Legislative Activity

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying coverage or increasing premiums solely because an individual is a living organ donor. This legislation ensures that living donors are not financially penalized for their altruistic act. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of HHS to update educational materials to accurately reflect the insurance protections afforded to living donors.

This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to explicitly clarify that time taken off for an employee's own organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition. This ensures both private and federal sector workers receive FMLA protection for recovery from organ donation. The legislation also specifies how federal employees must substitute existing paid leave when taking FMLA time for this purpose.

The AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025 modernizes the reporting requirements for foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land by lowering the minimum reporting threshold for certain transactions. This legislation strengthens enforcement actions and mandates the sharing of critical foreign investment data with national security officials, specifically CFIUS. Furthermore, the Act requires updates to official handbooks to incorporate national security risk assessments and establishes a timeline for fully implementing electronic AFIDA disclosure systems.

The Back the Blue Act of 2025 establishes new federal crimes and enhanced penalties for violence against law enforcement and judicial personnel, including murder and assault. It also tightens federal habeas corpus review for state convictions involving the murder of officers and clarifies firearm-carrying rights for qualified officers in federal facilities. Finally, the bill creates a grant program to foster better community-police relationships through trust-building initiatives and policy improvements.

The National Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury Clearinghouse Act of 2025 establishes a centralized federal resource to collect and share the best available information on concussion and TBI treatment, research, and best practices. This clearinghouse will serve as a reliable hub for medical professionals, patients, and the public seeking expert knowledge and qualified care options. The designated official must ensure the resource is operational within 120 days of the Act's enactment.

The Support for Ownership and Investment in Land (SOIL) Act establishes a pilot program to streamline and accelerate the process for farmers to receive pre-approved or pre-qualified direct farm ownership loans from the government. This initiative aims to make loan acquisition faster and more predictable for agricultural producers. The Secretary of Agriculture must report annually on the program's progress until its scheduled end date of September 30, 2030.

The American Agricultural Security Research Act of 2025 overhauls USDA Centers of Excellence to focus on critical areas like biosecurity, digital agriculture, and food quality, while also establishing new research priorities for related programs. The bill also creates a competitive grant program to fund research, training, and facility upgrades specifically aimed at protecting U.S. agriculture and food systems from emerging threats. This legislation seeks to strengthen agricultural resilience, workforce development, and national security through targeted research and education investments.

The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2025 aims to improve women's health after childbirth by clarifying Medicaid/CHIP coverage for essential pelvic health services. It mandates federal guidance for states on covering services like pelvic floor exams and physical therapy, alongside establishing a national education campaign for both providers and new mothers. The bill also directs the GAO to study existing coverage gaps for postpartum women under Medicaid.

The FIGHT Act of 2025 significantly strengthens federal prohibitions against animal fighting ventures, specifically targeting the sponsorship, exhibition, and gambling associated with these events. This legislation clarifies the definition of a rooster for legal purposes and bans the interstate transport of roosters for fighting. Furthermore, it empowers private citizens to file lawsuits against violators, allowing for civil penalties and the potential seizure of property used to facilitate illegal animal fighting.

The Kerrie Orozco First Responders Family Support Act expedites the U.S. citizenship process for immediate relatives of public safety officers who died in the line of duty. This legislation allows surviving spouses, children, or parents to skip standard residency requirements when applying for naturalization. The goal is to provide a pathway to citizenship for the families of fallen heroes.

The CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2025 expands and extends a pilot program allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to accept donated facilities and related improvements. This expansion broadens acceptable donations to include minor construction or nonrecurring maintenance projects. Furthermore, the bill extends the operational deadline for this valuable pilot program from 2026 to 2031.

The LEOSA Reform Act updates federal laws to better align concealed carry rights for qualified active and retired law enforcement officers with existing school zone restrictions. This legislation modernizes the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA) by expanding qualification standards for retired officers and clarifying where they may carry firearms, including in certain lower-security federal facilities. The bill ensures that LEOSA-authorized carriers are not inadvertently violating federal school zone prohibitions.

The Public Safety Retirees Healthcare Protection Act of 2025 aims to increase the amount of tax-free income public safety officers can receive from their government retirement plans to cover healthcare costs. Specifically, this bill doubles the current annual exclusion limit from $\$3,000$ to $\$6,000$. This increased tax benefit will apply to distributions taken in tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

This Act officially renames Taiwan's primary diplomatic office in the U.S. from the "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office" to the "Taiwan Representative Office." It directs the U.S. government to treat this office with the diplomatic courtesies afforded to other foreign nations, consistent with existing U.S. policy. This renaming does not alter the official U.S. stance on Taiwan's international status or restore full diplomatic relations.

The Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act expands eligibility for services under the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) to include spouses of veterans and service members. This amendment specifically defines "eligible persons" as spouses who meet certain criteria or are the spouse of someone who died while serving in the Armed Forces. This change ensures that surviving spouses receive crucial career support through the DVOP.

The Federal Firefighter Cancer Detection and Prevention Act of 2025 mandates specific, regular cancer screenings for Department of Defense (DoD) firefighters as part of their annual health evaluations. This includes tailored testing for breast, colon, and prostate cancers, based on age and risk factors. While these screenings are offered, participation remains optional for the individual firefighter. The DoD must track participation and anonymized results to monitor cancer trends within the firefighting community.

Hammers' Law extends existing federal liability limitations, previously applied only to commercial aviation accidents, to cover claims arising from cruise ship voyages. The bill specifically defines what constitutes a "cruise ship" for the purpose of these limitations, including vessels authorized to carry at least 250 passengers with sleeping accommodations. This change broadens the scope of established liability caps to encompass incidents occurring on covered passenger vessels operating to or from the United States.

The Youth Lead Act establishes dedicated federal funding for youth organizations by setting aside \$5 million annually for grants between fiscal years 2026 and 2030. This legislation amends existing law to ensure consistent financial support for these organizations.

The SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2025 grants states the authority to hire external contractors to assist with processing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications during periods of high demand or staffing shortages. This flexibility allows states to manage application backlogs while adhering to strict rules against conflicts of interest and ensuring contractors do not incentivize benefit denials. States must notify the Secretary of Agriculture before using this authority, which is intended to supplement, not replace, existing merit-based state staff.

The Trade Review Act of 2025 requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours when imposing new or increased import duties, detailing the justification and impact. These new duties will automatically expire after 60 days unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval. Furthermore, Congress can swiftly override any new duty by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.