Legislative Activity

The "Fair Access to Banking Act" aims to prevent financial institutions from denying services to legal businesses based on subjective or political reasons. It prohibits large banks, credit unions, and payment card networks from discriminating against legal businesses and requires them to provide fair access to financial services based on impartial, risk-based standards. Financial institutions that violate these provisions may face penalties, including ineligibility for taxpayer-funded discount window lending programs and civil penalties. Individuals or businesses who are unfairly denied services can sue the financial institution in U.S. district court.

The "Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act" amends Title 36 of the United States Code to define "female" and "male" based on reproductive systems. It stipulates that individuals whose sex is male are prohibited from participating in amateur athletic competitions designated for females.

The "Time of Service Act" amends Title 38 of the U.S. Code to eliminate the time limitation for certain veterans to use their Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits. This change is achieved by adjusting the start date in the U.S. Code, allowing more veterans access to these benefits regardless of when they left the service.

The SHUSH Act removes firearm silencers from the definition of firearms under the National Firearms Act, thus eliminating federal regulations, registration, and transfer taxes on silencers. It ensures that legal acquisition of a silencer under federal law satisfies any NFA registration or licensing requirements. The Act also preempts state and local laws that tax, mark, record, or register silencers involved in interstate or foreign commerce.

This bill terminates the Department of Education, effectively eliminating the department on December 31, 2026.

The BLOCK Act repeals several Elementary and Secondary Education Act grant programs, replacing them with block grants to states starting in fiscal year 2026. The amount of the block grants will match the amount the state received in fiscal year 2025 under the repealed programs. This change aims to provide states with more flexibility in using federal education funds. "State" is defined as the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

The "Ensuring Justice for Victims of Partial-Birth Abortion Act" mandates the Attorney General to investigate potential violations of the partial-birth abortion ban, including the remains of five babies discovered in Washington, D.C., and requires mandatory reporting of violations by healthcare workers. It also directs the Attorney General to produce an annual report on enforcement actions related to the partial-birth abortion ban and tasks the Comptroller General with reviewing past enforcement actions and providing recommendations for improvement.

The "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025" extends increased Medicare payment support for physicians and practitioners through 2025. It increases payment rates by 6.62% for services provided from April 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The bill also updates a section of the Social Security Act to include the years 2021 through 2025 for conforming changes.

The "287(g) Program Protection Act" amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to mandate that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enter into agreements with states and their subdivisions, enabling their law enforcement officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions, provided they meet DHS standards. It requires DHS to justify denials of state requests, prohibits limits on the number of agreements, and ensures agreements accommodate various enforcement models preferred by the states. The Act also establishes appeal processes for agreement terminations, mandates uniform training standards, and directs DHS to publish annual performance reports and recruitment plans for the 287(g) program.

The "Achieving Choice in Education Act" (ACE Act) expands the use of 529 savings accounts to cover a broader range of educational expenses, including homeschooling costs, and increases the distribution limit for elementary and secondary education. The act also raises the gift tax exclusion for 529 plan contributions and restricts tax-exempt bond eligibility to states that have implemented certain school choice programs meeting specific criteria for student eligibility and funding. These school choice programs include tax credit scholarship programs, voucher programs, education savings accounts, and refundable tax credits for private education expenses.

The "Parental Notification and Intervention Act of 2025" requires parental notification before an abortion can be performed on an unemancipated minor, with exceptions for medical emergencies or court waivers. It allows parents to sue in federal court to stop an abortion from occurring. States can enact stricter parental notification or intervention laws. The act would take effect immediately upon becoming law.

Recognizes and supports Catholic schools in the United States for their academic excellence, diverse communities, and values-based education. Designates January 26, 2025, to February 1, 2025, as National Catholic Schools Week, celebrating the commitment of Catholic schools, students, parents, and teachers to academic excellence and community service.

The "Dignity for Aborted Children Act" requires abortion providers to offer patients the option to take possession of fetal remains for burial or cremation, or to have the provider arrange for interment or cremation. Abortion providers must obtain consent, maintain records, and submit annual reports on abortion procedures and fetal tissue disposal. Non-compliance can result in significant penalties, but patients are protected from prosecution.

The "Pregnancy Is Not an Illness Act of 2025" prevents the Department of Health and Human Services from classifying pregnancy as an illness when approving abortion drugs or setting risk management strategies for these drugs. It invalidates any prior abortion drug approvals that were based on classifying pregnancy as an illness, including the approval of mifepristone.

The "Personalized Care Act of 2025" expands Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility, increases contribution limits, and allows HSA funds to be used for a broader range of healthcare expenses, including health plan premiums and healthcare sharing ministry fees. It also reduces the penalty for non-qualified HSA distributions and clarifies the treatment of medical care service arrangements and periodic provider fees. These changes aim to provide individuals with greater flexibility and control over their healthcare spending and coverage.

The "Charitable Act" modifies the tax deduction for charitable contributions for individuals who do not itemize deductions. For the 2026 and 2027 tax years, the deduction will be capped at one-third of the standard deduction amount for the individual. The Act also eliminates and redesignates certain penalty clauses in the Internal Revenue Code related to these deductions, updating references accordingly.

The "Stop Illegal Reentry Act" increases the penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after having been deported or removed. It raises the maximum prison sentence for general illegal reentry to five years. Repeat offenders or those with prior felony convictions could face up to 10 years, and aggravated felons or repeat re-entrants could face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison.

The "Safeguarding American Workers Benefits Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify Social Security number (SSN) requirements for the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. It mandates that to claim these credits, the SSN must be issued by the Social Security Administration to a U.S. citizen or someone authorized to work in the U.S. These modifications will be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "PROTECTS Act of 2025" prohibits federal funds from being used for gender transition procedures for individuals under 18, including surgeries and hormone therapies, with exceptions for certain medical conditions and genetic disorders. The bill defines "sex" as biologically determined male or female based on reproductive systems.

The "Second Chance for Moms Act of 2025" requires a warning label on mifepristone indicating its effects may be reversed with progesterone, potentially increasing fetal survival, and provides a hotline number for further information. It also directs the Secretary to establish a 24/7 toll-free hotline for women seeking to reverse the effects of mifepristone, offering referrals exclusively to healthcare providers who offer abortion pill reversal.