Legislative Activity

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

The Pay Our Border Patrol and Customs Agents Act ensures that essential U.S. Border Patrol Agents and Customs and Border Protection officers who must work during a government shutdown in fiscal year 2026 will receive their salaries. This legislation appropriates necessary funds from the Treasury to cover these payments during the lapse in appropriations. The goal is to guarantee that critical border security personnel are paid even if the government temporarily closes.

This joint resolution expresses the disapproval of Congress regarding the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's recently submitted rule on the "Barred Owl Management Strategy." By invoking the Congressional Review Act, this action nullifies the proposed management strategy, preventing it from taking legal effect. Essentially, Congress is rejecting the USFWS's plan for managing Barred Owls.

The Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act establishes federal standards for student-athlete Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, allowing athletes to profit from endorsements while setting specific rules for agents and institutional compensation. The bill mandates enhanced support services, medical guarantees, and scholarship protections for athletes at high-revenue institutions. Furthermore, it grants states enforcement power over NIL violations and shields compliance actions from antitrust liability, while clarifying that student-athletes are not automatically considered employees.

The Modern Firearm Safety Act preempts state and local governments from imposing handgun design or feature requirements beyond existing federal law. This bill prevents jurisdictions from mandating specific features, such as loaded chamber indicators or magazine insertion sensors, on handguns sold or shipped across state lines. The goal is to standardize federal requirements and limit local restrictions on firearm manufacturing and commerce.

This bill, the STUDENT Act, seeks to fundamentally alter the federal charter and operations of the National Education Association (NEA). It imposes strict new requirements on the organization's political activities, membership dues collection from government employees, and governance structure. Furthermore, the Act prohibits the NEA and its affiliates from engaging in strikes or promoting specific controversial ideological beliefs within schools.

The SAVES Act establishes a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to eligible veterans. These grants, up to $\$2,000,000$ each, will fund the training and provision of service dogs for veterans with qualifying conditions like PTSD or TBI. The bill also extends the expiration date for certain limits on veterans' pension payments until February 2033.

This bill establishes a new State judicial threat intelligence and resource center to enhance the security of state and local judges and court staff. The center will provide training, monitor threats, standardize reporting, and create a national database for incidents against the judiciary. It also requires annual reporting to Congress on the number and severity of threats received.

This bill amends federal law to explicitly include violations related to rioting within the definition of "racketeering activity." By adding this specific crime to the list under Title 18, Section 1961(1), the legislation makes participation in such activities subject to serious federal racketeering charges. This change treats rioting violations similarly to other established offenses like bribery or extortion for the purposes of federal prosecution.

The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act strictly prohibits the Federal Reserve from directly or indirectly issuing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to individuals. This legislation prevents the Fed from developing, testing, or implementing any digital currency that functions as a direct liability of the Federal Reserve. Furthermore, Congress asserts that any authority to create such a digital asset must explicitly come from Congress itself.

The Black Vulture Relief Act authorizes livestock producers and their employees to take action against black vultures that pose an imminent threat to their livestock. This permission overrides certain existing regulations but strictly prohibits the use of poison. Those who take vultures under this authority must submit an annual report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service once the required reporting form is made available.

The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act addresses significant delays in obtaining death certificates for veterans who die from natural causes, often due to VA medical staff delays. This bill mandates that VA medical providers must certify a veteran's death within 48 hours or allow the local medical examiner to step in. Furthermore, the VA must annually report on its compliance with this new timely certification requirement.

This resolution formally condemns the violent attack on the U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, on July 7, 2025. It expresses support for the injured agents and reaffirms Congress's strong backing for the dedicated men and women of the Border Patrol. The bill emphasizes that such violence against law enforcement is unacceptable and undermines national security efforts.

This resolution officially commends Petty Officer 3d Class Scott Ruskan for his heroic actions during the devastating central Texas floods of July 2025. It specifically recognizes him for personally rescuing 165 individuals and coordinating triage efforts under hazardous conditions. Furthermore, the bill extends deep gratitude to all federal, state, and volunteer responders who risked their lives during this major natural disaster.

This bill significantly strengthens the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 by explicitly blocking time-based and procedural defenses that have previously prevented claims for Nazi-looted art from being heard on their merits. The changes ensure that courts must now focus on whether the art was actually stolen, regardless of when the claim is brought or the citizenship of the original owner. These improvements apply immediately to both pending and future lawsuits seeking the return of art expropriated during the Nazi era.

The Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025 amends immigration law to address driving while intoxicated or impaired (DWI/DUI) offenses. This legislation establishes that a conviction for, or admission to the underlying acts of, a DWI/DUI offense makes a non-citizen inadmissible to the United States or deportable if already present. This applies regardless of whether the offense is classified as a misdemeanor or felony under local law.

The Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025 makes technical corrections to the 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act to clarify standards for proving harm and venue for trials. This legislation sets specific caps on attorney fees and retroactively applies these changes to all existing and future claims filed under the original 2022 Act. The bill ensures that existing statutes of limitations for filing claims remain unchanged.

The Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act mandates a comprehensive report from the Secretary of State detailing the group's foreign ties, especially concerning Iran and designated terrorist organizations. It also requires the Secretaries of State and Treasury to determine within 90 days whether the Polisario Front meets the criteria for designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and subsequent sanctions. The President retains the authority to waive these potential penalties if the group engages in good-faith negotiations regarding Morocco's 2007 autonomy plan for Western Sahara.

The Pro Codes Act aims to balance public access with the financial sustainability of organizations that create vital technical standards referenced in U.S. law. It establishes new copyright rules requiring Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) to make standards incorporated by reference into federal, state, or local law publicly accessible online for free. This ensures the public can view the codes they must follow while preserving the SDOs' ability to fund future standard development through copyright protection.

This resolution formally recognizes and celebrates the life, achievements, and distinguished public service of former First Lady Barbara Pierce Bush on the occasion of her 100th birthday. It highlights her dedication to family, her support of her husband's career, and her crucial advocacy for national literacy initiatives. The House of Representatives commends her enduring legacy as a model citizen and public servant.