Legislative Activity

The Tax-Free Pell Grant Act makes Federal Pell Grants entirely tax-free, regardless of how the funds are used. Additionally, the bill expands what expenses qualify for the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits, allowing students to include costs like child care and computer equipment. These changes are set to take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The Electronic Filing and Payment Fairness Act extends the existing "mailbox rule" to electronic submissions made to the Internal Revenue Service. This means that documents and payments submitted digitally will be considered officially received on the date they are sent, not the date the IRS processes them. This change ensures fairness for taxpayers utilizing electronic filing methods.

The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act aims to encourage more veterinarians to serve in underserved rural areas by making participation in certain loan repayment or forgiveness programs more financially appealing. This bill amends the tax code to exclude amounts received through qualifying state or federal veterinary student loan repayment programs from being counted as taxable income. This tax benefit applies to amounts received for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Unfair Tax Prevention Act amends the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT) rules to specifically target certain U.S. companies connected to foreign tax systems operating outside their direct jurisdiction. These "foreign-owned extraterritorial tax regime entities" will now be automatically subject to BEAT, with specific exceptions removed and a portion of their cost of goods sold automatically treated as a base erosion benefit. This legislation aims to close loopholes related to complex, indirect foreign ownership structures.

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 establishes a national standard for carrying concealed handguns across state lines. This act allows individuals legally permitted to carry in their home state to carry concealed in any other state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. The law does not override private property restrictions or prohibitions on government property, but it provides protections and legal recourse for those traveling in compliance with the new federal standard.

The Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act of 2025 makes permanent a significant tax benefit for motorsports entertainment complexes. This legislation ensures these large venues can continue to use an accelerated 7-year recovery period for depreciating their building costs. By removing the previous expiration date, the Act provides long-term financial certainty for the industry.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore and modify the asset test for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) taxable REIT subsidiaries (TRSs). Specifically, it increases the allowable percentage for certain assets held by a TRS from 20 percent to 25 percent. This change will take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act aims to prevent private health insurance plans from discriminating against patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). This legislation clarifies that plans cannot offer worse benefits or unfairly limit coverage for dialysis treatments compared to other medical services. Furthermore, it stops these plans from shifting the primary financial responsibility for ESRD care onto Medicare. The bill maintains existing rules ensuring fair treatment while preserving a health plan's ability to select its network of dialysis providers.

The Innovative FEED Act of 2025 establishes a new regulatory category for "zootechnical animal food substances" intended to modify animal digestive byproducts or reduce foodborne pathogens without treating disease. This bill mandates that these new substances must undergo the standard food additive approval process with the FDA, requiring petitioners to provide extensive data on their intended effects. Approval is contingent upon proving the substance achieves its claimed function under proposed use conditions, and all resulting animal food must carry a specific disclaimer stating it is not for disease treatment.

The PARA-EMT Act of 2025 addresses the critical national shortage of EMTs and paramedics by establishing a pilot grant program to help agencies hire, train, and support their emergency medical workforce. It also creates a federal grant program to assist states in streamlining the transition of veterans with military medical training into civilian EMS roles. Finally, the bill mandates a comprehensive study to quantify the current and projected workforce shortage and recommend solutions, including potential visa considerations.

The Air America Act of 2025 recognizes the sacrifices of former Air America employees who served the U.S. Government between 1950 and 1976. This Act authorizes a one-time monetary award, up to $40,000 plus potential additional amounts, for qualifying service members or their survivors. The CIA Director is responsible for administering these payments, which are capped at a total of $60 million, and establishing the application procedures. Decisions made by the Director regarding these awards are final and not subject to judicial review.

This resolution urges Congress and the administration to work together to address the decline in U.S. food and agricultural exports by expanding market access, reducing trade barriers, and supporting domestic trade promotion programs. It emphasizes the importance of trade agreements and the enforcement of existing commitments to ensure global competitiveness for U.S. farmers and ranchers. The resolution seeks a global trading system grounded in scientific principles to bolster the U.S. agricultural sector.

This resolution expresses support for designating March 18, 2025, as "National Agriculture Day." It recognizes and celebrates the significant impact of agriculture as a leading industry in the United States.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The Fair and Open Competition Act of 2025 ensures fair competition on federally funded construction projects by prohibiting the government from requiring or penalizing bidders based on union agreements. This legislation aims to keep federal agencies neutral in labor relations while promoting cost savings and opening opportunities for all businesses. Exceptions to this neutrality rule are strictly limited to specific public health, safety, or national security emergencies.

The "Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act" extends the statute of limitations to 10 years for prosecuting fraud related to specific pandemic unemployment programs. It applies to violations or conspiracies under Title 18 and Title 31 of the U.S. Code and rescinds $5,000,000 from previously allocated funds to offset the budget. The changes made by this law will begin on the date of enactment.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to improve support for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This bill eliminates the standard waiting period for receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. These changes ensure immediate access to crucial financial and healthcare support upon diagnosis.

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand eligibility for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This change allows employers to claim the tax credit for hiring qualified military spouses. A qualified military spouse is defined as someone certified as being married to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025 bans all federal funding or support for research utilizing human fetal tissue obtained specifically from an induced abortion. The bill permits federal research on tissue derived from miscarriages or stillbirths, provided it adheres to updated Public Health Service Act guidelines. Furthermore, it prohibits the solicitation or knowing acceptance of human fetal tissue donations if the donor knows the tissue resulted from an induced abortion or was procured for that purpose. This legislation also repeals an existing law concerning NIH revitalization.

The DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025 extends the current Medicare transition payment rates for durable medical equipment in non-competitive bidding areas through the end of 2025. This action delays the implementation of new payment regulations until January 1, 2026. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is directed to maintain existing payment structures in these specific areas for the remainder of the year.