Legislation

The National STEM Week Act establishes an annual celebration designated by the CoSTEM committee to emphasize the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education. This week aims to showcase STEM career paths, encourage family involvement, and foster partnerships between schools and industry leaders to improve access and participation. CoSTEM is required to report annually to Congress on the week's activities and their impact on narrowing educational gaps.

This bill seeks to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt "premium cigars" from certain FDA regulations. It defines a premium cigar based on strict criteria, including being hand-rolled and made entirely of natural tobacco leaf. The exemption is supported by findings that premium cigar use is rare, especially among youth, and poses lower health risks than other tobacco products.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 409 South Hicks Street in Lawrenceville, Virginia, as the "James Solomon Russell Post Office." The legislation ensures that all official records and documents reflect this new, permanent name for the Lawrenceville post office.

The Social Security Overpayment Relief Act establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for the government to recover Social Security and SSI overpayments. This means the government cannot attempt to collect or offset future benefits for overpayments that occurred ten or more years before the mistake was officially discovered. This provides relief by limiting the recovery period for old benefit errors.

This resolution celebrates the 204th anniversary of Greek independence and reaffirms the deep, shared commitment to democracy between the United States and Greece. It recognizes the historical ties, ongoing strategic partnership in security and energy, and the contributions of the Greek-American community. The bill ultimately honors Greece as a vital NATO ally and friend.

The Hearing Device Coverage Clarification Act ensures that surgically implanted active middle ear implants are explicitly covered by Medicare. This is achieved by mandating that CMS classify these devices as "prosthetics." This clarification prevents the implants from being excluded under the existing Medicare rule that generally denies coverage for routine hearing aids.

The Guarding American Technology from Exploitation (GATE) Act of 2025 prohibits U.S. National Laboratories from granting access to foreign nationals from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, or Cuba, regardless of the length of their intended visit. This immediate ban applies to both current and future visitors and assignees from these specified countries. Exceptions can only be granted by the Secretary of Energy if they certify that the benefit to the U.S. outweighs the national security risks, following consultation with the FBI. Any granted waiver must be reported to Congress within 30 days.

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include military spouses as eligible hires. This allows employers to claim the tax credit for hiring individuals certified as spouses of active-duty military personnel. The provision applies to wages paid for individuals hired after the Act's enactment date.

The Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025 immediately creates the Space National Guard as the reserve component of the U.S. Space Force, initially drawing personnel from existing National Guard space units across seven states. This Act mandates that the new Guard utilize existing infrastructure and requires regular reporting to Congress on its implementation and operations. The legislation also makes conforming amendments across federal law to formally define and integrate the Space National Guard into the military structure.

The Stop Comstock Act aims to modernize and streamline federal laws concerning obscene materials. This legislation removes outdated and overly broad language, such as "indecent" and "immoral," from various sections of the U.S. Code and the Tariff Act. The bill focuses on technical clean-up to clarify existing statutes regarding the distribution and importation of materials.

This resolution formally recognizes the rich heritage, culture, and significant contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women across the United States. It celebrates their historic achievements in areas such as military service, science, the arts, and civil rights leadership. The bill also emphasizes the importance of continued investment to overcome barriers these women face in accessing justice, healthcare, and economic opportunities.

This bill prohibits "natural asset companies"—entities that own the rights to ecological performance of land—from entering into any agreement concerning land or natural assets located within the State of Utah. Essentially, it bans these specific types of corporations from making deals involving Utah property or its underlying resources.

The Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025 prohibits all federal funding and support for research utilizing human fetal tissue obtained as a result of an induced abortion. The bill restricts federal agencies to only conducting or supporting research using tissue obtained after a miscarriage or stillbirth, subject to new regulations. Furthermore, it makes it illegal for individuals to solicit or knowingly accept donations of human fetal tissue obtained pursuant to an induced abortion.

The Save Our Shipyards Act of 2025 establishes the National Commission on the Maritime Industrial Base (the SOS Commission). This group is tasked with thoroughly investigating the current state and future needs of the U.S. maritime industrial base, particularly concerning national defense readiness. The Commission must then deliver a public report detailing its findings and policy recommendations to strengthen domestic shipbuilding, repair capabilities, and the maritime workforce.

The Block Organ Transplant Purchases from China Act of 2025 bans federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid, as well as private insurance, from covering organ transplants performed in China or involving organs not sourced through the U.S. network, effective January 1, 2026. Healthcare providers who knowingly perform these "prohibited organ transplants" face criminal penalties and substantial civil fines. The law aims to stop the funding and performance of transplants utilizing organs obtained through unethical or non-transparent means.

The School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act of 2025 mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to completely cancel all outstanding household debt for school lunches and breakfasts within 180 days of enactment. The bill ensures schools are reimbursed for the canceled debt using funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation. Furthermore, it grants the Secretary permanent authority to cancel future meal debt under similar repayment terms.

The Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2025 establishes a \$100 billion federal grant program to provide downpayment and closing cost assistance to first-generation and first-time homebuyers who meet specific income limits. Funds will be distributed to states and eligible entities to help qualified buyers purchase primary residences using eligible mortgage loans. Recipients must complete mandatory housing counseling, and assistance generally must be repaid proportionally if the home is vacated within five years.

The Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2025 establishes a high-level, multi-agency task force (JTFISN) to coordinate and lead federal efforts against the illicit synthetic narcotics crisis. This task force will focus on disrupting trafficking networks, enforcing sanctions, and improving intelligence sharing across departments like Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security. The Director will report to the Attorney General and Congress, providing regular updates on enforcement actions and strategies, particularly those targeting foreign actors like the People's Republic of China. Crucially, the law explicitly prohibits the task force from targeting individual drug users or low-level dealing unrelated to major trafficking operations.

The Postal Police Reform Act of 2025 officially designates Postal Service police officers as federal law enforcement agents under Title 18 of the U.S. Code. This legislation grants the Postmaster General the authority to establish and enforce rules for protecting Postal Service property. Violations of these new rules may result in federal fines or imprisonment up to 30 days.

The Stop Predatory Investing Act targets large-scale single-family rental property owners who own 50 or more homes. This legislation disallows these "disqualified owners" from deducting interest paid on loans for these rental properties and bans them from claiming standard depreciation deductions. Exceptions allow for interest and depreciation deductions only if the property is sold to an individual owner-occupant or a qualified affordable housing nonprofit.