Legislative Activity

The Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025 mandates that hotels and short-term rental platforms must advertise the **total mandatory price** for lodging upfront, including all service fees. This federal law prohibits hidden fees in initial advertisements, requiring the full cost to be clearly displayed throughout the booking process. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with enforcement, and the new rules preempt stricter state or local laws regarding lodging price advertising.

The "Love Lives On Act of 2025" modifies eligibility rules for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) payments for surviving spouses who remarry. It allows remarried surviving spouses to receive certain educational benefits and DIC, and it continues annuity payments to surviving spouses who remarry, particularly those whose spouses died on active duty. Additionally, the Act expands the definition of "dependent" under the TRICARE program to include remarried widows or widowers whose subsequent marriage has ended.

The She DRIVES Act mandates immediate updates to federal motor vehicle safety standards by requiring the use of new crash test dummies, specifically incorporating both male and female dummies in front and side impact tests. This legislation aims to improve vehicle crashworthiness by basing new injury criteria on real-world data that better reflects diverse body types. Furthermore, the bill establishes a roadmap for the Department of Transportation to continuously review and adopt more advanced testing devices used internationally.

The "Rural Health Focus Act" establishes an Office of Rural Health within the CDC to address the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities. This office will conduct research, develop programs, and provide grants to improve health outcomes and access to care in rural areas. The office will also work with other federal agencies to coordinate rural health initiatives and avoid duplication of effort.

This joint resolution disapproves and nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule regarding waste emissions charges for petroleum and natural gas systems. The resolution utilizes the Congressional Review Act to prevent the rule's implementation.

The Fair Access to Banking Act aims to ensure equal access to financial services by preventing banks and credit unions from denying services to individuals or entities engaged in lawful activities based on subjective or politically motivated reasons. It sets requirements for banks with over $10 billion in assets, prohibiting them from denying services based on reputational risk and requiring them to justify denials with documented, risk-based standards. The act also allows individuals to sue financial institutions that violate these requirements, with the potential for treble damages and attorney fees awarded to successful plaintiffs. Furthermore, it restricts access to Federal Reserve lending programs and the Automated Clearing House Network for institutions that fail to comply with the Act.

The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act aims to improve obstetric emergency care in rural areas by establishing programs to train healthcare providers, provide grant funding for equipment and supplies, and create a pilot program for teleconsultation. It focuses on equipping rural facilities without specialized obstetric units to handle emergencies during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period. The act also mandates a study on the closure of maternity wards and patient transport patterns in rural areas.

The "JOBS Act of 2025" expands Federal Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in short-term job training programs (150-600 hours) that lead to credentials in high-demand fields. These programs must meet specific requirements, including alignment with industry needs and assurance from state boards. The act also requires accrediting agencies to assess the quality of these programs and mandates data sharing between the Departments of Education and Labor. Finally, the bill lowers the threshold for the minimum Federal Pell Grant from 10 percent to 5 percent.

The "Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act" expands Medicare coverage to include innovative multi-cancer early detection screening tests starting in 2028. These tests, which use genomic sequencing to detect multiple cancer types, will be covered for eligible beneficiaries with age and frequency limitations. The payment amount for these tests will initially align with that of multi-target stool screening DNA tests. This new coverage aims to improve early cancer detection without affecting existing Medicare-covered cancer screenings.

The Rural Hospital Support Act aims to improve Medicare payments to small, rural hospitals by rebasing payment calculations for sole community and Medicare-dependent hospitals to fiscal year 2016, if it results in higher payments. It also extends the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program and the increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program by removing certain deadlines, ensuring continued support for these hospitals. Additionally, the bill prohibits adjustments to payment classifications and weighting factors before October 1, 2015, when using rebased target amounts. These changes are intended to provide financial stability for rural hospitals and maintain access to care in rural communities.

The "Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025" introduces a federal tax credit for individuals and corporations who donate to scholarship granting organizations that provide educational scholarships to eligible elementary and secondary students. These scholarships can be used for tuition, books, tutoring, and other qualified education expenses. The bill sets a volume cap on the total amount of donations eligible for the tax credit and includes provisions to prevent government control over scholarship organizations and non-public schools. It also exempts these scholarship amounts from gross income.

The Laken Riley Act mandates the detention of illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It empowers state attorneys general to sue the Department of Homeland Security or the Secretary of State if they believe the state or its residents are harmed by violations of immigration enforcement or visa granting. The bill aims to ensure that these aliens are detained throughout their removal proceedings and to provide states with legal recourse against perceived failures in federal immigration enforcement.

The "Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act" extends and expands programs aimed at supporting the mental health of healthcare providers. It reauthorizes initiatives that encourage the use of mental health and substance use disorder services by healthcare professionals, and broadens the eligibility for entities receiving funds to include those focused on reducing administrative burdens on healthcare workers. The act also extends the program's authorization through 2029.

This resolution supports the observation of National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month in January 2025 to raise awareness and opposition to these crimes. It recognizes the global scale of human trafficking, the vulnerability of specific populations, and the need for a coordinated effort to prevent trafficking, support victims, and prosecute offenders. The resolution encourages collaborative initiatives and a victim-centered approach to combat human trafficking and modern slavery.

The "Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act" expands access to virtual cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services by allowing patients to receive care in their homes via telehealth. It broadens the originating sites for telehealth services and waives geographic restrictions, effective January 1, 2026. The Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for designating a patient's home as a provider-based organization, ensuring consistent care with the Hospital Without Walls program.

The "Main Street Tax Certainty Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the deduction for qualified business income permanent. This is achieved by eliminating the expiration date for this deduction. This change provides long-term tax certainty for small businesses.

This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Energy rule setting energy conservation standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters. By disapproving the rule, Congress prevents its enforcement.

The "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025" seeks to prohibit the use of federal funds for abortions and for health benefits coverage that includes abortion coverage, with exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. It clarifies that premium credits and cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) cannot be used for health plans that include abortion coverage, allowing for separate purchase of abortion coverage without federal tax credits. The Act also requires health plans to transparently disclose the extent of abortion coverage and any related premium surcharges to enrollees.

The ALIGN Act makes full expensing permanent for qualified property placed in service after September 27, 2017, by amending Section 168(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It also removes outdated clauses and updates references within Section 168(k) and amends Section 460(c)(6)(B) to clarify its application to property with a recovery period of 7 years or less. These changes are retroactive, as if included in Public Law 115-97.

The "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" ensures that infants born alive after an abortion receive the same medical care as any other newborn, mandating immediate hospital transport and requiring healthcare practitioners to report any failures to comply. Violators face fines, imprisonment, and potential prosecution for homicide or attempted homicide, while the mother of the child is protected from prosecution. The bill also allows the woman on whom the abortion was performed to file a civil action against anyone who violated the requirements if a child was born alive.