Legislative Activity

The "Access to Counsel Act" amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to guarantee individuals undergoing inspection at ports of entry or deferred inspection have access to legal counsel and assistance. It mandates that the Department of Homeland Security provide these individuals with the opportunity to consult with counsel within one hour of secondary inspection and allows counsel to advocate on their behalf. The Act also ensures lawful permanent residents are given the chance to seek legal advice before abandoning their residency status. This act aims to ensure due process and protect the rights of individuals during immigration inspections.

The "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025" extends increased Medicare payment support for physicians and practitioners through 2025. It increases payment rates by 6.62% for services provided from April 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The bill also updates a section of the Social Security Act to include the years 2021 through 2025 for conforming changes.

The DERAIL Act aims to improve railroad safety by updating the definition of "high-hazard flammable train" to include trains carrying flammable liquids or gases. It also mandates that railroad carriers report derailments involving toxic inhalation materials to relevant authorities within 24 hours.

The "Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025" authorizes the EPA Administrator to award grants to air pollution control agencies for programs that help communities prepare for and lessen the impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. It establishes Centers of Excellence for research on the public health effects of these events and directs the Administrator to conduct further research and develop interventions. The Act also creates a grant program for states, local governments, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to develop and implement community plans to reduce the effects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

The Aviation-Impacted Communities Act aims to mitigate the impact of aviation noise and pollution on communities near airports. It expands eligibility for noise mitigation funding, establishes community boards to address local concerns, and requires the FAA to conduct community assessments and develop action plans based on those assessments. The Act also directs the FAA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study aviation impacts and create a framework for community assessments, and it sets aside funding to implement these provisions.

The "Semiconductor Technology Advancement and Research Act of 2025" or "STAR Act of 2025" incentivizes domestic semiconductor design by adding qualified semiconductor design expenditures to the advanced manufacturing investment credit. This includes a 25% tax credit for these expenditures, covering in-house and contract design expenses for semiconductor design conducted in the United States. This credit aims to boost innovation and development in semiconductor technology. The credit will terminate for construction beginning or expenditures made after December 31, 2036.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' view that Congress should act to maintain the United States Postal Service (USPS) as an independent entity within the Federal Government. It emphasizes the USPS's role as a self-sustaining service vital to the economy and national connectivity. The resolution discourages privatization, citing concerns about increased costs, reduced services, and damage to critical infrastructure.

This bill recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Lunar New Year. It acknowledges the importance of Lunar New Year for Asian Americans and others in the U.S., and expresses respect for those who celebrate it worldwide. The bill wishes all celebrants a happy and prosperous new year.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' disapproval of the President's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, recognizing climate change as a threat and highlighting the increasing costs of extreme weather events. It commends entities supporting the Agreement, urges the President to reconsider, and encourages Congress to prioritize U.S. leadership on climate change.

This bill recognizes January as "Muslim-American Heritage Month" to celebrate the heritage, culture, and significant contributions of Muslim Americans to the United States. It acknowledges their diverse backgrounds, contributions across various sectors, and service in the Armed Forces. The bill supports raising public awareness and encourages the observance of the month with celebratory events.

The BNA Fairness Act amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude the basic needs allowance for members of the Armed Forces from gross income. This allowance, as defined under section 402b of title 37, United States Code, is now classified as a qualified military benefit, providing a tax advantage to service members. This provision is applicable for taxable years ending after the enactment of this act.

The "Neighbors Not Enemies Act" repeals the Alien Enemies Act, specifically removing sections 4067 through 4070 of the Revised Statutes of the United States. This eliminates the outdated provisions that allowed for the apprehension, restraint, securing, and removal of alien enemies during times of war or declared invasion.

The Close the Medigap Act of 2025 aims to strengthen consumer protections and improve transparency in the Medicare supplemental insurance market. It ensures guaranteed issue of Medigap policies regardless of health status, sets minimum medical loss ratios, and prohibits age-based pricing discrimination. The Act also enhances the Medicare plan finder website to provide clearer information about Medigap options and requires transparency in payments to brokers. Finally, the Act restores access to first-dollar Medigap coverage.

The "Assuring Medicare's Promise Act of 2025" aims to bolster the solvency of Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund by expanding the application of the net investment income tax. It directs revenue from the net investment income tax to the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and broadens the base of the tax to include trade or business income for high-income individuals, with certain income thresholds and phase-in provisions. This act amends both the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code to ensure the financial stability of Medicare.

The "Cleaner Air Spaces Act of 2025" authorizes the EPA Administrator to provide grants to air pollution control agencies, including Tribal agencies, for establishing cleaner air space programs. These programs will establish clean air centers, distribute air filtration units and replacement filters to covered households in areas at risk of wildfire smoke, and provide educational materials. Grant applicants must partner with community-based organizations and meet specific requirements for program implementation, data collection, and reporting. The act allocates $30,000,000 for the program from fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

The Food Deserts Act establishes a grant program providing funds to states to create revolving loan funds for grocery stores in underserved communities. These funds will offer loans to establish new grocery stores or support existing ones, emphasizing the availability of healthful foods at affordable prices. States will prioritize entities that hire locally, offer nutritional education, and source food from local farms. The Act allocates $150 million for fiscal year 2026 to carry out these provisions.

The Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2025 amends bankruptcy laws to allow private student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy, aligning them with other types of debt. It removes the existing exception that prevents the discharge of private student loans, and modifies the remaining exception to include programs substantially funded by a government unit. The changes will apply to bankruptcy cases filed on or after the date of the Act's enactment.

The Prevent Tariff Abuse Act amends the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to limit the President's power, preventing them from imposing import duties, tariff-rate quotas, or other quotas on goods entering the United States under the authority of that act.

The "Department of Education Protection Act" prevents the Department of Education from using already allocated funds to reorganize in ways that would decentralize, reduce staff, or alter the Department's responsibilities, structure, authority, or functions as they existed on January 1, 2025. This act ensures that the Department of Education continues to focus on boosting student success and equal access through its established offices and institutes.

The "Rosie the Riveter Commemorative Coin Act" directs the Department of Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar coins in 2028 to honor the women who contributed to the World War II Home Front. The coin designs will represent the legacy of these women, with input from the Rosie the Riveter Trust, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Surcharges from the coin sales will go to the Rosie the Riveter Trust to support the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and educational programs. This act ensures that the coin minting incurs no net cost to the government and recognizes the invaluable contributions of women during WWII.