Legislation

The Joint Chiefs Reauthorization Act of 2025 updates the existing Landscape Restoration Partnership program to enhance collaboration between the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Forest Service. This bill expands the program's focus to explicitly include wildfire recovery and natural resource improvement. It also aligns priority areas with state forest action plans and extends the program's operational timeline through 2029.

The Right to FDA-Approved Medicines Act guarantees individuals the right to obtain and receive information about medicines already approved by the FDA. This law preempts and overrides conflicting federal and state regulations that restrict access to or the provision of these approved drugs by healthcare providers. It establishes strong enforcement mechanisms, allowing both the Attorney General and private citizens to sue states that violate these protections.

The Equity in Government Act mandates that federal agencies integrate specific equity goals into their strategic and performance plans, ensuring at least 20% of goals focus on improving service delivery to underserved communities. The bill establishes new leadership structures, including an Agency Equity Advisory Team, and enhances the role of the Chief Data Officer Council to prioritize equitable data collection and use. Furthermore, it creates an Equitable Data Working Group to guide the government toward fairer methods and outcomes in federal operations.

This Act authorizes the creation and sale of commemorative coins to celebrate the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. The Secretary of the Treasury is empowered to mint various denominations of gold, silver, and clad coins for each event, with designs reflecting American participation. A mandatory surcharge on each coin sold will directly fund the respective organizing committees for the Games and their legacy programs, provided the government recovers all minting costs first.

The Health Records Enhancement Act establishes a system allowing designated individuals or immediate family members to supplement the health records of deceased veterans held by the DoD and VA. This process permits the addition of post-mortem health observations or relevant details to the existing official records. The goal is to ensure a more complete historical health record for deceased service members.

The State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act of 2025 holds states financially responsible when their non-cooperation with federal immigration enforcement leads to civil unrest requiring military intervention. If a state's obstruction causes the need for federal troop deployment, the Department of Defense will bill that state for the associated military costs. States will have 180 days to reimburse these expenses or face potential reductions in federal discretionary grants.

The Combating CCP Labor Abuses Act of 2025 mandates that the Department of Commerce provide specialized training to its employees regarding human rights abuses, particularly forced labor in the Xinjiang region by the Chinese government. Furthermore, the Act requires the Department to issue guidance to U.S. businesses engaged in interstate commerce or foreign investment. This guidance must help companies identify and avoid risks associated with entities tied to these severe human rights violations.

The USA Beef Act establishes stricter requirements for labeling beef as "Product of USA." This designation will now only apply to beef from cattle that were entirely born, raised, and slaughtered within the United States. This new standard does not apply to beef intended for export outside the U.S.

The FORGOTTEN Veterans Act of 2025 mandates comprehensive tracking of all service members' toxic exposures in an expanded Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER). It establishes a presumption of toxic exposure for military personnel and DoD civilians working at specified Department of Energy facilities. Furthermore, the bill officially classifies the Nevada Test and Training Range as a contamination site, requiring the VA to presume toxic exposure and service connection for related conditions for veterans who served there since 1951.

The Stop NOAA Closures Act places a temporary moratorium on the closure or restriction of access to any National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facilities. This freeze remains in effect until 180 days after key officials submit a required report to Congress detailing the criteria and process for any future facility changes. After the moratorium lifts, any major facility action will still require a 30-day advance notice and justification report to Congress, except in cases of immediate emergency threatening staff safety.

The Federal Advisory Committee Database Act establishes a centralized, public database for comprehensive information on all federal advisory committees. This law mandates detailed annual reporting from agencies, covering committee membership, finances, activities, and recommendations. The collected data will be published annually in a machine-readable format to enhance transparency and tracking of government advisory groups. No new funding is authorized to implement these requirements.

The Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act establishes a pilot program allowing the FAA to temporarily waive certain federal rules for airports seeking federal funds to repair or replace aging soundproofing in nearby homes. This assistance is specifically targeted at properties where previous federal soundproofing has failed, caused structural damage, or used low-quality materials. To qualify, airports must demonstrate that local funds were already being used for noise reduction and that the homes meet strict noise level and damage criteria.

This Act allows ranchers to temporarily use vacant federal grazing allotments when their primary grazing areas are unusable due to natural disasters like fires or floods. The relevant Secretary must ensure the temporary land is appropriate and coordinate across agencies for quick access. This provision does not alter a rancher's original permit or long-term grazing authorization.

The District of Columbia Sister City Integrity Act prohibits the District from establishing new Sister City relationships with any city or region located in a country designated as a foreign adversary. Existing partnerships with such nations must be terminated within 180 days or upon the agreement's expiration. Furthermore, the District cannot use federal funds for international liaison services without certifying compliance with this Act to the President.

The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act aims to rapidly improve tracking of fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses and the use of reversal medications like naloxone. It amends the comprehensive opioid abuse grant program to fund states, localities, and law enforcement coalitions in creating instant, mobile-friendly systems for reporting overdose incidents. Grantees must use this data to coordinate public safety and health responses and ensure interoperability with existing federal and state data systems.

This Act authorizes the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Chad Robichaux, Sarah Verardo, and six other Special Operations veterans for their heroic, independent efforts in evacuating over 17,000 people from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan following the 2021 withdrawal. The medal will be struck by the Treasury and ultimately displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. The bill also permits the sale of bronze duplicate medals to cover production costs.

The STOP Shells Act strengthens U.S. export controls by requiring the Secretary of Commerce to apply licensing rules to subsidiaries of foreign entities already on restricted lists, provided U.S. interests own a controlling stake. Before listing an entity, the Secretary must assess the impact of applying the Foreign Direct Product Rule on national security. Any subsequent waivers to these new licensing requirements must be justified to Congress within two days.

The Neutralizing Unfair Chinese Export Subsidies Act of 2025 aims to counter unfair Chinese trade practices by strengthening allied efforts to enforce OECD export credit standards, placing the Treasury Secretary in charge of these international negotiations. The bill also updates the criteria the Treasury Secretary must use to determine if China is manipulating its currency exchange rate. If manipulation is found, the U.S. will actively oppose any increase in China's quota or voting power at the International Monetary Fund for one year.

The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act of 2025 aims to increase transparency and accountability across the prescription drug supply chain. It mandates fairer pharmacy network access for Medicare beneficiaries and imposes strict new financial reporting and service fee requirements on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) working with Medicare and private health plans. Furthermore, the bill establishes new federal mechanisms to accurately track drug acquisition costs in Medicaid and explicitly bans the practice of "spread pricing" in state Medicaid contracts.

The Catalyzing Housing and American Ready Growth and Expansion Investments Act (CHARGE Investments Act) expands federal direct loan and loan guarantee programs for development projects near transit stations. These funds can now finance mixed-use commercial and residential construction, along with necessary infrastructure. Projects must be within a quarter mile of fixed transit and demonstrate significant private investment to qualify for this expanded support.