Legislative Activity

The Rural Behavioral Health Improvement Act of 2025 aims to enhance behavioral healthcare access in rural areas by modifying Medicare coverage rules. This bill specifically removes the existing exclusion that prevents Medicare payment for services provided in facilities primarily focused on treating mental diseases. This significant change is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The Rural Health Clinic Location Modernization Act of 2025 updates the criteria for clinics to qualify as Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) under Medicare. This legislation revises the definition of an "urban area," setting a new population threshold of 50,000 people to determine eligibility. These changes to the location standards will take effect starting January 1, 2027.

The Restore Trust in Congress Act establishes strict new rules prohibiting Members of Congress and their immediate families from owning or trading specific financial assets, referred to as "covered investments," while in office. Covered individuals must divest existing prohibited holdings within a set timeframe or face significant financial penalties, including fines and forfeiture of profits. The legislation aims to eliminate conflicts of interest arising from personal financial trading while serving in federal office.

The Empower Parents to Protect their Kids Act mandates that schools receiving federal funding must obtain explicit parental consent before taking any action supporting a student's gender transition that differs from their biological sex. This legislation prohibits school staff from encouraging students to keep secrets from parents regarding gender identity or from hiding information about a student's transition plans. Parents are granted the right to sue schools directly for violations of these parental notification and consent requirements.

The GRACE Act prohibits federal education funding for any school or agency that mandates vaccinations unless they provide a religious exemption based solely on an individual's stated sincerely held religious beliefs. This exemption cannot require any proof or documentation to support the religious objection. Consequently, institutions requiring documentation for religious vaccine exemptions risk losing federal education funds.

The Safe Students Act completely repeals the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, eliminating the previous ban on possessing firearms within 1,000 feet of a school. This action removes the specific federal prohibition and cleans up related definitions and penalty structures within the U.S. Code.

The Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act of 2025 amends Title IX to define "female" and "male" based on biological reproductive capacity. This legislation explicitly permits schools to maintain sex-segregated facilities, programs, and activities without jeopardizing their federal funding. It ensures that schools retain the authority to separate spaces based on biological sex.

The ALCATRAZ Act establishes a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program to reimburse state and local governments for the costs associated with detaining migrants within their borders starting in 2025. This program will initially be funded by redirecting unspent money from FEMA's Shelter and Services Program. Furthermore, DHS must report on plans to expedite the construction of new migrant detention facilities and identify underused government accounts for potential funding redirection.

The Sanctuary Penalty and Public Protection Act of 2025 establishes a federal database to identify and publicly list state and local governments deemed to have policies that obstruct federal immigration enforcement. Jurisdictions placed on this "sanctuary jurisdiction" list will be prohibited from receiving or using any new federal funding. This act aims to penalize local governments that refuse to fully cooperate with federal immigration detainers and enforcement requests.

The Parents Opt-in Protection Act requires schools to obtain prior written consent before collecting specific survey or evaluation data from students. This legislation amends existing law to ensure that participation in certain student surveys is voluntary and requires explicit parental or student permission.

The End the Vaccine Carveout Act fundamentally changes vaccine injury compensation by allowing individuals to choose between filing a claim through the existing National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program or suing the manufacturer or administrator directly in court. This legislation removes the liability shield for vaccine makers and eliminates time limits for filing claims with the Program. Additionally, it specifically excludes COVID-19 vaccines from existing countermeasure liability protections.

The PRIME Act, or Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act, exempts custom slaughter facilities from federal inspection requirements for meat that is processed and sold only within the state of origin. To qualify, facilities must comply with all applicable state laws regarding slaughter and preparation. This legislation ensures that states retain the authority to enforce their own, potentially stricter, regulations on local meat processing.

This Act prohibits "covered foreign entities," primarily defined as those connected to the People's Republic of China, from acquiring or leasing U.S. agricultural land. Covered entities currently owning such land must divest within one year or face severe daily fines and potential criminal forfeiture. Additionally, the bill imposes a temporary two-year ban on these same entities purchasing residential real estate, with separate penalties for non-compliance. The legislation mandates the creation of new enforcement offices within the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce to oversee compliance.

This bill mandates the U.S. Postal Service to establish and assign a new, unique ZIP Code for eight specific communities across the country. These communities include locations in California, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, and Wyoming. The Postal Service has 270 days from the bill's enactment to complete the assignment of these new mailing addresses.

The Make American Guns Again (MAGA) Act of 2025 requires the Secretary of Defense to study the prevalence of foreign-made or foreign-owned small arms and light weapons used by the U.S. military. Within 180 days, the Secretary must report these findings to Congress and the President. This report must also include recommendations for increasing the procurement of domestically manufactured and owned small arms.

The TRANS MICE Act prohibits the use of federal funds for animal research that involves interventions like drugs or surgery intended to alter a non-human vertebrate animal's body to change its biological sex characteristics. This ban specifically targets research that disrupts natural development or physical appearance, while exempting animals that naturally change sex or possess both reproductive organs.

This bill, titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act, mandates the Attorney General to release nearly all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days of enactment. The legislation strictly limits the justifications for withholding or redacting documents, prohibiting secrecy based on political sensitivity or potential embarrassment. The only permissible redactions involve victim privacy, child sexual abuse material, or narrowly defined threats to active investigations or national security classifications. Upon completion, the Attorney General must submit a detailed report to Congress listing all released and withheld materials, including an unredacted list of all named government officials.

The "Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025" ensures that hunters and anglers can continue to use lead ammunition and tackle on federal lands and waters managed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture. It restricts these departments from prohibiting or regulating lead in ammunition and tackle, unless the Secretary of Interior or Agriculture determines that lead ammunition is the primary cause of a wildlife population decline in a specific area. Any ban implemented must align with state laws or be approved by the state's fish and wildlife department.

The Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025 officially delists the Mexican wolf from the list of threatened and endangered species. This legislation voids previous management rules and mandates that future recovery plans for the species in the U.S. must exclude consideration of the wolf population in Mexico. The bill also addresses concerns regarding compensation standards for ranchers suffering livestock losses due to wolf predation.

This bill amends the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require the Comptroller General to obtain prior approval from Congress before initiating a civil action against the executive branch for withholding appropriated funds. Specifically, the Comptroller General must receive authorization via a concurrent resolution from Congress to file such a lawsuit. This measure shifts the authority to sue over impoundments from the Comptroller General's discretion to one requiring explicit Congressional consent.