Legislative Activity

The Choice in Affordable Housing Act of 2025 aims to increase landlord participation in the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, especially in high-opportunity neighborhoods. It establishes new financial incentives for landlords, streamlines housing quality inspections, and mandates the use of localized fair market rents for voucher calculations. The Act also requires annual reporting on its effectiveness in expanding housing choice for voucher holders.

This bill mandates automatic pay reductions for Members of Congress if the nation hits the public debt limit or experiences a government shutdown. The pay cut is calculated based on one day's salary multiplied by the number of days the crisis lasts. Special, temporary escrow rules apply to the 119th Congress to address constitutional concerns, with general rules taking full effect after the November 2026 election. The Secretary of the Treasury is required to assist congressional payroll offices in implementing these provisions.

The Medicare Home Health Accessibility Act updates Medicare rules to explicitly include the need for occupational therapy as a valid basis for qualifying for home health services under both Part A and Part B. This change ensures that occupational therapy is treated equally alongside physical and speech therapy when determining eligibility for in-home care. These new provisions will take effect for services provided on or after January 1, 2026.

The Rural Wellness Act extends provisions from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to 2029, adjusting specific allocation timelines. It prioritizes rural development program grants for projects that include behavioral and mental health treatment services. This prioritization includes facilities for prevention, treatment, or recovery and applicants focusing on behavioral and mental health education.

The TREAT PTSD Act mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to provide stellate ganglion block (SGB) to veterans and members of the Armed Forces diagnosed with PTSD who elect to receive it after being fully informed of its risks and benefits. It allows the treatment to be furnished through VA or military medical facilities, or qualified healthcare providers. The bill also requires updating the VADOD Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD management to include SGB as a therapy option.

The Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act establishes a federal civil right of action allowing victims to sue those who share non-consensual, intimate digital depictions (deepfakes) of them, providing for significant monetary damages and court orders. Additionally, the bill creates a new federal crime for sharing or threatening to share such images with intent to harass or cause harm, carrying penalties up to ten years in prison for serious offenses. The law strictly defines consent and intimate depictions, while offering limited liability protections to online service providers who cooperate in removing the content.

The Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act increases the annual stipend for books, supplies, and equipment for veterans under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program from $1,000 to $1,400. Beginning in 2026, this stipend will be subject to annual increases based on the Consumer Price Index.

The DELIVER Act of 2025 increases the standard mileage rate for delivering meals to elderly, disabled, frail, and at-risk individuals. This adjustment aligns the rate with the standard mileage rate used for business and medical expenses, providing volunteers with increased reimbursement for their services. This change aims to encourage volunteer engagement and support programs that deliver meals to vulnerable populations.

The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2025 establishes permanent, higher base pay rates for federal wildland firefighters based on their GS grade. It also creates a significant daily premium pay bonus for time spent responding to qualifying wildfire incidents. Finally, the bill mandates new paid rest and recuperation leave for firefighters following deployment to ensure proper recovery.

This Act mandates that the Department of Defense (DoD) immediately seek to update its stormwater discharge permits to require quarterly testing for PFAS chemicals at all facilities. Furthermore, the DoD must implement necessary cleanup measures to reduce these discharges. At least one percent of annual PFAS cleanup funding must be dedicated specifically to this required stormwater testing.

The HERO Act establishes a national system to track suicides among public safety officers to better understand prevention needs. It also creates grant programs to fund peer-support and wellness programs for fire, EMS, and healthcare workers. Finally, the bill mandates the development of educational resources to improve mental health treatment for first responders dealing with trauma and PTSD.

The Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to bolster the nation's wildfire response capabilities. It focuses on increasing the skilled workforce through new training academies and grants, improving federal firefighter support and retirement benefits, and enhancing public health protections against wildfire smoke via a new national alert system. Finally, the Act streamlines disaster recovery aid and advances predictive technology through centralized risk mapping and data centers.

The BAH Restoration Act aims to restore the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to cover 100% of service members' housing costs. This will be done by amending title 37 of the United States Code, ensuring that the monthly BAH is equivalent to the determined monthly cost of adequate housing based on pay grade, dependency status, and location. The Secretary of Defense will determine the specific housing costs in each area.

The "Stop Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act of 2025" postpones tax deadlines and waives penalties for U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, including their spouses, by disregarding the period of detention when determining tax liabilities. It requires the Secretary of State and the Attorney General to identify affected individuals and inform the Secretary of the Treasury. The Secretary of the Treasury will establish a program for eligible individuals to apply for a refund or abatement of penalties and fines related to the "applicable period" from January 1, 2021, to the date this law is enacted. This ensures that those who have been held hostage or wrongfully detained are not penalized for their inability to meet tax obligations during their captivity.

This bill, the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025, seeks to amend the National Labor Relations Act and other labor laws to strengthen protections for workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain. It aims to modernize labor regulations by clarifying definitions, addressing unfair labor practices, enhancing enforcement, and increasing transparency in labor-management relations. The bill introduces measures such as electronic voting in union elections, strengthens whistleblower protections, and mandates studies on collective bargaining practices. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure fair treatment of workers and promote equitable labor practices.

The Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act seeks to reinstate the previous, higher reporting thresholds for third-party payment processors issuing Form 1099-K. This means payment networks will only be required to report earnings to the IRS if a user exceeds both a \$20,000 total payment amount and 200 separate transactions in a calendar year. Furthermore, the bill applies this "de minimis" standard to backup withholding rules for these network payments starting in 2025.

The TAP Promotion Act mandates a standardized, one-hour presentation on available VA benefits during mandatory preseparation counseling for service members. This presentation must be developed and approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in consultation with recognized Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs). The goal is to ensure separating service members are fully informed of their entitlements and how VSOs can assist with filing claims.

The Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act expands the current tax exclusion for energy efficiency subsidies to include payments received for making homes more water-efficient. This means that rebates from utilities or governments for installing water, storm water, or wastewater management improvements will generally not be counted as taxable income. The bill clarifies which types of improvements qualify and which entities can provide these tax-free subsidies. These changes apply to subsidies received after December 31, 2021.

The "Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act" enhances watershed protection measures, mandates a national study on agricultural flood vulnerability, and increases federal cost share to 90% for rehabilitation projects, improving long-term watershed health and reducing flood risks to agriculture.

The Child Care Workforce Act aims to improve child care quality and affordability by establishing a pilot program that provides grants to states, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations to increase the wages of child care workers. These grants will be used to supplement the wages of eligible child care workers, with the goal of attracting and retaining qualified professionals, enhancing their well-being, and expanding access to affordable child care options. The program will be evaluated for its effectiveness, and a report will be submitted to Congress.