Legislative Activity

The "Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025" aims to combat the arming of cartels by banning .50 caliber rifles, allowing lawsuits against gun manufacturers who knowingly sell to prohibited individuals, and prohibiting firearm sales to significant foreign narcotics traffickers. It also expands reporting requirements for multiple firearm sales to include rifles.

This bill expresses support for the nation's public K-12 schools and the Department of Education, highlighting the Department's role in providing critical funding and resources to students, schools, and families. It condemns any actions that would defund public education or weaken the Department of Education. The bill affirms that public education investment should not be diverted to private K-12 schools through vouchers. It also rejects any claim that the executive branch has the authority to dismantle or relocate major offices within the Department of Education, dismantle or relocate the Department of Education, reduce federal funding for public education, block major federal grant programs for education, or transfer education funding burdens to state and local governments.

The "Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal for Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, honoring his courageous actions during World War II when he saved approximately 200 Jewish-American soldiers from Nazi persecution by defying direct orders to segregate them. This medal recognizes Edmonds' extraordinary heroism and will be presented to his son or next of kin. The Act also permits the creation and sale of bronze duplicates of the medal to commemorate his bravery.

The "Stop the Wait Act of 2025" eliminates the waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, phasing it out completely by 2030. It also waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare eligibility for certain SSDI recipients who lack minimum essential health coverage, allowing them to access Medicare retroactively to the start of their SSDI entitlement. The Act establishes special enrollment periods for Medicare Part B for these newly eligible individuals.

This bill authorizes the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Freedom Riders, collectively, in recognition of their contributions to the Civil Rights movement. The medal will be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution and other appropriate locations, with bronze duplicates available for sale to the public. Funds from the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund will cover the costs.

The Rosa Parks Day Act officially establishes Rosa Parks Day as a legal public holiday in the United States. This amendment updates federal law to include Rosa Parks Day alongside existing holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Consequently, federal employees and operations will observe this new national holiday.

The "Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025" authorizes the EPA Administrator to award grants to air pollution control agencies for programs that help communities prepare for and lessen the impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. It establishes Centers of Excellence for research on the public health effects of these events and directs the Administrator to conduct further research and develop interventions. The Act also creates a grant program for states, local governments, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to develop and implement community plans to reduce the effects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

The "Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act" increases consumer protection in the household goods shipping industry by allowing the Secretary to enforce penalties for violations, enabling states to use grant money for enforcement and retain penalties, and setting requirements for registration. This includes defining "principal place of business," requiring disclosure of relationships within the transportation industry, and allowing the Secretary to withhold or revoke registration for non-compliance.

The "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025" extends increased Medicare payment support for physicians and practitioners through 2025. It increases payment rates by 6.62% for services provided from April 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The bill also updates a section of the Social Security Act to include the years 2021 through 2025 for conforming changes.

The "Stop Antiabortion Disinformation Act" or the "SAD Act" aims to prevent deceptive advertising related to reproductive health services, particularly concerning contraception, abortion services, or the employment of licensed medical personnel. It empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce these prohibitions, treat violations as FTC Act violations, and pursue civil actions against violators, including imposing significant civil penalties. The FTC is required to report to Congress on its enforcement activities under this act.

The Aviation-Impacted Communities Act aims to mitigate the impact of aviation noise and pollution on communities near airports. It expands eligibility for noise mitigation funding, establishes community boards to address local concerns, and requires the FAA to conduct community assessments and develop action plans based on those assessments. The Act also directs the FAA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study aviation impacts and create a framework for community assessments, and it sets aside funding to implement these provisions.

The American Music Fairness Act of 2025 updates copyright law to include terrestrial broadcasts and internet services for audio transmissions, ensuring that artists are compensated for their work when played on these platforms. It establishes specific royalty fees for small broadcasters and ensures that the promotional value that broadcasters provide to artists is considered when setting royalty rates. The Act also protects songwriters and music copyright owners by ensuring the law does not negatively impact their public performance rights or royalties. A portion of royalties from direct licenses will be paid to a collective for distribution to artists, copyright owners, and record labels.

The "Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2025" allows the Secretary to request access to concentrated animal feeding operations for microbial sampling when investigating foodborne illness outbreaks or addressing public health needs. These operations must provide reasonable access for sampling of plants, animals, water, and the environment. The collected data will be shared with relevant agencies to help prevent foodborne illnesses. Refusal to provide reasonable access for microbial sampling is now a prohibited act under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

This bill supports the designation of January 30, 2025, as CTE and RHI Awareness Day to increase public knowledge of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and repeated head impacts (RHI). It acknowledges the risks and impact of these conditions, particularly for athletes, veterans, and others susceptible to head trauma. The bill encourages further research, early diagnosis, and informed decision-making, while also recognizing the contributions of researchers, affected families, and organizations dedicated to CTE awareness. It also urges the CDC and NIH to include CTE and RHI information in concussion education.

The "Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act" aims to reform and enhance the pay, benefits, and retirement options for Federal wildland firefighters. It establishes special base rates of pay, incident response premium pay, and rest and recuperation leave, while also addressing health concerns like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health support. The act also ensures pay parity for Federal structural firefighters and establishes a casualty assistance program for families of firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty. Finally, it modifies retirement calculations and service credit for firefighters.

The "Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act" directs the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts in schools across the country. The study will assess curriculum requirements, teaching methods, materials used, and how students' knowledge and recognition of antisemitism are evaluated. A report on the study's findings must be submitted to Congress.

The "Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights Act" aims to ensure that foreign nongovernmental organizations are eligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, part I, regardless of the health or medical services they provide with non-U.S. government funds if such services are legal in their country. It also prevents these organizations from facing stricter requirements than U.S. organizations regarding the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying.

The FIRE Act of 2025 directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a program enhancing wildfire forecasting, detection, and smoke dispersion prediction. This program will collaborate with the U.S. weather industry and academic institutions to improve early wildfire detection and risk communication. The Act also authorizes the creation of weather research testbeds and allocates $15 million for fiscal year 2026 to support these efforts.

The "Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act" expands access to in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services by allowing them to be delivered via telehealth, including designating a patient's home as a provider-based location. It broadens originating sites for telehealth services and waives geographic requirements for in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. The Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for designating a patient's home as a provider-based organization, aligning with the Hospital Without Walls program.

The "Federal Firefighters Families First Act" aims to improve pay equality for Federal firefighters, enhance recruitment and retention, and ensure comprehensive calculation of retirement benefits. It updates the computation of pay and annuity calculations to include additional compensation for overtime hours in regular tours of duty. The Act also directs the Office of Personnel Management to establish a maximum regular workweek for Federal firefighters, not exceeding an average of 60 hours per week. These changes will impact annuity payments for individuals who separate from service 60 days after the law's enactment.