Legislation

The Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025 significantly broadens protections against retaliation for individuals working on federal contracts, particularly those with the DoD and NASA. This legislation expands the definition of a "protected individual" to cover a wider range of contractors, subcontractors, and grantees, ensuring they can report waste, fraud, or illegal activity without fear of punishment. Furthermore, the Act explicitly voids any agreement, including arbitration clauses, that attempts to waive these newly expanded whistleblower rights.

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to enhance support and accountability for English learners. It mandates new data collection on teacher diversity and sets clearer goals for English learner academic achievement. The legislation also expands authorized uses of funds for grantees to include providing comprehensive support services and culturally competent professional development for educators.

The No Stock Act bans high-ranking government officials and their immediate families from holding, trading, or creating short positions in stocks, cryptocurrencies, and other conflicted financial interests while in office. Covered individuals must divest existing prohibited assets within 120 days of taking office or the law's enactment. Knowing violations will result in significant financial penalties based on the value of the illegally held asset.

The National Flood Insurance Program Administrative Reform Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the NFIP through administrative updates and increased accountability. This bill establishes a pilot program for inspecting older properties, introduces penalties for fraud, and enhances policyholder rights, including a mandatory appeals process and faster claim deadlines. Furthermore, it mandates oversight of litigation expenses, ensures adequate staffing for the Flood Insurance Advocate, and directs studies on claims handling and earth movement coverage.

The Equal Campus Access Act of 2025 ensures that public colleges receiving federal funding must grant religious student organizations the same rights, benefits, and privileges afforded to all other student groups. This prevents institutions from denying resources or penalizing religious groups based on their beliefs, practices, speech, leadership selection, or conduct standards. Essentially, the bill mandates equal treatment for all student organizations on campus to maintain federal funding eligibility.

This bill grants permanent resident status to Valent Kolami, allowing them to apply for an immigrant visa or adjust their status immediately. This special eligibility is contingent upon Kolami filing the required application and fees within two years of the law's enactment. The legislation effectively waives certain standard immigration eligibility requirements for this specific individual.

The SHINE for Autumn Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve the national understanding and prevention of stillbirths. It authorizes federal grants to help states enhance stillbirth surveillance, data collection, and analysis, ensuring all collected data remains de-identified. Furthermore, the Act mandates the creation of clear federal guidelines for standardized data collection and the development of public educational materials regarding stillbirth risk factors.

This bill extends the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to ensure continuous flood insurance coverage. It specifically moves the program's expiration date from late 2023 to November 21, 2025. This extension provides Congress with additional time to develop long-term reforms for the program.

The India Shrimp Tariff Act establishes a phased increase in U.S. import duties on shrimp originating from India, citing unfair competition against domestic producers. This legislation also mandates a new per-kilogram fee on certain shrimp imports, with collected funds dedicated to the inspection of both shrimp and catfish. Furthermore, the Act updates country-of-origin labeling requirements for cooked shrimp and crawfish.

The Small Business Health Options Awareness Act of 2025 mandates that the Small Business Administration (SBA) actively inform small businesses about Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs). This outreach must be conducted through established channels like Small Business Development Centers and the SBA's regular communications. The goal is to ensure small employers are aware of this specific health benefit option.

The Wildfire Smoke Relief Act establishes a new FEMA program to provide assistance during severe wildfire smoke events. This program targets at-risk individuals, including low-income residents, children, pregnant individuals, seniors, and those with chronic illnesses, when air quality is unhealthy for three consecutive days. Assistance includes distributing essential smoke protection gear like air filters and respirators, or providing transitional shelter if the protective equipment is insufficient to mitigate health risks.

The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act aims to combat illegal drug manufacturing by tightening regulations on equipment used to make counterfeit pills. This bill expands the definition of regulated persons to include those dealing in specific pill-making machinery and their critical parts. It mandates permanent serial numbers on these machines and parts, requiring transaction reporting to the Attorney General. Furthermore, the Act prohibits the removal or alteration of these required identification numbers.

The Federal Government Spectrum Inventory Act mandates the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to produce an annual public report detailing the Federal Government's use of radio frequencies between 225 MHz and 50 GHz. This report must include official allocation tables, usage details, and planned future applications for these critical spectrum bands. The goal is to increase transparency regarding how federal agencies utilize these shared national resources.

The Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act streamlines the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) process for issuing certain nuclear facility permits and licenses. This legislation allows the NRC to issue permits without automatically holding a full hearing if no affected party requests one. It also updates procedures to favor informal hearings when they are held and modifies timing requirements for license issuance.

The Native American Entrepreneurial and Opportunity Act of 2025 establishes a new Office of Native American Affairs within the Small Business Administration (SBA). This office will focus on strengthening relationships with Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations to better direct SBA resources toward their economic growth. It aims to improve access to capital, contracting, and entrepreneurial development programs specifically for Native communities. The Act ensures leadership with relevant cultural expertise will oversee these efforts and coordinate assistance across federal agencies.

This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 400,000 special one-dollar silver commemorative coins honoring the late activist Charles "Charlie" Kirk. The coins must feature his likeness on the obverse and the inscription "well done, good and faithful servant" on the reverse. All costs associated with the production and sale of these coins must be covered by the revenue generated, ensuring no net cost to the U.S. Treasury.

The Investments in Innovation Act of 2025 aims to boost investment in small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. It modifies Small Business Administration (SBA) leverage calculations for certain investment companies, effectively excluding the cost of these specific equity investments from debt limits. This incentive is contingent upon investment companies committing at least 50% of their investments to these disadvantaged businesses.

The Future Generations Protection Act aims to combat climate change by immediately banning greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants and halting the approval of most new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals. It also establishes a nationwide ban on hydraulic fracturing starting in 2029 and generally prohibits the export of domestically produced crude oil and natural gas, with limited exceptions for oil swaps and historical trade relationships. Furthermore, the Act mandates that the energy transition prioritize environmental justice, fairness for fossil fuel workers, and strong labor union involvement.

The Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2025 amends the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination in housing based on source of income, veteran status, or military status. This expansion broadens protections to cover lawful income sources, including housing vouchers and various benefits, alongside military service. The Act ensures these new protected classes are covered across all aspects of the housing transaction, from advertising to rental agreements.

The Keep the Lights Local Act prohibits foreign corporations or governments from owning public utility holding companies. This measure aims to secure domestic control over essential utility infrastructure. The ban on foreign ownership will take effect 180 days after the Act is signed into law.