Legislative Activity

The No Tax on Length of Service Award Programs Act significantly increases the tax-free exclusion limit for qualified payments from $\$50$ to $\$1,000$. This legislation also explicitly clarifies that payments received through length of service award programs qualify as "qualified payments" for tax purposes. These changes apply to awards granted after the date the Act becomes law.

The Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act aims to ease the process for military veterans who served as firefighters to receive VA disability benefits for certain illnesses. This bill establishes a presumption of service connection for specific heart and various cancers if the veteran served five or more years in a firefighting role. If the qualifying illness is rated at 10% or more disabling and manifests within 15 years of service separation, the VA must presume it is service-connected.

The Service-Connected Suicide Compensation Act ensures that survivors of veterans who died by suicide receive dependency and indemnity compensation. This benefit is automatically provided if the veteran had a service-connected mental disorder. The Act establishes a direct link between service-connected mental health issues and eligibility for survivor benefits following a veteran's suicide.

The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Coin Act authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue special commemorative gold, silver, and clad coins honoring the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. These coins will be sold to the public, with surcharges from the sales benefiting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The Treasury must ensure that the production and issuance of these coins result in no net cost to the U.S. Government.

The Puppy Protection Act of 2025 significantly increases humane treatment standards for dog dealers under the Animal Welfare Act. This legislation mandates specific minimum space requirements, daily exercise access, and mandatory socialization for housed dogs. Furthermore, it establishes strict limits on female dog breeding frequency and age, alongside enhanced veterinary care protocols.

The Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act increases the maximum financial assistance available to disabled veterans for necessary home improvements related to their health services. This legislation raises the existing benefit caps to provide greater support for accessibility modifications. Furthermore, it mandates annual adjustments to a specific benefit amount based on the rate of inflation to ensure continued relevance.

The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act aims to secure the U.S. supply of critical medical goods by diversifying trade relationships and reducing reliance on high-risk sources. It authorizes the President to enter into special "trusted trade partner agreements" that lower trade barriers with reliable allies. These agreements focus on regulatory cooperation, intellectual property protection, and ensuring supply chain stability during public health emergencies. The bill also establishes strict reporting and oversight mechanisms for Congress before any such agreement can take effect.

The Air America Act of 2025 recognizes the sacrifices of former Air America employees who served the U.S. Government between 1950 and 1976. This Act authorizes a one-time monetary award, up to $40,000 plus potential additional amounts, for qualifying service members or their survivors. The CIA Director is responsible for administering these payments, which are capped at a total of $60 million, and establishing the application procedures. Decisions made by the Director regarding these awards are final and not subject to judicial review.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The AI PLAN Act mandates the creation of a unified federal strategy to defend against financial crimes and threats posed by artificial intelligence. Key agencies must annually report to Congress on current defenses, available tools, and necessary resources to combat AI-driven risks like deepfakes and fraud. Following this report, the agencies must provide specific legislative recommendations and best practices for businesses and government entities.

The HELPER Act of 2025 establishes a new FHA mortgage insurance program to assist first responders, educators, and law enforcement officers in purchasing homes. This program offers eligible first-time homebuyers 100% financing with no down payment required. Instead of monthly premiums, borrowers pay an upfront FHA insurance premium at closing.

The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 mandates an increase in disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) rates for veterans and survivors. This increase, effective December 1, 2025, will match the percentage increase applied to Social Security benefits for that year. The bill also requires the VA to publish the adjusted rates according to the Social Security Administration's COLA announcement schedule.

The Postal Police Reform Act of 2025 officially designates Postal Service police officers as federal law enforcement agents under Title 18 of the U.S. Code. This legislation grants the Postmaster General the authority to establish and enforce rules for protecting Postal Service property. Violations of these new rules may result in federal fines or imprisonment up to 30 days.

The Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act transitions TSA personnel to standard federal employment rules under Title 5 of the U.S. Code by a set date no later than December 31, 2025. This mandates the freezing of current personnel policies during the transition while protecting current employee pay and benefits. The bill also requires extensive reviews by the Comptroller General on hiring, diversity, and workplace safety, and mandates consultation with employee representatives regarding labor relations. Finally, it ensures that screening agents retain collective bargaining rights and addresses specific concerns for Federal Air Marshals.

The Credit for Caring Act of 2025 establishes a new, non-refundable federal income tax credit for working family caregivers who incur significant expenses caring for a relative with long-term care needs. Eligible caregivers can claim a credit equal to 30% of qualified expenses exceeding \$2,000, up to a maximum annual credit of \$5,000. The bill specifies detailed requirements for the care recipient's needs, the types of allowable expenses, and includes income phase-out limits for claiming the benefit.

This Act establishes the Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics (JTFISN), a high-level body composed of representatives from key federal departments like Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security. The JTFISN's primary mission is to lead and strategically coordinate federal efforts to disrupt the trafficking and supply chains of synthetic narcotics, with a specific focus on foreign actors like the People's Republic of China. The task force is authorized to investigate related crimes but is explicitly barred from targeting individuals solely based on personal drug use.

This bill, the Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding Act, allows individual investors to defer paying taxes on capital gain dividends from mutual funds if those dividends are automatically reinvested into more fund shares. Taxes on these deferred gains are only due when the investor sells the shares or upon death. This provision aims to encourage long-term investment in mutual funds by providing immediate tax relief on reinvested earnings.

The Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act amends federal student loan regulations to provide a specific deferment for medical and dental residents. This allows borrowers currently serving in an internship or residency program to pause principal payments and prevent interest accrual on their student loans during that training period.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to improve support for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This bill eliminates the standard waiting period for receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. These changes ensure immediate access to crucial financial and healthcare support upon diagnosis.

The "TSA Commuting Fairness Act" requires the TSA Administrator to conduct a study on the feasibility of counting the time TSA employees spend commuting between their duty locations and airport parking or transit stops as on-duty hours. The study will assess the potential benefits, costs, and technological feasibility of such a policy. This includes impacts on employee compensation, retirement, and TSA operations at various airport sizes.