Legislative Activity

This bill, the Medicaid Staffing Flexibility and Protection Act of 2025, grants states increased flexibility to contract with external agencies or private contractors to handle Medicaid eligibility determinations, redeterminations, and fair hearings. While allowing this outsourcing, the legislation strictly prohibits contracts that create incentives to delay or deny benefits to eligible individuals. Furthermore, any contractor performing eligibility functions must have no financial relationship with Medicaid managed care organizations operating in the state.

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.

The REFINER Act mandates the Secretary of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council to produce a comprehensive report on the state and future of U.S. petrochemical refineries. This report must examine their role in energy security, analyze capacity expansion opportunities, assess risks, and identify policies impacting refinery capacity. Ultimately, the goal is to provide recommendations to Congress on encouraging increased domestic refining capacity.

The Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act of 2025 (ASAP Act) amends Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias starting in 2028. This coverage applies to FDA-cleared tests, including genomic sequencing and other equivalent diagnostic methods, designed to detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. The bill ensures these screenings are added to the list of covered medical services under Medicare.

The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act establishes an interagency taskforce to study and recommend strategies for combating unlawful robocalls originating from outside the United States. It also grants the FCC authority to require providers to post a bond to ensure integrity in the Robocall Mitigation Database. Furthermore, the bill provides legal immunity for private consortiums tracing the origin of these illegal calls and allows for the publication of non-cooperative providers.

The PROTECT Florida Act establishes a comprehensive moratorium on new oil and gas leasing and exploration activities off the coast of Florida in both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. This measure extends existing protections and prohibits activities like seismic testing until June 30, 2032. The bill aims to safeguard Florida's coastal environment, tourism, and recreational resources.

This resolution officially designates November 8, 2025, as "National Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Day." It highlights the critical need to strengthen STEM education and workforce development across the nation, addressing current educational shortfalls and promoting diversity. The bill emphasizes collaboration among various sectors to ensure all students have access to vital STEM learning opportunities. Ultimately, it calls for observation of the day to celebrate and advance STEM literacy for the benefit of the country.

The Bridge the Gap for Rural Communities Act temporarily suspends federal payment limitations for the 2025 crop year. It also establishes an option for eligible producers to receive an advance partial payment of up to 50% of their projected 2025 covered commodity payments by the end of that year. This measure aims to provide immediate financial support to rural agricultural producers.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of Charles "Charlie" James Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA. It strongly condemns his assassination as an act of political violence. The bill calls for a renewed national commitment to civil discourse and the founding principles of the United States.

The Safe Step Act establishes mandatory, transparent exception processes for health plans that use "step therapy" protocols for prescription drugs. This ensures patients or their doctors can quickly request coverage for a prescribed medication when specific clinical criteria are met, such as previous treatment failure or risk of harm. Plans must decide on standard requests within 72 hours and urgent requests within 24 hours, and approved exceptions must last for at least one year. Furthermore, insurers must report detailed data annually on exception requests, approvals, and denials to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The GRID Power Act directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to rapidly update rules governing how new power plants connect to the electric grid. This legislation mandates that FERC prioritize and streamline the interconnection process for dispatchable power projects that demonstrably improve grid reliability and resilience. The goal is to ensure that necessary, dependable power sources can connect quickly while maintaining public input and regular review of the new procedures.

This Act establishes a new "certificate of crossing" requirement for energy infrastructure projects that cross the U.S. border with Canada or Mexico, streamlining approvals while maintaining environmental review. It significantly eliminates the need for Presidential permits for new cross-border energy facilities, such as pipelines and transmission lines. Furthermore, the bill speeds up the approval process for certain natural gas import/export applications handled by FERC. These changes aim to strengthen North American energy security by modernizing the regulatory framework for cross-border energy connections.

The SHINE for Autumn Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve federal support for state-level stillbirth research and data collection. It authorizes grants for states to enhance surveillance, track risk factors, and build local capacity for analyzing stillbirth data, provided the information remains de-identified. Furthermore, the bill mandates the development of standardized guidelines and educational materials regarding stillbirth awareness and risk factors, developed in consultation with experts and bereaved families.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 mandates that the Secretary of Transportation establish a rule requiring AM broadcast radio receivers to be installed as standard equipment in new passenger motor vehicles. This requirement aims to ensure public access to AM radio signals, which are often used for emergency alerts. The bill also directs a GAO study on the effectiveness of AM radio within the national emergency alert system compared to other technologies. Finally, the Act preempts state and local laws on this matter and includes a sunset provision eight years after enactment.

The Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act amends the Social Security Act to provide Medicare Part B coverage for multi-cancer early detection screening tests starting January 1, 2028. This legislation establishes clear criteria for qualifying tests and outlines payment structures to ensure beneficiaries have access to these advanced diagnostic tools. Importantly, this coverage is designed to complement, rather than replace, existing Medicare-covered cancer screenings.

This Act, the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act, aims to speed up Medicare coverage for innovative, FDA-approved "breakthrough devices." It establishes a process for manufacturers to gain a four-year transitional coverage period for these devices, ensuring patients have timely access while long-term coverage decisions are finalized. The bill also allocates funding to CMS to manage these expedited reviews and allows for oversight of provider billing practices related to these new technologies.

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

The Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act of 2025 (RESULTS Act) aims to improve Medicare payment rates for clinical lab tests by mandating the collection of more accurate, real-world payment data directly from large, independent private insurance claims databases. This legislation updates definitions, collection timelines, and calculation methods to ensure Medicare payments for widely available tests reflect current market rates. It also establishes default payment rules if sufficient private payor data cannot be secured.

The Citizen Only Updated National Tally Act (COUNT Act) mandates that federal agencies must assist the Department of Commerce in gathering comprehensive administrative records to accurately determine the citizenship status of the U.S. population. This data collection effort aims to provide policymakers with precise facts regarding immigration's impact. Furthermore, the bill requires the addition of a citizenship question to the 2030 decennial census and terminates the Census Bureau's use of differential privacy for data protection six months after enactment.

The FEMA Act of 2025 establishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an independent, cabinet-level agency to lead a unified, all-hazards approach to national emergency management. The bill enacts sweeping reforms across Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, and Mitigation programs to accelerate recovery, streamline funding, and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for disaster survivors and communities. Furthermore, it mandates significant new transparency measures, including public data reporting and GAO oversight, to ensure accountability for federal disaster spending.