Legislative Activity

The Deliver for Democracy Act ties the Postal Service's ability to raise rates for periodicals to meeting specific on-time delivery performance targets. It mandates annual public reporting on newspaper delivery performance, requiring the Postmaster General to detail service metrics. Furthermore, the bill directs the GAO to study and report on strategies the USPS could use to improve the financial standing of underperforming mail products.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The Correcting Guam's History in the PACT Act expands eligibility for veterans who served in Guam to receive a presumption of service connection for diseases linked to herbicide exposure. This change specifically covers service in Guam between August 15, 1958, and July 31, 1980. Coverage for veterans who served in American Samoa remains unchanged.

The Protect Postal Performance Act establishes stricter public review periods and new protections before the Postal Service can close or consolidate local post offices. It also imposes significant limitations on the USPS's ability to change mail processing centers and transportation schedules. These changes require advisory opinions from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and prohibit facility closures in areas with poor recent on-time delivery performance.

The HELPER Act of 2025 establishes a new FHA mortgage insurance program to assist first responders, educators, and law enforcement officers in purchasing homes. This program offers eligible first-time homebuyers 100% financing with no down payment required. Instead of monthly premiums, borrowers pay an upfront FHA insurance premium at closing.

The Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act amends federal student loan regulations to provide a specific deferment for medical and dental residents. This allows borrowers currently serving in an internship or residency program to pause principal payments and prevent interest accrual on their student loans during that training period.

The HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2025 reauthorizes the HOME program for five years with increased funding levels and raises the cap on administrative expenses. It reforms affordability definitions, streamlines local eligibility requirements, and introduces a new federal loan guarantee program to finance local affordable housing projects. The bill also refines rules for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs) and includes numerous technical corrections to modernize the underlying housing law.

The Caring for Survivors Act of 2025 aims to increase financial support for surviving spouses of veterans. This bill raises the monthly Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payment rate for surviving spouses. Additionally, it lowers the required duration of total disability rating before death from ten years to five years for survivors to qualify for certain DIC benefits. If the disability period was between five and ten years, the benefit amount will be proportionally adjusted.

This resolution recognizes and honors teachers who have achieved or maintained National Board Certification as of March 2025, acknowledging their positive impact on student learning and potential lifetime earnings. It encourages the growth of new National Board Certified Teachers by urging educators, administrators, school districts, and States to provide candidates with incentives and support.

The Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act transitions TSA personnel to standard federal employment rules under Title 5 of the U.S. Code by a set date no later than December 31, 2025. This mandates the freezing of current personnel policies during the transition while protecting current employee pay and benefits. The bill also requires extensive reviews by the Comptroller General on hiring, diversity, and workplace safety, and mandates consultation with employee representatives regarding labor relations. Finally, it ensures that screening agents retain collective bargaining rights and addresses specific concerns for Federal Air Marshals.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to improve support for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This bill eliminates the standard waiting period for receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. These changes ensure immediate access to crucial financial and healthcare support upon diagnosis.

The Stop Comstock Act aims to modernize and streamline federal statutes concerning obscene materials. It revises several sections of federal law, including those related to crimes, transportation, and importation, by removing outdated or redundant language like "indecent" or "immoral." This legislative cleanup focuses the legal definitions to center specifically on "obscene materials."

The Access to Family Building Act aims to guarantee that patients can access Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) services and that healthcare providers can offer them without unreasonable interference. This legislation preempts state and local laws that impose burdens on ART services not required for similar medical procedures or that hinder access without improving safety. The Act establishes the right to access ART and provides robust legal avenues for individuals, providers, and the government to challenge and strike down restrictive regulations.

The MATCH IT Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve patient safety and reduce healthcare costs by establishing national standards for accurate patient identification across health systems. This bill mandates the creation of clear definitions and minimum data sets necessary to achieve a near-perfect patient match rate. Furthermore, it introduces voluntary incentives through Medicare to encourage providers to adopt these new, higher standards for linking patient records.

The American Teacher Act aims to address critical teacher shortages by establishing federal grants to help states raise the minimum annual salary for full-time teachers to \$60,000, adjusted for inflation. States must submit sustainability plans to ensure these minimums continue after the initial four-year grant period ends. The bill also provides funds for cost-of-living adjustments and a national campaign to enhance the value and diversity of the teaching profession.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' support for maintaining the stepped-up basis under section 1014 of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows inherited assets to be adjusted to their current market value, protecting family-owned farms and small businesses from increased taxes. It opposes any changes to the tax code that would negatively impact the ability of these businesses to pass their operations on to the next generation. The bill recognizes the importance of generational transfers for the continuation of family farms, ranches, agribusinesses, and small businesses.

The American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025 revises how businesses treat research and experimental (R&E) expenditures for tax purposes. Taxpayers can now choose between immediately deducting R&E costs or amortizing them over a period of at least 60 months. This legislation also makes technical adjustments to ensure consistency between immediate deductions and claiming the research tax credit.

The Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2025 establishes a new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program to provide eligible veterans and former service members with secure, U.S.-made firearm storage lockboxes or vouchers. This initiative aims to promote safe firearm storage as a suicide prevention measure through distribution and public awareness campaigns. The law explicitly states that participation will not affect an individual's legal right to own firearms or require any form of firearm registration.

The Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 significantly increases the maximum loan amounts available through federal farm ownership and operating loan programs, effective in fiscal year 2025. The bill also updates the calculation method for inflation adjustments in rural development programs and raises the cap for agricultural microloans from $\$50,000$ to $\$100,000$. Finally, it establishes conditions under which distressed FSA guaranteed loans may be refinanced into direct loans, provided the operation has a reasonable chance of success.

The Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act increases the annual stipend for books, supplies, and equipment for veterans under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program from $1,000 to $1,400. Beginning in 2026, this stipend will be subject to annual increases based on the Consumer Price Index.