Legislative Activity

The National Strategy for Combating Scams Act of 2025 addresses the rising threat of scams, which cost consumers billions annually and increasingly involve advanced technologies like AI. This bill mandates the FBI to establish a federal working group to develop a comprehensive National Strategy for Combating Scams. The strategy must coordinate efforts across numerous federal agencies, define "scam," and outline plans for improved reporting, prevention, and cross-border cooperation.

The More Homes on the Market Act aims to encourage homeowners to sell by significantly increasing the tax exclusion on profits from the sale of a principal residence. This bill raises the maximum exclusion from $250,000 to $500,000 for single filers and from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for married couples filing jointly. Furthermore, these new thresholds will be adjusted for inflation annually starting in 2026.

The Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act of 2025 aims to strengthen protections for unaccompanied children navigating the immigration system. This bill exempts these children from various immigration-related fees, including those for asylum and employment authorization. Furthermore, it places limitations on body examinations and restricts the sharing of sponsor information with immigration enforcement agencies. The Act also mandates the refund of previously paid fees that are now waived.

This bill establishes the **Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act** to authorize the Attorney General to appoint highly qualified individuals as temporary immigration judges for limited terms. These temporary judges will have the same authority as permanent judges but will be subject to rigorous oversight and mandatory training requirements. The legislation emphasizes that these temporary appointments are not intended to replace the need for permanent immigration judges.

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.

The Streamline Transit Projects Act allows large urban transit agencies to assume federal responsibilities for environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for routine projects. Qualified agencies can take over making "categorical exclusion" determinations for designated activities, provided they meet capacity requirements and enter into a formal agreement with the Secretary of Transportation. This reform aims to speed up project delivery by streamlining the environmental compliance process for eligible transit improvements.

This bill, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025, mandates an increase in disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation rates for veterans. Effective December 1, 2025, these rates will be raised by the same percentage as the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for that year. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to implement these increases and publish the adjusted rates.

The SMART Infrastructure Act of 2025 aims to modernize federal infrastructure permitting by integrating advanced digital twin technology and establishing a centralized electronic portal for NEPA compliance. This legislation mandates pilot programs and guidelines to test how these digital tools can improve coordination, transparency, and data sharing for transportation projects. Ultimately, the goal is to accelerate the development of critical infrastructure by streamlining environmental reviews and reducing permitting timelines by at least 25% for eligible projects.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act prohibits discrimination based on religion, sex, or marital status in federally funded child welfare services. This aims to increase the number of available, stable foster and adoptive homes, particularly for LGBTQ youth and youth of color who are overrepresented in the system. The bill mandates federal guidance, cultural competency training, and the establishment of a resource center to improve safety and permanency outcomes for all children in care. Entities found in violation may face the withholding of federal payments.

The Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act (ASAP Act) amends Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias beginning in 2028. This coverage applies to FDA-cleared tests designed to detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. The legislation specifically outlines the types of genomic and imaging tests that will qualify for Medicare payment.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a previous law (Public Law 11921). This repeal effectively reinstates the original statutes that were previously altered by those sections.

This bill establishes a State judicial threat intelligence and resource center to enhance the security of state and local judges and court staff. It directs the State Justice Institute to provide support for creating this center, which will offer training, conduct security assessments, and proactively monitor threats. The center will also develop a national database for sharing threat information across law enforcement agencies. Finally, the Institute must submit an annual report detailing the scope and seriousness of threats against the judiciary.

The Background Check Expansion Act mandates that nearly all private firearm transfers between unlicensed individuals must go through a licensed dealer to complete a federal background check. This legislation establishes a universal background check requirement for these transactions, with specific exceptions for family gifts and law enforcement transfers. The bill aims to close loopholes in existing firearm transfer laws while explicitly prohibiting the creation of a national firearms registry.

The Advanced Artificial Intelligence Security Readiness Act of 2025 mandates the National Security Agency to develop and distribute comprehensive security guidance for protecting advanced AI systems and their supply chains from foreign threats. This guidance will detail unique vulnerabilities, mitigation strategies against technology theft and sabotage, and best practices for protecting sensitive AI artifacts. The NSA must collaborate with industry experts and relevant federal agencies while reporting progress to the congressional intelligence committees.

The Space RACE Act establishes the National Institute for Space Research within NASA to coordinate and support U.S. microgravity research and development across government agencies and non-governmental entities. This Institute will help transition in-space research from the International Space Station to next-generation platforms. It is authorized to issue grants and provide technical assistance to ensure the continuity and advancement of American space-based scientific exploration.

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.

The Anti-Cash Grab Act repeals a specific provision (Section 213 of division C of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026). This repeal effectively restores a previous law, Section 10 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005. The legislation is designed to take effect retroactively as if the repealed section had never been enacted.

The Algorithm Accountability Act amends Section 230 to impose a new duty of care on social media platforms regarding their recommendation algorithms. This duty requires platforms to use reasonable care to prevent foreseeable bodily injury or death resulting from the algorithm's operation. A violation of this duty strips the platform of its standard liability protection, allowing victims to sue for damages in federal court. The law specifically exempts content displayed chronologically or in direct response to a user's initial search query.

The "No Torts for Trump Act" amends the Federal Tort Claims Act to prohibit lawsuits against the federal government brought by the sitting President or any individual who subsequently becomes President. This new exception bars such claims from being heard in federal court, regardless of when the underlying incident occurred.

The Stuck On Hold Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implement an automated system on all covered customer service lines to inform callers of their expected wait time. If the wait exceeds 10 minutes, the system must offer an automatic callback option. Furthermore, the VA is required to issue guidance aimed at reducing average wait times to 10 minutes or less.