Legislative Activity

The Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act prevents Congress from imposing new performance fees on local radio stations for playing music. It emphasizes the mutually beneficial relationship between broadcasters and the recording industry, where radio provides free publicity that boosts music sales and supports artists. The act recognizes local radio's crucial role in communities by providing news, weather updates, and public service announcements. Ultimately, this bill aims to protect local radio stations and businesses from economic harm, ensuring they can continue serving their communities without additional financial burdens.

The Susan Muffley Act of 2025 ensures that eligible participants and beneficiaries under specific pension plans, like the Delphi and PHI retirement programs, receive their full vested benefits. It directs the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to recalculate benefits, provide lump-sum payments for past-due amounts with interest, and establishes a trust fund within the Treasury to cover these increased payments. The act also includes provisions for the tax treatment of lump-sum payments, allowing recipients to spread the income over three years unless they elect otherwise.

The "Death Tax Repeal Act" eliminates both estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, effective from the date of enactment. It adjusts gift tax calculations by setting the lifetime gift exemption at $10,000,000, with inflation adjustments after 2011. The Act also includes transitional rules for applying certain sections of the Internal Revenue Code during the enactment year.

The United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025 seeks to bolster the defense relationship between the United States and Israel through joint initiatives and increased cooperation. It establishes programs to counter unmanned systems, extend anti-tunnel and counter-UAS cooperation, and promote collaboration in emerging technologies like AI and cybersecurity. The act also mandates the establishment of a Defense Innovation Unit office in Israel and assesses integrated air and missile defense in the U.S. Central Command region. Finally, it explores Israel's potential inclusion in the national technology and industrial base.

The "Great Lakes Gateways Network Act of 2025" establishes a network of sites and trails in the Great Lakes Watershed to protect and promote its natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources. It authorizes the Department of Interior and EPA to provide financial and technical assistance through the Great Lakes Gateways Grants Assistance Program. This program supports state and local governments, nonprofits, and the private sector in conserving and restoring significant resources within the Great Lakes region. The act allocates \$6 million annually from 2026 to 2031 for these initiatives.

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 "Love Lives On Act of 2025" amends titles 10 and 38 of the United States Code to improve benefits and services for surviving spouses. This act modifies Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rules, allowing surviving spouses who remarry to still receive benefits. Additionally, it ensures continued Survivor Benefit Plan annuity payments for certain remarried surviving spouses and expands TRICARE eligibility to include remarried widow/widowers whose subsequent marriage ended.

The "Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025" elevates the Director of the Indian Health Service to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health within the Department of Health and Human Services. This change aims to enhance the leadership and focus on Native American healthcare needs. The Act also allows the Assistant Secretary to appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary and necessary staff to manage the Service's activities effectively. Finally, the bill updates relevant sections of the U.S. Code to reflect this change in title and reporting structure.

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.

This bill recognizes the significant contributions of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to the U.S. healthcare system, particularly in providing anesthesia and pain management for over 150 years. It acknowledges their crucial role in rural healthcare and the military, and supports the recognition of CRNAs during National CRNA Week. The bill encourages the full utilization of CRNAs in healthcare settings.

The "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" ensures that infants born alive after an abortion receive the same medical care as any other newborn, mandating immediate hospitalization and requiring healthcare practitioners to report any failures to comply. Violators face fines, imprisonment, and potential prosecution for homicide or attempted homicide, while the mother of the child cannot be prosecuted. The bill also allows the woman who had the abortion to file a civil action against anyone who violated the act. It defines abortion and attempts at abortion, and renames "Partial-Birth Abortions" to "Abortions" in relevant sections of the U.S. Code.

The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act of 2025 directs the VA Secretary to establish a pilot program by October 1, 2027, allowing eligible service members to pre-enroll in the VA healthcare system within 180 days of separation from active duty. It requires collaboration between the VA, Defense, and Homeland Security departments to create the pre-enrollment system and mandates regular reports to Congress on the program's implementation, participation, and effectiveness. The program will run for three years, after which the Comptroller General will assess its impact and provide recommendations.

The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025 updates and expands the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998. It enhances research, monitoring, and response efforts related to harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems, and establishes a national observing network and incubator program. The act also allows for waivers of non-federal share requirements and authorizes contracts and grants to assess the impacts of significant events, with specific considerations for Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Finally, it authorizes specific appropriations for these activities through 2030.

The "Main Street Tax Certainty Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the deduction for qualified business income. This removes the previous expiration date, providing long-term tax certainty for eligible businesses. The change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2025" seeks to modernize Medicare coverage for chiropractic services. It expands coverage to include all services provided by licensed Doctors of Chiropractic, not just manual spinal manipulation. Doctors of Chiropractic are required to attend an educational webinar to be eligible for Medicare reimbursement. This aims to align Medicare with other healthcare systems and private insurance in recognizing the full scope of chiropractic care.

The "Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act" repeals the Corporate Transparency Act, eliminating the requirement for companies to report beneficial ownership information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). It also makes necessary technical adjustments to Title 31 of the United States Code, specifically sections related to financial recordkeeping and reporting of currency and foreign transactions, to reflect the repeal.

The PRECEPT Nurses Act establishes a $2,000 tax credit for eligible nurse preceptors working in Health Professional Shortage Areas. To qualify, preceptors must be licensed registered nurses or healthcare providers who supervise and train nursing students or new nurses for at least 200 hours annually and obtain certification verifying their hours. This credit is available from 2026 through 2032, with annual reports to Congress and a final evaluation on its effectiveness due by June 30, 2033.

The FIND Act prohibits federal agencies from contracting with entities that discriminate against the firearm and ammunition industry. It requires federal contractors to certify they do not discriminate against firearm entities and prohibits them from awarding subcontracts to entities that do not provide a similar certification. Violations of these clauses will result in contract termination. The act defines "discriminate" as making judgments or refusing/limiting services based on biased criteria, rather than case-by-case evaluations, empirical data, financial risk, or legal non-compliance.