Legislative Activity

The BADGES for Native Communities Act aims to improve safety and data collection in Native communities through two main approaches. Title I focuses on enhancing data reporting for missing persons and death investigations by establishing a Tribal facilitator within the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and requiring detailed reports on law enforcement resources in Indian country. Title II supports safety through demonstration programs for BIA background checks, a grant program to coordinate responses to missing or murdered cases, and studies on evidence handling and officer counseling resources.

This bill makes a technical correction to the existing Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act. Specifically, it authorizes an additional payment of over \$5.1 million into the Tribe's Development Fund to account for adjusted interest. This ensures the proper funding as outlined in the original settlement.

The Small Business Innovation Voucher Act of 2025 establishes a grant program within the SBA to fund vouchers for small businesses to purchase research and development services from universities or non-profit labs. This program aims to foster collaboration and accelerate innovation by helping small businesses access technical expertise for developing new products. The bill authorizes $10 million annually for direct grants to small businesses, supplementing a separate state-level voucher program funded by federal grants requiring state matching funds.

This act establishes six mandatory fee-free days annually for federal recreational lands and waters, aligning with significant national holidays and service-oriented dates. The goal is to encourage public service and national pride by providing free access to these lands on specific days like Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday and Juneteenth. The Secretary of the Interior retains the authority to designate further fee-free days.

This resolution officially commends and congratulates the Las Vegas Aces on winning the 2025 Women's National Basketball Association championship. It recognizes the team's remarkable season, including their historic winning streak and playoff performance. The bill also honors the individual achievements of players like A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray, as well as the leadership of Head Coach Becky Hammon. Finally, it commends the entire organization for their commitment to excellence and for representing the Las Vegas community and the State of Nevada.

The Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone Calls Act of 2025, or the DO NOT Call Act, establishes new criminal penalties for willfully violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This legislation significantly increases the severity of penalties for repeat offenders or those involved in large-scale robocalling operations. Additionally, the bill doubles the existing civil fines for providing inaccurate caller ID information.

This act, the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Integrity and Deficit Reduction Act, redirects existing federal funds to bolster reemployment services and eligibility assessments. It transfers the entire unobligated balance from a specific Internal Revenue Code fund to the Employment Security Administration Account of the Unemployment Trust Fund. These dedicated funds will support crucial programs aimed at helping individuals return to work.

The Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act of 2025 aims to strengthen protections for unaccompanied children navigating the immigration system. This bill exempts these children from various immigration-related fees, including those for asylum and employment authorization. Furthermore, it places limitations on body examinations and restricts the sharing of sponsor information with immigration enforcement agencies. The Act also mandates the refund of previously paid fees that are now waived.

The No Nuclear Testing Without Approval Act prohibits the United States from conducting any explosive nuclear testing unless a foreign state tests first or a specific technical need is certified. Before any test, the President must notify Congress 180 days in advance, and Congress must approve the action through a joint resolution. Approval requires a two-thirds affirmative vote in the Senate, with specific, rigorous procedural requirements outlined for both chambers.

The STOP Human Trafficking Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to enhance efforts to combat human trafficking within the transportation sector. This involves implementing new research, developing centralized databases and mode-specific policies for information sharing, and updating training and awareness materials informed by survivors. The Act also establishes a continuous public awareness campaign and creates a grant program to fund prevention efforts by various transportation stakeholders.

The Strengthening Rural Cooperatives and Communities Act reauthorizes and updates the vital rural cooperative development grant program through 2029. This legislation clarifies the definition of cooperative development and modifies grant scoring criteria to prioritize certain applicants. Furthermore, it enhances reporting requirements for the Secretary and the interagency working group to better track program effectiveness.

The No Coffee Tax Act prevents the imposition of new or increased tariffs on coffee products imported from countries with normal trade relations with the U.S. This measure locks in the tariff rates for coffee, husks, and coffee-containing substitutes at the level effective on January 19, 2025. The goal is to maintain stable import costs for these essential coffee products.

The Tribal Warrant Fairness Act expands the authority of the U.S. Marshals Service to include handling Tribal fugitive matters and coordinating law enforcement activities with Indian Tribes. This legislation also amends existing law to ensure that Indian Tribes are included in protections and provisions related to Federal, State, or Tribal law enforcement coordination.

This resolution officially commends and congratulates the Summerlin South Little League baseball team for winning the 2025 Little League World Series United States Championship. The bill recognizes the team's historic achievement as the first from Summerlin South to reach the World Series and only the second from Nevada to win the U.S. title. It also honors the dedication of the players, coaches, parents, and league staff who supported their success.

The Emergency Relief for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 allows individuals affected by a federal government shutdown to make penalty-free withdrawals of up to $30,000 from their retirement plans. These "Federal Government shutdown distributions" allow affected contractors, grantees, and D.C. employees to access funds during a lapse in appropriations lasting at least two weeks. Withdrawals are spread out over three tax years for income tax purposes, and individuals have three years to repay the withdrawn amount.

This resolution officially recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month, running from September 15 to October 15, 2025. It celebrates the immense and vital contributions of Latinos to the United States across culture, the economy, and civic life. The bill encourages all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities honoring this heritage.

The China Military Power Transparency Act of 2025 extends the requirement for the annual report on China's military and security developments until 2030. This legislation updates the report's scope to include critical new areas such as Chinese cooperation on nuclear and drone development, foreign farmland acquisitions, and detailed analysis of potential Taiwan conflict scenarios. The updated report must also specifically address the role of Chinese cyber capabilities in a conflict with the U.S.

The Medicare Advantage Prompt Pay Act establishes stricter deadlines for Medicare Advantage organizations to pay providers for clean claims starting in 2027. These rules mandate payment within 14 days for electronically submitted claims from directly contracted providers and within 30 days for all other clean claims. The bill also introduces interest penalties for late payments and allows for civil monetary penalties for non-compliance, requiring MA plans to report detailed payment timeliness data.

The Restoring American Mineral Security Act of 2025 aims to bolster U.S. supply chains for critical minerals by countering unfair trade practices, particularly those from China. The bill establishes the Critical Minerals Security Alliance to coordinate with trusted partners on trade and supply goals. Furthermore, it creates a dedicated trust fund, financed by import duties on minerals from adversarial nations, to directly support domestic mining, processing, and related manufacturing projects.

The WAGER Act, or Withdrawing Arduous Gaming Excise Rates Act, exempts certain legal sports wagers from the federal excise tax on authorized wagers. This tax break applies only if the bet complies with state law or an approved Tribal-State gaming compact where the wager was placed. This change takes effect for all sports bets made after the Act's enactment.