Legislative Activity

The ROUTERS Act requires the Secretary of Commerce to study and report on the national security risks posed by consumer routers, modems, and modem-router combinations from companies with ties to countries of concern. The study will assess potential vulnerabilities and threats associated with these devices. Findings will be reported to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

The NCAA Accountability Act of 2025 establishes due process requirements for athletic associations when investigating member institutions or student-athletes for potential bylaw violations, ensuring fair and consistent enforcement proceedings. It protects college athletes by preventing punishment for institutions complying with athletes' rights under this law. The Act empowers the Attorney General to investigate violations and enforce penalties, including civil penalties and removal of governing body members. Key terms like "covered athletic association" and "member institution" are defined, and compliance is required within one year of enactment.

The "Patients Before Middlemen Act" aims to ensure pharmacy access and choice for Medicare beneficiaries by requiring Medicare prescription drug plans to allow any pharmacy meeting standard contract terms to participate in their network, starting January 1, 2028. It sets requirements for Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) under Medicare Part D, including income restrictions, transparency, and reporting obligations, to ensure fair practices and cost savings are passed on to plan sponsors. The bill also establishes enforcement mechanisms and audit rights to ensure compliance and protect against contract violations.

The "No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act" amends immigration laws to prevent individuals involved in the Hamas attacks against Israel from entering or receiving immigration benefits in the United States. It applies to those who participated in, planned, financed, supported, or otherwise facilitated the attacks. The Act also mandates an annual report to Congress detailing the number of individuals found inadmissible or removable due to their connection to the attacks.

The "WHO is Accountable Act" prohibits federal funds from being used to rejoin or contribute to the World Health Organization (WHO) unless the Secretary of State certifies that the WHO has met specific reform criteria. These criteria include ensuring the WHO is free from political influence (particularly from the Chinese Communist Party), is transparent and accountable, and focuses on its core mission without engaging in politically charged issues. The Act also requires the WHO to grant observer status to Taiwan and ensure its directives are not legally binding on U.S. citizens.

The "Taiwan Travel and Tourism Coordination Act" aims to boost tourism and travel cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan. It directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to collaborate with Taiwanese authorities to strengthen both tourism industries, improve travel, and coordinate visitor safety. Additionally, it requires a report from the Secretary of Homeland Security on the feasibility of establishing a preclearance facility in Taiwan to enhance trade, tourism, and security. The Act also mandates regular reports to Congress on these cooperation efforts and the preclearance facility analysis.

The Tax Administration Simplification Act modifies several key tax procedures. It extends the deadline for S corporations to file election forms, aligns individual estimated tax payment deadlines, and applies the "mailbox rule" to electronic tax submissions and payments, treating the transmission date as the filing date.

The GRACIE Act of 2025 aims to improve child welfare investigations by establishing a grant program within the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. These grants will support states in recording and securely storing child welfare interviews with children and adults for at least five years. The goal is to enhance transparency, accountability, and evidence collection in child protective services. Funds are to be used exclusively for costs associated with recording and retaining child welfare interviews.

The SALONS Stories Act aims to support domestic violence prevention by increasing grant funding to states that require cosmetologists and barbers to undergo training on recognizing and responding to signs of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. This training will equip them to refer clients to resources for victims. The Attorney General can increase grants to eligible states by up to 10% for up to three years, with $5,000,000 authorized annually from 2027 through 2033 for this purpose.

The American Music Tourism Act of 2025 directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to promote domestic and international travel to music-related destinations and events. This includes identifying and promoting locations and events significant to music tourism, supporting large meetings and exhibitions, and highlighting diverse destinations. The Act also mandates a biennial report on travel-related activities, findings, and challenges. "Music tourism" is defined as travel for music-related attractions, festivals, concerts, or events.

The "Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act of 2025" increases the maximum prison sentence from 1 to 5 years for anyone who tries to influence a judge, juror, witness, or court officer by picketing or parading near a courthouse.

This bill proposes across-the-board rescissions to nonsecurity discretionary spending, reducing such appropriations by 1% in fiscal year 2026, 2% in 2027, and 5% in 2028 and subsequent years. The rescissions take effect the day after appropriations are available and apply pro rata across all applicable accounts. The Office of Management and Budget is required to report to Congress on the specific rescissions made each fiscal year.

The "Federal Employee Performance and Accountability Act of 2025" establishes a 5-year pilot program to test a performance-based pay structure for certain federal employees. This program aims to enhance productivity, accountability, and employee satisfaction by linking pay adjustments to the achievement of pre-defined performance metrics. Employees who exceed expectations could receive a 15% pay increase and additional benefits, while those who do not meet expectations may face a pay reduction and be provided with additional training. The program's impact will be evaluated through annual reports and assessments submitted to Congress.

The "RETIREES FIRST Act" adjusts the income thresholds at which Social Security benefits become taxable, raising them to \$34,000 for individuals and \$68,000 for joint returns, and adjusts for inflation after 2025. It ensures no negative impact on Social Security and Railroad Retirement funds by allocating funds to cover any reduction in transfers to these funds. The bill reallocates non-security discretionary appropriations to cover the cost of retiree tax relief, with the Office of Management and Budget required to publish annual reports detailing rescissions. These changes would apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "Federal Freeze Act" temporarily freezes federal hiring and salaries for one year, with exceptions for positions related to law enforcement, public safety, national security, and emergency response. Additionally, it mandates a reduction in the number of federal employees by 2% within two years and 5% within three years, again excluding law enforcement, public safety, national security, and emergency response roles.

The SHOW UP Act of 2025 requires Executive agencies to revert to pre-pandemic telework policies within 30 days. Agencies must conduct a study on the impacts of expanded telework during the COVID-19 pandemic and submit a plan for future telework use to Congress. Any expansion of telework beyond pre-pandemic levels requires certification from the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, ensuring positive impacts on agency performance, cost reduction, and adequate resources for teleworkers. The Act aims to address potential negative effects of telework on agency mission, costs, and resource allocation.

The "Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act" establishes a commission to study and recommend the relocation of certain federal agencies from the Washington, D.C., area to other parts of the United States. The commission will evaluate potential relocation sites based on factors such as financial efficiency, existing infrastructure, and community input, with the goal of transferring at least 100,000 employees of covered agencies. A report of the commission's findings and recommendations must be submitted to Congress within one year.

The American Music Fairness Act updates copyright law to require terrestrial radio broadcasts to pay royalties to music creators, similar to internet radio services. It establishes royalty rates for eligible small broadcasters and ensures that songwriters' royalties are not negatively impacted. The bill also directs Copyright Royalty Judges to consider the promotional value of radio airplay when determining royalty rates.

This bill releases the U.S. government's reversionary and mineral interests in a 0.62-acre parcel of State forest land within Chickasaw State Forest in Henderson, Chester County, Tennessee, to the State of Tennessee. The Secretary of Agriculture will release the reversionary interest and convey the mineral rights to the state without requiring additional reviews or appraisals. The State of Tennessee will be responsible for covering all administrative costs incurred by the U.S. in carrying out this release and conveyance.

This bill authorizes the creation of a Congressional Gold Medal for Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, posthumously recognizing his courageous actions during World War II when he saved approximately 200 Jewish-American soldiers from Nazi persecution by defying a direct order to identify them. The medal will be presented to his next of kin, and the bill also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to commemorate his heroism.