Legislative Activity

The Greyhound Protection Act of 2025 seeks to end commercial greyhound racing and related cruel training practices nationwide by October 1, 2027. This legislation bans all forms of wagering on greyhound races and prohibits the use of live animals for training or coursing events. Violators face significant fines and potential imprisonment under the strengthened Animal Welfare Act. The bill reflects concerns over widespread animal injuries, drug use, and inhumane confinement within the declining industry.

The Election Mail Act aims to ensure the timely and secure delivery of federal election mail through the U.S. Postal Service. It mandates same-day processing of received absentee ballots and requires the use of intelligent mail barcodes for tracking mailed ballots starting in 2026. Furthermore, the bill establishes protections against operational changes that would slow election mail delivery and sets a national standard to count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day if received within seven days after the election.

The Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2025 establishes that reproductive rights are fundamental human rights based on international commitments. This bill mandates that the State Department must include a detailed, required section on the status of reproductive rights in every country within its annual human rights reports. These reports must cover access to contraception, abortion services, and instances of reproductive coercion or discrimination against marginalized groups. The Act aims to ensure robust U.S. monitoring and accountability regarding global reproductive health and autonomy.

The Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must now provide abortion care, counseling, and related medication as part of the medical services offered to eligible veterans and certain other beneficiaries. This legislation formally amends existing VA health care provisions to include these reproductive health services.

The Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the U.S. biobased products industry by increasing federal procurement of these items made from agricultural materials. The bill updates definitions, enhances reporting requirements, and mandates training to ensure federal agencies prioritize purchasing biobased goods. Additionally, it establishes a temporary USDA Task Force to coordinate and improve federal support for research, development, and marketing in this sector. Finally, the Act strengthens labeling rules to prevent the misuse of terms like "biobased" and protects proprietary business information during enforcement.

This resolution formally recognizes the 20th anniversary of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and celebrates its foundational role in strengthening U.S. energy security and supporting rural economies. It highlights the RFS's success in driving domestic fuel innovation, creating jobs, and improving environmental performance. The measure affirms the ongoing importance of the RFS in achieving national energy, economic, and environmental goals.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act of 2025 repeals specific prior reconciliation health provisions. This bill significantly expands eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit by eliminating the 400% Federal Poverty Level income cap. It also updates the subsidy calculation formula to ensure a smoother, linear adjustment of assistance across various income levels.

The Protect Our Hospitals Act aims to restore previous regulations concerning Medicaid provider taxes by repealing a specific section of Public Law 11921. This action effectively nullifies recent changes, returning the rules governing how states tax Medicaid providers to their original status.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals an outdated ban that prevented Medicaid from making payments to certain healthcare providers. This legislation ensures that these previously prohibited entities will now be reimbursed for medical services rendered between the enactment of the original ban and the passage of this Act. In short, it restores payment eligibility and retroactively covers past services.

The First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act of 2025 establishes a new, refundable tax credit for eligible first-time homebuyers, equal to 10% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of $15,000. This credit is subject to income and home price phase-outs based on local median figures. Homebuyers may elect to transfer this credit directly to their mortgage lender at closing in exchange for immediate cash. The bill also includes recapture provisions requiring repayment if the home is sold within four years.

The Saving Vet Halls Act of 2025 establishes a new grant program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This program provides funding to Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) specifically for repairing facilities and upgrading technology. Grants are capped at $\$75,000$ or the total project cost (whichever is higher), and organizations receiving funds are ineligible to reapply for five years. The legislation authorizes $\$10$ million to support these essential improvements for VSOs.

The Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act aims to address the national housing shortage by encouraging local governments to reform restrictive land use and zoning rules. Recipients of certain federal housing grants must now submit a report every five years detailing their policies on increasing housing types, reducing development restrictions, and streamlining permitting. This measure seeks to clear regulatory roadblocks that currently make building affordable housing too difficult or expensive.

The Keep Kids Covered Act aims to ensure children maintain continuous health coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for longer periods. This legislation extends continuous eligibility for children under age 19, significantly increasing the duration they remain covered without needing to re-enroll. Furthermore, it grants former foster youth continuous Medicaid eligibility until they turn 26.

The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act aims to grant qualified Tribal law enforcement officers the authority to enforce federal law within their jurisdiction under specific federal contracts or compacts. This requires Tribal officers and their departments to meet rigorous federal training and procedural standards comparable to those of Bureau of Justice Services employees. When acting under this authority, these Tribal officers will receive the same legal protections and benefits as federal law enforcement officers. The bill also mandates the Department of Justice to improve coordination and accountability for public safety efforts on tribal lands.

The Stop Troubling Retroactive Invoices for Veteran Expenses Act of 2025 (STRIVE Act) prevents the VA from collecting health care copayments if the veteran was not properly notified within two years of receiving care, or if the total owed exceeds an inflation-adjusted threshold (starting at \$2,000). The bill also grants the Secretary of Veterans Affairs broad authority to waive any veteran copayment deemed appropriate. Finally, it extends the date for certain pension payment limits.

The VISIBLE Act mandates that federal immigration enforcement officers, such as those from CBP and ICE, must clearly display their agency name and either their last name or badge number during all public-facing civil immigration enforcement activities. This requirement ensures officers are easily identifiable to the public from a distance, promoting transparency and public trust. The law also establishes disciplinary procedures for non-compliance and requires annual reporting to Congress on enforcement activities and violations.

The Plain Prescription Prices Act mandates that television advertisements for prescription drugs and biologics covered by Medicare or Medicaid must clearly display the list price for a standard supply. This aims to increase transparency by ensuring consumers see the cost information directly in drug advertisements. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish the specific rules and enforcement mechanisms for this price disclosure.

The Ally's Act mandates that certain private health insurance plans must cover auditory implant devices, related supplies, and necessary services for qualifying individuals. This coverage must be comparable to other medical and surgical benefits regarding cost-sharing and treatment limitations. Furthermore, plans cannot deny coverage if a physician or qualified audiologist determines the required hearing items or services are medically necessary. These new requirements take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The EACH Act of 2025 aims to ensure equal access to abortion coverage by requiring all federally funded health programs and facilities to cover abortion services. This legislation prohibits federal interference with state or private insurance coverage of abortion and repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate financial and insurance barriers to abortion care, particularly for low-income individuals relying on programs like Medicaid.

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying coverage or increasing premiums solely because an individual is a living organ donor. This legislation ensures that living donors are not financially penalized for their altruistic act. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of HHS to update educational materials to accurately reflect the insurance protections afforded to living donors.