Legislative Activity

The Create Accountable Respectful Environments (CARE) for Children Act officially recognizes and integrates "cottage family homes" into federal foster care regulations. This allows these specialized homes to receive federal maintenance payments if they meet strict standards focused on family connection, trauma-informed care, and prohibiting harmful restraints. The bill ensures states maintain flexibility in utilizing these placements while upholding high standards for child well-being.

The Emergency Rural Water Response Act of 2025 aims to bolster rural water infrastructure and emergency response capabilities. This legislation expands eligibility for existing water assistance grants to cover related infrastructure and increases the maximum grant amount available to communities. Furthermore, it provides a temporary exemption from NPDES permitting for essential, temporary water treatment facilities established immediately following a declared state disaster.

The Written Informed Consent Act mandates that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) expand its informed consent directives to specifically cover several classes of medications, including antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and narcotics. This ensures veterans receive a thorough understanding of these prescribed drugs. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must update VHA Directive 1005 to reflect these expanded requirements.

The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act establishes a new program to support local food producers and strengthen regional food security. This initiative requires the Secretary of Agriculture to fund agreements that ensure nutritious, locally sourced food is purchased and distributed widely, prioritizing small and beginning farmers. Funds must be used to buy minimally processed local products and provide technical assistance to producers. The program is backed by mandatory funding starting in Fiscal Year 2026.

This bill would require the District of Columbia to recognize valid concealed carry permits or the legal right to carry a concealed firearm held by Members of Congress from their home states. Specifically, it allows Senators, Representatives, Delegates, and Resident Commissioners to carry a concealed firearm in D.C. provided they meet federal eligibility requirements and carry proper identification.

The Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025 strengthens the Veterans Community Care Program by establishing clear, enforceable standards for care eligibility and wait times while streamlining the referral process. The legislation also overhauls access to residential mental health and substance abuse treatment, ensuring veterans receive timely, localized care with robust oversight. Additionally, it mandates the development of digital tools and pilot programs to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and improve transparency across the VA healthcare system.

The VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act establishes new programs to proactively connect veterans not currently receiving care with necessary mental health services, especially those at risk of suicide or homelessness. It also mandates annual mental health outreach and consultation offers for veterans already receiving disability compensation for a mental health condition. Finally, the bill extends the current fee structure for certain VA housing loans.

This Act prohibits "covered foreign entities," primarily defined as those connected to the People's Republic of China, from acquiring or leasing U.S. agricultural land. Covered entities currently owning such land must divest within one year or face severe daily fines and potential criminal forfeiture. Additionally, the bill imposes a temporary two-year ban on these same entities purchasing residential real estate, with separate penalties for non-compliance. The legislation mandates the creation of new enforcement offices within the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce to oversee compliance.

The Fire Department Repayment Act of 2025 mandates that federal agencies establish standardized, timely payment procedures for fire suppression cost-share agreements. This legislation ensures that local fire departments are reimbursed promptly for their services by requiring federal agencies to align all existing and future agreements with these new, consistent timelines.

The Bubble Tax Modernization Act of 2025 simplifies federal excise tax treatment for certain low alcohol by volume (ABV) wines. This legislation reclassifies qualifying low ABV wines (under 8.5% ABV and low carbonation) as standard still wines for tax calculation purposes under Section 5041(h). These changes will take effect for wine removed from bond after December 31, 2025.

The Abraham Accords Defense Against Terror Act expedites security assistance and defense sales to Middle Eastern and North African countries that have normalized relations with Israel and cooperate against Iranian threats. This process requires a shortened 15-day congressional notification period from the President for approved transfers. Furthermore, the State Department must submit regular, public reports detailing the security strategy, threat assessments, and progress in countering Iranian proxies. Crucially, the Act ensures that these provisions do not undermine Israel's qualitative military edge.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities for All Act of 2025 reforms federal predisaster hazard mitigation funding by shifting control from direct local applications to a state-managed system. It establishes a new three-part formula for allocating funds to states based on equal shares, population, and natural hazard vulnerability. This legislation ensures tribal governments receive a minimum allocation and mandates that states pass at least half of their received funds directly to local governments executing recommended projects.

The Build More Housing Near Transit Act of 2025 incentivizes the construction of new housing near public transit by awarding extra points on federal capital investment grants. These extra points are given to applicants whose jurisdictions have adopted "pro-housing policies," such as reducing parking minimums or streamlining approval processes for multi-family housing. The Secretary must consult with HUD to ensure these local policies are expected to result in measurable increases in housing, particularly for low-income residents.

The Prompt and Fair Pay Act establishes new rules for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to ensure providers receive fair compensation and timely payments. Starting in 2027, MA plans must pay doctors and suppliers at least as much as Original Medicare for the same services. Additionally, the Act mandates enforceable deadlines for MA plans to pay clean claims—within 14 days for electronic submissions and 30 days for others—and requires detailed notification for any claim that is not considered "clean."

The Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2025 targets foreign governments in the Western Hemisphere that have seized or unfairly controlled port infrastructure essential to U.S. trade access since early 2024. The bill requires the executive branch to identify this "prohibited property" and subsequently ban any associated vessels from accessing U.S. ports or receiving services. Furthermore, the Act expands the definition of unfair trade practices to explicitly include the nationalization or discriminatory treatment of U.S. assets by foreign nations.

The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act strictly prohibits the Federal Reserve from directly or indirectly issuing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to individuals. This legislation prevents the Fed from developing, testing, or implementing any digital currency that functions as a direct liability of the Federal Reserve. Furthermore, Congress asserts that any authority to create such a digital asset must explicitly come from Congress itself.

The Safeguarding Americans From Extremist Risk (SAFER) at the Border Act aims to enhance national security by establishing clear definitions for "known terrorist," "special interest alien," and "suspected terrorist." This legislation significantly restricts the Secretary of Homeland Security's authority to use parole for individuals arriving at the border. Specifically, it prohibits parole for anyone identified as a terrorist, a national security risk, or inadmissible due to terrorism-related activities.

The Supporting Trade and Rebuilding Opportunity for National Growth Act, or STRONG Act, significantly increases the maximum loan amounts available through key Small Business Administration (SBA) programs. Specifically, it doubles the maximum size for standard 7(a) loans from $\$3.75$ million to $\$7.5$ million. Additionally, the bill raises the maximum loan amount for development company loans from $\$5$ million to $\$10$ million. These changes aim to provide greater capital access for small business growth and development.

The Veterans Border Patrol Training Act establishes a pilot program to leverage the Department of Defense's SkillBridge program to train and hire transitioning servicemembers directly as U.S. Border Patrol agents. This initiative aims to facilitate a smooth transition for military personnel into federal law enforcement roles. The Secretary of Homeland Security must report annually to Congress on the program's participation and outcomes. This pilot program is set to automatically expire five years after its commencement date.

The Expanding Access to Lending Options Act directs the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) to prioritize the safety and soundness of federally chartered credit unions. This legislation primarily amends the Federal Credit Union Act by extending the maximum holding period for certain real estate assets from 15 to 20 years. It also clarifies the eligibility language for property involved in these real estate loans.