Legislative Activity

The WAGER Act, or Withdrawing Arduous Gaming Excise Rates Act, exempts certain legal sports wagers from the federal excise tax on authorized wagers. This tax break applies only if the bet complies with state law or an approved Tribal-State gaming compact where the wager was placed. This change takes effect for all sports bets made after the Act's enactment.

The Telehealth Modernization Act primarily extends key Medicare telehealth flexibilities, such as geographic and audio-only options, until September 30, 2027. The bill also extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver through 2030 and mandates a comprehensive study comparing home-based and traditional hospital care. Additionally, it introduces new program integrity measures for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and requires guidance to ensure language access for Limited English Proficiency patients utilizing telehealth.

This bill amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act to enhance liquidity for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). It authorizes the Fund to provide capitalization assistance, such as purchasing loans or offering guarantees, to organizations that support CDFIs. The legislation significantly raises the funding cap for this assistance and mandates annual reporting to Congress on its impact.

The Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act of 2025 establishes a national policy favoring traditional and classical architectural styles for new federal public buildings to ensure they are inspiring and command public respect. The Act mandates that the GSA prioritize these preferred styles, especially in Washington D.C., and requires significant community input in the design process. Furthermore, it sets up new GSA requirements, including specialized training and the creation of a Senior Advisor role, to enforce these architectural standards.

The Safer Truckers Act of 2025 updates Commercial Driver's License (CDL) eligibility by requiring applicants to be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or authorized to work in commercial driving by USCIS. This bill also mandates that states annually report on their enforcement of English language proficiency standards for CDL holders. These measures aim to enhance safety and compliance within the commercial trucking industry.

The CLEAN DC Act, officially the Common-Sense Law Enforcement and Accountability Now in DC Act, seeks to completely repeal the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022. This action effectively nullifies all changes made by the 2022 Act, restoring the previous legal standards regarding policing and justice in DC.

The Equal Shot Act of 2025 aims to prevent discrimination against businesses within the firearms industry when applying for financial assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA). This legislation explicitly prohibits the SBA from denying loans or guarantees solely based on an applicant's status as a firearm entity, affiliate, or trade association. The Act first establishes clear definitions for these industry participants to ensure fair and equal consideration for all qualified applicants.

This resolution officially designates the week of August 3 through August 9, 2025, as "National Farmers Market Week." It aims to celebrate the vital role farmers markets play in strengthening local economies and supporting farmers across the nation. Furthermore, the resolution recognizes how these markets improve community health by increasing access to fresh food and promoting sustainable agriculture.

The College Transparency Act establishes a secure, new Postsecondary Student Data System to track student enrollment, completion, and post-college outcomes across higher education institutions. This system aims to increase transparency for students and families by providing clear data on costs and success rates, while minimizing duplicate reporting burdens for schools. The collected data will be used for secure research and public reporting of aggregate statistics, strictly prohibiting the sale of data or its use for federal college rankings.

This resolution formally honors the significant economic and cultural contributions of small, domestic firearm manufacturers to the United States. It recognizes these businesses as vital to supporting American manufacturing, job creation, and the traditions of recreational shooting sports. Furthermore, the resolution designates August 2025 as "National Shooting Sports Month."

The Protecting Access to Credit for Small Businesses Act prohibits the Small Business Administration (SBA) from issuing any new direct loans under its primary Section 7(a) loan program. While the SBA can no longer originate these loans directly, it must continue to manage and service any existing direct 7(a) loans. This change shifts the focus of the program away from direct government lending.

The Neonatal Care Transparency Act of 2025 mandates that hospitals and obstetric providers publicly disclose their specific policies regarding life-saving care for extremely premature infants, including any minimum gestational age limits. This information must also be provided to expectant parents by their doctors at their first prenatal appointment. Hospitals and providers failing to comply with these new transparency requirements risk losing federal Medicaid and CHIP funding 180 days after the Act is enacted.

The HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow eligible employees to take leave following the spontaneous loss of an unborn child. It also establishes new leave entitlements for federal civil service employees experiencing such a loss. Furthermore, the Act creates a new refundable personal tax credit, equivalent to the Child Tax Credit amount, for individuals who suffer a stillbirth.

The SAFEGUARDS Act of 2025 mandates that airline passenger security fees be exclusively used to enhance aviation safety and security, ending any diversion of these funds by 2027. The bill increases dedicated funding for the Aviation Security Capital Fund, ensuring a minimum of \$500 million annually starting in Fiscal Year 2026. Additionally, it establishes the new Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund to finance the purchase and maintenance of advanced screening equipment at airports. This legislation aims to guarantee consistent and robust financial support for critical TSA security operations and technology upgrades.

The STEM RESTART Act establishes a new grant program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to help unemployed or underemployed mid-career workers re-enter high-demand, above-entry-level Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) jobs. These competitive "RESTART grants" will fund businesses to create "returnship" programs that offer on-the-job training, mentorship, and a clear path to full-time employment. The bill prioritizes programs that serve rural workers and ensures these opportunities lead to well-paying roles that supplement, rather than replace, existing staff.

The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl (HALT Fentanyl) Act aims to combat the opioid crisis by immediately classifying structurally similar fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled substances. The bill also streamlines the registration process for researchers working with Schedule I drugs and strengthens criminal penalties for trafficking these compounds. The Attorney General is required to issue implementing rules within six months of enactment.

The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act aims to significantly expand the palliative care and hospice workforce through new federal grant and award programs for education, training, and career incentives. The bill also mandates the dissemination of information about palliative care services to patients, families, and providers, while enhancing palliative care research efforts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Importantly, the legislation clarifies that funds cannot support activities intended to cause death, ensuring alignment with existing federal funding restrictions.

The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025 establishes a new federal process for trafficking survivors to seek the expungement of arrest records or the vacation of certain criminal convictions resulting from their victimization. It also creates a specific "duress" defense for defendants charged with serious federal crimes if they committed the offense while being trafficked. Furthermore, the bill mandates reporting on the use of these new relief mechanisms and clarifies that federal grants for legal aid can be used for post-conviction representation.

The FULL HOUSE Act modifies federal tax law regarding gambling losses, effective for tax years after December 31, 2025. This legislation limits the deduction of gambling losses to the amount a taxpayer has won from gambling during that same tax year. Consequently, individuals will no longer be able to use net gambling losses to offset income earned from non-gambling sources.

The Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends critical funding for both Type 1 Diabetes research programs and diabetes programs serving Native Americans. This legislation secures specific annual appropriations of \$160 million for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, along with a transition allocation in late 2027. The bill ensures continued financial support for these vital public health initiatives through the end of 2027.