Legislative Activity

The "Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025" mandates a thorough vetting process for applicants seeking high-cost universal service funds for broadband deployment. This process ensures that only qualified applicants with the technical, financial, and operational capabilities receive funding. The Act directs the FCC to establish clear standards and penalties for non-compliance, enhancing accountability in the use of universal service funds.

The "Abortion Funding Awareness Act of 2025" requires states to report annually to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and publish on a public website, details of all Medicaid payments made to abortion providers, including payment amounts, purposes, comparisons to prior years, number of abortions performed, gestational age, and abortion methods. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must then submit a report to Congress, including state reports and a summary, and publish the report on a public website. This act amends the Social Security Act to ensure state compliance with these reporting requirements.

The "Safeguarding American Education From Foreign Control Act" amends the Higher Education Act of 1965, requiring educational institutions to disclose foreign gifts and contracts to the Secretary of Education. It lowers the reporting threshold to $0 for gifts or contracts from countries of concern and $250,000 from all other foreign sources. The Secretary of Education must also share these disclosures with the FBI Director and the Director of National Intelligence.

The "Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025" aims to protect students' rights to freely associate in single-sex organizations at higher education institutions. It prevents these institutions from taking adverse actions against students or organizations based solely on their single-sex status. The Act ensures fair treatment and equal opportunities for students participating in these groups, safeguarding their freedom of association.

The EASE Act of 2025 requires hospitals to inform Medicare patients about hospice care options if they are likely eligible and being discharged. This includes providing a list of Medicare-participating hospice programs in the patient's area. These provisions will be effective for discharges on or after January 1, 2026.

The "Foster Care Tax Credit Act" introduces a new tax credit of $850 for eligible foster parents, subject to income limitations and certain restrictions. It mandates information reporting from placement agencies and courts, allows taxpayers to elect between the child tax credit and the new foster care credit, and includes the new credit under due diligence requirements for tax preparers. Additionally, the Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct outreach and a study on the financial burdens of emergency and short-term foster placements.

The College Employment Accountability Act aims to ensure that institutions of higher education comply with immigration laws regarding employment. It prohibits colleges and universities from receiving federal student aid or institutional aid if they are found to employ unauthorized aliens, and mandates participation in the E-Verify Program. The Department of Homeland Security will monitor institutions' compliance and notify the Department of Education of any violations.

This bill expresses support for a NICU Baby's Bill of Rights, advocating for family-centered care in neonatal intensive care units. It emphasizes informed consent, parental involvement in care decisions, and access to mental health support for NICU families. The bill encourages hospitals to integrate family advocates in policy development and provide comprehensive discharge planning.

This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act by defining "evidence-based" to include programs and activities that demonstrate statistically significant improvements in participant outcomes through experimental, quasi-experimental, or correlational studies. It also includes practices likely to improve outcomes based on research or evaluation, with ongoing study of their effects. States will be required to prioritize funding for these evidence-based programs when using funds for statewide workforce development activities.

The "Retirement Proxy Protection Act" amends ERISA to clarify that managing shareholder rights, like proxy voting, is part of a fiduciary's duty to act prudently and solely in the financial interest of retirement plan participants. It sets requirements for exercising these rights, including cost considerations, fact evaluation, and record-keeping, while prohibiting the subordination of financial interests to non-financial objectives. The act allows for "safe harbor" proxy voting policies that focus on economic interests, while mandating the monitoring of advisors and periodic review of policies.

This bill streamlines the House's consideration of three measures: disapproving the Department of Energy's energy conservation standards for water heaters, disapproving the EPA's rule on waste emissions charges for petroleum and natural gas systems, and establishing the congressional budget for fiscal year 2025 while setting budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026-2034. It sets specific debate times and waives certain procedural rules to expedite the process.

The "Empowering Families in Special Education Act" ensures that schools inform parents of their right to include individuals with knowledge or expertise about their child in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. This includes related service providers. Schools must provide this notification within a reasonable timeframe before the first IEP team meeting of each school year.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act prohibits federal funds from being allocated to any entity that refuses to provide treatment to an individual based on their COVID-19 vaccination status. This includes funds authorized by federal law or from any trust fund receiving federal authorization, including those provided under titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI of the Social Security Act.

This bill formally elects specific members of the House of Representatives to serve on the Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, and Ways and Means standing committees.