Legislation

The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act of 2026 ensures that essential Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees, including law enforcement and critical support staff, continue to receive pay and allowances during a government shutdown. This automatic funding remains active until a new budget is passed or until January 1, 2027. The goal is to maintain critical national security operations even without full appropriations.

This resolution expresses support for designating **September 2025** as **National Campus Sexual Assault Awareness Month** to highlight the critical issue of sexual violence on college campuses. It details alarming statistics regarding assault prevalence, underreporting, and institutional failures in handling these cases. The bill aims to increase public attention on prevention, survivor support, and accountability measures within higher education.

The Disaster Relief Disbursement Accountability Act mandates faster distribution of federal disaster relief funds following major events. It requires recipients of FEMA assistance to track and report the average time it takes to pass those funds down to subrecipients. This ensures greater transparency and accountability in how quickly aid reaches those who need it most. The FEMA Administrator must then report this data annually to Congress.

This bill prohibits the federal government from providing funding to any entity that employs individuals who openly condone or celebrate political violence and domestic terrorism. It directly restricts federal financial support to organizations whose employees publicly endorse such activities. The measure aims to ensure federal dollars do not flow to entities associated with the promotion of political violence.

This resolution expresses support for designating September 22, 2025, as "National Hispanic Nurses Day" to recognize the vital contributions of Hispanic nurses to the U.S. healthcare system. It specifically honors the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) as the leading organization advocating for this essential group. The designation aims to raise awareness about the role Hispanic nurses play in providing culturally sensitive care and addressing health disparities in diverse communities.

The Equal Tax Act aims to increase tax fairness by limiting preferential tax rates for high earners and treating property transfers at death or as a gift as a taxable event. It introduces new rules for capital gains exclusions on inherited family farms and businesses, while also capping the use of like-kind exchanges for non-farming real estate. Finally, the Act adjusts the calculation for the Qualified Business Income deduction based on income thresholds.

The LOCAL Foods Act of 2025 expands exemptions from federal meat inspection for small-scale, personal processing operations. This allows owners of livestock, even partial owners, to have their animals slaughtered and processed without federal inspection, provided the resulting meat is strictly for the owner, their household, guests, or employees. The bill emphasizes that the owner must maintain control and proper identification of the meat, even when using an agent for processing.

The Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act of 2025 establishes a new initiative to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of childcare in rural and agricultural areas. This program directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prioritize funding through existing rural development loan and grant programs for projects that address childcare needs. The initiative specifically favors farming-dependent counties and requires a comprehensive review of the program's impact.

This resolution supports the designation of a National Hazing Awareness Week to highlight the serious and often tragic issue of hazing on college campuses. It builds upon existing federal law by emphasizing the need for comprehensive, ongoing prevention education for students, staff, and faculty. Ultimately, the bill encourages nationwide action to promote awareness and prevent hazing incidents.

The AI Warnings And Resources for Education (AWARE) Act directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop and release educational materials for families about the safe and responsible use of AI chatbots by minors. These resources must clearly explain safety risks, data privacy concerns, and offer best practices for parental supervision. The FTC is required to model these new guides after their existing "Youville" educational program.

The Ian Kalvinskas Pediatric Liver Cancer Early Detection and Screening Act aims to improve outcomes for children with liver disease by initiating studies on current federal efforts and waitlist mortality. It mandates the development of a public education program to raise awareness about early liver disease signs and living liver donation. Furthermore, the bill directs an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of adding direct bilirubin testing to newborn screening panels to catch conditions like biliary atresia earlier.

The End Government Shutdowns Act establishes an automatic funding mechanism to prevent government shutdowns when Congress fails to pass timely appropriations bills. If a budget lapse occurs, federal programs will automatically continue operating based on the previous year's funding levels, starting at 99% of that rate. This automatic funding level will then decrease by one percentage point every 30 days until a new budget or continuing resolution is enacted. This system ensures essential government functions continue while incentivizing Congress to pass full appropriations.

The Gun Suicide Prevention Act of 2025 mandates that all firearms sold must include a conspicuous label in English and Spanish directing individuals contemplating suicide to call or text 988. This new requirement applies to manufacturers and retailers, treating non-compliance similarly to violations under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The labeling provisions will take effect two years after the Act is signed into law.

This bill, the **September 11 Day of Remembrance Act**, officially designates September 11th as a legal public holiday. This amendment updates federal law to recognize September 11th as the "September 11 Day of Remembrance," observed annually. Consequently, federal employees will observe this day as a recognized federal holiday.

The Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan establishes a process for pension plan administrators to transfer forgotten retirement funds to state unclaimed property programs via a national clearinghouse. Before transferring distributions of $50 or more, plans must attempt to locate the owner using databases and send a warning notice if new contact information is found. This act protects plan fiduciaries from liability for following these new transfer rules and mandates confidential reporting of all transfers to the Department of Labor.

This Act establishes a new "certificate of crossing" requirement for energy infrastructure projects that cross the U.S. border with Canada or Mexico, streamlining approvals while maintaining environmental review. It significantly eliminates the need for Presidential permits for new cross-border energy facilities, such as pipelines and transmission lines. Furthermore, the bill speeds up the approval process for certain natural gas import/export applications handled by FERC. These changes aim to strengthen North American energy security by modernizing the regulatory framework for cross-border energy connections.

The Transatlantic Growth Enterprise Act establishes a new program, the Transatlantic Growth Enterprise, to strengthen U.S. economic and security ties with key Central and Eastern European partners. This initiative aims to foster business connections, improve energy security, and counter malign influence from Russia and China in the region. The program will prioritize cooperation with partner nations actively upholding democratic values.

This bill, the National Coal Council Reestablishment Act, mandates the Secretary of Energy to reestablish the National Coal Council within the Department of Energy, adhering to its charter as of November 19, 2021. The Council will generally operate under the Federal Advisory Committee Act guidelines. Crucially, this legislation exempts the Council from the automatic termination provisions that typically apply to federal advisory committees.

The Congressional Money Returned to America Act mandates that any unspent funds remaining in the House of Representatives' Members Representational Allowance (MRA) at the end of the fiscal year must be returned to the U.S. Treasury. This returned money will be specifically used for reducing the federal deficit or debt. This requirement takes effect starting in fiscal year 2026.

The Auto Bailout Accident Victims Recovery Act of 2025 addresses litigation stemming from accidents involving General Motors vehicles manufactured before the 2009 bailout. This Act waives the statute of limitations for specific Fifth Amendment claims related to the government's actions during the bailout. It mandates that the U.S. government provide "just compensation" to eligible claimants, calculated using a formula based on their previously allowed bankruptcy claim amount, multiplied by 2.5, plus accrued interest and legal fees. If settlements are delayed, the Attorney General must report the reasons for the delay to Congress.