Legislative Activity

This bill expresses support for designating May 2025 as "Renewable Fuels Month" to highlight the benefits of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. It recognizes their positive impact on the economy, job creation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering fuel costs, supporting rural communities, and decreasing reliance on foreign oil. The bill emphasizes the role of biofuels in promoting energy independence and environmental sustainability.

The "Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act of 2025" aims to reduce the financial burden of federal regulations on small businesses. Starting in 2026, the Small Business Administration's regulatory budget for small businesses must not exceed zero, meaning new regulations should not increase costs for these businesses. The Chief Counsel for the Office of Advocacy of the SBA will report annually to Congress on the impact of federal rules on small businesses. No additional funds will be allocated to implement this act.

This bill mandates the United States Postal Service to assign unique ZIP Codes to specific communities across 22 states within 270 days of enactment. This aims to provide these communities with distinct postal identities.

The "Business Over Ballots Act" aims to prevent the Small Business Administration (SBA) from engaging in voter registration activities. It restricts the SBA Administrator from taking actions to facilitate voter registration unless explicitly authorized by federal law, and prohibits recipients of SBA assistance from using funds for voter registration purposes. The bill asserts that supporting voter registration is outside the SBA's mission and legal authority.

The "ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2025" aims to improve broadband access in rural areas by providing grants and loans for building and upgrading broadband infrastructure. Priority is given to projects that deliver at least 100-Mbps downstream and 100-Mbps upstream transmission capacity, especially in underserved areas with populations under 20,000. The act authorizes \$650 million annually for grants and \$350 million annually for loans from 2026 through 2030 and prioritizes support for Tribal organizations, low-income communities, and areas lacking adequate broadband service. It also ensures funds are not used to overbuild existing adequate services and requires recipients to participate in federal internet affordability programs.

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.

The "Protecting the Mailing of Firearms Act" aims to allow the mailing of concealable firearms by repealing the existing prohibition in title 18, section 1715 of the United States Code. Additionally, it prevents the Postmaster General from establishing rules that would ban or hinder the mailing of firearms, ammunition, or firearm components, or require the disclosure of sales records or firearm serial numbers.

The "Fight Fentanyl Act" amends the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998, requiring High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) to report on fentanyl trafficking investigations and any limitations in meeting their goals, while allocating \$333,000,000 annually from 2025-2030 for HIDTAs. It also increases funding for the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center (CTAC) to assist law enforcement with fentanyl interdiction. The Act mandates the Attorney General to prioritize fentanyl trafficking investigations and prosecutions by providing sufficient resources, including temporary reassignment of assistant U.S. attorneys.

Recognizes the crucial role of linemen in maintaining the nation's energy infrastructure and public safety. It also supports designating April 18, 2025, as National Lineman Appreciation Day to honor their contributions and dangerous work.

The "Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act" mandates that individuals provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. It amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to include these requirements and directs states to reject applications lacking such proof. The Act also outlines acceptable forms of documentation, verification processes, and penalties for non-compliance, while allowing provisional ballots under certain conditions. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security must notify state election officials when an individual becomes a naturalized citizen.

The DRIVE Act prohibits the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from requiring commercial vehicles over 26,000 pounds to use speed limiting devices. This prevents the agency from mandating a maximum speed setting for these vehicles.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to limit consumer reporting agencies from sharing credit report information when a person requests a credit report for a residential mortgage loan. Consumer reporting agencies can only furnish this information if the entity has a firm offer of credit or insurance, has the consumer's authorization, or has an existing relationship with the consumer as a mortgage lender, servicer, or financial institution. This act aims to protect consumers' privacy during the home buying process by limiting the amount of entities that get access to their credit information. The changes will take effect 180 days after the Act is enacted.

The "Combating Organized Retail Crime Act" aims to combat the rise in organized retail theft and related crimes by amending Title 18 of the U.S. Code to include provisions that target the theft, fraud, and illegal redistribution of goods. It also establishes an "Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center" to coordinate federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts, share information, and track trends related to organized retail crime. The center will work to support training and technical assistance to combat organized retail crime and organized supply chain crime. Finally, the Act requires the evaluation of existing federal programs to identify ways to expand support for state, local, and tribal law enforcement.

The Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025 directs the Secretary of the Interior to remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife, as previously established in the 2020 rule. This action must be completed within 60 days of the Act's enactment. The Act explicitly prohibits any judicial review of this reissuance.

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 aims to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and countering its support for terrorism by imposing sanctions on those involved in Iran's energy sector and those who provide financial support for its destabilizing activities. It mandates sanctions on foreign entities involved in processing, exporting, or selling Iranian oil, gas, and petrochemicals, while also establishing an interagency working group to coordinate and enforce these sanctions. The Act also amends existing legislation to require the identification of individuals involved in sanctionable activities or sanctions evasion related to Iranian oil and gas sales.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 aims to increase affordable housing options by updating state housing credit formulas, refining tenant eligibility rules, and improving credit eligibility and determination. This includes adjusting income verification processes, modifying student occupancy rules, and protecting domestic abuse victims. The bill also focuses on Native American and rural assistance by addressing housing needs in Indian areas and streamlining income eligibility for rural projects. Additionally, it revises rules for exempt facility bonds and renames the "low-income housing tax credit" to the "affordable housing tax credit" while encouraging data sharing and discouraging discriminatory land use policies.

The "Protecting American Families and Servicemembers from Anthrax Act" requires the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Defense to develop a 10-year strategy for maintaining anthrax countermeasures and protecting civilians, service members, and military dependents. It also mandates a report to Congress on weaponized anthrax threats, including multi-drug resistant strains, and requires annual updates to this report. The goal is to ensure the availability of necessary countermeasures and enhance defense against anthrax threats.

The "Improving Veterans Access to Congressional Services Act of 2025" allows Members of Congress to use VA facilities to meet with constituents, ensuring accessible and visible meeting spaces during regular business hours. The VA Secretary must set regulations for these spaces within 90 days, with rental rates similar to other government office spaces in the area. These regulations must comply with existing laws and cannot be used for campaign activities or interfere with VA operations, and use of facilities is prohibited 60 days before a federal election.

The "1071 Repeal to Protect Small Business Lending Act" repeals Section 704B of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, eliminating requirements for financial institutions to collect and report data on small business loans. This aims to reduce compliance costs for financial institutions, particularly smaller ones like community banks and credit unions. The goal is to alleviate regulatory burdens and improve credit access for small businesses by removing these data collection requirements.

The "Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act" prohibits Federal Reserve Banks from offering financial products or services directly to individuals, maintaining accounts for individuals, or issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) directly or indirectly. It also blocks the Federal Reserve from testing, creating, or implementing a CBDC, or using it to implement monetary policy, without explicit congressional authorization. The bill clarifies that these restrictions do not apply to digital versions of the dollar that are open, permissionless, and private, like physical currency.