Legislative Activity

This joint resolution formally honors the thirteen U.S. service members who were killed in the August 26, 2021, bombing at Abbey Gate during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. It recognizes their ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation and expresses deep gratitude to their Gold Star Families. The bill essentially establishes a National Day of Remembrance to ensure their faithful service in the fight for liberty is never forgotten.

The Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2025 significantly improves the TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) program for military dependents. This legislation eliminates the age restriction for TYA eligibility and removes the separate premium requirement for coverage. These changes aim to provide broader and simpler healthcare access for adult children of service members.

The SAVES Act establishes a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to eligible veterans. These grants, up to $\$2,000,000$ each, will fund the training and provision of service dogs for veterans with qualifying conditions like PTSD or TBI. The bill also extends the expiration date for certain limits on veterans' pension payments until February 2033.

This bill establishes the United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act to foster scientific partnerships between the two nations. It creates a grant program, managed by the Secretary of Defense, to fund joint research projects between U.S. academic or non-profit entities and Israeli institutions specializing in PTSD treatment. The goal is to advance new and improved methods for diagnosing and treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Veterans’ Transition to Trucking Act of 2025 streamlines the process for veterans to use their education benefits for commercial truck driving training. This bill authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to directly approve multi-State apprenticeship programs offered by truck driving schools. This change allows for quicker approval of essential training programs for transitioning service members.

The Veterans ACCESS Act of 2025 seeks to improve veterans' healthcare by revising the Veterans Community Care Program, enhancing mental health treatment programs, and implementing other healthcare improvements. Title I revises eligibility standards for community care, ensures veterans are informed about their options, and addresses care preferences and telehealth options. Title II standardizes eligibility for mental health programs, improves care quality, and ensures timely access to treatment. Title III focuses on improving healthcare services through online tools, modifying innovation programs, and increasing reporting on healthcare processes.

The Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act of 2025, or VSAFE Act, establishes a dedicated Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs. This Officer will be responsible for developing strategies to prevent, report, and respond to fraud targeting veterans and their families. The Act also mandates improved communication, training, and coordination across federal agencies to better protect veterans' benefits and identities. Finally, this bill makes a minor technical adjustment to extend the expiration date of certain existing limits on pension payments.

The PEACE Act of 2025 imposes strict new financial sanctions on foreign banks knowingly dealing with sanctioned Russian entities following escalating attacks on Ukraine. It mandates the Treasury Department to seize specific Russian Central Bank assets held in the U.S. and transfer them to a fund supporting Ukraine. The Act also requires a review of major Russian energy companies and includes provisions for presidential waivers and a sunset clause tied to Russia ceasing destabilizing actions.

The Plain Prescription Prices Act mandates that television advertisements for prescription drugs and biologics covered by Medicare or Medicaid must clearly display the list price for a standard supply. This aims to increase transparency by ensuring consumers see the cost information directly in drug advertisements. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish the specific rules and enforcement mechanisms for this price disclosure.

The Supporting Military Voters Act mandates that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of how effectively the government supports voting access for absent uniformed services members and their families. This review will analyze current ballot delivery and counting processes under existing law. Furthermore, the GAO must study actionable steps the military departments can take to improve voter registration assistance for service members. The final report detailing these findings and recommendations is due by September 30, 2027.

The Make American Guns Again (MAGA) Act of 2025 requires the Secretary of Defense to study the prevalence of foreign-made or foreign-owned small arms and light weapons used by the U.S. military. Within 180 days, the Secretary must report these findings to Congress and the President. This report must also include recommendations for increasing the procurement of domestically manufactured and owned small arms.

This bill, titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act, mandates the Attorney General to release nearly all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days of enactment. The legislation strictly limits the justifications for withholding or redacting documents, prohibiting secrecy based on political sensitivity or potential embarrassment. The only permissible redactions involve victim privacy, child sexual abuse material, or narrowly defined threats to active investigations or national security classifications. Upon completion, the Attorney General must submit a detailed report to Congress listing all released and withheld materials, including an unredacted list of all named government officials.

The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act addresses significant delays in obtaining death certificates for veterans who die from natural causes, often due to VA medical staff delays. This bill mandates that VA medical providers must certify a veteran's death within 48 hours or allow the local medical examiner to step in. Furthermore, the VA must annually report on its compliance with this new timely certification requirement.

The Defend Girls Athletics Act mandates that elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions must certify compliance with Executive Order 14201 regarding biological fairness in women's sports to receive federal funding. This certification must be renewed annually for K-12 districts and by July 1st for colleges and universities. Failure to comply or report results in the immediate requirement to return unobligated federal funds and ineligibility for future federal financial assistance until compliance is restored.

The SAMS Act of 2025 codifies several previous Executive Orders into permanent law, specifically focusing on policies related to critical minerals. This action elevates existing presidential directives concerning these vital resources to the full force and effect of statutory law. The bill ensures the long-term legal standing of established critical mineral supply chain strategies.

The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act of 2025 aims to increase transparency and accountability across the prescription drug supply chain. It mandates fairer pharmacy network access for Medicare beneficiaries and imposes strict new financial reporting and service fee requirements on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) working with Medicare and private health plans. Furthermore, the bill establishes new federal mechanisms to accurately track drug acquisition costs in Medicaid and explicitly bans the practice of "spread pricing" in state Medicaid contracts.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating **September 25th** as **National Stop SuiSilence Day**. The bill emphasizes that open conversation is crucial for reducing the stigma surrounding suicide and preventing loss of life. It encourages individuals, communities, and the government to actively engage in suicide prevention awareness and action on this designated day.

The Veterans Energy Transition Act of 2025 (VET Act) establishes a new grant program administered by the Secretary of Labor to incentivize organizations to hire active duty military members, veterans, and their spouses for jobs in the energy industry. These grants reimburse employers for training, recruitment, and other costs associated with employing these "covered individuals." The program prioritizes hiring those with relevant skills and aims to coordinate with existing transition services to ensure effective job placement.

The LEDGER Act mandates the creation of a comprehensive, centralized system managed by the Secretary of the Treasury to track every expenditure made by all branches of the U.S. Government. This new system must detail exactly where federal funds are spent and how long those funds were available for obligation. The goal is to significantly enhance the traceability and transparency of government spending.

The No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act aims to prevent U.S. foreign aid from indirectly supporting the Taliban by requiring the State Department to oppose foreign assistance given to the group by other aid recipients. The bill mandates comprehensive reports detailing foreign aid flows to the Taliban and requires the development of a strategy to discourage such support while protecting vulnerable Afghans. Furthermore, it demands transparency regarding U.S. direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan and ongoing oversight of the Afghan Fund's controls.