Legislative Activity

The Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act establishes a Department of Agriculture program to provide financial assistance to farmers whose land or water is contaminated by PFAS from off-site sources. This program authorizes grants to eligible governments to fund remediation, testing, producer assistance, and research related to the contamination. The bill also establishes a task force to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on broader PFAS issues within farm programs.

The STOP Scams Against Seniors Act amends existing law to allow federal Byrne JAG grant funds to be used by states and local governments to establish and operate elder justice task forces. These task forces will focus on combating financial exploitation, scams, and fraud targeting individuals aged 60 and older. The legislation also mandates detailed reporting on the task forces' activities, case outcomes, and victim support provided.

The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025 significantly boosts funding for cleaning up contaminated sites by increasing the maximum grant amount per site to $1 million and authorizing $250 million annually through 2030. This legislation also expands the eligible uses for state response program grants. Overall, it strengthens federal and state efforts to revitalize brownfield properties.

The Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act of 2025 significantly increases funding authorization for the Weatherization Assistance Program through 2030. This bill also raises the maximum average cost allowed for weatherizing a single home from $6,500 to $12,000. Finally, it mandates that the Department of Energy's annual readiness report to Congress include details on how enhancement efforts impact program eligibility.

The Global Child Thrive Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to strengthen support for orphans and vulnerable children globally. This bill establishes a Special Advisor for Assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable Children within the Department of State and extends the authorization for related programs through 2030. It also adjusts the deadline for issuing necessary implementing directives.

The Brandon Act Training and Protocol Act mandates the Secretary of Defense to develop a comprehensive strategic plan to improve mental health services and address suicide among service members. This plan requires establishing uniform protocols for the self-initiated mental health referral process and implementing standardized mental health training for all personnel. The goal is to ensure service members are fully aware of and can easily access mental health support.

The Farm Transitions Act of 2025 updates the Commission on Farm TransitionsNeeds for 2050, requiring its swift establishment by the Secretary of Agriculture. This Commission will study and recommend policy solutions regarding credit, training, land succession, and barriers faced by underserved farmers during farm transitions. The final report is due within two years of enactment, with funding authorized through FY 2029.

The Federal Mechanical Insulation Act officially recognizes the installation of mechanical insulation in federal buildings as a qualifying energy or water efficiency measure. This legislation defines compliant mechanical insulation as meeting or exceeding ASHRAE Standard 90.1 requirements and resulting in energy loss reduction. Furthermore, the Act mandates that comprehensive evaluations of federal buildings must identify these specific energy and water-saving insulation opportunities.

The American Decade of Sports Act establishes a "Mega-Decade Sports Diplomacy Strategy" to leverage major international sporting events hosted in the U.S. between 2024 and 2034 to enhance America's global standing. This requires the State Department to create comprehensive 5-year plans detailing diplomatic goals, partnerships, and visa facilitation efforts. Furthermore, the Act mandates the creation of a dedicated Office of Sports Diplomacy to coordinate and execute these strategy objectives across government and private sectors. The Secretary of State must provide annual progress reports to Congress on the implementation of these goals until the end of 2034.

The Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act establishes a high-level Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of State, to develop and execute a comprehensive U.S. strategy against transnational criminal organizations running massive online scams, often utilizing victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. This strategy must focus on disrupting these operations, sanctioning responsible parties, and providing support for rescued victims. The bill authorizes $30 million over two years to fund these efforts and requires annual reporting to Congress on progress and impact.

The End the Cyprus Embargo Act lifts the existing policy that automatically denies requests to export U.S. defense articles and services to the Republic of Cyprus. Congress finds that allowing these defense sales strengthens U.S. security interests in Europe by reducing Cyprus's reliance on other nations for military equipment. This change is contingent on Cyprus meeting certain requirements and allows the President to reinstate the denial policy temporarily for national security reasons.

The Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act establishes a new grant program to expand digital workplace skills training across the nation. This initiative aims to build digital competency for workers in high-demand industries and foster digitally resilient education and workforce systems. Funds will be distributed to states via formula grants, which must then be used to award subgrants to local entities, alongside direct competitive grants from the Department of Labor. The overall goal is to help individuals access better jobs by closing digital skill gaps.

This resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), recognizing its landmark achievement in guaranteeing a free, appropriate public education for every child with a disability. It honors the law's transformative impact since 1975, which ensured access, protected rights, and established critical early intervention services. The resolution reaffirms the commitment to fully implementing IDEA so all students with disabilities have the opportunity to thrive.

This resolution commemorates World AIDS Day and recognizes significant progress made in combating HIV/AIDS globally and domestically through programs like PEPFAR and the Ryan White Act. It highlights ongoing challenges, particularly disparities in impact, while encouraging continued robust funding for research, prevention, and treatment efforts worldwide. The resolution supports the goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030 through zero new transmissions and zero discrimination.

The Veteran Education Empowerment Act establishes a grant program to help colleges and universities create and operate dedicated Student Veteran Centers. These centers will serve as centralized hubs to coordinate academic support, transition services, and community building for student veterans. The bill authorizes funding for these grants, which can be used for establishing and operating the centers, with specific reporting requirements to track effectiveness.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act focuses primarily on improving pediatric drug development and ensuring patient access to necessary treatments. This legislation mandates new research requirements for molecularly targeted pediatric cancer drugs, strengthens FDA enforcement of pediatric study completion, and extends incentives for developing drugs for rare pediatric diseases. Additionally, the bill updates organ transplant network functions and establishes an Abraham Accords Office within the FDA to enhance international regulatory cooperation.

This bill, the Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act, amends the Small Business Act to strengthen the SBA's Office of Rural Affairs. It updates the office's leadership structure, expands its duties to actively promote federal assistance and coordinate tourism efforts, and mandates regular public reporting on its activities and impact on rural small businesses. The legislation also requires the office to host regional outreach events to better serve these businesses.

The Save the Green to Gold Program Act amends how service time is calculated for certain ROTC officers to include prior enlisted service. This change allows officers to count qualifying service in the Selected Reserve dating back to August 1, 1979, and all subsequent enlisted service across any military component toward their total years of service for pay and retirement.

This bill, the Retirement Simplification and Clarity Act, amends tax code to allow participants aged 50 and older to roll over employer contributions from their 401(k) plan directly into an individual retirement annuity before retirement. It also updates the required written explanation provided to taxpayers regarding rollover rules to ensure it is concise and clearly outlines key tax implications and options. These provisions are set to take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Main Street Home Builders Act of 2025 establishes a pilot program within the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support small businesses involved in building or managing build-to-rent multifamily housing. This program will provide loans through State development companies to help these small businesses construct or improve rental housing projects. The initiative includes specific requirements for lenders and ensures that funded projects result in the creation of new dwelling units.