Legislative Activity

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 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 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 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.

The Saving Our Interconnected Lives (SOIL) Act aims to incentivize farmers to adopt conservation practices that benefit both soil health and wildlife habitat simultaneously. It achieves this by increasing payment rates under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for dual-benefit projects and prioritizing these applications. Furthermore, the bill introduces supplemental payments under the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for activities that improve soil, wildlife habitat, and climate outcomes.

The Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025 prioritizes candidates with at least three years of relevant professional legal experience when appointing new members to the Board of Veterans Appeals. This ensures that individuals with direct experience in veterans' benefits law receive priority consideration for these judicial roles.

This bill establishes the Climate-Friendly Food Label Task Force Act to study the creation of a voluntary, market-based "climate-friendly" certification label for agricultural products. The Secretary of Agriculture must convene an advisory panel of experts to develop recommendations for a system that measures and promotes the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across a product's lifecycle. This study must be completed and reported to Congress before the USDA can begin any official climate-friendly labeling or certification process.

The Protecting Federal Employee Rights to Personnel Files Act of 2025 ensures current and former federal employees have a right to easily access their official personnel records. The bill mandates that agencies must provide electronic and physical copies of these files within seven days upon request for current employees. Furthermore, separating employees will automatically receive their file within seven days of their departure.

The Protecting Americans from Reckless Gun Dealers Act of 2025 mandates annual public reporting by the Attorney General detailing ATF actions on firearms dealer licenses, including violations and revocations. It also requires the GAO to conduct a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of ATF's licensing and enforcement procedures. This legislation aims to increase transparency and evaluate the consistency of federal oversight for firearms dealers.

The Offshore Pipeline Safety Act mandates new safety regulations for offshore oil and gas pipelines, including deadlines for finalizing rules, requiring third-party inspections, and installing leak detection systems. It also directs studies on the environmental risks of pipeline decommissioning and requires annual fees from pipeline owners to cover future removal costs. Furthermore, the bill addresses the safety of exposed pipeline segments and requires a study on the environmental risks of chemicals used in offshore operations.

The Loved Ones Interment Act allows the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a single headstone or marker for a cremated veteran buried alongside another eligible individual. This marker can include information for both people, provided the cost does not exceed the standard limit for one marker. This change streamlines the process for honoring veterans interred together.