Legislative Activity

This bill aims to strengthen efforts to prevent maternal deaths by reauthorizing support for State-based Maternal Mortality Review Committees. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to regularly disseminate proven best practices for maternal mortality prevention to hospitals and professional societies. Furthermore, the legislation increases federal funding dedicated to these crucial prevention initiatives.

The Sustaining Our Democracy Act establishes a new federal program to provide annual funding to states specifically for improving election administration, security, and accessibility. This funding is sourced from a dedicated Trust Fund and administered by a new federal office. States must submit detailed plans outlining how they will use the money for upgrades like cybersecurity and expanded voting options, while being prohibited from using funds for voter intimidation or other prohibited activities.

The MAPWaters Act of 2025 mandates federal land and water management agencies to standardize and digitize geospatial data regarding public access points and restrictions on federal waterways. This legislation requires the creation of a centralized, publicly accessible online database detailing current fishing rules, access status, and navigation limitations. The Act ensures that existing state and federal authority over water regulation and fishery management remains unchanged.

The IEIS Act mandates that federal immigration enforcement officers visibly display their name, unique ID, and agency during public-facing enforcement duties, with exceptions for undercover or high-risk operations. The bill also allows agencies to fully reimburse covered employees for privacy-enhancing services to protect them and their families. Furthermore, the Act includes provisions ensuring it does not impede legitimate journalistic investigation or the public disclosure of matters of public concern regarding these employees.

The Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2025 expands reproductive and fertility preservation assistance for active-duty service members and provides comprehensive fertility treatment and adoption support for eligible veterans through the VA. This bill mandates coverage for fertility services, including IVF, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation, for both current service members and veterans. It also requires proactive measures, such as pre-deployment material preservation for service members and seamless care coordination between the DoD and VA.

This bill permanently codifies the existing pilot program allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use contract physicians for disability examinations. It allows the VA to hire non-federal doctors to conduct these crucial medical exams for benefit applicants. The legislation also establishes requirements for these contract doctors and mandates a report to Congress on the program's impact on exam speed and cost.

The Chairman James Mountain Inhofe Recognition Act of 2025 officially renames the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. This act ensures that the center will now be known as the James M. Inhofe Africa Center for Strategic Studies across all federal documents and records.

The Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act extends and modifies the Department of Veterans Affairs' transportation grant program through fiscal year 2029. This legislation expands eligibility for grants to include Tribal and Native Hawaiian organizations. It also allows certain remote counties to receive increased funding beyond the standard maximum grant amount.

The "Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025" amends the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative to include research on brain and mental health conditions, such as those caused by repetitive low-level blast exposure and dementia. It mandates data sharing between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, directs specific research activities, and requires reports to Congress on the initiative's progress and recommendations. The act authorizes $5 million annually from 2025 to 2034 to fund these efforts.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act primarily repeals previous health subtitle changes and permanently extends enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace health insurance. This extension removes the income cap for receiving enhanced credits and updates the calculation method for determining an individual's required premium contribution. The bill aims to simplify the tax code related to health insurance affordability.

The Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025 establishes the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access within the VA to review and advise the Secretary on improving accessibility across all VA facilities, services, and information for veterans with disabilities. This committee, composed of disabled veterans, accessibility experts, and VA officials, will issue regular reports detailing barriers and recommending corrective actions. Furthermore, the Act requires the VA Secretary to review and abolish or consolidate inactive, non-statutory advisory committees within the VA.

The Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment Act of 2025 significantly restructures the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acquisition process by establishing a new Office of Acquisition and Innovation led by a dedicated Assistant Secretary. This law mandates stricter management, independent verification, and rigorous cost assessment for all major VA programs to ensure fiscal responsibility and successful project delivery. Furthermore, it grants the VA new authorities to procure innovative health care technologies through specialized contracting methods.

The Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act extends crucial federal programs aimed at combating vector-borne diseases like those carried by ticks. This legislation reauthorizes funding and support for national strategies, regional centers, and local health departments through 2030. It also updates the composition of the advisory group overseeing the national strategy.

This bill, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Retirement Technical Corrections Act, makes technical adjustments to ensure certain early CBP officers receive appropriate retirement benefits. Specifically, it treats individuals who received a job offer before July 6, 2008, as if they were already serving on that date for annuity and mandatory retirement purposes. The Secretary of Homeland Security must implement these annuity corrections, including retroactive adjustments for retirees, within 120 days. The bill also mandates a Government Accountability Office review of CBP's hiring and benefit eligibility processes.

The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 mandates an increase in disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) rates for veterans and survivors. This adjustment, effective December 1, 2025, must match the percentage increase applied to Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to publish these new payment rates concurrently with the SSA's annual COLA announcement.

The "Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act" establishes a three-year pilot program to improve healthcare coordination between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Medicare for veterans enrolled in both systems. The program assigns case managers to participating veterans to create care coordination plans, aiming to improve healthcare access, outcomes, and quality while reducing costs and eliminating service duplication. The VA Secretary will oversee the program in selected Veterans Integrated Service Networks, tracking key metrics and reporting to Congress on its progress and potential for continuation.

The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act of 2025 establishes a five-year Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofits providing service dogs to eligible veterans. This program mandates that the VA provide lifetime veterinary insurance coverage for every service dog placed through the program. Grants will fund the provision of service dogs to veterans with disabilities such as PTSD, TBI, or severe mobility issues, with recipients strictly prohibited from charging veterans any fees.

This resolution officially designates the week of August 3 through August 9, 2025, as "National Farmers Market Week." It aims to celebrate the vital role farmers markets play in strengthening local economies and supporting farmers across the nation. Furthermore, the resolution recognizes how these markets improve community health by increasing access to fresh food and promoting sustainable agriculture.

The Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2025 authorizes $50 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to be appropriated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This funding is specifically designated for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. This appropriation is in addition to any existing funds allocated for this purpose.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Voting Rights Act by establishing new standards to challenge discriminatory voting practices and updating federal oversight criteria for states. It mandates greater transparency for all changes to voting rules and implements "practice-based preclearance" for certain jurisdictions. Additionally, the bill creates new federal criminal penalties for using force or threats to intimidate voters or election workers.