Legislative Activity

The FENCES Act amends the Clean Air Act to prevent states from being penalized for air quality issues caused by emissions originating outside of the United States. This legislation prohibits designating areas as "nonattainment areas" if pollution is proven to be primarily due to foreign sources. Furthermore, it exempts states from certain sanctions and fees if they can demonstrate that their failure to meet air quality standards is due to emissions beyond their control.

This act establishes new pathways for advanced manufacturing and critical mineral facilities to address air pollution offset requirements under the Clean Air Act. It allows the President to grant a National Security Waiver for emission offsets for these critical facilities. Additionally, it permits states to approve alternative offset requirements or impose an emissions fee if standard offsets are unavailable.

The Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act ensures that service-connected disability compensation received by veterans is excluded when calculating income for eligibility in certain federal housing programs. This change aims to increase access to affordable housing for disabled veterans. The bill also mandates a report to Congress reviewing how HUD currently treats this compensation across its programs.

The Stop Insider Trading Act restricts Members of Congress and their immediate families from purchasing new securities issued by publicly traded companies. It requires advance public disclosure for any sale of existing covered investments, with a mandatory 7-to-14-day notice period before the transaction. Violations result in significant financial penalties, including disgorgement of any net gains, payable by the Member personally.

This bill, the Hemp Planting Predictability Act, seeks to amend the Agriculture Appropriations Act of 2026. Specifically, it delays the implementation of recent amendments affecting hemp production under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946. The delay for these changes is extended from one year to three years.

This bill amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to temporarily exclude certain False Claims Act recoveries from being deposited into the Crime Victims Fund through fiscal year 2029. It also mandates a comprehensive audit by the Department of Justice Inspector General on the Fund's sustainability and the impact of recent legislative changes. The resulting report will provide recommendations for improving the Fund's effectiveness and oversight.

This Act mandates enhanced southbound inspections at the Southern Border to interdict weapons, currency, and drugs being smuggled out of the U.S. It requires the deployment of new inspection technology and the hiring of 200 new Homeland Security Investigations agents focused on outbound smuggling. Furthermore, the bill establishes a minimum mandatory inspection rate of 10% for all southbound traffic by 2027 and requires regular reporting on inspection resources and seizure statistics.

The Protect Children’s Innocence Act establishes federal criminal penalties for performing genital or bodily mutilation or chemical castration on individuals under 18 years old. This law applies when the act involves interstate commerce or occurs in U.S. territories. It explicitly prohibits procedures intended to change a minor's body to correspond with a different sex, with narrow exceptions for specific medical necessities.

The "Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act" prevents payment card networks from assigning a unique merchant category code to firearm retailers. The Attorney General is responsible for enforcing the Act, investigating complaints, and reporting to Congress. This law overrides state and local laws regarding merchant category codes for firearm retailers and does not establish a private right of action.

This bill, the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act, officially authorizes Congress to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 U.S. Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. The medals will be struck by the Treasury and permanently displayed at specific national sports museums. The Act also permits the sale of duplicate bronze medals to cover production costs.

The High-Capacity Grid Act mandates that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) establish a "best-available transmission conductor" standard based on capacity, efficiency, and sag mitigation. This legislation requires FERC to presume that using these advanced conductors in covered transmission projects is prudent and cost-justified. Conversely, using anything less than the best-available conductor will be presumed imprudent in rate cases.

This bill, the American Border Story Memorial Act, authorizes The American Border Story (TABS) to establish a memorial in Washington, D.C. This memorial will honor U.S. citizens and legal residents killed in crimes committed by individuals unlawfully present in the United States. The establishment must adhere to federal regulations for commemorative works, but crucially, no federal funds can be used for its creation or maintenance.

The Freedom to Heal Act of 2025 establishes a special registration process for physicians to administer certain unapproved, experimental Schedule I investigational drugs to terminally ill patients under existing "Right to Try" laws. This process, overseen by the Attorney General, requires physicians to meet specific criteria regarding state compliance, manufacturer agreements, and drug handling to prevent diversion. The Act mandates a swift approval timeline for these applications, enabling terminally ill patients greater access to promising treatments.

The Homeowner Energy Freedom Act repeals specific sections of a previous energy law, effectively eliminating certain established energy programs. This legislation also rescinds any unspent federal funds previously allocated to those now-repealed programs. Additionally, it makes a technical update to existing law by removing references to the now-defunct high-efficiency electric home rebate program.

The Energy Choice Act prevents state and local governments from enacting bans or restrictions on the type or source of energy services consumers can access. This legislation protects consumer choice across various energy sources, including natural gas, hydrogen, propane, and electricity, provided the energy is sold across state lines. Essentially, it limits local interference with energy delivery options.

The "Equal Representation Act" mandates the inclusion of a citizenship status question on the 2030 census and all future censuses. It requires the Secretary to report the number of citizens and non-citizens in each state. It also changes the way congressional districts are calculated by excluding non-citizens from the population count used for apportionment.

The HUD Transparency Act of 2025 mandates that the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provide annual testimony to Congress. This testimony must detail the OIG's efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse, and assess HUD's efficiency and resource needs. The goal is to enhance public accountability and oversight of HUD programs.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act focuses primarily on improving pediatric drug development and ensuring patient access to necessary treatments. This legislation mandates new research requirements for molecularly targeted pediatric cancer drugs, strengthens FDA enforcement of pediatric study completion, and extends incentives for developing drugs for rare pediatric diseases. Additionally, the bill updates organ transplant network functions and establishes an Abraham Accords Office within the FDA to enhance international regulatory cooperation.

The Fair Allocation of Interstate Rates Act prevents transmission providers from passing the costs of certain interstate transmission projects onto consumers in states that did not mandate the project. Specifically, costs for facilities built to implement one state's policy cannot be allocated to out-of-state consumers unless that state expressly consents. This legislation establishes a presumption that only the residents of the implementing state benefit from and should bear the costs of such facilities.

This act grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exclusive authority to approve or deny applications for natural gas and LNG export/import facilities, mandating that such actions be considered consistent with the public interest. The legislation clarifies that it does not limit the President's existing authority to impose sanctions through trade restrictions.