Legislative Activity

This resolution officially recognizes November as "National Bread Month" to celebrate bread's vital role in the American diet. It highlights bread as a nutritious, affordable, and culturally significant staple food that provides essential vitamins and minerals. The bill commends the baking industry and encourages Americans to explore the diversity and benefits of grain foods.

The Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act aims to streamline the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure by modifying environmental and historic preservation reviews. Specifically, it exempts certain projects involving the placement or modification of telecom facilities on existing eligible support structures from major federal environmental reviews under NEPA and standard historic preservation reviews under NHPA. This change is intended to speed up the process for upgrading and expanding broadband services.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the licensure of design professionals, such as architects and engineers, is vital for protecting public health, safety, and welfare. It urges states to maintain strong licensing standards for these professions, recognizing their critical role in infrastructure and community well-being. Congress supports the current state-level authority over professional licensing in these essential fields.

The SPARC Act establishes a new federal loan repayment program to incentivize specialty medical providers to practice in underserved rural communities. This program offers to repay up to $250,000 of eligible education loans in exchange for a six-year service commitment in a designated rural shortage area. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will administer the program through HRSA, prioritizing loan repayment for both physicians and non-physician specialists.

The Access to Claims Data Act establishes a system for qualified clinical data registries and clinician-led registries to request Medicare and Medicaid claims data. This access is intended to facilitate research, quality improvement initiatives, and the reporting of care quality metrics. Registries will use the linked data to assess provider performance and publish de-identified findings, provided they pay a fee covering the cost of data provision.

This joint resolution expresses Congressional disapproval of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rule regarding California's "Advanced Clean Cars II" vehicle pollution standards. By rejecting this rule, Congress is effectively canceling the EPA's decision to grant California a waiver allowing it to set stricter emission standards than federal law typically permits. Consequently, the approved California standards will not take effect.

The SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act aims to modernize how the FDA evaluates sunscreen active ingredients by prioritizing consumer safety through scientifically sound evidence, including real-world data and alternatives to animal testing. This legislation directs the FDA to finalize long-pending rules for over-the-counter sunscreen ingredients, emphasizing their role in skin cancer prevention. Furthermore, it mandates annual public reporting to Congress on the progress of implementing these new testing standards and reviewing ingredient applications.

The ABC-ED Act of 2025 aims to alleviate emergency department boarding and crowding by modernizing public health data systems to track real-time hospital bed capacity. It also directs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to pilot programs specifically improving emergency care for older adults and those in acute psychiatric crisis. Finally, the bill mandates a study on best practices for statewide, real-time capacity tracking systems and their impact on ER wait times.

The Information and Communication Technology Strategy Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to assess the U.S. information and communication technology (ICT) supply chain, identifying critical technologies and trusted domestic vendors. This assessment will form the basis for a government-wide strategy aimed at boosting the economic competitiveness of these trusted vendors. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the nation's technology sources and reduce reliance on vendors deemed a national security risk.

The Access to Pediatric Technologies Act of 2025 aims to establish clear Medicare payment rates for new medical tools specifically designed for children. This bill mandates that the Secretary establish national relative value units (RVUs) for qualifying pediatric technologies upon manufacturer request and sufficient data submission. The goal is to ensure these specialized pediatric devices receive appropriate reimbursement under the physician fee schedule starting in 2026.

The "Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025" amends the Social Security Act to change how Medicare pays for ultralightweight manual wheelchairs. It mandates separate billing codes for these wheelchairs based on their construction material and ensures suppliers of titanium or carbon fiber wheelchairs are paid without payment reductions. This bill also lets suppliers charge beneficiaries the price difference between the Medicare payment and the wheelchair's cost, with potential requirements for suppliers to disclose out-of-pocket expenses to beneficiaries beforehand.

The "ORPHAN Cures Act" amends the Social Security Act to refine the orphan drug exclusion within the Drug Price Negotiation Program. It excludes time periods when a drug was designated as an orphan drug from counting towards its eligibility for price negotiation. The bill also modifies the criteria for orphan drug designation, allowing it to apply to drugs treating "one or more rare diseases or conditions" instead of "only one rare disease or condition."

The "Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act" expands access to in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services by allowing them to be delivered via telehealth, including designating a patient's home as a provider-based location. It broadens originating sites for telehealth services and waives geographic requirements for in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. The Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for designating a patient's home as a provider-based organization, aligning with the Hospital Without Walls program.

The "Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act" amends the Clean Air Act to limit the EPA's ability to grant waivers to state emission standards that would restrict the sale or use of new gas-powered vehicles. It prevents the EPA from including state standards under previously granted waivers if they limit gas-powered vehicle sales and requires the EPA to revoke any non-compliant waivers granted after January 1, 2022. This bill aims to ensure consumers have the option to purchase gas-powered vehicles.