Legislation

The Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025 transforms the existing pilot project into a permanent, federally funded program for procuring domestically grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for schools. This bill expands participation to 14 states and mandates dedicated annual funding of $25 million through fiscal year 2030. It also enhances requirements for states to support small, local, and socially disadvantaged farmers while strengthening program evaluation and reporting.

The Domestic Jobs Protection Act amends immigration law by updating the definition of "unauthorized alien" within employment verification rules. This change specifically removes a reference to the Attorney General in the existing statutory definition. The goal is to streamline and clarify who is covered under current employment verification statutes.

The Faster Buses Better Futures Act aims to significantly improve public transit by creating competitive grants for ambitious bus network redesigns focused on doubling ridership. It also establishes funding to ensure bus stops have accessible shelters and mandates that road owners implement transit priority measures to improve bus reliability. Finally, the Act provides dedicated funding for the Federal Transit Administration to administer these new programs and support transit planning efforts.

The Reducing Obesity in Youth Act of 2025 establishes the Healthy Kids Grant Program to combat rising childhood obesity rates by focusing on children from birth through age five. This program will fund organizations to train early care providers, improve nutrition and activity policies in childcare settings, and engage parents. The goal is to build lasting systems that promote healthy eating and physical activity where young children spend most of their day.

The American Energy Security Act of 2025 establishes a new federal grant program to modernize and improve the safety of community-owned natural gas distribution pipelines. These funds will help public utilities repair leaks, reduce accidents, and upgrade infrastructure to handle future energy sources. The Secretary of Transportation will award grants based on pipeline risk, job creation, and economic benefits, with $200 million authorized annually through fiscal year 2029.

The Kidney Care Access Protection Act aims to improve patient access to innovative kidney disease treatments by refining Medicare payment systems for new drugs and equipment. It also ensures greater stability for dialysis centers by adjusting annual payment updates to accurately reflect actual labor cost increases. Specifically, the bill extends transitional payments for new therapies and mandates direct payments from Medicare Advantage plans for these innovations. Finally, it corrects past errors in Medicare's cost predictions for dialysis services starting in 2026.

This Act establishes a three-year pilot program to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) or PTSD, funded exclusively through donations. It also mandates an updated report from the Comptroller General assessing recent clinical trials on HBOT for TBI and PTSD. Finally, the bill extends the expiration date for certain existing limits on veteran pension payments.

The Safe Airspace for Americans Act mandates the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish standardized procedures for collecting, analyzing, and sharing reports regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) from aviation personnel. This legislation aims to reduce the stigma associated with reporting UAP encounters while ensuring that such reports cannot be used punitively against reporters, except in cases of criminal activity or accidents. The FAA must coordinate with defense and intelligence agencies and protect the employment and certification status of individuals who report these sightings.

The Duplication Scoring Act of 2025 requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review bills reported by Congressional committees for potential duplication with existing government programs. If a risk of overlap is found, the GAO must notify the CBO and the reporting committee, and publish the findings online. The CBO Director may then supplement the bill's cost estimate with the GAO's duplication assessment.

The Student Loan Deduction Act of 2025 allows households applying for food assistance to deduct monthly student loan payments from their countable income. This deduction applies to both federal and private education loans, covering payments made for any household member. Claiming this deduction can positively impact eligibility for food assistance benefits.

The In God We Trust Act mandates the prominent display of the national motto, "In God We Trust," on all public federal buildings. This requirement falls to the Administrator of General Services, who must ensure compliance within one year of the Act's enactment.

This bill, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025, directs the Secretary of the Interior to take approximately 265 acres of specified public land into trust for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. This action revokes a prior Public Land Order from 1964 and establishes the land as part of the Tribe's reservation for management under existing trust laws. Importantly, the transferred land is explicitly prohibited from being used for Class II or Class III gaming activities.

The Empowering Striking Workers Act of 2025 aims to provide unemployment compensation to workers who are unemployed due to a strike or lockout. This benefit becomes available after a 14-day waiting period or upon the occurrence of specific conditions like a lockout or the hiring of permanent replacements. The Act ensures that participation in a labor dispute does not automatically disqualify workers from meeting general unemployment eligibility requirements, such as being available for work.

This Act establishes a one-time federal grant, ranging from $\$5$ million to $\$10$ million, to support the operations, security, and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. To receive the funds, the eligible entity must agree to provide free admission to specific groups and submit to annual federal financial audits. The Secretary of Homeland Security awards the grant after reviewing the museum's needs and commitment to public access and education.

The Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2025 establishes a new process for federal agencies to identify and return unused "surplus salaries and expenses funds" to the Treasury for deficit reduction. Agencies may retain up to 10% of these returned savings to provide cash awards to the employees who identified the waste. This temporary system includes strict reporting requirements for agencies and is set to expire six years after enactment.

The Deceptive Downsizing Prohibition Act of 2025 aims to stop companies from secretly shrinking the size or quantity of consumer products while keeping the packaging the same, a practice known as "deceptive downsizing." This Act prohibits manufacturers from misleading consumers through this practice unless they provide clear, conspicuous notice of the reduced size on the product's principal display panel. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with writing the necessary regulations and enforcing compliance using its existing authority against unfair or deceptive business practices.

The IMAGES Act of 2025 significantly updates the National Flood Mapping Program to enhance the accuracy and detail of flood rate maps. It mandates the inclusion of property-level data like roads and parcel information on these maps and requires regular accuracy checks. Furthermore, the bill establishes a public data repository for raw flood modeling information and dedicates a portion of insurance fund revenue specifically for map maintenance.

This bill, the ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act, updates eligibility requirements for certain school employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It adjusts how paraprofessionals and education support staff meet the required hours of service by using a percentage of expected monthly hours worked during the school year. Furthermore, the bill mandates clear guidelines for calculating FMLA leave entitlement for these employees to account for non-standard school schedules.

The HCBS Worker Protection Act of 2025 removes a federal payment limitation for certain home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers under Medicaid. This change grants states greater flexibility in receiving federal matching funds for these essential community services.

The PART Act aims to combat catalytic converter theft by requiring new vehicles to have traceable identifying markers on these parts. It establishes a federal grant program to help entities stamp identifying numbers onto existing converters. Furthermore, the bill imposes strict record-keeping requirements on businesses that buy used converters and creates new federal criminal penalties for stealing or trafficking stolen catalytic converters.