Legislative Activity

The Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act of 2025 makes the adoption tax credit refundable, allowing more families to benefit from it regardless of their tax liability. It also streamlines the process for verifying legal adoptions through standardized affidavits. These changes apply to taxable years after December 31, 2024, with provisions to carry forward any excess credit from the previous year.

The "Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act" prioritizes Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention grant applicants from states that have not yet received such a grant. The goal is to ensure that every state has access to resources for veteran mental health and suicide prevention. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must give a scoring preference to eligible entities in states without prior grant awards until at least one grant is awarded in that state.

The Transportation Asset Management Simplification Act amends Title 23 of the U.S. Code, updating the review process for state transportation asset management plans to occur every four years during recertification. It requires states to provide supporting information for compliance and allows a 90-day correction period for non-compliance, with potential extensions. This act aims to streamline the asset management plan review process and provide states more flexibility in addressing compliance issues.

The "Strengthening VA Patient Advocacy for Rural Veterans Act of 2025" improves the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Patient Advocacy by requiring patient advocates to coordinate care for veterans in rural areas. It ensures medical center directors are included in the reporting chain for patient advocates. The Act also mandates an annual report on data from the Patient Advocate Tracking System to improve transparency and address common issues faced by veterans.

The "Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act" expands the Department of Veterans Affairs' transportation grant program to include tribal and Native Hawaiian organizations. It increases the maximum grant amount to $50,000, with potential increases for counties with numerous off-road communities. The bill also reauthorizes funding for the program through 2029.

This bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 840 Front Street in Casselton, North Dakota, as the "Commander Delbert Austin Olson Post Office." It mandates that all official references to this facility will reflect this new designation.

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 "Unborn Child Support Act" amends the Social Security Act to include unborn children in child support enforcement, allowing mothers to seek child support from the biological father starting from the first month of conception. It ensures states establish and enforce these obligations while protecting the interests and safety of both the mother and the unborn child, with collections potentially dating back to conception, and prevents the modification of these requirements through experimental projects. These changes take effect two years after enactment.

The "Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2025" seeks to update Medicare's chiropractic coverage to reflect modern practices. It broadens coverage to include all services that Doctors of Chiropractic are licensed to perform in their state, not just manual spinal manipulation. Payment for expanded services requires doctors to attend a documentation webinar. This aims to align Medicare with other healthcare systems and improve beneficiary access to chiropractic care.

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the creation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team and their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame Museum, and the United States Olympic Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.