Legislative Activity

The STOP Act 2.0 strengthens security measures for international mail by imposing new criminal penalties for fraudulently misrepresenting a package's country of origin during customs reporting. It also ends future exemptions for countries failing to transmit 100% advance electronic shipping data and mandates detailed annual reports on compliance and enforcement efforts. Furthermore, the bill promotes public-private partnerships and enhanced training to combat the trafficking of synthetic opioids through the mail system.

The Safer Truckers Act of 2025 updates Commercial Driver's License (CDL) eligibility by requiring applicants to be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or authorized to work in commercial driving by USCIS. This bill also mandates that states annually report on their enforcement of English language proficiency standards for CDL holders. These measures aim to enhance safety and compliance within the commercial trucking industry.

The TRACE Act mandates updates to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) to specifically track cases occurring on federal land or in U.S. territorial waters. This legislation requires the Attorney General to add a distinct data field to record these specific locations for missing persons reports. Furthermore, the Act requires the Attorney General to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the number of missing persons cases linked to these federal jurisdictions.

The International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 strengthens global anti-trafficking efforts by integrating these measures into U.S. foreign policy and development aid. It extends and increases authorization for federal programs combating trafficking and child exploitation through 2030. Furthermore, the bill mandates increased transparency by requiring the State Department to immediately brief Congress on the annual Trafficking in Persons Report rankings and any granted anti-trafficking waivers.

The Equal Shot Act of 2025 aims to prevent discrimination against businesses within the firearms industry when applying for financial assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA). This legislation explicitly prohibits the SBA from denying loans or guarantees solely based on an applicant's status as a firearm entity, affiliate, or trade association. The Act first establishes clear definitions for these industry participants to ensure fair and equal consideration for all qualified applicants.

The Validation and Evaluation for Trustworthy (VET) Artificial Intelligence Act aims to foster trust and adoption of AI by establishing voluntary technical guidelines for testing and validating AI systems based on risk. This legislation directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create these guidelines, which will cover safety, privacy, and transparency. Furthermore, the Act establishes an advisory committee to recommend qualifications for entities performing these AI assurance checks and mandates a study on the capacity of current assurance providers.

The Safe Response Act updates the First Responder Training Program to broaden the scope of medical tools covered and modernize terminology related to Native American governing bodies. It revises the focus of drug training by removing the specific term "opioid" while expanding coverage to include "other drug" in overdose response training. Crucially, the bill significantly increases the annual funding for this program from \$36 million to \$57 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

The Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act extends crucial federal programs aimed at combating vector-borne diseases like those carried by ticks. This legislation reauthorizes funding and support for national strategies, regional centers, and local health departments through 2030. It also updates the composition of the advisory group overseeing the national strategy.

The Extending Anti-Terrorism Protections Act of 2025 extends the temporary liability protection system for certain qualified anti-terrorism technologies through fiscal year 2029. This allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to keep protections active while a company's full renewal application is under review. This extension does not guarantee final approval of the long-term renewal.

This bill aims to improve veterans' healthcare by updating community care program eligibility and notification processes, enhancing mental health treatment program standards and access, and modernizing the VA's healthcare system through online tools and streamlined processes. It focuses on ensuring timely access to care, accommodating veterans' preferences, and improving the overall quality and efficiency of VA services. The bill also mandates increased transparency and accountability through regular reports to Congress.

The Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act revises immigration law to address driving while intoxicated or impaired offenses. This bill makes non-citizens inadmissible to the U.S. if they have been convicted of, or admit to committing, DUI/DWI offenses, regardless of whether the offense was a misdemeanor or felony. Furthermore, the Act establishes that a conviction for driving while intoxicated or impaired makes an alien deportable from the United States.

The SAVES Act of 2025 establishes a five-year pilot program within the VA to award competitive grants to nonprofits providing service dogs to eligible veterans with disabilities like PTSD or mobility issues. These grants, capped at $2 million per recipient, will cover the cost of training the dog and veteran, and the VA will also provide veterinary insurance for each service dog. The goal is to ensure veterans receive necessary support dogs without incurring any personal fees.

The Protecting Air Ambulance Services for Americans Act of 2025 aims to reform how Medicare pays for emergency air ambulance services. It requires the Secretary of HHS to update the payment system using newly collected cost and usage data from providers. Furthermore, the bill mandates the timely finalization of data collection rules and directs the GAO to study the true costs of these essential emergency transports.

This resolution formally honors the significant economic and cultural contributions of small, domestic firearm manufacturers to the United States. It recognizes these businesses as vital to supporting American manufacturing, job creation, and the traditions of recreational shooting sports. Furthermore, the resolution designates August 2025 as "National Shooting Sports Month."

The College Transparency Act establishes a secure, new Postsecondary Student Data System to track student enrollment, completion, and post-college outcomes across higher education institutions. This system aims to increase transparency for students and families by providing clear data on costs and success rates, while minimizing duplicate reporting burdens for schools. The collected data will be used for secure research and public reporting of aggregate statistics, strictly prohibiting the sale of data or its use for federal college rankings.

The Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act expands Medicare Part B coverage to include services provided by pharmacists starting in 2026. This legislation covers pharmacist services that align with state law and are provided in collaboration with a physician or approved practitioner. The bill specifies payment rates for these covered services, particularly enhancing reimbursement for services related to public health emergencies like COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Furthermore, it prohibits pharmacists from balance billing Medicare patients for these covered services.

The SAFEGUARDS Act of 2025 mandates that airline passenger security fees be exclusively used to enhance aviation safety and security, ending any diversion of these funds by 2027. The bill increases dedicated funding for the Aviation Security Capital Fund, ensuring a minimum of \$500 million annually starting in Fiscal Year 2026. Additionally, it establishes the new Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund to finance the purchase and maintenance of advanced screening equipment at airports. This legislation aims to guarantee consistent and robust financial support for critical TSA security operations and technology upgrades.

The Ending Lending to China Act of 2025 establishes a new U.S. policy opposing further financial assistance to the People's Republic of China from multilateral development banks. Citing China's status as a high-income economy with massive foreign reserves, the bill directs the Treasury Secretary to use U.S. influence to block new loans to China. Furthermore, the Secretary must advocate for ending assistance to all countries that have surpassed the established income threshold for graduation. The Treasury Department is also required to submit annual reports detailing compliance and U.S. actions taken.

The HEADWAY Act updates the qualification requirements for teachers in Early Head Start programs serving infants and toddlers. It mandates that every classroom must have at least one fully qualified teacher, while requiring all other direct-service teachers to actively pursue a minimum of a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Agencies must also assign mentors to guide these teachers through their credentialing process.

The Methane Reduction and Economic Growth Act creates a new tax incentive for capturing methane emissions directly from mines. This incentive allows mine operators to claim the existing carbon capture tax credit (Section 45Q) for qualified methane that would otherwise leak into the atmosphere. To qualify, the captured methane must be safely injected into a pipeline or used for energy production, and facilities must meet specific construction and capture thresholds.