Legislative Activity

The Veterans Employment Readiness Yield Act of 2025, or VERY Act of 2025, updates terminology in Title 38 of the United States Code. It replaces the terms "employment handicap" with "employment barrier" and "employment handicaps" with "employment barriers" to modernize language related to veteran employment.

The "Coast Guard Combat-Injured Tax Fairness Act" amends a previous act to include members of the Coast Guard in tax fairness provisions for combat-related injuries, regardless of whether they are operating under the Department of the Navy. It requires the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Transportation to identify and report on amounts improperly withheld from Coast Guard members. The Act also mandates that the Secretary of Homeland Security ensure no further amounts are improperly withheld from this point forward.

The "Protecting American Families and Servicemembers from Anthrax Act" requires the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Defense to develop a 10-year strategy for maintaining anthrax countermeasures and protecting civilians, service members, and military dependents. It also mandates a report to Congress on weaponized anthrax threats, including multi-drug resistant strains, and requires annual updates to this report. The goal is to ensure the availability of necessary countermeasures and enhance defense against anthrax threats.

The Nuclear Medicine Clarification Act of 2025 requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to update regulations regarding the reporting of unintended radiation exposure during nuclear medicine procedures. The updated regulations must include reporting any dose exceeding 0.5 Sv dose equivalent to 5 cubic centimeters of tissue or 0.5 Sv shallow dose equivalent to 10 square centimeters of skin. These revisions will be effective 18 months after the Act's enactment.

The "Old Drugs, New Cures Act" incentivizes pharmaceutical companies to research new uses for older drugs by ensuring that these "priority research drugs" are not classified as line extensions under Medicare and Medicaid. This means that the rebates manufacturers are required to pay on these drugs will not be calculated based on the original drug, but on the new indication, encouraging research into treatments for unmet medical needs. The bill establishes criteria for designating a drug as a "priority research drug," focusing on drugs over 10 years old being researched for new indications that address significant unmet medical needs prevalent among beneficiaries of federal healthcare programs. By excluding these drugs from line extension classifications, the Act aims to foster innovation and expand treatment options for diseases with high prevalence among vulnerable populations.

The Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act aims to bolster the cybersecurity defenses of small rural water systems by integrating cybersecurity technical assistance into the national rural water and wastewater circuit rider program. It enables the program to evaluate the cybersecurity readiness of water systems serving fewer than 10,000 people and assist in deploying cybersecurity measures. The act allocates $7,500,000 annually from 2026 to 2030 specifically for cybersecurity enhancements, as part of a broader $32,500,000 extension of the program.

The Agricultural Commodities Price Enhancement Act amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to increase reference prices for wheat, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and seed cotton. This bill aims to provide better price support for farmers by increasing the reference prices used in agricultural support programs. The reference price for wheat increases to $6.50 per bushel, corn to $4.20 per bushel, soybeans to $10.00 per bushel, peanuts to $635.00 per ton, and seed cotton to $0.45 per pound.

The "Promoting Precision Agriculture Act" aims to advance precision agriculture in the United States by directing the Secretary of Agriculture to develop voluntary interconnectivity standards, guidelines, and best practices. It also requires the Comptroller General to periodically assess these standards to ensure they are voluntary, developed with industry input, and effective in promoting the adoption of precision agriculture technologies. Ultimately, the goal is to promote U.S. leadership in setting voluntary standards for precision agriculture.

The "Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act" enhances watershed protection measures, mandates a national study on agricultural flood vulnerability, and increases federal cost share to 90% for rehabilitation projects, improving long-term watershed health and reducing flood risks to agriculture.

The "Maintaining Investments in New Innovation Act" amends the Social Security Act's definition of "qualifying single source drug" to include advanced drugs using genetically targeted technology. This update applies to drugs that can modify gene function, potentially impacting drug pricing and access regulations under the Act.

The Honor and Remember Flag Recognition Act designates the Honor and Remember Flag as the official national symbol recognizing members of the U.S. Armed Forces who die in the line of duty. It mandates the flag's display at various federal locations on specific holidays, including Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. The bill requires relevant departments to establish regulations for flag display and directs the General Services Administration to procure and distribute the flags.

The "Sarah Keys Evans Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Sarah Keys Evans, a civil rights pioneer, for her courageous refusal to give up her seat on an interstate bus, which led to the landmark ICC ruling that outlawed segregation on interstate buses. The Act directs the Secretary of the Treasury to create the gold medal and authorizes the creation and sale of bronze duplicates.

The Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act establishes a tax credit for veteran-owned small businesses in underserved communities, providing a credit of 15% of qualified start-up expenditures up to $50,000. It defines eligibility criteria, including business size, veteran ownership, and location in areas like HUBZones or low-income communities. The bill also mandates periodic evaluations of the credit's effectiveness.

The "Reducing Drug Prices for Seniors Act" mandates that Medicare Part D drug coinsurance be calculated based on a drug's actual acquisition cost rather than the wholesale price, beginning January 1, 2026. This change affects costs incurred between the annual deductible and the out-of-pocket threshold. The actual acquisition cost is defined as the negotiated price less any manufacturer concessions.

The Modern Authentication of Pharmaceuticals Act of 2025 aims to enhance the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain by requiring a physical chemical identifier on each dose of solid oral controlled substances manufactured five years after the law's enactment. It revises the definition of "product identifier" to include either a standardized graphic with specific information or a physical chemical identifier. The act also updates the definition of "verification" to include confirming product authenticity using the physical chemical identifier.