Legislation

The Border Patrol Recruitment Enhancement Act grants the CBP Commissioner temporary authority to waive certain hiring requirements for experienced state/local law enforcement, federal officers, and military personnel to speed up recruitment. This flexibility is limited to five years and requires strict vetting criteria for applicants seeking the waiver. The bill also mandates annual reporting to Congress and future reviews by the GAO to assess the program's impact and effectiveness.

The Open App Markets Act aims to foster competition by prohibiting large companies that control both an operating system and an app store from unfairly favoring their own services. This bill prevents these "covered companies" from forcing developers to use their in-app payment systems or from leveraging sensitive business data to benefit their own competing apps. Furthermore, it mandates that these companies allow users greater choice in setting default apps and installing software from alternative sources, while preserving necessary security and privacy exceptions. Enforcement will be handled by the FTC, State Attorneys General, and developers who suffer harm will have the right to sue for damages.

This bill proposes to amend the Internal Revenue Code to increase the lifetime tax-free withdrawal limit for using 529 account funds to pay down student loans. Specifically, it doubles the current $\$10,000$ limit to $\$20,000$. This increased benefit for student loan repayment would take effect beginning with the 2026 tax year.

The Organic Dairy Data Collection Act mandates the USDA to significantly enhance data collection for the organic dairy sector. This law requires the establishment of new surveys to track the costs of organic milk production and the prices farmers receive for their milk and feedstuffs. Ultimately, this ensures organic dairy producers have access to detailed, equivalent economic information currently available to conventional dairy farmers.

The Support for Ownership and Investment in Land (SOIL) Act establishes a pilot program to streamline and accelerate the process for farmers to receive pre-approved or pre-qualified direct farm ownership loans from the government. This initiative aims to make loan acquisition faster and more predictable for agricultural producers. The Secretary of Agriculture must report annually on the program's progress until its scheduled end date of September 30, 2030.

The Supporting Trade and Rebuilding Opportunity for National Growth Act, or STRONG Act, significantly increases the maximum loan amounts available through key Small Business Administration (SBA) programs. Specifically, it doubles the maximum size for standard 7(a) loans from $\$3.75$ million to $\$7.5$ million. Additionally, the bill raises the maximum loan amount for development company loans from $\$5$ million to $\$10$ million. These changes aim to provide greater capital access for small business growth and development.

The VA Flood Preparedness Act authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use existing funds to mitigate flood risks, including those from rising sea levels, affecting property adjacent to its medical facilities. Furthermore, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must submit a comprehensive report to Congress detailing the flood risk assessment for every VA medical facility and identifying any necessary funding to address these vulnerabilities.

The Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2025 allows drug manufacturers to provide required prescribing information to healthcare providers digitally. This shift is contingent upon manufacturers offering providers the option to receive paper copies upon request, free of charge. The Secretary of HHS must establish final rules for this digital transition within one year of enactment.

The Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2025 establishes a new federal crime specifically targeting individuals who knowingly defraud veterans or attempt to steal their federal benefits. This legislation creates enhanced penalties, including potential fines and imprisonment up to five years, for those convicted of such schemes. The Act ensures robust legal tools are in place to protect veterans from financial exploitation related to their earned benefits.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 100 North Taylor Lane in Patagonia, Arizona, as the "Jim Kolbe Memorial Post Office." This action ensures all official records reflect the new name honoring Jim Kolbe.

The Veterans Border Patrol Training Act establishes a pilot program to leverage the Department of Defense's SkillBridge program to train and hire transitioning servicemembers directly as U.S. Border Patrol agents. This initiative aims to facilitate a smooth transition for military personnel into federal law enforcement roles. The Secretary of Homeland Security must report annually to Congress on the program's participation and outcomes. This pilot program is set to automatically expire five years after its commencement date.

This bill encourages states to actively participate in the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council's online dashboard for major infrastructure projects. Specifically, it promotes state environmental reviews, such as those under the Clean Water Act, to align with and integrate into the established federal environmental review process. The goal is to foster better coordination between state and federal agencies during permitting for covered projects.

The Stop Hate Crimes Act of 2025 revises federal hate crime standards by changing the required causation element for crimes motivated by bias. This legislation lowers the threshold for prosecution by requiring that bias only needs to be a "contributory motivating factor" in the commission of the crime, rather than the sole or primary reason. This adjustment applies to crimes motivated by race, religion, national origin, and disability.

The Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act updates Medicare definitions to broaden the scope of reimbursable clinical social worker services. This change removes the specific requirement that services must be for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. The updated definition will take effect for services provided on or after December 1, 2025.

The Flood Resiliency and Land Stewardship Act revises the goals of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This legislation mandates that RCPP projects focus on comprehensive regional resource management rather than individual farm concerns. Key priorities now include enhancing flood and drought resiliency, protecting soil and water resources, and conserving wildlife across entire watersheds.

The Health Care for Energy Workers Act of 2025 expands medical benefit authorization under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. This legislation grants Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants the authority to prescribe and order necessary care, equipment, and supplies for eligible employees. This new authority is contingent upon compliance with state practice laws.

The For Sale Act of 2025 mandates the closure and sale of six specified, underutilized Federal buildings in D.C. Federal agencies must vacate these properties within 18 months, after which the GSA will sell them at market value, specifically prohibiting sales to foreign persons or entities. Proceeds from the sales will first cover administrative costs before the remainder is deposited into the Treasury to reduce the national deficit. This process is fast-tracked by exempting the sales from several existing regulatory requirements.

The Drones for America Act aims to bolster domestic drone manufacturing and national security by imposing escalating tariffs on drones and parts imported from China. It also establishes strict rules of origin to prevent components from adversary nations from entering the U.S. supply chain. Furthermore, the bill creates a grant program, funded by these new tariffs, to help first responders, farmers, and infrastructure providers acquire secure, American-made drone systems.

This comprehensive bill addresses online safety for minors through two main actions: Title I establishes federal restrictions on social media platforms, banning accounts for children under 13 and prohibiting personalized content recommendations for all users under 18. Title II updates existing law to require schools receiving federal subsidies to block student access to social media platforms while using school resources. Overall, the legislation aims to fundamentally change how minors interact with social media both at home and in educational settings.

This bill directs the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to investigate how domestic terrorists and violent extremists procure firearms and accessories through the financial system. FinCEN must consult with the FBI and ATF before requesting relevant transaction information from financial institutions. The resulting advisory report will detail suspicious procurement activities or explain why sufficient data could not be obtained.