Legislative Activity

The Conscience Protection Act of 2025 aims to strengthen protections for healthcare entities and individuals who object to participating in specific medical procedures, such as abortion, based on moral or religious beliefs. It prohibits discrimination against providers who refuse such services and significantly bolsters enforcement mechanisms within the Department of Health and Human Services. Furthermore, the Act explicitly grants individuals and affected parties the right to file private lawsuits seeking damages when these conscience protections are violated.

This resolution officially designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as "National Police Week." It serves to honor the valor and integrity of law enforcement officers across the nation. The resolution specifically remembers the officers killed in the line of duty during 2024 and encourages the public to observe this week to show appreciation for law enforcement personnel.

The Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act prohibits payment card networks and processors from requiring firearms retailers to use a unique Merchant Category Code (MCC) that singles them out. This ensures that credit and debit card transactions for firearms and ammunition are treated the same as general retail purchases. The Attorney General is tasked with enforcing this prohibition and reporting annually to Congress on compliance efforts.

This joint resolution expresses Congress's disapproval of the recent rule finalized by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) concerning overdraft lending practices at very large financial institutions. By passing this resolution, Congress is effectively vetoing and preventing the enforcement of that specific BCFP regulation.

The Justice for American Victims of Illegal Aliens Act introduces a new aggravating factor for federal death penalty consideration. This factor applies when an individual who is illegally present in the U.S. is convicted of killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a United States citizen. This measure aims to provide justice for victims of crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants.

The Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2025 streamlines firefighting operations by exempting the use of approved fire retardants during wildfire suppression from standard federal water pollution discharge permits. This change ensures that necessary aerial application of Forest Service-qualified products does not require an NPDES permit. The bill focuses on removing regulatory hurdles for essential wildfire control activities.

The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act mandates that health plans cover medically necessary diagnosis and treatment for congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This coverage must apply to outpatient and inpatient care, including necessary dental and orthodontic support, unless the procedure is purely cosmetic. These new requirements take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025 strictly limits the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) use of facial recognition technology during airport security screening. This bill establishes a default ban on collecting or storing passenger biometric data, requiring explicit opt-in consent for general passengers and clear opt-out rights for Trusted Traveler members. Furthermore, it imposes strict data minimization and storage limits, and prohibits the use of this technology for surveillance outside of the screening process.

The Growing America’s Small Businesses and Manufacturing Act aims to support businesses through significant tax code changes. This bill permanently extends a specific method for calculating business interest expense limitations. Additionally, it substantially increases the immediate expensing limits (Section 179) for purchasing new depreciable business assets. These provisions are designed to encourage investment and growth for small businesses and manufacturers starting in tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The INDEX Act mandates that investment advisers managing passively managed funds must ensure actual investors have a say in proxy voting by adhering to proportional voting instructions. If instructions are not received for non-routine matters, advisers generally cannot vote those shares unless specific exceptions apply. This legislation aims to enhance investor democracy by clarifying proxy voting responsibilities for funds tracking market indexes.

The American Innovation and Jobs Act aims to boost U.S. competitiveness by restoring immediate expensing for most business research and development (R&D) investments. It also significantly expands the refundable R&D tax credit for new and small businesses, increasing the maximum refund amount and raising eligibility thresholds. Furthermore, the bill makes technical adjustments to the R&D credit calculation to make it more accessible for startups. These provisions are designed to incentivize domestic innovation and job creation starting in tax years after 2021 and 2024, respectively.

The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends the successful restoration program through 2034 and significantly expands its scope and capacity. This bill increases the number of projects funded annually, allows projects to address forest pathogens, and encourages innovative funding and implementation methods. Furthermore, it strengthens support for local collaboratives and prioritizes projects focused on wildfire risk reduction and watershed health across all land types.

This resolution officially supports the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, observed from May 6 through May 12, 2025. It recognizes the vital contributions of nurses as frontline healthcare providers and patient advocates. The measure encourages the public to observe the week with appropriate events honoring the nursing profession.

The MOMS Act aims to support mothers and unborn children through three main areas: establishing a federal resource website, Pregnancy.gov, to connect expecting and new mothers with local services. It also creates grant programs to fund organizations that support carrying pregnancies to term and expand access to prenatal/postnatal telehealth care. Finally, the Act mandates that states establish and enforce child support obligations on behalf of unborn children upon the mother's request.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as National Small Business Week. It aims to celebrate the vital contributions of the over 34.5 million small businesses that support tens of millions of jobs nationwide. The bill honors the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners in every community.

The Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act aims to streamline ecosystem restoration projects by waiving fees for related Flood Insurance Rate Map changes. It provides communities with specific flexibility for projects within regulatory floodways, provided strict elevation and impact criteria are met. Furthermore, the bill mandates FEMA to issue new guidance on implementing these changes within 180 days.

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage or increasing premiums solely because an individual is a living organ donor. The bill also clarifies that organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for both private and federal employees. Finally, it mandates the Department of Health and Human Services to update educational materials regarding the risks, benefits, and insurance implications of living donation.

This bill modifies the railroad track maintenance credit by significantly increasing the maximum credit amount per mile from $\$3,500$ to $\$6,100$. It also updates the eligibility period for qualifying expenditures and mandates that the new credit limit will be adjusted for inflation starting in 2026. These changes are designed to provide greater financial support for ongoing railroad infrastructure upkeep.

The Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act of 2025 amends federal law to classify the distribution of fentanyl that results in death as first-degree murder. This severe charge applies when an individual distributes at least two grams of a fentanyl mixture (or half a gram of an analogue) and that distribution is the cause of death. Convictions under this provision carry a penalty of either the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.

This resolution officially supports the mission of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2025 to combat the deadly counterfeit pill crisis. It highlights the severe danger posed by fake pills containing lethal doses of fentanyl, which are increasingly accessible to young people. The bill aims to increase public awareness regarding this threat and applauds law enforcement efforts to stop the spread of illicit drugs.