Legislative Activity

This resolution officially designates September 25, 2025, as "National Lobster Day." It recognizes the lobster's significant historical, economic, and cultural importance to the United States, highlighting the industry's long-standing commitment to sustainability. The measure encourages Americans to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities celebrating this iconic seafood.

The Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act invalidates pre-dispute agreements that force individuals into private arbitration for employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights claims. This legislation protects the right of individuals and groups to pursue legal action in court rather than being compelled into private arbitration before a dispute arises. It ensures that courts, not arbitrators, decide if this new law applies to a specific agreement. The Act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

The Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act establishes a dedicated "Ski Area Fee Retention Account" to hold fees collected from ski area permits on National Forest land. These retained funds are primarily directed back to the specific forest unit where they were collected to support administration, permit processing, and facility maintenance. The bill ensures these fees supplement, rather than replace, existing congressional appropriations for Forest Service operations.

The STUDENT Act mandates that student loan lenders must now clearly disclose the total amount of interest a borrower will pay over the life of the loan. This calculation must be based on the standard repayment plan for the borrower's total outstanding principal balance. The goal is to provide borrowers with greater transparency regarding the full cost of their student loans.

The Open Payments Expansion Act mandates that pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, as well as Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), must annually report all direct and indirect payments made to qualifying patient advocacy organizations. This new reporting requirement aims to increase transparency regarding financial relationships between industry and patient support groups. These reports must detail the recipient organization's name and the exact dollar amount of the payment.

The West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025 mandates the President to impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, on foreign individuals or groups whose actions threaten the peace and stability of the West Bank. These penalties specifically target those involved in violence against civilians, property destruction, or terrorism. The law requires regular reporting to Congress detailing those sanctioned and the steps being taken to mitigate violence in the region.

The Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act of 2025 aims to secure the jobs at vital public naval shipyards by prohibiting workforce reductions and hiring freezes. This legislation specifically protects essential roles, including welders, engineers, and nuclear maintenance staff, from budget-driven cuts. The Act ensures the stability of the shipyard workforce while preserving the Secretary of Defense's authority to address individual employee performance or misconduct.

This bill mandates that the United States Postal Service assign a single, unique ZIP Code to cover the entire town of Swanzey, New Hampshire. The Postal Service must complete this designation change within 180 days of the law's enactment.

The Skin Substitute Access and Payment Reform Act of 2025 aims to overhaul how Medicare pays for advanced skin substitute products used to treat chronic wounds. This bill establishes a new, standardized payment limit based on 2023 utilization data to curb rising costs and eliminate current payment inconsistencies. The goal is to ensure fair payment for clinically equivalent treatments while removing incentives that favor more expensive options.

The SAVES Act of 2025 establishes a five-year pilot program within the VA to award competitive grants to nonprofits providing service dogs to eligible veterans with disabilities like PTSD or mobility issues. These grants, capped at $2 million per recipient, will cover the cost of training the dog and veteran, and the VA will also provide veterinary insurance for each service dog. The goal is to ensure veterans receive necessary support dogs without incurring any personal fees.

The Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act aims to support designated primary caregivers for veterans by extending their medical coverage for 180 days after leaving their role. The bill mandates the VA to provide job assistance, including funding for certifications and transition support, for 180 days post-caregiving. Furthermore, it requires studies on establishing "returnship" programs and exploring the feasibility of creating a dedicated retirement savings plan for these essential caregivers.

This bill aims to increase clarity and predictability for switching prescription drugs (Rx) to over-the-counter (nonprescription) status. It establishes new procedures, including early meetings with the FDA, and mandates the agency to issue clear guidance on the evidence required for these applications. Furthermore, the legislation requires a stakeholder engagement plan and a GAO report to review the current switch process and identify potential improvements.

This bill mandates an independent study comparing the quality of mental health and addiction therapy care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) versus non-VA providers. The study will examine differences across various treatment settings and report on key outcomes like patient improvement, use of evidence-based practices, and coordination of care. The findings will be submitted to Congress and made publicly available.

The Safe Response Act updates the First Responder Training Program to broaden the scope of medical tools covered and modernize terminology related to Native American governing bodies. It revises the focus of drug training by removing the specific term "opioid" while expanding coverage to include "other drug" in overdose response training. Crucially, the bill significantly increases the annual funding for this program from \$36 million to \$57 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act primarily repeals previous health subtitle changes and permanently extends enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace health insurance. This extension removes the income cap for receiving enhanced credits and updates the calculation method for determining an individual's required premium contribution. The bill aims to simplify the tax code related to health insurance affordability.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Voting Rights Act by establishing new standards to challenge discriminatory voting practices and updating federal oversight criteria for states. It mandates greater transparency for all changes to voting rules and implements "practice-based preclearance" for certain jurisdictions. Additionally, the bill creates new federal criminal penalties for using force or threats to intimidate voters or election workers.

The Improving Police CARE Act establishes federal standards for trauma kits purchased by law enforcement agencies receiving specific federal funding. This ensures that these kits, which must include essential bleeding control equipment, meet defined performance criteria set by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The bill also mandates consultation with medical and law enforcement experts to develop these required standards within 180 days of enactment.

The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025 expands eligibility for the Public Safety Officers Death Benefits program to include certain retired law enforcement officers. This legislation provides benefits to retired officers, or their families, if their injury or death resulted from a targeted attack directly related to their prior service. These changes are effective immediately and apply retroactively to qualifying incidents occurring on or after January 1, 2012.

The Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act of 2025, or VSAFE Act of 2025, establishes a dedicated Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This new officer will be responsible for leading efforts to prevent, track, and respond to fraud and scams targeting veterans. The bill also temporarily extends existing limits on certain pension payment rules for two additional months.

The Recovery of Stolen Checks Act allows taxpayers whose original IRS refund check was lost or stolen to elect to receive their replacement refund via direct deposit. This change provides an alternative to receiving a second paper check for the lost funds. The Treasury Department must establish the necessary procedures for this election.