Legislative Activity

This resolution formally congratulates the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings for successfully executing Operation Midnight Hammer. The operation involved a historic 36-hour mission by B-2 pilots to strike targets related to Iran's nuclear program. Furthermore, the bill recognizes the long and distinguished service history of both military units.

The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act mandates that electronic communication and remote computing service providers must report to the Attorney General within 60 days upon gaining actual knowledge of illegal activity involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, or counterfeit prescription drugs. This legislation outlines specific reporting requirements, penalties for non-compliance, and privacy protections that limit monitoring and data retention. The Act also requires the Attorney General to issue an annual public report detailing the statistics of these reports.

This resolution declares a health and safety emergency disproportionately affecting children due to prior administration directives that promoted fossil fuels and suppressed climate science. Congress asserts that these actions harm children's fundamental rights to life and a stable environment by worsening climate change impacts. The bill demands the current administration cease policies that increase greenhouse gases and restore access to suppressed climate research. Ultimately, it calls for aligning all energy and climate laws with the duty to protect the rights and future of young people.

The Hookah Clarification Act of 2025 establishes a distinct federal tax classification for waterpipe tobacco, commonly known as hookah or shisha. This legislation sets a significantly lower tax rate of $0.5662 per pound specifically for waterpipe tobacco, while maintaining the current rate for other types of pipe tobacco. The Act also provides a clear definition for what constitutes "waterpipe tobacco" for tax purposes.

The National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025 establishes a new two-year pilot program to fund and evaluate state-based nursing workforce centers through competitive grants. These centers will focus on critical statewide activities like data analysis, studying nursing education capacity, and developing strategies to recruit and retain nurses. The bill also expands existing health workforce analysis grants to ensure dedicated funding and technical assistance for nursing-focused research and evaluation.

The Farmers First Act of 2025 significantly strengthens support for agricultural producers by enhancing the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. This legislation increases annual funding for the network and mandates the inclusion of dedicated crisis lines within supported programs. Furthermore, it formalizes partnerships between grant recipients and various healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive access to mental health and substance use treatment for farmers and ranchers.

The Uterine Cancer Study Act of 2025 mandates a comprehensive federal study to investigate the potential link between the use of chemical hair straighteners and the risk of developing uterine cancer. This research must specifically examine disparities in cancer rates among women of color. The study will ultimately recommend whether the FDA should require additional safety testing for these hair products.

The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act addresses significant delays in obtaining death certificates for veterans who die from natural causes, often due to VA medical staff delays. This bill mandates that VA medical providers must certify a veteran's death within 48 hours or allow the local medical examiner to step in. Furthermore, the VA must annually report on its compliance with this new timely certification requirement.

The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2025 aims to significantly increase federal research, public education, and provider awareness regarding uterine fibroids. The bill mandates expanded research coordination across federal agencies and authorizes funding to study the condition, which disproportionately affects minority women. It also requires the creation of public awareness campaigns detailing non-hysterectomy treatment options and mandates data collection on Medicaid/CHIP spending for fibroid treatments.

The Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2025 extends the timeline for current Sport Fish Restoration funding allocation rules until 2031 and removes the spending cap for Interstate Fisheries Commission activities. The bill also updates boating infrastructure priorities to specifically include funding for alternative marine fuel facilities for larger vessels. Finally, it significantly reduces the federal excise tax rate on portable, electronically-aerated bait containers from 10 percent to 3 percent.

The AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025 modernizes the reporting requirements for foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land by lowering the minimum reporting threshold for certain transactions. This legislation strengthens enforcement actions and mandates the sharing of critical foreign investment data with national security officials, specifically CFIUS. Furthermore, the Act requires updates to official handbooks to incorporate national security risk assessments and establishes a timeline for fully implementing electronic AFIDA disclosure systems.

The Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2025 seeks to increase oversight of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) by changing how its Director is selected. This bill mandates that the Director of the BOP must now be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, similar to other high-ranking DOJ officials. Furthermore, the legislation establishes a fixed 10-year term for the Director, limiting service to a single term. These changes aim to bring greater accountability to the leadership of the large federal prison system.

This resolution expresses support for designating July 10th as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. It honors the essential and dangerous work performed by these skilled professionals, especially their heroic efforts in restoring power after major disasters. The day serves to recognize their service and remember those who have lost their lives performing this vital work.

This bill reauthorizes key programs under the Kay Hagan Tick Act to combat vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease through 2030. It extends funding for the national strategy and regional centers focused on these illnesses. Additionally, the legislation continues enhanced support for local health departments to improve disease surveillance and response capabilities.

The Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2025 aims to reform the management of wild horses and burros on federal lands by phasing out the use of helicopters in roundups over two years. This legislation mandates increased transparency through camera requirements on any remaining aircraft used during this transition. Furthermore, it directs the GAO to report on humane, non-aircraft population management alternatives and their economic impacts.

The Qualified to Serve Act aims to standardize and clarify medical accession standards for individuals joining the Armed Forces. It prohibits disqualification based on certain medical conditions diagnosed before age 13, provided specific conditions regarding subsequent treatment and current fitness are met. The bill also mandates formal review and national security waiver processes for medical disqualifications and requires annual reporting on disqualifications and waivers to Congress.

The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act of 2025 aims to increase transparency and accountability across the prescription drug supply chain. It mandates fairer pharmacy network access for Medicare beneficiaries and imposes strict new financial reporting and service fee requirements on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) working with Medicare and private health plans. Furthermore, the bill establishes new federal mechanisms to accurately track drug acquisition costs in Medicaid and explicitly bans the practice of "spread pricing" in state Medicaid contracts.

This bill, the Protecting Patient Access to Cancer and Complex Therapies Act, establishes a new mandatory rebate system for manufacturers of certain drugs selected for Maximum Fair Price (MFP) negotiation under Medicare. Manufacturers must pay quarterly rebates based on the difference between the standard Medicare payment and the lower negotiated MFP for units sold under Part B. These changes also adjust beneficiary coinsurance calculations to reflect the lower MFP, ensuring patient out-of-pocket costs are based on the negotiated price.

The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2025 aims to combat the growing obesity epidemic, particularly among older adults, by expanding access to intensive behavioral therapy under Medicare. This bill mandates that Medicare Part D plans begin covering FDA-approved medications for obesity and weight management in individuals with related health conditions. Finally, it requires the Secretary of HHS to report regularly to Congress on the implementation and coordination of these new obesity treatment strategies.

The Disaster Loan Accountability and Reform Act (DLARA) aims to increase transparency and improve management of Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans. It mandates stricter monthly reporting requirements for the SBA, imposes new financial breakdowns in the President's budget requests for disaster loan costs, and establishes limitations on new loan commitments when funding runs low. Furthermore, the bill requires comprehensive reports from the GAO and the SBA Inspector General to review past spending accuracy and the impact of recent program changes.