Legislative Activity

This bill establishes a grant program, administered by the Secretary of Agriculture through a selected non-governmental organization, to help agricultural producers and schools retrofit tractors with approved rollover protection structures. Grants will generally cover 70% of the total cost for purchasing, transporting, and installing these safety devices. The program is authorized to receive funding from fiscal year 2027 through 2031.

The Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends critical funding programs for counties containing federal lands through fiscal year 2026. This legislation ensures the continuation of secure payments and resource advisory committee authorities established under the original 2000 Act. It also streamlines payment elections for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 by carrying over the previous year's choice. Finally, the bill includes technical corrections to improve the administration of these rural support programs.

The No Red Tape For Addiction Treatment Act aims to improve access to care for opioid use disorder by requiring state Medicaid programs to cover essential medication-assisted treatments without imposing prior authorization or dosage limits. This legislation ensures that necessary treatments are readily available to patients. Additionally, the bill mandates a report from MACPAC to study current utilization management controls and administrative burdens affecting treatment access under Medicaid.

This act streamlines federal oversight by automatically deeming State Veterans Homes certified by the VA as meeting Medicare and Medicaid nursing facility requirements. This automatic qualification is contingent upon the VA sharing inspection data and aligning its standards with federal requirements. The bill also mandates that VA inspection data for these homes be publicly reported to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Less Than Lethal Act aims to reduce the tax burden on certain non-lethal defense and safety devices. This bill exempts qualifying less-than-lethal projectile devices from the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. Furthermore, it removes these specific devices from the regulatory requirements of the National Firearms Act. The legislation establishes clear criteria for what qualifies as an exempt device, focusing on projectile speed and design intent.

This resolution honors the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, members of the West Virginia National Guard, who were tragically shot in a targeted assault in Washington, D.C. It specifically honors Specialist Beckstrom, who succumbed to her injuries, and recognizes Staff Sergeant Wolfe, who remains hospitalized. The resolution condemns the violent attack and expresses profound gratitude to all National Guard members and first responders involved.

This bill, the AGRITOURISM Act, establishes an Agritourism Advisor within the USDA to promote and encourage agritourism activities nationwide. It recognizes the significant financial, educational, and cultural benefits that agritourism provides to rural communities and their agricultural enterprises. The Advisor will coordinate efforts within the USDA and with external partners to share best practices and improve access to federal resources for these businesses.

This resolution officially designates December 2, 2025, as "World Nuclear Energy Day." It recognizes the historical milestones and significant contributions of nuclear energy to the U.S. economy, national security, and carbon-free electricity generation. The resolution celebrates the innovators in the field and encourages continued global cooperation in advancing safe nuclear technology.

The Back the Blue Act of 2025 establishes new federal crimes and harsher penalties for killing or assaulting law enforcement officers and other public safety officials. The bill also creates specific aggravating factors for the federal death penalty in such cases and places new restrictions on federal habeas corpus relief for related state convictions. Finally, it expands federal protections allowing active and retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms in various federal locations.

This bill reestablishes the National Coal Council as a federal advisory committee under the Department of Energy. The Council will provide recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters related to coal. Its operations will adhere to the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

The Strengthening Sanctions on Fentanyl Traffickers Act of 2025 aims to combat the flow of illicit synthetic narcotics into the United States. It mandates prioritizing sanctions identification against individuals and entities from the People's Republic of China involved in the fentanyl supply chain. The bill also strengthens existing sanctions on major Mexican drug cartels and expands presidential authority to impose broad economic sanctions on foreign persons involved in the global illicit drug trade.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 enhances the FDA's authority to require pediatric investigations for new molecularly targeted cancer drugs. It also extends the priority review voucher program designed to incentivize the development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases until September 2030. Furthermore, the bill mandates studies to assess the effectiveness of these new drug investigation requirements and the existing voucher program.

This bill, the Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act, extends and significantly increases the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for employers hiring from targeted groups through 2030. It raises the base credit amount, adjusts key figures for inflation, and adds qualified military spouses as an eligible group. Furthermore, the legislation mandates federal agencies to promote the hiring of WOTC-eligible individuals within critical sectors like manufacturing and healthcare.

The NOPAIN for Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must include specific, FDA-approved non-opioid pain management drugs in its national formulary. This ensures veterans have access to alternatives that do not act on opioid receptors for pain relief. The bill sets clear deadlines for the inclusion of these non-opioid products.

This resolution officially designates November 20, 2025, as "National Rural Health Day." It recognizes the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities, including provider shortages and hospital vulnerability. The Senate expresses support for rural health providers and commits to advancing policies that improve healthcare access and affordability in these areas.

The Strengthening Resources for Our Schools (SROS) Act aims to support school safety by providing a federal tax exclusion for retirement income received by qualified school resource officers (SROs). This benefit applies to former military personnel or law enforcement officers currently serving as SROs. Furthermore, SROs who serve for at least 10 years will receive this retirement income exclusion for life.

This resolution condemns the Chinese Communist Party's severe persecution of religious minority groups, including Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists. It specifically denounces the detention of Pastor "Ezra" Jin Mingri and Zion Church leaders amid a broader campaign to "sinicize" religion. The measure reaffirms the United States' global commitment to promoting religious freedom and calls for the immediate release of all wrongfully detained religious practitioners in China.

The CARE Act of 2025 mandates the testing of a new Comprehensive Alternative Response for Emergencies (CARE) Model under Medicare. This model allows Medicare Part B to pay ground ambulance providers for emergency response services, even if no transport occurs. The goal is to evaluate how this alternative payment structure impacts emergency medical service access, beneficiary outcomes, and resource utilization over a five-year period.

This resolution officially designates the week of November 3 through November 7, 2025, as National Veterans Small Business Week. It recognizes the significant contributions of the over 1.65 million veteran-owned small businesses to the U.S. economy. The bill supports creating a business-friendly environment and expresses appreciation for veterans' continued service through entrepreneurship.

The Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act of 2025 designates essential firearm-related operations as necessary for protecting human life or property during a government shutdown. This ensures that key functions, such as the FBI's NICS background check system and critical ATF, Commerce, and State Department licensing activities, continue without interruption. Employees performing these duties will be considered "excepted employees" and must continue to work.