Legislative Activity

The SHARE Act of 2025 establishes new federal requirements for the FBI to share criminal history record information with states participating in professional licensing interstate compacts. This information sharing is strictly for the purpose of conducting background checks on applicants seeking to practice a profession in another compact state. States receiving this data are severely restricted on how they can use or further disseminate the detailed criminal history, generally only being permitted to report a binary "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" determination back to the compact's Commission.

This resolution officially recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz, the traditional Iranian New Year celebrated by millions worldwide. Congress acknowledges the enduring contributions of Persian civilization and Iranian Americans to the United States. Furthermore, the resolution supports the Iranian people's pursuit of fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression and internet access.

The Weather Innovation for the Next Generation Act of 2025 (WING Act) establishes a new research program to ensure the accuracy of weather radar systems despite physical obstructions like wind turbines and buildings. This initiative directs the National Weather Service to develop and test new technologies and forecasting methods to mitigate issues such as beam blockage and ghost echoes. The program will prioritize proven fixes and require annual reports to Congress until its conclusion in 2030.

The Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act revises physician self-referral rules to improve healthcare access in underserved areas. Specifically, it creates a new exception allowing physician self-referrals to hospitals located in designated rural areas that meet specific distance requirements. Furthermore, the bill removes existing restrictions that previously limited the expansion of services at physician-owned hospitals.

The No 340B Savings for Transgender Care Act prohibits healthcare providers participating in the 340B drug pricing program from using their savings to pay for sex reassignment surgeries or hormone treatments for transgender individuals. This legislation specifically restricts the use of discounted outpatient drug savings for gender transition-related medical services.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The Fair and Open Competition Act of 2025 ensures fair competition on federally funded construction projects by prohibiting the government from requiring or penalizing bidders based on union agreements. This legislation aims to keep federal agencies neutral in labor relations while promoting cost savings and opening opportunities for all businesses. Exceptions to this neutrality rule are strictly limited to specific public health, safety, or national security emergencies.

The Expel Illegal Chinese Police Act of 2025 mandates the President to impose immediate sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, on specific Chinese police departments, their senior leaders, and individuals involved in establishing illegal Chinese police presences in the U.S. These sanctions also extend to the immediate family members of sanctioned aliens. The bill aims to block financial transactions and entry into the U.S. for those connected to the targeted PRC law enforcement bodies.

The Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act amends federal student loan regulations to provide a specific deferment for medical and dental residents. This allows borrowers currently serving in an internship or residency program to pause principal payments and prevent interest accrual on their student loans during that training period.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to improve support for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This bill eliminates the standard waiting period for receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. These changes ensure immediate access to crucial financial and healthcare support upon diagnosis.

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand eligibility for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This change allows employers to claim the tax credit for hiring qualified military spouses. A qualified military spouse is defined as someone certified as being married to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

This Act authorizes the creation and sale of special commemorative gold and silver coins to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The coins will feature designs honoring the victims and first responders, with the phrase "Never Forget" required on at least one design. All surcharges collected from the sale of these coins will be donated to support the ongoing operations and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The Treasury must ensure the entire coin program results in no net cost to the Federal Government.

The "Pay Our Troops Act of 2025" ensures that members of the Armed Forces, essential Department of Defense civilians, and contractors continue to receive pay and allowances during periods when regular funding is disrupted. This act provides necessary appropriations to cover these costs for fiscal year 2025. The Act's provisions will terminate upon the enactment of regular appropriations, a continuing resolution that provides funding for the same purpose, or on January 1, 2026.

The Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act of 2025 (ACRE Act) creates a new federal tax incentive for qualified lenders. This incentive excludes income earned from interest on loans secured by rural or agricultural real property from taxation. The goal is to encourage lending for agricultural, forestry, and certain rural home improvement purposes while prohibiting loans to foreign adversary entities.

This bill expresses condolences for the 67 lives lost in the American Eagle Flight 5342 and PAT 25 crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2025. It recognizes the impact on Wichita, Kansas, and acknowledges the cooperation of officials in responding to the tragedy and assisting the families. The bill also commends the heroic actions of first responders and emergency services personnel.

This bill nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The rule targeted new, modified, and reconstructed fossil fuel-fired electric generating units. It also set emission guidelines and repealed the Affordable Clean Energy Rule.

This bill directs the Joint Committee on the Library to procure a statue of Benjamin Franklin. The statue must be acquired by December 31, 2025, and placed in a publicly accessible location within the U.S. Capitol by December 31, 2026.

This bill disapproves and nullifies the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's rule concerning the protection of Marine Archaeological Resources. The bill aims to overturn the rule as published in the Federal Register.

This bill authorizes the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 761st Tank Battalion, also known as the "Black Panthers," in recognition of their courageous service and crucial contributions during World War II. The medal will be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture for display, honoring the 761st as the first Black soldiers to serve in an American armored unit and their significant role in the Allied victory in Europe. The bill also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates of the medal to support the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

The SCREEN Act requires online platforms that host or provide pornographic content to implement technology verification measures to prevent minors from accessing harmful material. It mandates that these platforms use reliable age verification methods, undergo regular audits by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to ensure compliance, and protect user data collected during the verification process. The FTC is responsible for enforcing the Act, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) must report to Congress on the effectiveness and impact of these measures. This act aims to protect children from the harmful effects of online pornography.