicaid and Medicare programs. It establishes new, cost-based payment systems and expands required services, including specialized veteran care, to ensure comprehensive community access. Furthermore, the bill creates a new federal grant program to fund and support these clinics nationwide. Finally, it extends federal liability protections to clinicians working within these certified centers.

This bill amends the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act to establish new trust funds for groundwater and surface water sharing infrastructure. It also provides supplemental funding and strict deadlines for non-Pueblo entities involved in mutual-benefit water projects, including those related to the new Mitigation Well System. Finally, the Act appropriates significant mandatory funding for these new trust funds and project assistance, subject to inflation adjustments.

The Immigration Court Due Process Protection Act of 2025 restricts Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers from arresting or detaining individuals attending or departing from immigration court proceedings or scheduled appointments, unless a judicial warrant is present or an imminent threat exists. The bill mandates specific supervisory approval for arrests during scheduled check-ins. Furthermore, it requires the DHS Inspector General to submit an annual report to Congress detailing compliance with these new protections.

This bill amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to enact significant reforms for housing counseling and financial literacy programs. It changes how grants are distributed, establishes new performance standards for counselors, and outlines consequences for non-compliance, including potential termination of assistance. Furthermore, it expands foreclosure mitigation counseling opportunities for borrowers with specific federally backed mortgage loans.

This bill establishes the "NIH Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone" (IMPROVE) Act. It formally creates the IMPROVE Initiative within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance research and address health disparities in maternal health outcomes. The initiative focuses on reducing preventable maternal deaths and severe complications through targeted research and community-based interventions. Congress authorizes significant funding for this program through fiscal year 2031.

The Linking Seniors to Needed Legal Services Act of 2025 establishes a grant program to help states better connect older adults with essential legal assistance. This funding supports evidence-based methods like medical-legal partnerships integrated into healthcare settings and expanded legal hotlines. The goal is to create real-time connections between health/social services and legal help for vulnerable seniors. States receiving grants must report on referrals and outcomes to ensure accountability.

The Professional Student Degree Act seeks to amend the Higher Education Act by formally defining what constitutes a "professional degree" for student loan purposes. This definition specifies degrees that prepare students to immediately begin practicing in a profession and require a skill level beyond a standard bachelor's degree. The bill explicitly lists numerous professional degrees, such as Law, Medicine, and specialized health fields, under this new classification.

This act establishes a permanent, fixed Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funding allocation for Tennessee beginning in fiscal year 2026, based on its 2015 allotment. The funding amount will increase annually based on the consumer price index. Furthermore, the bill designates Tennessee as a "low DSH state" for all fiscal years after 2026.

This bill establishes the **Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act** to authorize the Attorney General to appoint highly qualified, temporary immigration judges for limited terms. These temporary judges are intended to supplement, not replace, permanent judges and must meet specific experience requirements. The legislation mandates rigorous oversight, training protocols, and limits the total service time for these temporary appointments to ensure judicial integrity.

This act ensures that individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are not penalized for receiving legal settlement payments related to personal injury, physical sickness, or property damage. Specifically, it excludes these settlement amounts from being counted as income or resources for SSI eligibility and benefit calculations. This provision explicitly covers settlements from the *In Re: East Palestine Train Derailment* case.

This Act addresses the significant unemployment disparities faced by young African Americans by strengthening pathways into registered apprenticeship programs. It establishes a Diversity and Inclusion Administrator within the Department of Labor to promote greater participation from underrepresented groups. Furthermore, the bill authorizes a competitive grant program to help entities create or expand apprenticeships, requiring applicants to submit plans specifically aimed at increasing African American enrollment.

The Auto Reenroll Act of 2025 amends the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA to mandate the automatic reenrollment of employees in certain retirement savings plans after they have opted out for a maximum of three years. This legislation requires participants who previously elected not to contribute to be automatically re-enrolled at the plan's default rate unless they actively choose to opt out again. The bill aims to increase retirement savings participation by resetting voluntary opt-out elections periodically.

The Workforce of the Future Act of 2025 mandates federal studies on AI's impact on jobs and establishes new grant programs to expand technology education and workforce training. Title I requires comprehensive reports from key departments detailing necessary future skills and policy recommendations. Title II creates federal grants to boost K-12 technology education and fund retraining for workers in AI-affected industries.