Legislative Activity

The Timely and Accurate Benefits Act mandates that states implement an "Enhanced Income Identification and Verification Platform" within one year to continue receiving federal funding for covered benefit programs. This platform requires states to use comprehensive, real-time data matching to verify "enhanced gross income" from all sources, including bank transactions (with claimant permission). The goal is to ensure accurate eligibility and benefit levels for federal assistance programs.

This Act prohibits U.S. entities receiving federal funding from collaborating on sensitive technology research with specific Chinese organizations tied to the People's Liberation Army's military-civil fusion strategy. The law mandates the creation of a public list detailing restricted research areas and identified Chinese entities of concern. Covered entities must annually report all current and past collaborations with these prohibited entities or face immediate termination of all future federal funding.

The Promoting Classical Learning Act of 2025 mandates that U.S. military service academies must accept the Classical Learning Test (CLT) for admissions alongside the SAT and ACT. Furthermore, the bill requires schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to administer the CLT to all eleventh-grade students. This legislation aims to integrate the CLT into both federal secondary education and military academy application processes.

The SAFE Home Act amends federal foster care and adoption assistance programs by requiring states to prohibit discrimination against potential or actual foster or adoptive parents based on their approach to a child's biological sex. Specifically, organizations receiving federal funds cannot deny placement if parents adhere to the child's biological sex or refuse consent for treatments or documentation changes related to gender identity inconsistent with biological sex. The bill strictly defines "sex" as biological sex for the purposes of these placement decisions. These new requirements take effect shortly after enactment, though states may receive a temporary extension if legislative action is required for compliance.

The Fairness in Higher Education Accreditation Act revises the criteria for recognizing accrediting agencies, prohibiting them from basing standards or investigations on the racial, gender, or national origin makeup of a college's community. It also defines "free inquiry" requirements for institutions while providing significant exemptions for religious schools. Furthermore, the bill grants colleges the right to file a civil lawsuit if they face loss of accreditation due to an agency violating these new demographic-based restrictions.

The William S. Knudsen Defense Remobilization Act establishes a commission to assess and strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base. This body will analyze current production capacity, identify bottlenecks, and review federal regulations hindering defense manufacturing. The Commission must deliver recommendations within one year to boost domestic production capabilities necessary for national security contingencies.

The Veterans Opportunity Act of 2025 establishes the new Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs. This Administration will centralize and manage key programs related to veteran employment, education, and housing loans. The bill also creates a new Senate-confirmed position, the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition, to lead this new entity. All transfers of services must be certified to Congress as not negatively impacting veteran service quality before they can take effect.

The Abortion Funding Awareness Act of 2025 requires states to report detailed information annually regarding any federal Medicaid payments made to abortion providers. These state reports must specify payment amounts, the number of abortions performed by the provider, and the gestational age and method used for each procedure. The Secretary of HHS will then compile these state submissions into a summary report for Congress and the public.

The Family First Act significantly restructures the Child Tax Credit, making it fully refundable with new income-based tiers for children under 17, and introduces a new refundable tax credit for pregnant mothers based on gestational age. Additionally, the bill eliminates the Head of Household filing status and the dependent exemption, while simplifying the Earned Income Tax Credit rules. Finally, it denies the individual deduction for most State and local taxes starting in 2026.

The Nuclear Family Priority Act significantly restructures U.S. family-based immigration by removing parents from the "immediate relative" category and establishing a new annual cap for family-sponsored visas. It also introduces a new, non-work, five-year renewable temporary status for parents of adult U.S. citizens, contingent on the citizen child providing health insurance. Furthermore, the bill makes numerous technical amendments, including prioritizing 75% of family visas to be exempt from per-country limits and locking in an applicant's age for status determination at the time of petition filing.

The Safeguarding American Education From Foreign Control Act strengthens reporting requirements for colleges and universities regarding gifts and contracts received from foreign sources. It mandates stricter, more frequent disclosures, especially for institutions connected to "covered nations," where any amount must be reported. The Secretary of Education must then promptly share all received information with the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence.

The Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act of 2025 mandates an independent review of all notices sent by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to claimants. This review will focus on making these communications clearer, more concise, and less wasteful of paper. Following the assessment, the VA Secretary must implement the expert recommendations within one year to ensure veterans receive easily understandable claim information.

The College Admissions Accountability Act of 2025 establishes an independent Special Inspector General within the Department of Education to investigate complaints of unlawful racial discrimination in college admissions and financial aid. This office will enforce compliance with the Supreme Court's ruling against race-based preferences and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Institutions found to violate these standards face potential ineligibility for federal funding.

The Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025 aims to protect students belonging to single-sex social organizations, such as fraternities and sororities, from punitive action by federally funded colleges. This legislation ensures that schools cannot penalize students or organizations solely based on membership limitations restricted to one sex. Ultimately, the Act safeguards students' freedom to associate with these groups without facing disadvantages compared to members of co-ed organizations.

This resolution celebrates the 100th anniversary of WOWO radio, recognizing its century of broadcasting excellence since 1925. It honors the station's significant history, from pioneering broadcasts to its current role as a voice for conservative values in the community. The Senate officially commends WOWO for its long-standing service and supports its future mission.

The College Employment Accountability Act mandates that institutions receiving federal funds must use the E-Verify program to confirm employee work authorization. Any finding that a college has hired unauthorized aliens or failed to participate in E-Verify will result in the immediate loss of all federal student and institutional aid. The Department of Homeland Security is tasked with monitoring compliance and reporting violations to the Department of Education.

The FRIDGE Act of 2025 aims to boost U.S. agricultural exports by addressing critical infrastructure gaps in foreign markets. This legislation authorizes dedicated funding and technical assistance to help developing nations improve their cold storage and supply chain capabilities. By fortifying this global infrastructure, the bill seeks to reduce spoilage of American food products and open new international trade opportunities.

The Buying Faster than the Enemy Act of 2025 aims to significantly speed up Department of Defense (DoD) procurement, particularly for commercial items. It streamlines the process for awarding follow-on contracts after initial competition and limits unnecessary regulatory clauses flowing down to commercial subcontractors. Furthermore, the bill establishes new structures, including consortia, to better engage nontraditional defense contractors and defaults purchases to commercial item procedures unless explicitly justified otherwise.

The No Tax Dollars for College Encampments Act of 2025 amends the Higher Education Act to require colleges to specifically detail their law enforcement coordination plans for handling campus civil disturbances in annual security reports. Furthermore, the bill mandates that accrediting agencies must monitor whether institutions are complying with these updated campus security reporting requirements.

The Protecting Americans Retirement Savings Act (PARSA) prohibits retirement plan fiduciaries from making new investments in entities deemed to be foreign adversaries or sanctioned entities. This legislation also mandates that employee retirement funds must provide detailed new disclosures regarding any existing holdings in these restricted entities. The bill provides limited exceptions for pre-existing investments and contracts, provided specific reporting requirements are met.