Legislation

The "Critical Water Resources Prioritization Act of 2025" amends the Endangered Species Act to allow exemptions for water management agencies to meet critical human water needs, such as drinking water and emergency services, if certain conditions are met. These conditions include implementing water conservation measures, exploring alternative water sources, and minimizing impacts on affected species. The Secretary of Interior can grant exemptions for up to 180 days, with possible renewals, and must report annually to Congress on all exemptions and their impacts. This act aims to balance essential human water needs with the protection of endangered species.

The "PLCAA Federal Jurisdiction Act" allows firearm manufacturers, sellers, or trade associations to move civil lawsuits from state court to federal court if they believe the suit qualifies as a "qualified civil liability action." The federal court will then determine if the case meets this definition and can dismiss the case if it does.

The "Direct Property Acquisitions Act" establishes a pilot program allowing certain local governments to directly apply to FEMA for assistance with property acquisition, demolition, or relocation projects related to hazard mitigation. FEMA will select a limited number of "covered communities" based on specific criteria and will report annually to Congress on the program's effectiveness. The pilot program is authorized for a maximum of eight years, after which Congress will determine whether to make the program permanent, extend it, or end it.

The "Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act" repeals the inclusion of Social Security benefits in gross income, effectively ending the taxation of these benefits for taxable years beginning after the enactment of this law. The Act mandates the allocation of funds each fiscal year to the Social Security Act or the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974, ensuring these programs are not negatively impacted by the tax elimination. The amount allocated must equal the reduction in transfers to these funds because of the change. Congress intends to offset the revenue reduction without raising taxes.

This bill streamlines the House's process for considering three joint resolutions: one disapproving the Department of Energy's energy conservation standards for appliances, another regarding the EPA's emission standards for rubber tire manufacturing, and a third concerning the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's rule on protecting marine archaeological resources. It waives certain procedural rules and sets time limits for debating each resolution.

The "Restoring Competitive Property Insurance Availability Act" aims to support insurance companies providing real property coverage in federally declared disaster areas. It allows specified insurers to exclude qualified real property insurance income from their gross income for up to five years following a disaster. This applies to disasters occurring after December 31, 2024, and seeks to encourage the availability of property insurance in affected regions.

The "Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2025" enables the Secretary to request access to concentrated animal feeding operations for microbial sampling to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks. These operations must provide reasonable access for sampling of plants, animals, water, and the environment. The collected data will be shared with the Secretary of Agriculture and relevant public health agencies to aid in preventing foodborne illnesses. Refusal to provide reasonable access for microbial sampling will be a prohibited act.

The "Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act of 2025" increases the maximum prison sentence from 1 to 5 years for anyone who tries to influence a judge, juror, witness, or court officer by picketing or parading near a courthouse.

The "RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act" directs the U.S. government to officially refer to the "West Bank" as Judea and Samaria, the historical names for the land annexed by Israel from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Act prohibits the use of "West Bank" in government documents and amends existing laws to reflect this change, with exceptions for international agreements and potential waivers by the Secretary of State.

The "Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act" would amend the Social Security Act to require able-bodied adults to work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for Medicaid, starting January 1, 2026. Certain individuals, such as those medically unfit for work, pregnant, or primary caretakers of young children, would be exempt from this requirement.

The "Bolts Ditch Act" amends a previous act to expand the list of entities eligible to perform maintenance on Bolts Ditch and its headgate within Colorado's Holy Cross Wilderness. Specifically, it adds the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, a Colorado Special District, and the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority to the list of eligible maintainers. This aims to ensure the upkeep of this important water infrastructure.

The "Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025" prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of .50 caliber rifles, with exceptions for government use and rifles lawfully possessed before the Act. It also creates an exception to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, allowing lawsuits against gun manufacturers or sellers who knowingly sell firearms in violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. Additionally, the bill prohibits firearm sales to significant foreign narcotics traffickers and includes rifles in multiple firearm sales reporting requirements.

The "Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025" aims to protect postal workers by allocating funds for high-security collection boxes and electronic mailbox keys. It also mandates the appointment of dedicated attorneys to prosecute crimes against postal employees and directs the Sentencing Commission to increase penalties for assaulting or robbing them.

The "Small Business Disaster Damage Fairness Act of 2025" increases the collateral threshold for Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans from $14,000 to $50,000. The Act also requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the performance and default rates of these loans. Finally, the SBA must now tailor its outreach and marketing for disaster loans to address the specific challenges faced by rural communities in accessing them.

The "Safe Passage on Interstates Act of 2025" aims to prevent the obstruction of interstate highways. It establishes penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for individuals who knowingly disrupt traffic flow or endanger vehicles on these highways. Increased penalties are applied if emergency vehicles are obstructed or if a death occurs as a result of the obstruction.

The "Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act" amends the District of Columbia Official Code, modernizing language related to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Specifically, it replaces outdated terms like "substantially retarded persons" and "at least moderately mentally retarded" with the more respectful and accurate term "persons with moderate intellectual disabilities" in legal references. This change affects the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court, the Superior Court, and the Family Court within the District of Columbia.

This bill proposes to eliminate the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It would cut off all federal funding to USAID starting from the bill's enactment date. Any unspent funds previously allocated to USAID would be rescinded and transferred to the Secretary of State, along with the agency's assets and liabilities.

The "Banning SPR Oil Exports to Foreign Adversaries Act" prohibits the Secretary of Energy from exporting or selling petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, or any entity controlled by these countries or the Chinese Communist Party, with a waiver option for national security interests. The Secretary must issue a rule to carry out this section within 60 days of enactment.

The DRONE Act of 2025 allows the Department of Justice to use certain grants to purchase and operate unmanned aircraft systems (drones) for public safety purposes. This includes grants from the Byrne program and the COPS program. The goal of the act is to provide law enforcement and other public safety agencies with an additional tool to improve their effectiveness and efficiency.

The BOOST Act introduces a refundable tax credit for individuals who purchase communications signal boosters to improve broadband internet access in their primary residence, if that residence is in an unserved area. The credit covers 75% of the cost, up to $400, for signal boosters, satellite network equipment, and related ground station equipment. This credit is available for taxable years between 2025 and 2029 and is limited to one claim per individual.