Legislative Activity

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.

The "Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act" mandates that individuals provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. It amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to include these requirements and directs states to reject applications lacking such proof. The Act also outlines acceptable forms of documentation, verification processes, and penalties for non-compliance, while allowing provisional ballots under certain conditions. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security must notify state election officials when an individual becomes a naturalized citizen.

The "Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act" prohibits Federal Reserve Banks from offering financial products or services directly to individuals, maintaining accounts for individuals, or issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) directly or indirectly. It also blocks the Federal Reserve from testing, creating, or implementing a CBDC, or using it to implement monetary policy, without explicit congressional authorization. The bill clarifies that these restrictions do not apply to digital versions of the dollar that are open, permissionless, and private, like physical currency.

The "Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today Act" or "SHORT Act" modifies firearm regulations by redefining "firearm" under the National Firearms Act, removing short-barreled rifles and shotguns from certain restrictions, and preempting state laws that tax, mark, record, or register these weapons. The Act also mandates the destruction of records related to these specific weapons held by the Attorney General.

The "Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act" enables individuals with valid concealed carry permits or the legal right to carry concealed firearms in their home state to do so across state lines, provided they are not federally prohibited from possessing firearms and carry a valid photo ID. This law respects private and state/local government restrictions on firearms, protects individuals from unwarranted arrest, and allows legal action for violations of these rights. It also permits concealed carry in National Parks and other federal lands open to the public and clarifies that handguns include magazines and ammunition.

The "Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act" amends the Food Security Act of 1985, introducing an exception to payment limitations for individuals or entities earning 75% or more of their income from farming, ranching, or silviculture. This change impacts eligibility for specific agricultural disaster relief programs, ensuring fairer access to aid for those primarily engaged in agricultural activities.

The Major Richard Star Act allows eligible combat-disabled veterans to receive both their retirement pay and disability compensation. This eliminates the previous offset that reduced retirement pay for those receiving disability compensation. The changes apply to payments beginning the month after enactment.

The HELPER Act of 2025 amends the National Housing Act to establish an FHA mortgage insurance program for first responders, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and teachers. This program allows the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to insure mortgages up to 100% of the appraised value for eligible first-time homebuyers, waiving down payment requirements but requiring an up-front mortgage insurance premium. Mortgagors must meet specific eligibility criteria, including being a first-time homebuyer, completing a housing counseling program, and meeting employment and good standing requirements as a first responder. The bill authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 2026 through 2032 and requires reauthorization of the program after 5 years.

The "Fair and Open Competition Act of 2025" seeks to ensure open competition and government neutrality in federal construction projects by preventing requirements for or bans against agreements with labor organizations. It prohibits discrimination based on labor affiliation, reduces construction costs, and expands job opportunities. The Act mandates revisions to regulations and allows exemptions only in special circumstances like public health or national security threats.

The "Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2025" aims to reduce maternal mortality by improving data collection, sharing best practices for prevention, and increasing funding for maternal mortality review committees. This act amends the Public Health Service Act and directs the CDC to disseminate best practices to hospitals and professional groups. The act increases funding to $100,000,000 annually from 2025 through 2029.

The SPEED for BEAD Act amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to streamline broadband deployment grants. It renames the "Equity" program to "Expansion," allows funds for workforce development, and permits removal of high-cost locations from project areas. The act also prohibits certain conditions related to labor, climate change, and network management, and ensures consideration of all broadband technologies.

The "Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act" eliminates the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Banks one year after enactment, repealing the Federal Reserve Act. During the dissolution period, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board will manage the winding down of affairs, and the Office of Management and Budget Director will liquidate assets to maximize returns to the Treasury. The Treasury Secretary will assume outstanding liabilities and, along with the Office of Management and Budget Director, report to Congress on the implementation of the Act.

The "Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act" requires the Assistant Secretary of Commerce to prepare a report on the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of mobile service networks, excluding 5G. This report will assess how mobile service providers address cybersecurity, customer awareness of cybersecurity risks, and the implementation of cybersecurity best practices. It also estimates the use of encryption, authentication techniques, and the prevalence of mobile service surveillance technologies. The report aims to identify barriers to adopting better security measures and will consult with various experts and stakeholders in the mobile communications industry.

The "Dismantling Investments in Violation of Ethical Standards through Trusts Act" prohibits senior federal employees, their spouses, and dependent children from owning or trading specific financial instruments like stocks and commodities, with exceptions for diversified investment funds and U.S. Treasury securities. Violators will face financial penalties, including disgorgement of profits and civil fines, and must annually certify their compliance. The Act also mandates a GAO audit and provides additional resources to the Office of Government Ethics for enforcement.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to equalize the negotiation period for drug price negotiations under the Drug Price Negotiation Program. It changes the negotiation period for small-molecule drugs from 7 years to 11 years, matching the period already in place for biologic drugs. This adjustment aims to create parity in negotiation timelines between different types of medications, effective as if included in the original legislation.

The "Death Tax Repeal Act" eliminates both estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, effective from the date of enactment. It adjusts gift tax calculations by setting the lifetime gift exemption at $10,000,000, with inflation adjustments after 2011. The Act also includes transitional rules for applying certain sections of the Internal Revenue Code during the enactment year.

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 "National Right-to-Work Act" amends both the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to protect an employee's right to choose whether or not to join or support a labor union. It eliminates the possibility of mandatory union membership or dues payments as a condition of employment, ensuring that employees cannot be forced to join or support a union against their will.

The "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025" permits schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to offer a wider variety of milk options, including whole milk (both flavored and unflavored, organic and non-organic), reduced-fat, low-fat, fat-free, and lactose-free milk. It specifies that milk fat from any fluid milk offered is not considered saturated fat when measuring compliance with saturated fat content limits for meals. The bill also prohibits schools from purchasing milk from China state-owned enterprises.

This bill prohibits the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida from being designated as wilderness or included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. This ensures the area will not receive the specific protections and management guidelines associated with wilderness areas.