Legislative Activity

The "Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act" authorizes the creation of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on the National Mall. It ensures the museum's exhibits and programs reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of women in the United States, seeking guidance from varied sources. The Act mandates regular reports to Congress on the museum's efforts to meet these diversity requirements.

The Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act establishes new federal standards for states issuing Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs) to individuals who do not reside in that state. This bill sets specific, strict requirements for foreign nationals seeking a CDL, including proof of lawful status and job-related visas, while also outlining distinct procedures for applicants residing in U.S. territories. The legislation mandates enhanced record-keeping and reporting by states to the Secretary of Transportation regarding these non-domiciled licenses.

This bill reauthorizes the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, updating its governing structure and expanding the scope of its oceanographic research and data-sharing capabilities. It also mandates improved collaboration between regional and federal observing systems to enhance data integration. Additionally, the legislation authorizes $47.5 million in annual funding for these initiatives from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 strengthens U.S. policy by imposing mandatory sanctions on foreign persons and financial institutions that support Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, drone, and terrorist activities. The bill specifically targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors to cut off funding for these malign programs. Additionally, it expands the State Department’s "Rewards for Justice" program to incentivize the reporting of individuals who evade these sanctions.

The Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act streamlines the process for developing geothermal energy on lands where the federal government owns less than half of the subsurface resources. This bill exempts certain geothermal projects from requiring a federal drilling permit if a state permit is already secured. Consequently, these projects are generally excluded from major federal environmental reviews under NEPA and the Endangered Species Act. However, the bill maintains the federal government's right to collect royalties and conduct oversight on production measurements.

The GEO Act aims to expedite geothermal energy development by requiring the Secretary to decide on geothermal drilling applications within 60 days of meeting federal requirements, even if there's a pending lawsuit. This applies to geothermal drilling permits, rights-of-way, and other necessary authorizations, unless a court intervenes. The Act does not alter the power of Federal courts to provide injunctive relief for a geothermal lease, drilling permit, or other authorization.

The Geothermal Royalty Reform Act amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to clarify how royalties are calculated for electricity generated from geothermal resources. This legislation refines existing language to ensure that minimum royalty payments and royalty rates are explicitly tied to each individual electric generating facility utilizing the steam. The goal is to provide clearer statutory language regarding financial obligations for geothermal power production.

The Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act aims to accelerate geothermal energy development on federal lands. It streamlines environmental reviews for specific, small-scale geothermal exploration projects by exempting them from standard "major Federal action" requirements under NEPA. Furthermore, the bill mandates the designation of "geothermal leasing priority areas" and establishes specific environmental review protocols to expedite leasing decisions in those zones.

This bill seeks to disapprove the Bureau of Land Management's recent rule regarding the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan. If enacted, this disapproval would nullify the BLM's rule, preventing it from taking effect.

This act reauthorizes the Young Fishermen's Development Act through fiscal year 2031. It is named in honor of Captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo.

The Gun Owner Registration Information Protection Act prohibits federal agencies from providing funding or support for the creation and maintenance of state-level firearm ownership databases. This legislation ensures that federal resources cannot be used to track lawful gun owners, with a specific exception for databases tracking lost or stolen firearms.

This bill, the MTS CYBER Act of 2026, directs the Comptroller General to review the budget, resources, and capabilities of the Coast Guard in its role as a Sector Risk Management Agency for the marine transportation system. The review will assess whether the Coast Guard has sufficient funding and personnel to enforce new cybersecurity regulations protecting critical maritime infrastructure. The resulting report will provide Congress with recommendations to ensure the Coast Guard can effectively mitigate cyber threats to the nation's vital maritime trade.

The Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act of 2026 aims to improve aviation safety by mandating advanced collision avoidance technology and modernizing air traffic control procedures. The legislation enhances oversight and data sharing across both civilian and military aviation, with a specific focus on reducing congestion and collision risks in high-traffic areas like the Washington, D.C. region.

The Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act aims to promote de-escalation by exempting specific, clearly defined less-than-lethal projectile devices from federal firearm restrictions and excise taxes. This legislation provides a formal process for determining which devices qualify for these exemptions under both federal law and the National Firearms Act. The bill also modernizes tax regulations by exempting qualifying less-than-lethal devices and their ammunition from federal excise taxes.

The Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 streamlines the installation and operation of undersea fiber optic cables in national marine sanctuaries. It prevents the Secretary of Commerce from imposing duplicative permitting requirements if federal or state authorization is already secured. Additionally, the bill removes previous restrictions on the types of activities that can be covered by sanctuary special use permits.

This act establishes the "$2.50 for America's 250th Act" to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It authorizes the Treasury to mint and issue special commemorative gold, silver, and clad $2.50 coins featuring designs from the 1926 Sesquicentennial coin. Additionally, the bill mandates a study on the feasibility of minting and issuing a $2.50 coin for wide circulation.

The Critical Mineral Dominance Act establishes a national policy to make the U.S. the world's leading producer of hardrock minerals to strengthen supply chains and national security. The bill mandates economic impact reports on mineral import reliance and directs the expedited approval of priority mining projects on federal lands. Furthermore, it requires identifying all federal lands with hardrock mineral potential and reviewing regulations that impede domestic mining development.

The Incentivize Savings Act mandates how federal agencies must handle unspent appropriations by dedicating the majority to debt reduction and allowing a portion for employee retention bonuses. This legislation also restricts future budget requests to only account for inflation unless the agency fully spends its prior allocation. Ultimately, the bill aims to encourage fiscal responsibility by linking unspent funds to debt reduction and limiting budget growth.

The Make Elections Great Again Act establishes new federal standards for voter identification, citizenship verification for registration, and statewide voter list maintenance for federal elections. It also standardizes election administration by mandating paper ballots, banning ranked-choice voting, and implementing strict new rules for requesting and returning mail-in ballots. The bill aims to increase election integrity through enhanced documentation and procedural uniformity across states.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE America Act) mandates that individuals must provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. It also establishes a federal requirement for voters to present a photo ID indicating U.S. citizenship when casting a ballot in federal elections. The bill outlines specific acceptable forms of proof and requires states to implement verification programs to ensure only citizens are registered and voting.