Legislative Activity

This bill amends federal law to establish specific qualifications for marriage and family therapists appointed to provide clinical supervision within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). It requires these supervisors to meet existing VHA standards while also being recognized or permitted by their state to provide clinical supervision. The goal is to ensure VHA clinical supervisors meet recognized state-level standards.

This resolution seeks to disapprove the Department of Veterans Affairs' final rule concerning "Reproductive Health Services" issued in September 2024. If enacted, this disapproval, made under the Congressional Review Act, would prevent the VA rule from taking legal effect.

This bill establishes the Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025, prioritizing candidates with significant legal experience for appointments to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. Specifically, it requires the Board Chairman to give priority to individuals with three or more years of professional legal experience related to laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

This bill aims to bolster the U.S. bioeconomy and food system resilience by promoting innovation in edible protein production, particularly through biomanufacturing and utilizing under-utilized biomass. It establishes new research centers, prioritizes funding for alternative protein research through existing programs, and creates grant opportunities for commercial-scale production and workforce development. Ultimately, the Act seeks to secure the nation's protein supply, create economic opportunities, and maintain U.S. leadership in food technology.

The Zero Food Waste Act establishes a competitive grant program through the EPA to achieve a 50% reduction in national food waste by 2035. These grants will support state, local, tribal governments, and nonprofits in studying, planning, collecting data on, and implementing projects to reduce food waste. The legislation prioritizes funding for projects that prevent waste and benefit communities disproportionately affected by environmental harms.

The Gold Star Siblings Educational Benefits Act expands educational assistance for siblings of certain deceased veterans. This legislation makes siblings eligible for benefits under the VA Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program and the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry scholarship. Furthermore, it allows eligible veterans to transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to their siblings.

This bill establishes the Supporting Military Families Exposed to Toxic Substances Act to provide Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care to certain family members and civilians exposed to environmental hazards at military locations where veterans already have a presumption of service-connection for related illnesses. Eligibility requires residence or work at the specified location during the relevant time period and demonstration of exposure to the qualifying condition. Care is contingent upon specific Congressional funding and the exhaustion of all other third-party payment remedies.

The Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging Act of 2025 aims to advance vehicle-to-grid technology by requiring the Department of Energy to create a national roadmap for bidirectional charging development. The bill mandates that all new electric vehicles manufactured for model year 2029 and later must be capable of bidirectional charging. Furthermore, it requires FEMA to incorporate bidirectional charging capabilities into state and local disaster recovery plans.

The Veterans Healthcare Improvement Act mandates that the Comptroller General review the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care budget submissions for fiscal years 2026 through 2028. Following each review, the Comptroller General must report the findings to relevant Congressional committees. This process aims to increase transparency and oversight of the VA's medical care funding requests.

The Helping Homeless Veterans Act of 2025 aims to restructure existing programs supporting homeless and special needs veterans. The bill modifies several sections related to treatment, housing assistance, and supportive services for veterans. Notably, it establishes a dedicated funding level of $\$420,000,000$ annually for financial assistance programs for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing starting in fiscal year 2027.

The Every Veteran Counts Act of 2025 mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a comprehensive, publicly accessible database of anonymized veteran demographic data, including sensitive categories like sexual orientation and gender identity. This legislation requires the VA to continuously collect, maintain, and annually update this machine-readable data to better inform policy and outreach. Furthermore, the Secretary must report to Congress within one year on the progress and challenges of implementing a modernized VA data strategy.

The Have You Served Act establishes a grant program to fund "Ask the Question Campaigns." These campaigns encourage service providers to ask clients about their military service to better connect them with veteran resources. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs will award up to 25 grants annually to eligible states and tribes to support training and campaign costs.

The Same Day Registration Act of 2025 mandates that all states allow eligible individuals to register to vote and cast a ballot on the same day during any federal election, including early voting periods. This requirement applies starting with the November 2026 general election. States without any voter registration requirement for federal elections are exempt from this mandate.

This resolution expresses support for designating October 2025 as National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month to highlight the significant academic challenges faced by students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). It emphasizes that SLDs are the most common disability category under IDEA, yet these students show alarmingly low proficiency rates in reading and math. The bill urges early screening and calls on educational agencies to ensure these students receive the required specialized instruction and support to achieve success.

Katie Meyer's Law mandates that colleges and universities receiving federal funding must provide students accused of code of conduct violations the option to have a trained adviser assist them through the disciplinary process. Students can choose their own adviser or request an independent one provided by the institution. Additionally, the bill updates campus security reporting requirements to include incidents of suicide.

The Predatory Truck Leasing Prevention Act of 2025 aims to eliminate unfair lease-purchase agreements where truck drivers are tied to the motor carrier they drive for without gaining ownership of the vehicle. This Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish rules banning predatory programs where carriers control the driver's work and debt, yet the driver forfeits any built-up equity. Furthermore, the legislation provides a mechanism for drivers to seek relief from existing lease terms that violate the new regulations.

The Gun Suicide Prevention Act of 2025 mandates that all firearms sold must include a conspicuous label in English and Spanish directing individuals contemplating suicide to call or text 988. This new requirement applies to manufacturers and retailers, treating non-compliance similarly to violations under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The labeling provisions will take effect two years after the Act is signed into law.

This resolution expresses support for designating September 9, 2025, as "National Firearm Suicide Prevention Day." The goal is to raise awareness about the growing crisis of firearm suicides across the United States. It emphasizes that safe and secure firearm storage is a critical component of suicide prevention efforts. The resolution encourages professionals to discuss gun safety and suicide prevention with their patients.

The Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must now provide abortion care, counseling, and related medication as part of the medical services offered to eligible veterans and certain other beneficiaries. This legislation formally amends existing VA health care provisions to include these reproductive health services.

The Veterans’ Surviving Spouse Equity Act of 2025 expands eligibility for certain VA benefits for the surviving spouses of veterans who died while rated totally disabled. This update lowers the marriage duration requirement for survivors to qualify for benefits. Spouses may now qualify if they were married for at least one year or cohabited and publicly presented as married for one year prior to the veteran's death.