Legislation

The FAIR Veterans Act of 2025 urges the Department of Veterans Affairs to prioritize alternatives to foreclosure for veterans. It reinforces the VA's authority to purchase and modify veterans' loans through the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchasing (VASP) program to prevent foreclosures, ensuring that veterans can retain their homes.

The Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act of 2025 aims to restore legal rights to claimants of Holocaust-era insurance policies by enabling enforcement of state disclosure laws, establishing a federal cause of action for beneficiaries to sue insurers in U.S. courts, and setting a uniform 10-year statute of limitations for such claims. This act ensures that prior judgments or executive agreements do not impede these claims and clarifies that it does not override state laws unless there is a direct conflict.

The Climate Adaptation Plan Act of 2025 establishes a grant program within the Environmental Protection Agency to aid local governments, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations in developing climate adaptation plans. These plans must assess climate change risks, especially in environmental justice and low-income communities, and outline strategies for risk reduction and community engagement. Priority is given to applicants including environmental justice communities, with no matching requirement for grant funds.

The "Coast Guard Combat-Injured Tax Fairness Act" amends a previous act to include members of the Coast Guard in tax fairness provisions for combat-related injuries, regardless of whether they are operating under the Department of the Navy. It requires the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Transportation to identify and report on amounts improperly withheld from Coast Guard members. The Act also mandates that the Secretary of Homeland Security ensure no further amounts are improperly withheld from this point forward.

The "Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act of 2025" amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, directing the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change adaptation preparedness and response program. This program will provide financial and technical assistance to coastal states for developing and implementing climate change adaptation plans. These plans aim to minimize climate change contributions and reduce negative consequences in coastal zones, with priority given to states that have already begun developing program changes. The Act authorizes grants for projects that address physical disturbances, protect habitats, mitigate natural hazard impacts, and adapt infrastructure, among other eligible activities.

The "Broadband Incentives for Communities Act" aims to boost broadband deployment by establishing a grant program for local governments to improve their application review processes for broadband infrastructure projects. It also creates a Local Broadband Advisory Council to develop solutions for deployment challenges, particularly in underserved areas. The Act authorizes necessary funds to support these initiatives, with the goal of streamlining broadband expansion and ensuring efficient use of federal resources.

This resolution supports the designation of May 4-10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week". It recognizes the significant role of over 34.5 million small businesses in the U.S. that contribute to the economy and provide over 59 million jobs. The resolution celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit, achievements, and resilience of small business owners and their employees.

The GUARD Act aims to combat elder financial fraud, pig butchering scams, and general financial fraud by allowing state, local, and tribal law enforcement to use federal grant money for investigation and prevention efforts. It mandates reports to Congress on the state of scams in the U.S., including data on financial losses, the role of overseas actors, and enforcement actions. The Act also encourages federal law enforcement agencies to assist state, local, and tribal agencies in using blockchain tracing tools.

The "Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act" seeks to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) by modifying fiduciary duties, prohibiting discrimination in service provider selection, protecting retirement proxies, and requiring more complete information to be provided to retirement investors. The Act mandates that fiduciaries prioritize financial returns when making investment decisions for retirement plans, and it requires that service provider selections are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Additionally, the Act ensures that shareholder rights are exercised with the economic interest of the plan in mind and introduces new disclosure requirements for brokerage windows in individual account plans.

The "Promoting New Bank Formation Act" aims to encourage the creation of new banks by easing regulatory burdens during their initial years. It allows for a phased-in approach to meeting capital requirements, simplifies business plan adjustments, and provides a more favorable leverage ratio for new rural community banks. The Act also expands agricultural lending authority for Federal savings associations and mandates a study on the decline of new banks to identify ways to promote their formation in underserved areas.

The SNAP SECURE Act of 2025 extends funding for SNAP benefit replacement by ten years, ensuring continued support for eligible clients who have had their benefits stolen through electronic theft. This amendment updates the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, pushing the funding end date from 2024 to 2034. This extension allows the USDA to continue reimbursing stolen SNAP benefits.

The Medicare Protection Act of 2025 excludes income from the sale of a primary residence when determining Medicare Part B and D premiums, starting January 1, 2025. This exclusion applies unless the sale had been previously excluded under existing regulations. This change aims to protect seniors from increased Medicare costs due to one-time income from home sales.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to limit the amount withheld from monthly benefits to recover overpayments. For overpayments not caused by fraud, the Social Security Administration cannot reduce benefits by more than 10% of the monthly payment. Individuals can request a higher withholding amount if desired. This change applies to existing and future overpayments under Title II of the Social Security Act.

The "Ralph David Abernathy, Sr. National Historic Site Act" establishes a new National Historic Site in Georgia to preserve the West Hunter Street Baptist Church and honor Dr. Abernathy's contributions to the civil rights movement. It defines the site's boundaries, allows the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land for the site, and mandates the creation of a management plan. The Act also authorizes cooperative agreements to support the site's interpretive, educational, and preservation activities.

This bill aims to improve roadside and work zone safety by including occupants and pedestrians of disabled vehicles in highway safety programs and injury data collection. It establishes working groups to analyze crash data, develop safety strategies, and improve data sharing between agencies. Additionally, the bill requires annual reports on the use of work zone safety contingency funds to enhance their effectiveness.

This resolution recognizes April 2025 as "Community College Month" to celebrate the significant role of community colleges in providing accessible higher education, workforce training, and economic support across the United States. It acknowledges the affordability, diverse student population, and substantial economic contributions of these institutions, which serve millions of students and contribute billions to the national economy. The resolution highlights the importance of community colleges in meeting local and regional needs while driving economic prosperity.

The YOUNG Act of 2025 establishes a grant program, managed by the Secretary of Commerce, to fund youth biodiversity monitoring projects that educate students about advanced technologies. Grants will be awarded to nonprofits, schools, higher education institutions, and state, local, or tribal governments, with priority given to projects focused on underserved communities. The grant program is authorized to receive appropriations of $1,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2032. Within two years, the Secretary must report to Congress on the grant program.

The TASK Act requires the SEC to mandate reporting on supply chains linked to forced labor in Xinjiang, transactions with entities on the Entity List or designated as Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies, and the presence and activities of Chinese Communist Party committees within U.S. publicly traded companies operating in China.

The "Time to Choose Act of 2025" aims to prevent conflicts of interest by prohibiting U.S. federal agencies from contracting with consulting firms that simultaneously work for certain foreign entities, including China and Russia. It requires consulting firms to certify they do not have contracts with these foreign entities and establishes penalties for false information, while allowing for waivers in cases of national security interest. The Act defines specific foreign entities and consulting services to ensure clarity in its application. No additional funding will be allocated to implement this act.

The Ocean Acidification Research Partnerships Act aims to boost collaborative research on ocean acidification by providing grants for projects between the seafood industry and academic institutions. These projects will focus on understanding and addressing the impacts of ocean acidification, especially on vulnerable ecosystems. The act prioritizes projects with strong stakeholder support and requires grantees to share their findings. It authorizes \$5 million annually from 2026 to 2030 for these research grants, with a federal cost share cap of 85%.