Legislative Activity

The Bridge the Gap for Rural Communities Act temporarily suspends federal payment limitations for the 2025 crop year. It also establishes an option for eligible producers to receive an advance partial payment of up to 50% of their projected 2025 covered commodity payments by the end of that year. This measure aims to provide immediate financial support to rural agricultural producers.

This bill establishes the Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act to aggressively address foreign trade barriers harming U.S. agricultural exports. It specifically mandates immediate action, including a plan to initiate a World Trade Organization dispute against India for its excessive agricultural price supports. The legislation also creates an Agricultural Trade Enforcement Task Force to proactively identify and enforce trade agreements against significant foreign barriers.

The Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act (DRIVE-SAFE Act) establishes a structured apprenticeship program allowing drivers under 21 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. This program requires apprentices to complete 400 hours of supervised training, divided into two probationary phases focusing on foundational and advanced driving skills. Participation mandates specific vehicle technology, such as automatic transmissions and collision mitigation systems, and continuous supervision by an experienced driver.

The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 authorizes appropriations for the U.S. Intelligence Community's operations for the upcoming fiscal year, detailing funding levels in both public and classified schedules. It also sets the budget for the Intelligence Community Management Account and authorizes funding for the CIA Retirement and Disability System. Furthermore, the Act clarifies that its funding does not legalize any intelligence activities otherwise prohibited by the Constitution or existing federal law.

The Safeguarding Transit Operations to Prohibit China Act (STOP China Act) bans the use of federal transit funds to purchase or maintain transit vehicles and related infrastructure connected to specified foreign entities, primarily those linked to China. This prohibition targets "covered vehicles" supplied by "covered entities" to prevent national security risks and unfair trade practices. The law mandates the creation of a public watchlist identifying these restricted entities to ensure compliance.

The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Public Safety Improvement Act of 2025 mandates the inclusion of positive hair drug test results for certain commercial drivers into the federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. This requires motor carriers to report these results from FDA-cleared testing devices, provided the testing laboratory meets specific accreditation and guideline standards. The Secretary of Transportation has one year to implement the necessary regulations to enforce this update.

The Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship (FUELS) Act revises the storage capacity thresholds that trigger the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule for preventing oil spills into navigable waters. This legislation significantly increases the general aggregate aboveground storage capacity threshold from 20,000 to 42,000 gallons. The Act also modifies specific secondary containment capacity requirements.

The VARIANCE Act temporarily allows commercial trucks hauling specific dry bulk goods, like grain or gravel, to exceed standard weight limits on individual axles or axle groups by up to 110 percent. This change only applies to axle weight distribution and does not permit trucks to exceed the overall maximum gross vehicle weight limit. The exception is strictly for unpackaged, homogeneous, non-liquid materials transported in specialized trailers.

This bill establishes the Water Risk and Resilience Organization (WRRO) under the EPA to develop and enforce mandatory cybersecurity and resilience requirements for large public water systems. The WRRO will be a single, certified entity responsible for proposing security rules, which the EPA Administrator must approve. The organization will also monitor compliance through annual self-attestations and periodic assessments, with the authority to levy fines for violations.

The Weather Radar Coverage Improvement Act aims to modernize the nation's weather radar system by directing the creation of a plan to replace the current NEXRAD system with advanced phased array radar technology by 2040. This plan includes developing prototypes, establishing a testbed for commercial radars, and consulting with experts to improve coverage and accuracy. The Act also allows the National Weather Service to contract with third parties to fill existing radar coverage gaps, potentially using weather cameras to supplement radar data.

This bill allocates \$19,240,928 from the House of Representatives' funds to cover the expenses of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during the 119th Congress, including staff salaries. It sets spending limits for the first and second sessions of the Congress and mandates that all payments be made through vouchers approved by the House Administration Committee. Funds provided must be spent in accordance with the regulations set by the House Administration Committee.