Legislative Activity

The TERRA Act establishes a framework allowing federally recognized Indian Tribes to consolidate funding from multiple eligible federal programs into a single, flexible plan for environmental resiliency and community needs. This grants Tribes significant self-determination by streamlining bureaucratic requirements, simplifying reporting, and providing strong authority to waive federal regulations that impede their plans. The legislation mandates federal agencies to coordinate their reviews and accelerate the transfer of funds to participating Tribes. Ultimately, the Act aims to increase efficiency and local control over federal resources while protecting sensitive Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

The National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act establishes a new federal grant program to help communities address the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Administered by the Attorney General and HHS, these grants will fund local teams to improve trauma response systems, coordinate services, and train professionals. The legislation authorizes $10 million annually for these efforts from fiscal years 2026 through 2029.

The LOOTER Act of 2025 establishes new federal crimes specifically targeting theft committed during officially declared natural disaster emergencies. This legislation makes both petty and grand larceny committed within affected counties during these emergency periods federal offenses. The Act imposes penalties ranging from fines and up to one year in prison for petty larceny, to fines and up to five years in prison for grand larceny.

The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the nursing workforce by expanding federal grant support for advanced nursing education programs, including nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives. The bill updates funding rules to cover more training costs and allows nursing schools to invest in modern educational tools like simulation and telehealth technology. Furthermore, it authorizes increased appropriations through fiscal year 2030 to support these critical educational and practice expansion efforts.

The Gold Star Spouses Health Care Enhancement Act removes the three-year time limit for certain Gold Star surviving spouses to access TRICARE Prime medical and dental benefits. This change ensures eligible surviving spouses are no longer restricted by this previous eligibility window. These enhancements apply retroactively to qualifying surviving spouses.

This resolution calls upon all Americans to observe Memorial Day, 2025, as a solemn occasion to honor the men and women of the Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom and peace. Congress recognizes the profound debt owed to these patriots who have died defending American values globally. The bill encourages a national expression of respect, pride, and gratitude for their service and sacrifice.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month to combat a growing national crisis. It highlights alarming statistics regarding rising mental illness rates, significant barriers to accessing care, and disproportionate impacts on youth and marginalized communities. Ultimately, the bill declares mental health a national priority and encourages increased public awareness and support for mental health services.

The Protect Patriot Parents Act creates a special immigration pathway for parents of U.S. citizens who have served in the Armed Forces. This bill adjusts status requirements and waives certain inadmissibility grounds for these military parents seeking to adjust their status or immigrate. It also establishes procedures for previously removed parents to apply for visas and potentially enter the U.S. temporarily to reunite with their citizen children.

The DEFIANCE Act of 2025 establishes a federal civil cause of action against the creation, possession with intent to share, or sharing of nonconsensual intimate digital forgeries, often known as deepfakes. This legislation updates existing law to specifically address image-based sexual abuse created through AI or digital manipulation, regardless of whether the image is labeled as fake. Victims can sue for significant statutory damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief to stop the spread of the harmful content. The Act ensures that this new federal standard does not preempt or limit stronger existing State or Tribal laws.

The Flight Education Access Act increases federal student loan limits specifically for students enrolled in eligible undergraduate flight training programs that meet FAA Part 141 requirements. This legislation also mandates new disclosure requirements for schools regarding loan terms and establishes performance tracking for these programs. Finally, the Act directs the GAO to report on the implementation and impact of these changes within two years.

The Veteran Wildland Firefighter Employment Act of 2025 establishes a pilot program to hire veterans for federal wildland firefighting positions through a joint effort led by the VA, Agriculture, and Interior Departments. This program aims to utilize veteran skills in fire management and support roles while providing clear transition guidelines for service members. The pilot will run for two years, with required reports submitted to Congress detailing its implementation and success in reducing veteran unemployment.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to streamline and modernize the prior authorization process within Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and significantly increases transparency regarding approval rates and decision times starting in 2027. Furthermore, it establishes new enrollee protections and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timeframes for medical services.

The Supporting Our Surviving Spouses Act removes the statute of limitations for certain survivor benefit claims filed by the spouses of armed forces members who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. This change allows eligible survivors to file these specific claims at any time after the law is enacted. The bill ensures that no deadline prevents these survivors from seeking entitled benefits.

This bill establishes a new category, "Foreign Financial Threat Organizations," allowing the Treasury Secretary to designate foreign entities engaged in fraud against U.S. persons. Once designated, these organizations face immediate asset freezes and penalties equivalent to those imposed on global terrorist organizations. The legislation also mandates reporting on enforcement actions and the return of funds to victims.

The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act of 2025 significantly lowers the standard of proof required for employment discrimination claims under major federal laws like the ADEA, Title VII, and the ADA. It establishes that an illegal factor only needs to be a "motivating factor" in an employer's decision, rather than the sole cause. While this makes it easier to prove discrimination, remedies like damages are limited if the employer can prove they would have made the same decision regardless. These new standards apply immediately to all pending claims upon enactment.

The Protect Patriot Spouses Act simplifies the immigration process for spouses of current or honorably discharged U.S. service members. This bill allows eligible military spouses to adjust their status to permanent resident within the U.S. by waiving certain inadmissibility grounds. Furthermore, it grants the Secretary of Homeland Security discretionary power to waive other immigration violations for these spouses. The Act also ensures that previously removed spouses can apply for benefits under these new provisions from overseas.

The Barriers to Suicide Act of 2025 establishes a new grant program through the Department of Transportation to fund the installation of suicide deterrents like nets and barriers at high-risk locations such as bridges and rail stations. The bill also amends existing law to explicitly allow National Highway System funds to be used for these safety barriers on bridges. Finally, it mandates a study on the effectiveness of suicide prevention measures for structures other than bridges.

The Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025 aims to better inform veterans about their right to free representation from recognized Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) when filing initial VA claims. It mandates that the VA maintain and regularly update an accessible online tool for finding accredited representatives. Furthermore, the bill extends the expiration date for certain limitations on veteran pension payments.

This bill amends Medicare to require cognitive impairment screening during the Annual Wellness Visit and the Initial Preventive Physical Examination. It mandates the use of specific, approved screening tools to detect potential issues like Alzheimer's disease early. The goal is to ensure timely diagnosis, allowing patients and caregivers to access necessary planning and support services sooner.

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.