Legislative Activity

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.

This resolution officially commends Petty Officer 3d Class Scott Ruskan for his heroic actions during the devastating central Texas floods of July 2025. It specifically recognizes him for personally rescuing 165 individuals and coordinating triage efforts under hazardous conditions. Furthermore, the bill extends deep gratitude to all federal, state, and volunteer responders who risked their lives during this major natural disaster.

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 School Resource Officer Reform Act provides tax benefits and expands death benefits for certain school resource officers. Specifically, it excludes the compensation of retired, armed peace officers serving in schools from federal income and FICA taxes. Additionally, the bill amends federal law to ensure school resource officers are eligible for Public Safety Officers' Death Benefits if they die in the line of duty.

The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 significantly expands and permanently secures access to Medicare telehealth services by eliminating outdated geographic restrictions and allowing more practitioners to offer remote care. The bill also strengthens program integrity by dedicating funds for telehealth oversight while clarifying rules around providing necessary technology to patients. Finally, it mandates the creation of tailored educational resources and public reporting to improve quality measurement and transparency in remote care delivery.

This bill grants limited legal immunity to manufacturers of essential critical infrastructure equipment against lawsuits stemming from wildfire-related losses. This protection applies unless a plaintiff can prove the manufacturer engaged in willful misconduct during the design or production of the equipment. The legislation aims to bolster the security and resilience of vital national systems by supporting their manufacturers.

The State Energy Accountability Act requires state regulators to publicly evaluate the impact of state policies favoring intermittent energy sources on electric system reliability and customer costs. This evaluation must analyze the policy's effect on the 10-year availability of reliable power, emergency performance, and reliance on out-of-state generation. State authorities must determine whether to adopt this evaluation standard within one year of the Act's enactment.

The Fire Weather Development Act of 2025 aims to significantly enhance wildfire preparedness and response by improving fire weather forecasting, detection, and information sharing through NOAA. The bill establishes new interagency and advisory committees to coordinate federal efforts and gather expert input on crucial needs. It also creates a dedicated fire weather testbed, addresses the incident meteorologist workforce, and mandates research into better communication systems for first responders.

The FIGHT Act of 2025 significantly strengthens federal prohibitions against animal fighting ventures, specifically targeting the sponsorship, exhibition, and gambling associated with these events. This legislation clarifies the definition of a rooster for legal purposes and bans the interstate transport of roosters for fighting. Furthermore, it empowers private citizens to file lawsuits against violators, allowing for civil penalties and the potential seizure of property used to facilitate illegal animal fighting.

The Empowering Parents’ Healthcare Choices Act allows parents with separate health insurance plans to jointly choose which plan will serve as the primary coverage for their newborn child. This choice must be communicated to the insurers within 60 days of the child's birth. This new flexibility applies to coverage decisions for children born on or after January 1, 2026.

This resolution strongly condemns the recent rise in ideologically motivated attacks targeting Jewish individuals and institutions across the United States, including the violent assault in Boulder, Colorado. The House of Representatives reaffirms its commitment to combating antisemitism and politically motivated violence in all its forms. It calls for thorough investigation and prosecution of such incidents and urges all sectors of society to speak out against hate.

The Baseload Reliability Protection Act prohibits owners of certain dispatchable power plants in areas facing high or elevated risk of electricity shortages from retiring those units or switching their fuel source. Owners can seek an exemption from this ban from FERC, which must grant it if continued operation causes financial hardship or if retirement does not harm grid reliability. The Department of Energy may offer financial assistance to keep essential, money-losing plants operational.

The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2025 aims to streamline pesticide regulation by generally exempting legally authorized pesticide applications from needing separate Clean Water Act discharge permits. This change applies when authorized pesticides or their residues enter navigable waters from a specific discharge point. However, the exemption does not apply if the discharge violates FIFRA rules, involves certain stormwater runoff, or originates from industrial processes or vessels.

The Supporting Healthy Mothers and Infants Act of 2025 updates the WIC program by replacing outdated terminology with "substance use disorder." This legislation mandates the development of specialized, evidence-based nutrition education materials for WIC participants affected by substance use disorder. Furthermore, it requires the Secretary of Agriculture to actively reach out to and support these families through training and resource sharing. The Act authorizes $1 million for fiscal year 2026 to implement these new support activities.

The VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act of 2025 (VALID Act) aims to increase awareness of VA loan options among homebuyers. It requires lenders to include comparative information about potential VA loan terms on standard FHA disclosure forms. Furthermore, the Act mandates that the Uniform Residential Loan Application include a prominent question regarding the applicant's military service.

The Patriots Over Politics Act creates a special, limited window for certain service members separated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine between August 2021 and January 2023 to transfer their unused VA education benefits to an eligible dependent. This transfer option is available for 90 days following the bill's enactment. If transferred to a child, the benefit use is contingent upon the service member having completed at least six years of service.

This bill mandates comprehensive federal reporting to better understand and address violence, aggression, and wellness challenges facing law enforcement officers. It requires the Attorney General to produce detailed reports analyzing attacks on officers, potential new data collection methods for non-criminal aggressive incidents, and the state of officer mental health resources. The goal is to use this improved data to recommend better federal, state, and local responses and support systems for officers.

The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act focuses on strengthening penalties for introducing prohibited items, specifically phones, into prisons. It mandates the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to review and update policies concerning prohibited objects to enhance the safety of inmates and staff. This legislation aims to curb contraband flow within correctional facilities.

The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act of 2025 establishes a new federal grant program to help law enforcement officers secure childcare during non-traditional hours. Administered by HHS, these competitive grants will fund local agencies to offer subsidies, start new facilities, or cover operational costs for officers. The program requires state agencies to apply and secure matching funds, with a sunset date of September 30, 2030.

The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act mandates that group health plans and insurance policies provide comprehensive coverage for medically necessary treatment related to congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This coverage must include services needed to restore normal function and appearance, including necessary dental and orthodontic support. Plans must apply cost-sharing rules no more restrictive than those for other medical benefits, excluding purely cosmetic procedures.