Legislative Activity

The HELPER Act of 2025 establishes a new FHA mortgage insurance program to assist first responders, educators, and law enforcement officers in purchasing homes. This program offers eligible first-time homebuyers 100% financing with no down payment required. Instead of monthly premiums, borrowers pay an upfront FHA insurance premium at closing.

The Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025 bans all federal funding or support for research utilizing human fetal tissue obtained specifically from an induced abortion. The bill permits federal research on tissue derived from miscarriages or stillbirths, provided it adheres to updated Public Health Service Act guidelines. Furthermore, it prohibits the solicitation or knowing acceptance of human fetal tissue donations if the donor knows the tissue resulted from an induced abortion or was procured for that purpose. This legislation also repeals an existing law concerning NIH revitalization.

The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to reduce maternal mortality by strengthening Maternal Mortality Review Committees with new expertise requirements and improved data collection. This bill mandates the annual sharing of updated best practices for preventing maternal deaths and serious illness across the healthcare system. Furthermore, it significantly increases and extends federal funding for these critical maternal health initiatives through fiscal year 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 "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.

The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2025 aims to establish a national standard of legal protection from civil liability for individuals using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in emergencies, as well as for AED owners and property managers where AEDs are used. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to encourage broader AED deployment by providing Good Samaritan protections for those who use or attempt to use an AED, premises owner/lessee/manager protections, and device owner-acquirer protections, with certain exceptions for misconduct or failure to maintain the device. The Act seeks to preempt inconsistent state laws and clarify that it does not mandate AED placement or create new causes of action. By creating consistent, nationwide legal protection, this bill intends to save lives from cardiac arrest.

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 "Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act" establishes federal criminal penalties for evading arrest or detention in a vehicle near the U.S. border, with increased penalties if serious injury or death results. It also makes individuals convicted of this offense inadmissible to the U.S., deportable, and ineligible for immigration benefits. Finally, it mandates an annual report from the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary to Congress on the enforcement and impact of this new law.

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 "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 "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 expands milk options available to students in the National School Lunch Program by allowing schools to offer organic or non-organic whole milk. This legislation provides greater flexibility for schools in providing fluid milk choices while maintaining accommodations for students with special dietary needs. Importantly, the saturated fat content of these offered milk options will not count toward the meal's overall saturated fat limits.

The "Alternatives to PAIN Act" amends Medicare Part D to improve access to non-opioid pain management drugs by waiving deductibles and ensuring they are placed on the lowest cost-sharing tier starting in 2026. The Act also prohibits the use of step therapy and prior authorization requirements for these drugs, further easing access for patients. These changes aim to provide more accessible alternatives for pain management, reducing reliance on opioids.

The Investing in Rural America Act of 2025 amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971, enabling Farm Credit System institutions to finance essential community facilities in rural areas, with a limit of 15% of their total outstanding loans. These institutions must offer participation in financing to other domestic lenders, especially community banks, and report these offers to the Farm Credit Administration. The Farm Credit Administration will then provide an annual report to Congress on these activities. This amendment aims to support rural development by leveraging the resources of the Farm Credit System.

The "Stop CCP Land Act" aims to restrict states from receiving certain federal funds if they do not prohibit covered foreign countries, including those on the State Department's Defense Trade Control Country Policies List and Russia, from purchasing agricultural land. It mandates annual reporting for individuals from these countries who already own agricultural land and requires reports to Congress on improving monitoring of foreign investment in agricultural land and assessing the Act's impact on national security. This act defines "agricultural land," "foreign person," and "covered program funds" to ensure clarity in implementation.

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.

The ACCESS Act modifies health savings account (HSA) rules to allow contributions in place of cost-sharing reductions for certain health plans. For eligible individuals enrolled in a high-deductible health plan through an exchange, the health insurance issuer will contribute to the individual's HSA, with the government reimbursing the issuer for these payments. To ensure funds are used for healthcare, distributions from the HSA during months when contributions are received must be made via a qualified medical debit card. The Act also mandates public education on HSA contributions and appropriates funds for cost-sharing reduction payments and HSA contributions, effective for months beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "HALT Fentanyl Act" permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, streamlining research registration processes while maintaining controls. It also updates penalties for trafficking, importing, and exporting fentanyl-related substances, treating them similarly to fentanyl analogues. Additionally, the Act addresses technical errors in previous legislation and mandates the Attorney General to issue rules for implementation.

This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. should resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, recognizing it as an independent country. It urges the President to replace the "One China Policy," establish formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, and support Taiwan's membership in international organizations. The bill also calls for the United States Trade Representative to begin free trade agreement negotiations with Taiwan.