Legislation

This Act establishes a framework for cooperation between federal land managers and New Mexico's qualified community land grants regarding their historical and traditional uses of federal lands. It mandates the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to streamline permitting, fee waivers, and infrastructure maintenance for these long-standing, noncommercial activities. Furthermore, the bill requires federal land use plans to specifically consider and incorporate provisions protecting these established community uses. This legislation does not alter existing treaty rights for Indian Tribes or the State of New Mexico's authority over water, game, or fish.

The Tax Cut for Workers Act of 2025 significantly expands and makes permanent the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for workers without qualifying children by lowering the minimum age, substantially increasing the credit amount, and raising income thresholds. It also allows taxpayers to elect to use higher prior-year earned income to calculate their current EITC benefit. Furthermore, the bill permanently extends current EITC application rules for U.S. territories like Puerto Rico.

The Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act restricts the manufacture, sale, and possession of certain gas-operated semi-automatic firearms and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. The bill establishes a federal process for determining which specific firearms are banned and makes it illegal to possess magazines holding more than 10 rounds manufactured after the enactment date. Furthermore, it allows states to use federal Byrne grant funds to establish buy-back programs for these prohibited items. Violations of the new prohibitions carry significant fines and potential prison sentences.

The Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act mandates that the TVA Board must report the names, salaries, and duties of management-level employees earning above the GS-15 top pay rate. However, this specific salary information is explicitly exempted from public disclosure under FOIA. The bill also modernizes outdated language regarding audits conducted by the Comptroller General.

The Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts Act (BUMP Act) prohibits the manufacture, sale, and possession of devices or modifications that significantly increase the firing rate of semiautomatic firearms to mimic machinegun function. Existing owners of such modified firearms must register them within 120 days of enactment to maintain lawful possession. This legislation updates federal law by classifying these rate-of-fire-enhancing modifications as regulated items under the National Firearms Act.

The Fairness for Stay-at-Home Parents Act amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to clarify rules regarding intermittent leave for the birth of a child. It also establishes a new requirement for employers to notify employees taking birth-related FMLA leave that they may not be required to repay health insurance premiums if they choose not to return to work. This legislation aims to provide greater clarity and protection for parents utilizing FMLA after welcoming a new child.

This Act prohibits executive agencies from awarding contracts or grants to companies in which a "special Government employee" held a beneficial ownership stake of 5% or more on or after January 1, 2025. This restriction applies unless the individual immediately resigns from their government role and remains separated for one year following the law's enactment. Essentially, the bill aims to prevent federal funds from flowing to businesses recently or currently controlled by temporary government appointees.

The Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act prioritizes states that have not yet received funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suicide prevention grants. This legislation ensures that eligible organizations in unfunded states receive a scoring preference during the grant review process. The goal is to guarantee that every state eventually receives at least one VA suicide prevention grant.

The Ruby Mountains Protection Act withdraws approximately 349,000 acres of federal land within the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the National Forest System and the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge from mineral leasing. This action aims to protect these specific areas in Nevada from future mining operations. The withdrawal respects any valid mineral rights that legally exist prior to the Act's enactment.

The Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act withdraws approximately 225,504 acres of federal land and water in Minnesota's Rainy River Watershed from most forms of entry, mineral leasing, and material sales. This action aims to protect the area, though the Forest Service retains limited authority to permit the removal of certain materials if environmental health is not compromised. The bill formally establishes the boundaries for this withdrawal based on existing environmental assessments.

The Sister City Transparency Act mandates a comprehensive study by the Comptroller General into U.S. sister city partnerships involving foreign communities from countries with significant public corruption. This study will examine how these partnerships are formed, their activities, and the associated risks to U.S. economic and national security interests. The resulting report will provide Congress with recommendations on best practices for transparency and oversight.

The Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act of 2025 establishes a new federal grant program to expand dual or concurrent enrollment opportunities for high school students. These grants will help colleges partner with local school districts to allow students, particularly those from low-income or rural backgrounds, to earn college credit tuition-free while still in high school. Funds can be used for teacher training, outreach, and ensuring earned credits easily transfer to higher education institutions.

The Jobs in the Woods Act establishes a new competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Agriculture to fund forestry workforce development. These grants aim to support training programs for forestry jobs specifically within eligible, low-income rural communities that meet certain broadband standards. Eligible entities can apply for grants between $\$500,000$ and $\$2$ million over four years, with priority given to programs addressing workforce shortages and ensuring job placement.

The Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care (SPARC) Act establishes a new federal loan repayment program to incentivize specialty physicians and certain non-physician specialty providers to serve in rural health shortage areas. Participants must commit to six years of full-time service in exchange for having a portion of their educational debt repaid annually. This initiative aims to significantly bolster the availability of specialized medical care across underserved rural communities.

The STOP CCP Act of 2025 prohibits U.S. persons from investing in publicly traded securities of specific Chinese entities involved in defense or surveillance technology. This legislation mandates the expansion of the Treasury Department's list of Chinese military-industrial complex companies and closes loopholes by automatically applying all relevant sanctions when a Chinese entity is targeted under any existing authority. The goal is to prevent U.S. capital from financing pernicious Chinese companies and policies.

The FIREWALL Act establishes a refundable personal tax credit for homeowners who make qualified expenditures to increase their property's resilience against natural disasters like fires, floods, and hurricanes. This credit covers 50% of the mitigation costs, up to a lifetime cap of \$25,000, for principal residences in recently impacted disaster areas. The goal is to incentivize proactive home hardening and lower future disaster-related liabilities.

The TSP Fiduciary Security Act of 2025 amends the fiduciary duties of the Thrift Savings Fund (TSF) managers to explicitly include protecting U.S. national security in investment decisions. The bill directs the Secretary of Labor to establish rules for reviewing TSF investments and shareholder voting against specific national security risks, particularly concerning entities linked to "covered countries" like China. Furthermore, it prohibits mutual funds available through the TSP mutual fund window from investing in any company based in the People's Republic of China.

The SNOOP Act of 2025 aims to adjust the reporting requirements for third-party payment processors regarding transactions sent to the IRS. This bill reinstates the higher reporting threshold of over $20,000 in payments across more than 200 transactions for issuing 1099-K forms. Furthermore, it clarifies that backup withholding on network payments only applies if both the transaction count and dollar amount thresholds are met for the year.

The Union Station Redevelopment Corporation Funding Eligibility Act makes the Corporation eligible to apply for several major federal transportation grant programs, including BUILD, National Infrastructure Project Assistance, Rail Safety and Improvement, and Intercity Passenger Rail grants. Crucially, this Act ensures that if the Corporation receives funding from these programs, the federal government will cover 100 percent of the eligible project costs. This change removes typical federal matching or cost-sharing requirements for the Corporation's projects.

The America's First Fuels Act aims to incentivize the adoption of biomass heating technology through significant tax credits. It increases the existing energy-efficient home improvement credit limit up to \$10,000 for qualifying biomass stoves and boilers installed after 2025. Furthermore, the bill introduces a new 30% investment tax credit for businesses installing qualifying "open-loop biomass heating property."