Legislative Activity

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 aims to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and countering its support for terrorism by imposing sanctions on those involved in Iran's energy sector and those who provide financial support for its destabilizing activities. It mandates sanctions on foreign entities involved in processing, exporting, or selling Iranian oil, gas, and petrochemicals, while also establishing an interagency working group to coordinate and enforce these sanctions. The Act also amends existing legislation to require the identification of individuals involved in sanctionable activities or sanctions evasion related to Iranian oil and gas sales.

The Stopping the Theft and Destruction of Broadband Act of 2025 strengthens federal law to explicitly prohibit the destruction of broadband internet access service facilities. This update broadens protection beyond defense-related infrastructure to cover any privately or publicly operated broadband service. The Act provides a clear definition of what constitutes broadband internet access service under federal protection.

This bill, the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act, strictly prohibits the sale or release of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to any entity owned, controlled, or influenced by the Chinese Communist Party. Furthermore, it prevents the sale of SPR products to non-Chinese buyers if those products are intended for export to the People's Republic of China. The legislation aims to safeguard U.S. energy reserves from benefiting the Chinese government.

The CATCH Fentanyl Act mandates the Department of Homeland Security to establish pilot projects at land ports of entry to test advanced inspection technologies, including those utilizing Artificial Intelligence. These tests aim to improve the detection of contraband like fentanyl while increasing inspection efficiency. The Secretary must report on the effectiveness of these technologies and provide recommendations for nationwide deployment within five years of enactment.

The Forest Legacy Management Flexibility Act grants states the authority to allow qualified conservation organizations to acquire, hold, and manage conservation easements under the Forest Legacy Program. This allows states to partner with accredited, conservation-focused groups to enhance forest protection efforts. The bill establishes clear criteria for these organizations and outlines conditions under which easement rights would revert to the state if management responsibilities are not met.

The Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act ensures that specialized local government entities, known as special districts, are explicitly recognized as eligible recipients for federal financial assistance. This legislation mandates the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue clear guidance on recognizing these districts for grants and loans. The goal is to standardize how federal agencies distribute financial aid to these essential local service providers.

The **No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act** aims to increase accountability for foreign entities and individuals who wrongfully detain Americans, particularly in response to Iran's history of hostage-taking. The bill mandates increased reporting on restricted Iranian funds, requires a review of sanctions against those involved in detentions, and tightens restrictions on Iranian diplomats in the U.S. Furthermore, it directs the President to develop a strategy to deter future hostage-taking incidents.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 updates federal housing tax credit allocations to reflect current economic realities and boosts minimum state allotments. It reforms tenant eligibility rules to stabilize tenancy and enhance protections for vulnerable residents, including victims of abuse. The bill also provides disaster relief for property owners, increases incentives for housing the extremely low-income, and directs greater resources toward Native American and rural housing needs. Finally, it streamlines administrative processes and signals a future focus on data transparency and discouraging restrictive local zoning.

The Save Our Sequoias Act establishes a comprehensive, multi-agency strategy to protect giant sequoias from threats like catastrophic wildfire, drought, and pests. It mandates a scientific assessment of grove health, creates emergency response authorities to expedite hazardous fuel reduction, and sets up dedicated funding and grant programs. The legislation emphasizes collaboration with California and Native American Tribes to ensure long-term reforestation and resilience for these iconic trees.

The Safeguarding American Property Act of 2025 expands mandatory detention requirements for certain non-citizens who commit specific property crimes. This legislation adds offenses like trespassing, vandalism, and arson to the list of crimes that require immigration authorities to detain an individual during removal proceedings. The bill also clarifies language related to violent offenses to ensure comprehensive grounds for detention.

The Election Results Accountability Act establishes strict, new deadlines for states to count and officially certify the results of federal elections. States must release initial results within 72 hours and finalize certification within two weeks of poll closure. Penalties for missing these deadlines include the loss of federal election assistance funds, unless the delay is due to specific, agreed-upon emergencies or technical issues.

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 imposes sweeping economic penalties on the Russian Federation in response to its aggression against Ukraine. This legislation mandates severe, immediate sanctions against key Russian officials, financial institutions, and energy sector entities, including asset freezes and trade prohibitions. Furthermore, the Act dramatically increases import duties on Russian goods and requires the President to review and reimpose these measures until Russia negotiates a lasting peace with Ukraine.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 3817 Marysville Boulevard in Sacramento, California, as the "Grantland Johnson Post Office." This action ensures the building is officially recognized by its new name in all records and documentation.

The Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity Act of 2025 updates Medicare coverage to include diagnostic ultrasound tests. This legislation mandates that Medicare establish separate payments for the transportation and setup of portable ultrasound equipment, mirroring existing payments for portable X-ray services. These changes are set to take effect starting January 1, 2027.

This resolution formally recognizes the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps in 2025. Congress is honoring the Corps' long history, core values of honor, courage, and commitment, and its consistent readiness to defend the nation. The bill encourages the public to join in celebrating this significant milestone and acknowledging the service and sacrifice of all Marines.

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 establishes a national standard for carrying concealed handguns across state lines. This act allows individuals legally permitted to carry in their home state to carry concealed in any other state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. The law does not override private property restrictions or prohibitions on government property, but it provides protections and legal recourse for those traveling in compliance with the new federal standard.

The SHARE Act of 2025 establishes new federal requirements for the FBI to share criminal history record information with states participating in professional licensing interstate compacts. This information sharing is strictly for the purpose of conducting background checks on applicants seeking to practice a profession in another compact state. States receiving this data are severely restricted on how they can use or further disseminate the detailed criminal history, generally only being permitted to report a binary "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" determination back to the compact's Commission.

The Firearm Due Process Protection Act of 2025 aims to strengthen due process rights for individuals challenging denials in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). It mandates expedited court hearings for record correction lawsuits and shifts the burden of proof onto the government to demonstrate why a person should be ineligible to own a firearm. Additionally, the bill requires the FBI to submit annual reports detailing the outcomes and timelines of all NICS record challenges.

The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Coin Act authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue special commemorative gold, silver, and clad coins honoring the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. These coins will be sold to the public, with surcharges from the sales benefiting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The Treasury must ensure that the production and issuance of these coins result in no net cost to the U.S. Government.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.