Legislation

This bill establishes the "Justice for the Living Victims of Lockerbie Act" to provide compensation to specific living victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. It creates the Living Victims of Lockerbie Claims Trust Fund, appropriating \$42,066,338 for this purpose. The legislation outlines a process for eligible former Pan Am employees to file claims with the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission for an equal share of the fund.

This bill amends the Affordable Care Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a system for quarterly identification of individuals simultaneously enrolled in both a state Medicaid/CHIP plan and a qualified health plan through an Exchange. The goal is to ensure that these dually enrolled individuals are not improperly receiving premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions.

This bill amends the Affordable Care Act to prevent individuals from being enrolled in multiple health insurance Exchange plans simultaneously using the same Social Security number. It mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a process to identify and stop duplicate enrollments. The primary goal is to prevent the issuance of duplicate advance premium tax credits for the same person.

This bill expands the definition of an "energy community" to qualify for increased tax credit rates for renewable electricity production and clean electricity investment. Specifically, it broadens eligibility to include non-metropolitan statistical areas. This change aims to encourage clean energy development in a wider range of geographic locations.

The FIREWALL Act establishes a new refundable personal income tax credit for homeowners who invest in specific disaster-resilience improvements to their primary residence. This credit covers 50% of qualified expenditures, up to a lifetime maximum of $25,000, for measures like strengthening homes against wind, seismic activity, or flooding. The goal is to incentivize homeowners in disaster-prone areas to increase property resilience and lower future disaster-related liabilities.

The Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act aims to lower healthcare costs by extending and enhancing premium tax credits for Marketplace insurance through 2027. It also institutes strict new anti-fraud measures and verification processes for agents and brokers enrolling consumers in Exchange plans. Furthermore, the bill imposes significant transparency and accountability requirements on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in Medicare Part D and mandates a full pass-through of rebates in certain private health plans. Finally, it expands access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for certain Exchange enrollees.

This bill proposes to repeal Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which currently restricts United States assistance to Azerbaijan. The repeal is supported by findings that Azerbaijan has been a steadfast ally offering critical cooperation and demonstrating a commitment to peace in the South Caucasus. By removing this restriction, the legislation aims to allow for full U.S. assistance to the nation.

This Act officially designates the Museum of the Blind Peoples Movement in Baltimore, Maryland, as the **National Museum of the Blind Peoples Movement**. This legislation formally recognizes the museum's importance in preserving and showcasing the history of the blind peoples' movement.

The VA Contracting and Procurement Act imposes spending limitations, generally capped at $50 million, on various Department of Veterans Affairs contracts and agreements unless specifically authorized by Congress, with exceptions for declared emergencies. The bill also establishes a special notification process for educational benefit agreements exceeding this threshold. Furthermore, it updates the VA's authority and processes for procuring prosthetic appliances and surgical implants, requiring a standardized catalog and firm-fixed price purchase orders for implants.

The New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency Act modifies state self-employment assistance programs by removing the requirement that participants must be near exhausting unemployment benefits. This legislation expands program access by increasing the participant cap to 10% and focusing participation on approved entrepreneurial training or business plan execution. Participants will be required to certify their self-employment activities weekly.

The STOP Scams Against Seniors Act amends existing law to allow federal Byrne JAG grant funds to be used by states and local governments to establish and operate elder justice task forces. These task forces will focus on combating financial exploitation, scams, and fraud targeting individuals aged 60 and older. The legislation also mandates detailed reporting on the task forces' activities, case outcomes, and victim support provided.

The Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2025 mandates the continuation and enhancement of federal anti-trafficking programs specifically for children. This law requires key Justice Department and Health and Human Services offices to implement recommendations from a 2023 Government Accountability Office report. Furthermore, the responsible office must establish measurable performance goals for these programs and report on their progress to Congress.

The CARING for Our Veterans Health Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages community care provided to veterans. This bill mandates the VA to develop clear guidance and set performance goals for VA medical centers to ensure timely and complete collection of medical documentation from community providers. Furthermore, it requires regular reporting to Congress on the progress of implementing these new coordination and training standards.

The Helping Individuals Rejoin Employment (HIRE) Act extends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for five years, making it available for wages paid to qualified employees hired before January 1, 2031. This legislation also expands the credit by adding qualified Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries as a new eligible hiring group. These modifications aim to incentivize businesses to hire individuals facing employment barriers.

The Rural Uplift and Revitalization Assistance Act establishes a program to provide crucial technical assistance to local partners in geographically underserved and distressed rural areas. This initiative aims to strengthen local capacity and improve access to vital rural development programs. The Secretary of Agriculture is required to report annually on the impact of this assistance in targeted communities.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to designate a portion of the District of Columbia as an official empowerment zone. This special designation will allow the D.C. area to access existing tax benefits associated with empowerment zones. The designation does not count against the national limit for empowerment zones and takes effect after December 31, 2025.

The Affordable Homeownership Access Act aims to support owner financing as a method for increasing access to homeownership, particularly for underserved buyers. This legislation provides specific exceptions to federal loan originator licensing and registration requirements for property owners who offer financing on a limited basis. The bill also mandates a study and report on the impact and potential of owner financing for lower-priced homes.

The Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act establishes new requirements and strict time limits for the Department of Defense when providing support to civilian law enforcement agencies, requiring prior Congressional notification and justification. It also prohibits Department of Defense personnel from simultaneously serving in civilian law enforcement roles, with limited exceptions for reservists. Furthermore, the bill broadens the circumstances under which military and federal law enforcement can assist civil authorities and creates a private right of action for violations of the Act.

The Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act exempts certain earnings made by healthcare professionals and first responders from the Social Security retirement earnings test. This exemption specifically covers wages earned during the COVID-19 pandemic period (January 31, 2020, to May 11, 2023). Furthermore, the bill establishes a mechanism to exclude similar pandemic-related earnings from benefit calculations during future declared public health emergencies. This aims to provide financial fairness to essential workers who continued working while collecting Social Security benefits.

This bill officially renames the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Michigan Center, Michigan, to the "Captain Herbert Elfring VA Clinic." The legislation ensures that all official records and documents will reflect this new designation for the facility.