Legislative Activity

The Special Relationship Military Improvement Act of 2025 streamlines defense exports to key allies by creating specific licensing exemptions under the Arms Export Control Act. This bill explicitly adds the United Kingdom to existing export exceptions shared with Canada. Furthermore, it removes certain bilateral agreement requirements for licensing exemptions with the UK and for implementing the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty with Australia, while maintaining strict controls over sensitive missile, biological, chemical, and nuclear technology for both nations.

The FALCONS Act prohibits the use of federal funds for any training or education based on critical race theory or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the five U.S. service academies. This legislation specifically targets the curriculum at institutions like West Point and the Naval Academy. The bill aims to restrict government spending on these specific ideological concepts within military leadership training programs.

The Vaccines in Trial and Liability Act of 2025 (VITAL Act) establishes a new federal crime for companies that commit fraud or conceal material data during clinical vaccine trials. This Act ties the discovery of such fraud to the revocation of Emergency Use Authorizations and removes liability protections previously granted under "Right to Try" and pandemic response laws. Furthermore, it allows individuals to pursue civil lawsuits against manufacturers who commit fraud related to vaccine trials while still accessing compensation through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

The K2 Veterans Total Coverage Act of 2025 establishes a presumption of service connection for a broad range of diseases in veterans who served at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan. This means the VA will automatically assume these specific illnesses are related to military service, significantly easing the burden of proof for veterans seeking disability benefits. The covered conditions include various cancers, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and chronic multisymptom illnesses.

The Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act of 2025 ensures the continuous payment of Coast Guard retiree and survivor benefits by authorizing interim appropriations based on the most recent full-year funding levels. This provision guarantees that benefits remain funded starting after fiscal year 2024 until a new, full-year budget is enacted. Any funds spent under this interim measure will be covered by the subsequent official appropriation.

The Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays in Care Act of 2025 aims to establish stricter federal standards for prior authorization decisions made by Medicare contractors and private Medicare plans. This bill mandates that coverage denials must be based on clear, evidence-based clinical criteria developed with input from practicing physicians. Furthermore, it requires plans to post their authorization rules online, provide advance notice of changes, and publicly report approval and denial statistics. Finally, all final denials of care must be reviewed and issued by a qualified, board-certified physician.

The Save Our Shipyards Act of 2025 establishes the National Commission on the Maritime Industrial Base (the SOS Commission). This group is tasked with thoroughly investigating the current state and future needs of the U.S. maritime industrial base, particularly concerning national defense readiness. The Commission must then deliver a public report detailing its findings and policy recommendations to strengthen domestic shipbuilding, repair capabilities, and the maritime workforce.

The Homeland Heroes Pay Act provides continuing appropriations for Customs and Border Protection agents and officers, as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents. These funds will cover salaries and expenses for essential duties such as border security, immigration enforcement, and combating criminal operations. Funding will continue until a regular appropriation is enacted for these purposes.

The Combating Houthi Threats and Aggression Act commits the U.S. to working with allies to secure vital shipping lanes against Houthi attacks. The bill mandates several detailed, regular reports to Congress regarding Houthi capabilities, their threats to navigation, and violations of the UN arms embargo. Furthermore, it authorizes the President to impose strict sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on foreign individuals supporting Houthi aggression against international shipping. This entire Act is set to expire five years after its enactment.

The Coast Guard Sustained Funding Act of 2025 ensures that Coast Guard military, qualified civilian, and contract personnel continue to receive pay during a "Coast Guard-specific funding lapse." This legislation authorizes necessary spending to cover these salaries when the regular annual funding bill has not been enacted. It also provides specific exceptions to the Anti-Deficiency Act to allow these critical payments to proceed.

This bill denounces Cuba's human trafficking and forced labor practices within its medical export program, citing exploitation of Cuban medical personnel in third-world countries. It urges foreign governments to ensure fair labor practices, pay workers directly, and calls for visa revocations for officials involved in these schemes, while also urging agreement signatories to meet obligations that ensure international standards. The bill references the State Department's findings on Cuba's non-compliance with trafficking elimination standards and the regime's substantial profits from this program.

This bill supports the designation of March 2025 as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to increase awareness and education about this highly preventable disease. It highlights the importance of regular screenings, which could significantly reduce deaths, and encourages participation in awareness and educational activities.

The SCREEN Act aims to prevent the use of U.S. government funds and resources to support film productions that are subject to censorship or alteration at the request of the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party. It requires U.S. companies seeking government support for film projects to disclose films submitted to Chinese officials for content review. The Act also mandates an annual report to Congress detailing films potentially altered to appease Chinese government demands, ensuring transparency and accountability in the film industry's engagement with China.

The Cyber PIVOTT Act aims to bolster the cybersecurity workforce by expanding CISA's education and training programs to community colleges and technical schools, offering scholarships for students in cyber-related fields who commit to a service obligation in government. This act prioritizes skills-based training, internships, and industry-relevant certifications, while also establishing recruitment and resource platforms to connect graduates with federal job opportunities. The goal is to significantly increase the number of students enrolled in cybersecurity programs, addressing critical workforce gaps in the cyber sector. The Act also requires CISA to review its education and training programs and report to Congress.

The "Protect America's Lands Act" prevents national securities exchanges from handling transactions of securities issued by "natural asset companies." These companies manage land for conservation and aim to enhance the value of natural assets and ecosystem services. The bill defines specific criteria for what constitutes a "natural asset company" to ensure the prohibition is appropriately applied.

The "China Technology Transfer Control Act of 2025" aims to protect U.S. national security by controlling the export of specific technologies and intellectual property to China. It mandates sanctions on those who provide or purchase covered technology to or from China and requires the creation of a list of Chinese products that receive government support or are used for human rights violations. The Act defines key terms such as "Chinese person," "covered national interest technology," and "intellectual property" to clarify the scope and applicability of the regulations. Ultimately, this act seeks to prevent the exploitation of technology transfers that could bolster China's military capabilities or undermine U.S. interests.

This bill allocates \$20,466,000 from the House of Representatives' funds to cover the expenses of the Committee on Homeland Security during the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress, including staff salaries. It divides the funds into two equal amounts available for the first and second sessions of Congress. Payments must be made through vouchers signed by the Chairman and approved by the House Administration Committee, adhering to their regulations. All funds must be spent in accordance with the rules set by the House Administration Committee.

The "Medicaid Improvement and State Flexibility Act of 2025" amends the Social Security Act, granting states more authority to approve and implement experimental Medicaid projects. These projects involve enrolling participants in state-designed plans with EBT cards for healthcare, catastrophic insurance coverage, and potential cash payments. The bill ensures federal expenditures do not exceed existing levels and prohibits the use of project funds for abortions, except in specific cases. It also treats the state as the approving authority for these projects, rather than the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The Rural Emergency Hospital Access Act removes the requirement that off-campus facilities must be within a 35-mile radius of a hospital to receive Medicare benefits. This change aims to improve access to emergency care in rural areas by allowing facilities to qualify for provider-based status regardless of their proximity to a main hospital. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to implement this change within 60 days.

The "Rural Health Care Access Act of 2025" amends the Social Security Act to allow states to designate rural facilities as critical access hospitals without mileage limitations. This change broadens access to essential healthcare services in rural areas by removing previous mileage restrictions for hospital designation. The amendments apply to hospital designations or redesignations made on or after the enactment of this act, including any redesignations made before the enactment.