Legislation

The Linking Seniors to Needed Legal Services Act of 2025 establishes a grant program to help states better connect older adults with essential legal assistance. This funding supports evidence-based methods like medical-legal partnerships integrated into healthcare settings and expanded legal hotlines. The goal is to create real-time connections between health/social services and legal help for vulnerable seniors. States receiving grants must report on referrals and outcomes to ensure accountability.

The Professional Student Degree Act seeks to amend the Higher Education Act by formally defining what constitutes a "professional degree" for student loan purposes. This definition specifies degrees that prepare students to immediately begin practicing in a profession and require a skill level beyond a standard bachelor's degree. The bill explicitly lists numerous professional degrees, such as Law, Medicine, and specialized health fields, under this new classification.

This act establishes a permanent, fixed Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funding allocation for Tennessee beginning in fiscal year 2026, based on its 2015 allotment. The funding amount will increase annually based on the consumer price index. Furthermore, the bill designates Tennessee as a "low DSH state" for all fiscal years after 2026.

This bill establishes the **Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act** to authorize the Attorney General to appoint highly qualified, temporary immigration judges for limited terms. These temporary judges are intended to supplement, not replace, permanent judges and must meet specific experience requirements. The legislation mandates rigorous oversight, training protocols, and limits the total service time for these temporary appointments to ensure judicial integrity.

This act ensures that individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are not penalized for receiving legal settlement payments related to personal injury, physical sickness, or property damage. Specifically, it excludes these settlement amounts from being counted as income or resources for SSI eligibility and benefit calculations. This provision explicitly covers settlements from the *In Re: East Palestine Train Derailment* case.

This Act addresses the significant unemployment disparities faced by young African Americans by strengthening pathways into registered apprenticeship programs. It establishes a Diversity and Inclusion Administrator within the Department of Labor to promote greater participation from underrepresented groups. Furthermore, the bill authorizes a competitive grant program to help entities create or expand apprenticeships, requiring applicants to submit plans specifically aimed at increasing African American enrollment.

The Auto Reenroll Act of 2025 amends the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA to mandate the automatic reenrollment of employees in certain retirement savings plans after they have opted out for a maximum of three years. This legislation requires participants who previously elected not to contribute to be automatically re-enrolled at the plan's default rate unless they actively choose to opt out again. The bill aims to increase retirement savings participation by resetting voluntary opt-out elections periodically.

The Workforce of the Future Act of 2025 mandates federal studies on AI's impact on jobs and establishes new grant programs to expand technology education and workforce training. Title I requires comprehensive reports from key departments detailing necessary future skills and policy recommendations. Title II creates federal grants to boost K-12 technology education and fund retraining for workers in AI-affected industries.

The FARM Home Loans Act of 2025 updates rural housing financing by expanding eligible property types to include accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Additionally, this act increases the population limit for eligible rural areas from 2,500 to 10,000 residents. These changes aim to foster greater availability of home loans in rural markets.

This bill, the "Repealing the IMD Exclusion Act," removes the existing age restriction that prevents Medicaid from covering mental health services for eligible individuals under age 65 in Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMDs). It allows states to provide this coverage to all eligible ages, provided the IMD meets new federal standards for quality of care and staffing. These changes will take effect 180 days after enactment.

The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2025 establishes new grant programs to boost physician training in underserved areas. These programs will fund the creation of new rural residency programs and provide technical assistance to applicants and current grantees. The goal is to increase the number of physicians practicing in rural communities across primary care, high-need specialties, and maternal health.

This resolution urges the U.S. government to actively promote peace in Sudan amid a devastating conflict that has caused mass casualties and displacement. It specifically calls on the U.S. to hold the Quad member states, including the UAE, accountable for ending external military support that is prolonging the violence. The bill also references existing U.S. authority to impose sanctions on those destabilizing the region.

The Campus Housing Affordability Act removes existing federal prohibitions that prevent students from receiving housing assistance. This legislation allows eligible students living in institutional housing to receive tenant-based rental assistance without that aid counting against their eligibility for federal student financial aid or other benefits. The bill grants the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development the authority to waive certain requirements to facilitate this assistance.

This bill amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to ensure that periods of coverage under qualifying private flood insurance policies count toward the continuous coverage requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This change allows policyholders to maintain eligibility for NFIP benefits even if they transition between private insurance and the NFIP. Essentially, it recognizes private flood insurance as equivalent to NFIP coverage for continuity purposes.

The Background Check Completion Act of 2025 mandates that a completed background check must occur before any firearm transfer can take place. This law removes the previous "default proceed" provision that allowed transfers after three business days if the check was incomplete. It also updates related federal laws to align with this new, stricter requirement.

This bill establishes "Anti-Communism Week" as a national observance to remember the devastation caused by communism and honor its victims. It directs the President to issue an annual proclamation calling for appropriate ceremonies and activities across the United States. The legislation reaffirms the nation's commitment to liberty and human dignity over communist ideology.

The No Bounties on Badges Act authorizes the Attorney General to offer rewards for information leading to the arrest, conviction, or prevention of anyone offering bounties or money to harm or kill U.S. law enforcement officers. This legislation creates a new category of actionable offenses related to such threats. The law updates the U.S. Code to reflect this new authority concerning rewards for information.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to immediately improve financial and healthcare access for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This legislation eliminates the standard five-month waiting period for Social Security disability insurance benefits. Furthermore, it waives the 24-month waiting period required before these patients become eligible for Medicare coverage.

The Preventing Unnecessary Resource Expenditures Act (PURE Act) addresses the current methamphetamine crisis driven by high-purity imports. This bill reforms federal law by removing outdated purity-based weight thresholds in trafficking prosecutions to reduce the burden on crime labs. It also directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to update guidelines to ensure penalties adequately reflect the severe harm caused by methamphetamine offenses.

This act authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to undertake a major medical facility project in St. Louis, Missouri, during Fiscal Year 2026. The project includes the construction of a new bed tower, clinical expansion, administrative facilities, and supporting infrastructure. It authorizes up to \$1,762,668,000 for the completion of these necessary upgrades.