Legislative Activity

The Ensuring Sound Guidance Act of 2025 focuses on strengthening fiduciary duties by prioritizing pecuniary (financial) factors in investment advice unless clients explicitly agree otherwise. It also mandates the SEC to study environmental disclosure practices within the municipal bond market and investigate the effectiveness of current rules preventing corruption in the solicitation of municipal securities business. The bill requires the SEC to report its findings and recommend necessary regulatory or legislative actions within one year of enactment.

This resolution formally recognizes the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps in 2025. Congress is honoring the Corps' long history, core values of honor, courage, and commitment, and its consistent readiness to defend the nation. The bill encourages the public to join in celebrating this significant milestone and acknowledging the service and sacrifice of all Marines.

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 establishes a national standard for carrying concealed handguns across state lines. This act allows individuals legally permitted to carry in their home state to carry concealed in any other state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. The law does not override private property restrictions or prohibitions on government property, but it provides protections and legal recourse for those traveling in compliance with the new federal standard.

This resolution expresses support for designating March 18, 2025, as "National Agriculture Day." It recognizes and celebrates the significant impact of agriculture as a leading industry in the United States.

This bill honors Selfridge Air National Guard Base on its 108th anniversary, recognizing its historical significance, economic impact, and strategic importance to national security. It acknowledges the base's contributions to military operations, its role in homeland defense, and its selection for the KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft beddown. The bill also commends the personnel of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and encourages continued support and investment in the base.

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 Honey Integrity Act establishes a clear standard of identity for honey based on existing quality benchmarks. It mandates that commercial honey packers implement rigorous, scientifically advanced testing protocols to detect fraud and adulteration. Furthermore, the bill requires the Secretary to report on enforcement actions against mislabeled honey and establishes a new program funded by packer fees to ensure honey sold in the U.S. is authentic.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that Nigeria should be designated as a Country of Particular Concern due to severe violations of religious freedom. It urges the Nigerian government to protect religious minorities, prosecute those responsible for violence, and ensure religious freedom. The resolution also calls for increased U.S. diplomatic efforts and potential sanctions on individuals and groups responsible for religious freedom violations in Nigeria.

The Veterans Patient Advocacy Act ensures that veterans living in rural areas have reliable access to patient advocates at VA medical facilities. This requires the VA to assign advocates specifically to community-based outpatient clinics in rural locations. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must implement these changes within two years, followed by a GAO review of the implementation progress.

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 American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025 revises how businesses treat research and experimental (R&E) expenditures for tax purposes. Taxpayers can now choose between immediately deducting R&E costs or amortizing them over a period of at least 60 months. This legislation also makes technical adjustments to ensure consistency between immediate deductions and claiming the research tax credit.

The Arctic Watchers Act establishes a new "Arctic Watcher Program" managed by the Secretary of State to closely monitor security, economic, and political activities in the Arctic. This program is specifically tasked with tracking and countering influence operations from China and Russia that threaten U.S. interests. To achieve this, designated "Arctic Watchers" will be stationed in key allied countries to report annually on their efforts to protect U.S. strategic goals in the region.

This bill disapproves a recent rule issued by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) concerning the use of medical information by creditors and consumer reporting agencies. Utilizing the Congressional Review Act, Congress nullifies this specific BCFP regulation. Consequently, the rejected rule will have no legal effect.

This bill expresses support for designating March 6, 2025, as "Great Lakes Day" to recognize the environmental and economic importance of the Great Lakes region. It highlights the Great Lakes' significance as a vital freshwater resource, economic driver, and ancestral home to Native American Tribes. The bill also supports initiatives like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and encourages efforts to protect Lake St. Clair. Ultimately, it aims to raise awareness about the need to preserve and protect the Great Lakes for future generations.

This bill disapproves and invalidates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's rule regarding overdraft lending practices of very large financial institutions. The rule, found in the Federal Register, is nullified by this disapproval.

This bill expresses condolences for the 67 lives lost in the American Eagle Flight 5342 and PAT 25 crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2025. It recognizes the impact on Wichita, Kansas, and acknowledges the cooperation of officials in responding to the tragedy and assisting the families. The bill also commends the heroic actions of first responders and emergency services personnel.

The PLUS for Veterans Act of 2025 aims to protect veterans by clarifying who can assist with VA claims, reinstating penalties for charging unauthorized fees, and ensuring fair representation. It requires agents and attorneys to apply for recognition, limits fees for initial claims, and mandates transparency regarding free services available to veterans. The Act also overrides conflicting state laws to ensure consistent enforcement of these protections.

The "Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2025" freezes the wage rate for H-2A nonimmigrant workers at the level it was on December 31, 2023, through December 31, 2026. Additionally, the bill directs the Secretary of Labor to use a primary duties evaluation when deciding the required wage for employees who perform multiple duties or tasks.

The "Access Technology Affordability Act of 2025" introduces a tax credit for blind individuals who purchase qualified access technology, such as hardware or software that converts visual information into accessible formats. The credit is capped at $2,000 per blind individual over any three consecutive tax years and will be adjusted for inflation after 2026. This credit is effective for tax years starting after December 31, 2025, and expires after December 31, 2030. It ensures that individuals cannot claim double benefits for the same expenses.

The "Protecting Investors Personally Identifiable Information Act" prevents the SEC from requiring national securities exchanges or associations to provide personally identifiable information about market participants. Personally identifiable information includes data that can identify an individual, such as name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, phone number, email, and IP address. This ensures sensitive personal data is not part of consolidated audit trail reporting requirements.