Legislation

The "Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025" aims to impose significant sanctions on Russia if it refuses to negotiate peace with Ukraine, violates a peace agreement, or initiates further military action against Ukraine. The bill mandates the President to determine and impose sanctions on individuals, entities, and financial institutions affiliated with the Russian government, targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, and restricts trade and financial interactions with Russia. It also increases import duties on goods from Russia and countries purchasing Russian energy products, while providing limited exceptions for humanitarian aid and intelligence activities. The President has the authority to terminate and reimpose sanctions based on Russia's actions.

The "Combating Racist Teaching in Schools Act" prohibits federal funding to schools that promote race-based theories, such as the belief that any race is superior or that the U.S. is fundamentally racist. This bill aims to prevent schools from compelling students to adopt beliefs that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, while not restricting academic research or access to materials for educational purposes. The bill defines "promote" as including these theories in curricula, hiring advocates, compelling belief, or segregating students by race.

The "FISCAL Act" amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require schools to offer a variety of milk options, including both fluid and plant-based milk, to students participating in the school lunch program, provided the plant-based milk meets nutritional standards set by the Secretary. This change aims to broaden choices for students while maintaining nutritional quality.

The "Social Security Check Tax Cut Act" temporarily reduces the amount of Social Security retirement and survivor benefits subject to income tax in 2026 and 2027. This is achieved by reducing the taxable amount of retirement and survivor benefits by 10% in 2026 and 20% in 2027. The bill also ensures that Social Security and Medicare trust funds are held harmless by transferring funds to offset the reduction in tax revenue. These changes will be effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2025 requires the FAA to publish and maintain an online list of medications that are safe for pilots and air traffic controllers to use while maintaining their medical certification. The list must be comprehensive, user-friendly, and created in consultation with relevant stakeholders, and updated annually. It will also include a "Do Not Issue" list of prohibited medications, contact information for doctors to ask the FAA questions, and any additional information regarding the conditions a medication may or may not treat.

The American Tank Car Modernization Act of 2025 establishes grant and pilot programs to promote the use of telematics systems and onboard sensors on freight railcars. The grant program will provide funding for the purchase and installation of telematics systems, prioritizing tank cars carrying hazardous materials, while the pilot program supports the development of onboard sensor technologies to improve railcar safety and real-time data collection. These programs aim to enhance data collection, improve safety, increase railcar efficiency, and reduce reliance on manual data capture. The bill authorizes \$100 million annually for the grant program and \$10 million annually for the pilot program from 2026 to 2029.

This resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, which recognizes Tribal sovereignty and empowers Indian Tribes to administer Federal programs and services. It acknowledges the Act's success in promoting local decision-making, community development, and improved quality of life for Tribal communities. The resolution calls for the continued implementation of the Act, reaffirming the federal government's commitment to supporting Native self-determination and ensuring responsive federal services. It celebrates the achievements of Indian Tribes over the past 50 years through self-determination and governance.

The "Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act" amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to include a specific restored portion of the Kissimmee River in Florida as a recreational river. The Secretary of the Interior will manage this segment, which spans from south of Lake Kissimmee to north of Lake Okeechobee. Additionally, federal lands within the designated area are protected from new mining, leasing, and disposal activities, while respecting existing rights.

The American Family FAFSA Opportunity Act of 2025 amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to change how a family's ability to pay for college is calculated for federal financial aid, specifically by dividing the family's contribution by the number of enrolled students. This change aims to remove the "sibling penalty" in financial aid calculations, ensuring families with multiple children in college receive a more accurate assessment. These changes will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 award year.

The "SHARE Act of 2025" allows the FBI to share criminal history data with state licensing authorities through agreements with state law enforcement for background checks required by interstate compacts. It defines key terms related to licensing and criminal history information and prohibits state licensing authorities from sharing criminal history data with the compact's Commission, other state entities, or the public. The bill permits a state licensing authority to inform a compact Commission whether an applicant's criminal history background check was satisfactory.

The "National STEM Week Act" aims to promote STEM education and innovation by establishing a National STEM Week. This week will highlight STEM career paths, encourage family engagement in STEM activities, and foster partnerships between schools and STEM industries. The National Science and Technology Council Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM) will oversee the week and report annually to Congress on its activities and impact. The Act defines key terms related to education and STEM fields to ensure clarity and effective implementation.

The Keep Americans Safe Act seeks to regulate large capacity ammunition feeding devices by prohibiting their import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession, with certain exceptions for law enforcement, government entities, and other authorized parties. It also mandates unique markings on newly manufactured devices and allows for their seizure and forfeiture if used in violation of the law. Furthermore, the Act enables the use of Byrne grants for buy-back programs targeting these devices and includes a severability clause to ensure the rest of the Act remains effective if a provision is found unconstitutional.

The Postal Employee Appeal Rights Amendment Act of 2025 amends Title 39 of the U.S. Code, section 1005(a)(4)(A)(ii)(I), to extend the right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board to certain non-unionized USPS employees. This includes those in supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial roles covered by the Executive and Administrative Schedule.

The "PLAN for School Safety Act of 2025" aims to improve school safety by establishing Regional School Safety Development Centers. These centers will offer customized consulting services to schools for developing and implementing evidence-based school safety plans, focusing on violence and suicide prevention, student mental health, and overall school security. The program will be overseen by a Director who will award grants to eligible entities, provide training and technical assistance, and establish a Youth Advisory Council. This act allocates $25 million annually from 2026-2030 to support these initiatives, ensuring schools receive the resources and guidance needed to create safer learning environments.

The "Secure Family Futures Act of 2025" modifies the Internal Revenue Code to exclude certain debt instruments held by applicable insurance companies from being treated as capital assets. Additionally, it extends the period for applicable insurance companies to carry forward capital losses from 5 years to 10 years. These changes apply to indebtedness acquired and losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, respectively.

The "Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act of 2025" aims to improve children's vision and eye health by establishing statewide early detection and intervention programs through grants to states, territories, and tribal organizations. These funds will support initiatives such as implementing early detection practices, developing data systems, reducing disparities in underserved populations, and raising public awareness. The Act also provides for technical assistance, applied research, and program evaluation to ensure effective implementation and coordination among various agencies. Finally, the Act authorizes \$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for the general program, and an additional \$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 is authorized to provide referrals to wrap-around vision services.

This resolution designates April 2025 as "National Native Plant Month" to recognize the importance of native plants to the environment and the economy. Native plants are critical for healthy ecosystems, supporting wildlife, and providing other environmental benefits. The resolution aims to raise awareness about the importance of native plant conservation.

The "Financial Freedom Act of 2025" amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, preventing the Secretary of Labor from restricting the types of investments offered to individual retirement account holders who manage their own investments. It ensures fiduciaries select investments based on financial risk and return, and protects the use of self-directed brokerage windows, giving individuals more control over their retirement savings.

The "Secretary of the Coast Guard Act of 2025" establishes the position of Secretary of the Coast Guard, who will be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. This new Secretary will report directly to the Secretary, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard will report directly to the Secretary of the Coast Guard, streamlining the chain of command.

The Iranian Terror Prevention Act mandates the Secretary of State to designate specific organizations as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) within 90 days. It directs the President to determine and potentially impose sanctions on these organizations and associated entities within 60 days. The Secretary of State must also regularly report to Congress on new entities that could be designated as FTOs or sanctioned. Finally, the President is required to report to Congress justifying any decisions not to sanction a listed organization.