Legislative Activity

The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 mandates an increase in disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) rates for veterans and survivors. This adjustment, effective December 1, 2025, must match the percentage increase applied to Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to publish these new payment rates concurrently with the SSA's annual COLA announcement.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act primarily repeals previous health subtitle changes and permanently extends enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace health insurance. This extension removes the income cap for receiving enhanced credits and updates the calculation method for determining an individual's required premium contribution. The bill aims to simplify the tax code related to health insurance affordability.

The Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2025 expands reproductive and fertility preservation assistance for active-duty service members and provides comprehensive fertility treatment and adoption support for eligible veterans through the VA. This bill mandates coverage for fertility services, including IVF, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation, for both current service members and veterans. It also requires proactive measures, such as pre-deployment material preservation for service members and seamless care coordination between the DoD and VA.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates the Attorney General to release all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment. This sweeping requirement covers investigations, travel logs, and communications, with limited exceptions primarily focused on protecting victim privacy and active cases. Any redactions must be publicly justified, and the Attorney General must report the details of the release and any withheld information to Congress.

The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act of 2025 establishes a five-year Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofits providing service dogs to eligible veterans. This program mandates that the VA provide lifetime veterinary insurance coverage for every service dog placed through the program. Grants will fund the provision of service dogs to veterans with disabilities such as PTSD, TBI, or severe mobility issues, with recipients strictly prohibited from charging veterans any 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.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals a previous ban that prohibited Medicaid payments to certain healthcare entities. This legislation retroactively validates and ensures payment for essential healthcare services provided by these now-unbanned organizations during the period the prohibition was in effect.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Voting Rights Act by establishing new standards to challenge discriminatory voting practices and updating federal oversight criteria for states. It mandates greater transparency for all changes to voting rules and implements "practice-based preclearance" for certain jurisdictions. Additionally, the bill creates new federal criminal penalties for using force or threats to intimidate voters or election workers.

The Recovery of Stolen Checks Act allows taxpayers whose original IRS refund check was lost or stolen to elect to receive their replacement refund via direct deposit. This change provides an alternative to receiving a second paper check for the lost funds. The Treasury Department must establish the necessary procedures for this election.

The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act aims to grant certified Tribal law enforcement officers the authority to enforce federal laws within their tribal areas under certain conditions. This certification process ensures officers meet federal standards for training and background checks, effectively deeming them federal officers for specific legal protections and benefits. The bill also mandates increased oversight by the Attorney General to improve coordination and accountability for public safety efforts in Indian communities.

The Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2025 aims to significantly boost employee ownership in S corporations through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). This bill extends crucial tax deferral benefits for stock sales to ESOPs and establishes new offices within the Treasury and Labor Departments to provide technical assistance and advocacy. Furthermore, it amends the Small Business Act to ensure ESOP-owned businesses do not automatically lose small business status when they transition to majority employee ownership.

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 Repealing the Trump Sick Tax Act aims to reverse previous legislative changes affecting Medicaid and drug pricing. Specifically, it eliminates prior modifications to Medicaid cost-sharing requirements and repeals changes concerning the exclusion of orphan drugs from the Drug Price Negotiation Program. This effectively restores the original rules governing these areas under the Social Security Act.

The Streamlining Rural Housing Act of 2025 directs the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Agriculture (USDA) to create a joint agreement to coordinate environmental reviews for housing projects they jointly fund. This aims to eliminate redundant processes by establishing a lead agency and allowing for the mutual acceptance of environmental documentation. The bill also mandates the creation of an advisory group composed of various housing stakeholders to ensure efficient implementation without compromising resident safety or environmental standards.

This Act, the Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act, aims to accelerate housing development by modernizing and simplifying the environmental review process for certain HUD housing-related activities under NEPA. It reclassifies numerous common housing and supportive service activities into categories requiring less extensive environmental review, such as exemptions or categorical exclusions. The Secretary of HUD is required to report annually to Congress for five years on the resulting reductions in review times and administrative costs, particularly within the affordable housing sector.

The BUILD Housing Act streamlines environmental reviews for certain HUD housing assistance programs by allowing the Secretary to designate them as "special projects." This change simplifies the process under the National Environmental Policy Act, unless another law already specifies the review procedure. Additionally, the bill explicitly allows federally recognized Tribes to assume environmental review responsibilities previously available only to state or local governments.

This resolution officially designates July 26, 2025, as the "National Day of the American Cowboy." It recognizes the historical and ongoing contributions of cowboys and cowgirls, celebrating the values of honesty, courage, and hard work they represent. The bill encourages all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies honoring this vital part of American culture.

The EACH Act of 2025 mandates that all federally funded health programs and insurance plans must cover abortion services without imposing restrictions based on income or insurance type. This legislation aims to eliminate existing federal bans and state-level restrictions that prevent access to comprehensive reproductive care. Furthermore, the bill prevents the federal government from interfering with state or private insurance plans that choose to cover abortion services. It explicitly repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act and establishes that this Act takes precedence over all conflicting federal laws.

The Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act of 2025 modifies existing retirement plan startup and auto-enrollment tax credits for tax-exempt organizations. This legislation allows eligible small non-profits to claim these credits directly against their Social Security payroll tax obligations. The goal is to make it easier for small tax-exempt employers to afford and establish retirement plans for their employees.

The Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2025 mandates that the Secretary of Homeland Security must keep all information submitted for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program confidential. This law strictly prohibits sharing DACA application data with agencies like ICE, CBP, or local law enforcement for general immigration enforcement purposes. Information can only be disclosed narrowly for DACA program administration, fraud prevention, or in specific, serious criminal or national security investigations.