Legislative Activity

The "Prove It Act of 2025" aims to reduce regulatory burdens on small businesses by requiring agencies to consider indirect costs when creating new rules, allowing small businesses to petition for reviews of agency certifications, and mandating agencies to publish guidance documents and allow comments on rules with a significant economic impact on small businesses. Additionally, the Act amends the periodic review process for rules, requiring agencies to consider indirect costs and providing a mechanism for the Small Business Administration to address rules not reviewed within a 10-year period. The Act specifies that no additional funds will be allocated for its implementation.

The Youth Poisoning Protection Act bans consumer products containing a high concentration (10% or more by weight) of sodium nitrite, classifying them as banned hazardous products. This action aims to protect youth by removing these dangerous substances from general consumer markets. The ban does not affect commercial, industrial, or products already regulated as drugs, cosmetics, or specific food items.

The Medicaid Empowerment Act of 2025 aims to provide greater stability for state-run home and community-based services (HCBS) programs. This legislation extends the required renewal periods for certain Medicaid waivers offering community care services. By allowing longer cycles between mandatory reviews, the Act offers states more consistency in administering these vital services.

The Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2025 establishes a new Department of Energy program to bolster cybersecurity expertise for the nation's energy infrastructure. This initiative will provide competitive funding for scholarships, fellowships, and research focused on energy cybersecurity at universities. The program specifically mandates hands-on training opportunities and outreach to minority-serving institutions.

The Advancing Water Reuse Act establishes a new "qualifying water reuse project credit" to incentivize businesses to recycle water. This credit offers a 30% tax break on qualified investments in on-site water recycling systems or infrastructure that supports industrial or commercial water reuse. The tax incentive is designed to encourage the adoption of water conservation technologies until the end of 2032.

The Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2025 significantly enhances historic rehabilitation tax incentives. It establishes a permanent 20% credit rate for qualified expenditures and introduces an optional 30% credit for smaller projects, which includes the ability to transfer the credit. Furthermore, the bill simplifies calculations by eliminating the requirement to reduce the property's basis when claiming the credit.

The IRA Charitable Rollover Facilitation and Enhancement Act of 2025 removes the current restriction preventing individuals from making direct charitable rollovers from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). This change immediately allows IRA owners to transfer retirement assets directly to DAFs for charitable purposes. The bill simplifies and enhances charitable giving options for IRA holders.

The FDA Modernization Act 3.0 mandates the FDA to update federal regulations within one year, replacing references to "animal testing" with the broader term "nonclinical testing" in drug development rules. This change aligns FDA regulations with recent legislative updates, allowing for the use of modern, non-animal testing methods in drug approval processes. The interim final rule implementing these changes will take effect immediately upon publication.

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act establishes a new federal tax credit designed to close the financing gap hindering the construction and rehabilitation of affordable starter homes in distressed communities. This credit incentivizes developers to build or substantially renovate housing in specific low-income census tracts and sell it affordably to qualified moderate-income homeowners. State agencies will manage the allocation of these credits, ensuring projects meet affordability standards and promoting revitalization in struggling neighborhoods.

The S-CAP Act of 2025 significantly increases the maximum number of shareholders a business can have while qualifying for S corporation tax status, raising the limit from 100 to 250. This change is designed to allow more small businesses to benefit from pass-through taxation. This new 250-shareholder limit will take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Middle Class Mortgage Insurance Premium Act of 2025 permanently extends the deduction for mortgage insurance premiums and significantly raises the income limits for eligibility. This change allows more middle-class taxpayers to deduct these costs on their federal income taxes. These provisions will apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 updates federal housing tax credit allocations to reflect current economic realities and boosts minimum state allotments. It reforms tenant eligibility rules to stabilize tenancy and enhance protections for vulnerable residents, including victims of abuse. The bill also provides disaster relief for property owners, increases incentives for housing the extremely low-income, and directs greater resources toward Native American and rural housing needs. Finally, it streamlines administrative processes and signals a future focus on data transparency and discouraging restrictive local zoning.

The Retirement Savings for Americans Act of 2025 establishes the American Worker Retirement Fund, a new, mandatory-enrollment retirement savings vehicle within the U.S. Treasury designed to help workers build protected savings through personal contributions and government matching credits. The bill also creates a governing Board to oversee the investment management system, imposing strict fiduciary duties on all administrators. Finally, it introduces a Government Match Tax Credit, which directly deposits a tiered government match into participants' accounts based on their savings rate and income level.

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 imposes sweeping economic penalties on the Russian Federation in response to its aggression against Ukraine. This legislation mandates severe, immediate sanctions against key Russian officials, financial institutions, and energy sector entities, including asset freezes and trade prohibitions. Furthermore, the Act dramatically increases import duties on Russian goods and requires the President to review and reimpose these measures until Russia negotiates a lasting peace with Ukraine.

The Reentry Act of 2025 allows incarcerated individuals to receive medical assistance through Medicaid during the 30 days immediately preceding their release. This legislation also mandates a comprehensive report from MACPAC analyzing current healthcare standards within correctional facilities. The report will examine the impact of this coverage change and offer recommendations for improving healthcare access for those transitioning back into the community.

The Armenian Genocide Education Act establishes a program managed by the Librarian of Congress to develop and share educational resources combating denial of the 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide. This initiative will create online materials, train educators, and encourage the integration of accurate history into school curricula. The Act authorizes $2 million annually for five years to support these educational efforts aimed at promoting awareness and preventing future atrocities.

The Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025 aims to protect students' rights to join single-sex social organizations at colleges receiving federal funding. This bill prevents institutions from taking adverse action against students or groups solely because of sex-based membership policies. It ensures these organizations are treated fairly compared to other campus groups regarding participation and privileges. Ultimately, the Act safeguards a student's freedom to choose their associations, including single-sex clubs.

This bill directs the Librarian of Congress to transition the production of the *Constitution Annotated* and its supplements from physical, hardbound books to entirely digital formats. The goal is to promote more cost-effective, efficient, and expanded public availability of this important legal resource. Consequently, the requirement to print decennial editions and annual pocket supplements will be repealed after specific dates, moving all updates to a publicly accessible website.

The COMPLETE Care Act aims to improve mental healthcare access by providing Medicare incentives for primary care providers to integrate behavioral health services into their practices between 2027 and 2029. This legislation offers increased Medicare payments for specific integrated services during those years, ensuring these bonuses do not trigger cuts elsewhere in the Medicare budget. Additionally, the bill mandates technical assistance to help primary care offices successfully adopt these new integrated care models.

The Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity Act of 2025 updates Medicare coverage to include diagnostic ultrasound tests. This legislation mandates that Medicare establish separate payments for the transportation and setup of portable ultrasound equipment, mirroring existing payments for portable X-ray services. These changes are set to take effect starting January 1, 2027.