Legislative Activity

The Bank Loan Privacy Act mandates that the Bureau must establish a formal rule before deleting or modifying certain credit reporting data under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. This rulemaking process requires public notice and comment, ensuring any changes clearly detail the modifications and explain how they protect consumer privacy interests.

This Act mandates improvements to the mental health components of the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Department of Veterans Affairs' Solid Start Program. It ensures transitioning service members and new veterans receive comprehensive information on available mental health services, suicide risk, and related support resources. The Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs must jointly report to Congress on these updates within one year of enactment.

The S-CAP Act of 2025 significantly increases the maximum number of shareholders a business can have while qualifying for S corporation tax status, raising the limit from 100 to 250. This change is designed to allow more small businesses to benefit from pass-through taxation. This new 250-shareholder limit will take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 updates federal housing tax credit allocations to reflect current economic realities and boosts minimum state allotments. It reforms tenant eligibility rules to stabilize tenancy and enhance protections for vulnerable residents, including victims of abuse. The bill also provides disaster relief for property owners, increases incentives for housing the extremely low-income, and directs greater resources toward Native American and rural housing needs. Finally, it streamlines administrative processes and signals a future focus on data transparency and discouraging restrictive local zoning.

The Nuclear Family Priority Act significantly restructures U.S. family-based immigration by redefining "immediate relatives" to only include spouses and children of U.S. citizens, removing parents from that top category. It also establishes a new, temporary nonimmigrant visa for parents of adult U.S. citizens, which prohibits work and public benefits. Furthermore, the bill revises the annual cap for family-sponsored visas and makes numerous technical amendments across immigration law to align with these changes.

This bill establishes the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025, directing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate at least five medical facilities as specialized hubs for cutting-edge treatments. These Centers of Excellence must focus on research, training partnerships, and clinical evaluation of innovative therapies for covered conditions like PTSD and chronic pain. The legislation specifically names substances such as MDMA and Psilocybin as part of the therapies to be explored, supported by dedicated annual funding.

The 1071 Repeal to Protect Small Business Lending Act aims to eliminate the mandatory data collection and reporting requirements for small business loans previously established under Section 704B of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Proponents argue that these regulations impose unnecessary compliance costs on lenders, potentially hindering small business access to credit. This bill repeals those specific reporting mandates to reduce regulatory burdens on financial institutions.

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 imposes sweeping economic penalties on the Russian Federation in response to its aggression against Ukraine. This legislation mandates severe, immediate sanctions against key Russian officials, financial institutions, and energy sector entities, including asset freezes and trade prohibitions. Furthermore, the Act dramatically increases import duties on Russian goods and requires the President to review and reimpose these measures until Russia negotiates a lasting peace with Ukraine.

The Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises Act (RIFLE Act) eliminates the existing federal tax on firearm transfers. This legislation strikes the relevant section from the Internal Revenue Code and makes necessary technical updates to related statutes. Importantly, this Act does not grant the Consumer Product Safety Commission any new authority over regulated firearms.

The Taiwan Allies Fund Act establishes a dedicated fund to support countries that maintain relationships with Taiwan despite pressure from the People's Republic of China (PRC). This fund authorizes up to $40 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to help eligible nations counter PRC coercion. Aid will focus on strengthening democratic partnerships, supporting Taiwan's international participation, and offering alternatives to PRC economic influence. The Secretary of State will manage the fund, coordinating with Taiwan, and must report annually to Congress on the fund's activities and Taiwan's matching contributions.

This bill establishes a dedicated, independent Inspector General (IG) position specifically for the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP). It changes the appointment process, mandates regular testimony before Congress, and ensures dedicated funding for the new IG office. The law takes effect upon the Senate confirmation of the first BCFP Inspector General, at which point the current joint IG role will revert solely to overseeing the Federal Reserve Board.

The DETERRENT Act significantly increases transparency requirements for colleges and universities regarding foreign gifts, contracts, and investments, especially those involving "countries or entities of concern." It mandates detailed public disclosure reports, establishes strict prohibitions and waiver processes for contracts with risky foreign entities, and imposes severe financial penalties for non-compliance. Furthermore, the bill requires specified large private institutions to report their holdings in concerning foreign assets annually.

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 establishes a national standard for carrying concealed handguns across state lines. This act allows individuals legally permitted to carry in their home state to carry concealed in any other state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. The law does not override private property restrictions or prohibitions on government property, but it provides protections and legal recourse for those traveling in compliance with the new federal standard.

The Firearm Due Process Protection Act of 2025 aims to strengthen due process rights for individuals challenging denials in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). It mandates expedited court hearings for record correction lawsuits and shifts the burden of proof onto the government to demonstrate why a person should be ineligible to own a firearm. Additionally, the bill requires the FBI to submit annual reports detailing the outcomes and timelines of all NICS record challenges.

This bill, the Transparency in CFPB Cost-Benefit Analysis Act, mandates that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) must provide extensive, detailed analysis whenever proposing a new rule. This requires the CFPB to clearly publish the full reasoning, expected costs, and anticipated benefits of any regulation. The goal is to ensure that the justification for new rules, especially concerning small businesses, is fully transparent and publicly scrutinized.

The Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2025 aims to eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which currently allows F-1 student visa holders to gain temporary work authorization after completing their studies. This bill removes the government's authority to grant such work permission unless explicitly authorized by a future Act of Congress.

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 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 Credit for Caring Act of 2025 establishes a new, non-refundable federal income tax credit for working family caregivers who incur significant expenses caring for a relative with long-term care needs. Eligible caregivers can claim a credit equal to 30% of qualified expenses exceeding \$2,000, up to a maximum annual credit of \$5,000. The bill specifies detailed requirements for the care recipient's needs, the types of allowable expenses, and includes income phase-out limits for claiming the benefit.

The American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025 revises how businesses treat research and experimental (R&E) expenditures for tax purposes. Taxpayers can now choose between immediately deducting R&E costs or amortizing them over a period of at least 60 months. This legislation also makes technical adjustments to ensure consistency between immediate deductions and claiming the research tax credit.