Legislative Activity

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits discrimination in life, disability, and long-term care insurance against living organ donors. It clarifies that organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act, ensuring job protection for donors. The Act also mandates updated educational materials from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the benefits, risks, and protections for living organ donors.

The ABC Safe Drug Act restricts federal health programs from purchasing drugs with active ingredients manufactured in China, mandating that by 2030, 100% of active ingredients must be produced in FDA-approved countries outside of China. It also requires drug labels to specify the country of origin for each active ingredient. Additionally, the act allows for 100% expensing for qualified pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing property placed in service between 2025 and 2030, incentivizing domestic manufacturing.

The Stephen Hacala Poppy Seed Safety Act aims to protect public health by setting contamination limits for morphine and other illicit compounds in poppy seeds sold in interstate commerce. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish these contamination levels, classifying poppy seeds exceeding these limits as adulterated and therefore illegal. The Act clarifies that contaminated poppy seeds remain subject to regulation under the Controlled Substances Act, ensuring continued oversight. This legislation seeks to prevent overdoses and protect consumers from unknowingly ingesting dangerous levels of opiates from contaminated poppy seeds.

The Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 mandates the reissuance of the depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities, expanding its scope to include additional states and lake/pond managers. This order allows for the regulated taking of cormorants to protect aquaculture resources. The Fish and Wildlife Service must reissue the order within one year of the Act's enactment, ensuring it mirrors the original but with the specified expansions.

The "RIFLE Act" repeals the existing tax on firearm transfers outlined in Section 5811 of the Internal Revenue Code, and makes corresponding technical corrections. This change removes the tax burden on the transfer of firearms. Additionally, the act clarifies that the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have authority over firearms regulated by the Internal Revenue Code.

The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025 allows state and federal correctional facilities to use jamming systems that interfere with wireless communications to or from contraband devices within the facility. The jamming system's operation must be limited to the housing facilities, and the state is responsible for funding the entire cost if a state correctional facility operates the system. Before implementing the system, correctional facilities must consult with local law enforcement and public safety officials and notify the Director of the Bureau of Prisons about its operation. This act limits the FCC's authority regarding jamming systems in correctional facilities.

The "No Student Loans for Campus Criminals Act" would make individuals convicted of offenses related to their conduct during protests at colleges or universities ineligible for federal student loans and federal student loan forgiveness programs. This prohibition applies retroactively and prospectively to loans under the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Health Education Assistance Loan Program.

The "Woke Endowment Security Tax Act of 2025" or "WEST Act of 2025" introduces a 6% excise tax on the investment income of private colleges and universities with assets of at least $11.9 billion and state colleges with at least $10.5 billion in assets. This tax will be effective starting in 2025. Asset valuation and student count will adhere to existing IRS regulations.

The "GATE Act of 2025" prohibits National Laboratories from admitting citizens of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba as visitors or assignees, with exceptions for US citizens and lawful permanent residents. The Secretary of Energy may waive this prohibition if the benefits outweigh the risks, after consulting with intelligence officials. Congress must be notified within 30 days of any waiver issued, including the reasons for the waiver.

The "Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025" directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct biennial risk assessments of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities within the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector, in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. It also mandates annual crisis simulation exercises for five years to evaluate and improve the preparedness of government and private sectors in responding to food-related emergencies and cyberattacks. The Act aims to enhance cybersecurity and resilience in the agriculture and food sector, protect food safety, and ensure national security. It authorizes \$1,000,000 to be appropriated for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 to carry out these activities.

The "DEFENSE Act" allows the Department of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to authorize state and local law enforcement to use drone countermeasures to protect sites with flight restrictions or large public gatherings. Deputized officers must complete training and will be subject to oversight. The equipment authorized for drone detection and tracking will be limited to a list maintained by the Department of Homeland Security.

This resolution authorizes the Select Committee on Intelligence to spend money from the Senate's contingent fund, hire staff, and utilize personnel from other government departments or agencies to support its functions, including holding hearings and conducting investigations, from March 1, 2025, through February 28, 2027. It sets specific expense limits for multiple periods and outlines how the committee will handle its expenses and agency contributions, ensuring financial oversight and accountability.

The "Focus on Learning Act" aims to study and address the impact of mobile devices on students in schools. It directs the Surgeon General to conduct a comprehensive study on the effects of mobile device use on various aspects of student life and academics. The Act also establishes a pilot program providing grants to schools for creating mobile device-free environments, with specific exemptions and communication protocols. Finally, it allocates funding for the program and the associated administrative and data collection efforts.

The "RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act" directs the U.S. government to officially refer to the "West Bank" as Judea and Samaria, the historical names for the land annexed by Israel from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Act prohibits the use of "West Bank" in government documents and amends existing laws to reflect this change, with exceptions for international agreements and potential waivers by the Secretary of State.

The "Restoring Trade Fairness Act" suspends normal trade relations with China, leading to increased tariffs on Chinese goods, with a phased implementation over five years, and directs the President to revise the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to include duty rates specifically for goods from the People's Republic of China. It also directs the United States Ambassador to the World Trade Organization to change the United States Schedule of Concessions on goods to allow the United States to deny normal trade relations to a WTO member if warranted, without violating the duty concessions in the Schedule. Revenue generated from these tariffs will be allocated to a trust fund to compensate U.S. producers affected by Chinese retaliatory measures and to bolster national defense. The bill also amends Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to prohibit duty-free or tax-free admission for articles originating from covered nations, even if they fall under the $800 limit.

The "Protecting Minors from Medical Malpractice Act of 2025" allows individuals who underwent gender-transition procedures as minors to sue medical practitioners for damages resulting from those procedures up to 30 years after turning 18. It also protects medical practitioners' freedom to not perform gender-transition procedures and prohibits federal funding to states that require them. The bill defines "gender-transition procedure" and "biological sex," and specifies that the Act will take effect immediately upon enactment.

The PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act of 2025 mandates sanctions on foreign individuals, entities, and financial institutions found to be supporting terrorism through the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA). These sanctions target those involved in the PLO and PA's system of compensation for terrorists and their families. The Act requires the President to impose these sanctions, including blocking assets, visa restrictions, and prohibiting U.S. bank accounts for foreign financial institutions involved. The Act will be terminated if the Secretary of State certifies that the PLO and PA have ceased all payments to terrorists and their families.

The "Not One More Inch or Acre Act" prohibits citizens and entities of the People's Republic of China from purchasing public or private real estate in the United States and mandates the sale of any U.S. real estate owned by these individuals or entities if deemed a national security risk. Refugees and asylum seekers from China are exempt, as well as U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. The bill also increases the penalty for violations of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 to no less than 10 percent, and up to 25 percent, of the value of the land holdings for which the person failed to report or submitted a deliberately false report.

This resolution condemns President Biden's commutation of Marvin Charles Gabrion II's death sentence, asserting it undermines the rule of law and insults Gabrion's victims. Gabrion was convicted of murdering Rachel Timmerman, a witness against him, and was suspected in other disappearances and murders. The resolution suggests the commutation was politically motivated, given Biden's inconsistent stance on the death penalty. The Senate unequivocally condemns this commutation.

This resolution condemns President Biden's commutation of Anthony George Battle's death sentence, arguing it undermines the rule of law and insults Battle's victims. Battle, convicted of murdering his wife and a correctional officer, received the commutation despite showing no remorse. The resolution suggests the commutation was politically motivated due to Biden's inconsistent stance on the death penalty.