Legislation

The AG2PI Act of 2025 reauthorizes the Genome to Phenome Initiative through 2030, supporting research to connect plant and livestock genes to their traits. This initiative aims to help farmers and ranchers improve the resilience, productivity, and profitability of their businesses by understanding the relationship between genetics, environmental factors, and management practices. By reauthorizing the Genome to Phenome Initiative, this act will promote efficient and sustainable agricultural production systems.

The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025 reauthorizes and amends the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Act to continue supporting the protection and restoration of the Northwest Straits region in Puget Sound, Washington. It updates the commission's membership and duties, emphasizes collaboration with Tribal governments, and authorizes \$10,000,000 annually from 2026-2031 to support the initiative's goals of ecosystem health and sustainable resource use. The Act directs the commission to focus on science-based projects, community involvement, and data-driven decision-making to address environmental challenges in the region.

The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025 reauthorizes and amends the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Act to protect and restore the marine ecosystem of the Northwest Straits region. It updates the commission's membership, goals, and duties, emphasizing collaboration, data collection, and support for local marine resources committees. The Act authorizes appropriations of $10,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031, and continued funding thereafter, to support the initiative's goals.

This bill designates April 13-26, 2025, as "National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week" to recognize the importance of arts education. It acknowledges the positive impact of arts programs on students' skills and cross-cultural understanding. The bill supports the work of Young Audiences Arts for Learning and encourages Americans to celebrate the week with events promoting arts education.

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act introduces a new tax credit to encourage the construction and rehabilitation of homes in distressed communities. This credit aims to bridge the "value gap" that often hinders development in these areas by incentivizing the creation of affordable homes for qualified low- to moderate-income homebuyers. The credit is allocated to developers through state agencies, with specific requirements for affordability, construction standards, and homeowner protection. If the homeowner sells the home within five years, a portion of the profit must be repaid.

The "Protecting Options for Seniors Act of 2025" addresses inconsistencies in Medicare Advantage (MA) plan payments due to hospital wage index reclassifications. Starting in 2026, the Act increases the national per capita MA growth percentage for areas with significant hospital wage index increases, ensuring fair payments to hospitals and maintaining benchmark neutrality. The Act also mandates the separate computation and publication of total payments made to each area hospital under Medicare Parts A and B, promoting transparency.

The ASCEND Act directs NASA to establish a program for acquiring and disseminating commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery to support its scientific, operational, and educational goals, as well as to benefit other federal agencies and researchers. This program will prioritize data acquisition from U.S. vendors and ensure that data licenses do not hinder scientific publication. The NASA Administrator is required to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the program's activities, including vendor information, license terms, and advancements in scientific research and applications.

The "Protecting Outdoor Concerts Act of 2025" directs the FAA to issue temporary flight restrictions over outdoor concerts and music festivals with at least 30,000 attendees daily. These events will be treated similarly to aerial demonstrations or major sporting events, including restricted airspace for unmanned aircraft.

The "Working Families Flexibility Act of 2025" amends the Fair Labor Standards Act, allowing private-sector employees who have worked at least 1,000 hours in the past 12 months to choose compensatory time off instead of overtime pay, with certain limitations and requirements. Employers must have agreements with employees, either through collective bargaining or documented individual agreements, and cannot coerce employees into choosing compensatory time. The bill requires the Secretary of Labor to update employee notice materials and mandates a GAO report to Congress on the use of compensatory time and any related violations. This legislation will sunset five years after enactment.

The Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2025 amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to increase meal and supplement reimbursement rates by 10 cents for eligible child care facilities. It also updates language regarding consultation and modifies reimbursement calculations for family or group day care home sponsoring organizations.

This bill extends Executive Order 14220 indefinitely, ensuring continued measures to address national security threats related to copper imports. It maintains all existing regulations and actions established under the original order.

The "Defense of Conscience in Health Care Act" mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a rule mirroring the regulations in place on July 22, 2019, which protect conscience and anti-discrimination rights in healthcare. This rule ensures that healthcare professionals and entities are not forced to participate in actions that violate their religious or moral beliefs. The Act ensures the new rule will supersede any conflicting regulations.

The "Employee Limits ON Profiteering Act" prohibits the federal government from granting federal awards, including contracts and grants, to special government employees and their related third parties, such as spouses, children, or organizations they lead. This restriction excludes advisory committee members. The Federal Acquisition Regulation must be revised within 60 days to comply with the Act's provisions. "Special Government employee" is defined as in 18 U.S.C. 202.

The "NO TIME TO Waste Act" aims to significantly reduce food loss and waste through a variety of initiatives. It establishes an Office of Food Loss and Waste, promotes public-private partnerships, and launches a national education campaign to change consumer behavior. The act also focuses on improving coordination between government agencies, supporting food recovery infrastructure, and prioritizing research and grant programs related to food waste reduction. Ultimately, this bill seeks to achieve a 50% reduction in food loss and waste by 2030, addressing climate change, food security, and public health concerns.

The "Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025" withdraws federal land in New Mexico from mineral and geothermal leasing and mining laws to protect the cultural and historical resources of the Greater Chaco region. The Act terminates non-producing oil and gas leases and prevents their extension, while allowing land conveyances or exchanges with Indian Tribes. This withdrawal aims to preserve the landscape, cultural sites, and visitor experiences, and doesn't affect Indian Tribe mineral rights or community development projects.

The Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act prohibits the Department of Interior from issuing any new leases for oil and gas exploration, development, or production in the Southern California Planning Area. This area is defined by the 2024-2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to implement this prohibition.

The SAVE Our Poultry Act amends existing legislation to include highly pathogenic avian influenza as a high-priority research area. It allows research grants to be used for the development of more effective poultry vaccines, to enhance biosecurity procedures, and to study the potential impact of vaccination on poultry markets.

The "Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2025" aims to address racism as a public health crisis by establishing a National Center on Antiracism and Health within the CDC to conduct research, develop interventions, and promote antiracism practices. The Act also establishes a law enforcement violence prevention program within the CDC to research the public health impacts of police violence, develop prevention strategies, and ensure comprehensive data collection and reporting on police misconduct. This bill seeks to promote racial equity in public health outcomes through research, data collection, and the implementation of evidence-based strategies.

The Bank Loan Privacy Act requires the Bureau to provide advance notice and seek public comment before deleting or modifying data under 15 U.S.C. 1691c-2(e)(4). The rule must describe the planned data modifications and deletions and explain how they advance privacy interests.

The "Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act" directs the Attorney General to produce a series of reports analyzing attacks against law enforcement officers, unreported aggression towards officers, and the mental health and wellness of officers. These reports will include data collection and recommendations for improving training programs, protective gear, and mental health resources for law enforcement. The goal is to provide federal resources to law enforcement and deter attacks against officers. The Attorney General will consult with various stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies and relevant organizations, to develop these reports.