Legislation

The Consumer Online Payment Transparency and Integrity Act establishes strict new rules for businesses using automatic renewals and free-to-paid trial conversions. It mandates clear upfront disclosures, requires express consent for annual renewals, and demands easy, comparable cancellation methods for consumers. The Federal Trade Commission is empowered to enforce these provisions, treating violations as unfair or deceptive practices and specifically targeting the use of "dark patterns."

The Secret Service Recording Accountability Act of 2025 mandates that the Secret Service record all communications made while actively protecting an individual entitled to protection. These recordings must generally be deleted within 90 days, unless specific Congressional committees request their retention for at least 18 months. Recordings related to an attempt or act of harm against the protected individual must be provided to designated Congressional committees upon request.

The End the Cyprus Embargo Act lifts the existing policy that automatically denies requests to export U.S. defense articles and services to the Republic of Cyprus. Congress finds that allowing these defense sales strengthens U.S. security interests in Europe by reducing Cyprus's reliance on other nations for military equipment. This change is contingent on Cyprus meeting certain requirements and allows the President to reinstate the denial policy temporarily for national security reasons.

The Uterine Fibroid Intervention and Gynecological Health Treatment Act of 2025 aims to improve the detection and treatment of uterine fibroids. It mandates federal research to develop evidence-based early detection strategies and establishes grant programs for states to fund screening, education, and intervention services, prioritizing vulnerable populations. Furthermore, the bill allocates funding for research into pain management related to fibroid surgery and other uterine conditions.

The Safeguarding Transit Operations to Prohibit China Act (STOP China Act) bans the use of federal transit funds to purchase or maintain transit vehicles and related infrastructure connected to specified foreign entities, primarily those linked to China. This prohibition targets "covered vehicles" supplied by "covered entities" to prevent national security risks and unfair trade practices. The law mandates the creation of a public watchlist identifying these restricted entities to ensure compliance.

The AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025 modernizes the reporting requirements for foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land by lowering the minimum reporting threshold for certain transactions. This legislation strengthens enforcement actions and mandates the sharing of critical foreign investment data with national security officials, specifically CFIUS. Furthermore, the Act requires updates to official handbooks to incorporate national security risk assessments and establishes a timeline for fully implementing electronic AFIDA disclosure systems.

The Tribal Access to Clean Water Act of 2025 aims to address the critical lack of safe and reliable water infrastructure on Tribal lands and for the Native Hawaiian Community. This bill expands eligibility for federal water and sanitation funding, authorizes significant new appropriations across the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services (IHS), and provides crucial technical assistance to help these communities access and manage these resources. Ultimately, the Act seeks to fulfill the federal trust responsibility by ensuring all Tribal residents have access to clean, safe drinking water and adequate sanitation systems.

The Defend Girls Athletics Act mandates that elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions must certify compliance with Executive Order 14201 regarding biological fairness in women's sports to receive federal funding. This certification must be renewed annually for K-12 districts and by July 1st for colleges and universities. Failure to comply or report results in the immediate requirement to return unobligated federal funds and ineligibility for future federal financial assistance until compliance is restored.

This bill, the Excluding Illegal Aliens from Medicaid Act, accelerates a planned change to Medicaid eligibility rules for certain non-citizens, making it effective sooner than previously scheduled. It also establishes a temporary, enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to increase federal funding for states that provide health coverage to non-qualified immigrants. This financial boost applies to states actively using state funds to cover or provide comprehensive health benefits to these individuals starting in mid-2025.

The Cutting Passport Backlog Act extends the special hiring authority granted to the State Department for passport services. This extension provides an additional two years, totaling five years, for the department to hire necessary personnel to address the current passport application backlog.

The Ban on Inkless Directives and Executive Notarizations Act of 2025 mandates that the President must personally sign engrossed bills, Executive Orders, and pardons, explicitly banning the use of automatic signing devices for these actions. Furthermore, this Act invalidates any prior official document signed by an unauthorized individual, even if the signing occurred before the law's enactment. This legislation ensures that the highest level of presidential authority is conveyed through the President's own physical signature.

The Agricultural Emergency Relief Act of 2025 establishes a new federal program to provide direct financial assistance to producers who suffer qualified losses due to natural disasters like drought, fire, or floods. To receive payments, producers must agree to purchase Federal Crop Insurance or enroll in the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the next two succeeding crop years. Payment calculations vary based on whether the producer already has existing crop insurance coverage, and strict payment limits are set based on the producer's average adjusted gross farm income.

The Unemployment Insurance Modernization and Recession Readiness Act comprehensively reforms unemployment benefits by increasing federal funding for extended aid and establishing national minimum standards for regular state programs. Title I modernizes extended benefits by lowering triggers and increasing duration during recessions, while Title II mandates stronger state-level protections, including a 26-week minimum benefit and eliminating the initial waiting week. Finally, Title III establishes a new, federally funded Jobseeker Allowance to support active job searchers, creating a more robust and accessible safety net overall.

The HOMES Act targets large-scale single-family rental property owners who own 50 or more such homes. This legislation disallows these "disqualified owners" from deducting interest expenses paid on loans related to these rental properties. Furthermore, the Act prohibits these large landlords from claiming depreciation deductions on their single-family rental properties. Exceptions to these penalties exist primarily if the property is sold to an individual owner-occupant or a qualified affordable housing nonprofit.

The Securing Help for Involuntary Employment Loss and Displacement Act (SHIELD Act) revises federal requirements for state unemployment programs regarding labor disputes. This bill mandates that states deny regular unemployment benefits to individuals unemployed due to a strike or labor dispute in which they actively participated or had a direct stake. The new federal conditions take effect in two years, though states may adopt them sooner.

The Stop GAPS Act of 2025 aims to reform the process for caring for unaccompanied immigrant children. This bill removes a specific regulatory requirement for sponsors of these minors. Furthermore, it mandates that the Office of Refugee Resettlement actively track all released children until their immigration cases conclude and coordinate suitable placements with state agencies.

This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to lower the eligibility requirements for spouses of active duty service members. It reduces the required length of employment from 12 months to just 90 days for these military spouses to qualify for job-protected leave. This change ensures military families can access necessary leave more quickly during active duty periods.

The Power of the Mint Act asserts Congress's constitutional authority over the nation's money supply. This bill strictly prohibits the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) unless explicitly authorized by Congress. It ensures that any digital dollar remains a direct liability of the Federal Reserve, subject to legislative approval.

The Protecting Federal Employee Rights to Personnel Files Act of 2025 ensures current and former federal employees have a right to easily access their official personnel records. The bill mandates that agencies must provide electronic and physical copies of these files within seven days upon request for current employees. Furthermore, separating employees will automatically receive their file within seven days of their departure.

The Patient Access to Innovative New Technologies Act of 2025 aims to accelerate patient access to cutting-edge medical tools by streamlining payment for hospitals using FDA-designated breakthrough devices. This bill allows hospitals to receive conditional New Technology Add-On Payments (NTAP) sooner, provided the device receives final FDA approval before July 1st of the relevant fiscal year. This change applies to breakthrough devices designated for priority review that receive final clearance or approval on or after July 1, 2023.