Legislative Activity

This resolution commends Southeastern Louisiana University on its Centennial anniversary, recognizing its historical growth, academic contributions, and service to Louisiana and the United States. It acknowledges the university's evolution from Hammond Junior College to a comprehensive university with over 15,000 students, highlighting its impact on the state's economy and culture. The resolution also directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies to key university leaders.

This joint resolution nullifies a rule issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency concerning the review process for bank merger applications under the Bank Merger Act. By disapproving the rule, Congress prevents it from taking effect.

The "Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2025" modifies the charter of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association. These amendments include revisions to membership criteria, governance structure, restrictions on activities, location of the principal office, and procedures for asset distribution upon dissolution. The bill also ensures compliance with budgetary regulations through reliance on the Senate Budget Committee's statement.

The FIGHT Act of 2025 amends the Animal Welfare Act to further prohibit animal fighting ventures, including sponsoring, exhibiting, attending, or gambling on these events. It bans the interstate transport of roosters for fighting and allows citizens to file civil suits against alleged violators. The act also enables the seizure of real property used in animal fighting and clarifies that it does not override state or local animal fighting laws unless there is a direct conflict.

The "Targeting Child Predators Act of 2025" enhances law enforcement's ability to investigate and prosecute child predators by modifying the rules around administrative subpoenas. It extends nondisclosure requirements for certain subpoenas issued by the Department of Homeland Security to protect victims and investigations, while also establishing a process for judicial review of these nondisclosure requirements to ensure transparency and protect the rights of subpoena recipients. This judicial review process allows recipients to challenge nondisclosure requirements, balancing the need for secrecy in investigations with the principles of due process. The bill aims to prevent child predators from evading justice by ensuring investigations are not compromised through premature disclosure of subpoenas.

The "No Dollars for Dictators Act of 2025" prevents the U.S. from supporting the allocation of funds from the International Monetary Fund to countries found to have committed genocide or repeatedly supported international terrorism. This prohibition stands unless Congress specifically authorizes such allocation.

The "Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act" improves the Federal Crop Insurance Act by mandating regular reviews of quality loss adjustment procedures, starting in 2025, with stakeholder engagement and reports to Congress. It also requires the establishment of State or regional discount factors for soybean crops to reflect local market prices after a disaster. These discount factors must be included in the periodic reviews and reports.

The Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act mandates that directors, officers, and principal stockholders disclose specific information, amending Section 16(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. It invalidates conflicting regulations and requires the SEC to issue final regulations within 90 days to enforce these changes.

This joint resolution nullifies the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's rule on the Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources. By disapproving the rule, Congress prevents its enforcement or implementation.

The "Crucial Communism Teaching Act" aims to educate high school students about the dangers and history of communism, highlighting its global impact and contrasting it with American principles of freedom and democracy. It directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources. These resources will feature personal stories from individuals who have experienced communism and can compare it with U.S. political ideology. The goal is to ensure students understand the importance of civic responsibility and the dangers of oppressive ideologies.

The "Transparency in Banking Act" mandates financial regulatory bodies like the Federal Reserve and FDIC to provide annual reports to Congress detailing the activities, goals, and decisions of the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision. These reports aim to increase transparency regarding international banking standards and their potential impact on the U.S. Additionally, major changes to planned activities must be reported to Congress within 30 days. The Chair and Vice Chair for Supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System must include details of the annual report in their yearly testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services.

The NFIP Extension Act of 2025 extends the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) until September 30, 2025. It reauthorizes financing and the program's expiration date, ensuring the continuation of flood insurance coverage for communities across the nation. The changes will be applied as if enacted on March 14, 2025, even if the actual enactment date is later.

The Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act aims to increase hospital price transparency by requiring hospitals to publish standard charges annually and prohibits hiding this information online. It establishes financial penalties for non-compliance, varying with hospital size, and mandates the public listing of hospitals failing to meet these transparency requirements. This act ensures that hospitals provide clear pricing information to patients, promoting informed healthcare decisions.

The LEOSA Reform Act amends the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 to allow qualified law enforcement officers and retired officers to carry concealed firearms in school zones. It also modifies the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, clarifying its relationship with other federal laws, updating firearms proficiency requirements for retired officers, and including magazines in the definition of ammunition. Additionally, the Act permits qualified current and retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms in certain federal facilities.

The "Protecting Investors Personally Identifiable Information Act" prohibits the SEC from requiring the collection of personally identifiable information under consolidated audit trail reporting requirements, defining such information as data that can identify an individual. The SEC is only allowed to request this information if it is related to an investigation or enforcement action concerning violations of Federal securities laws, and this information must be destroyed after the conclusion of the investigation. This bill aims to protect investors' personal data while still allowing the SEC to investigate potential securities law violations.

The "Independent and Objective Oversight of Ukrainian Assistance Act" establishes an Office of the Special Inspector General to independently audit and investigate programs and operations receiving U.S. aid to Ukraine. The Special Inspector General will be responsible for monitoring how funds are spent, preventing waste and fraud, and reporting findings to Congress and relevant agencies. The act authorizes \$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 to carry out the act and rescinds \$20,000,000 from the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024. The office will terminate 180 days after unspent funds for Ukraine's reconstruction fall below \$250,000,000, at which point a final audit report to Congress will be submitted.

The No IRIS Act of 2025 prohibits the EPA from using risk assessments generated by the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) in rulemakings, regulatory actions, enforcement, or permitting. This includes preventing IRIS assessments from informing air toxics assessments or other mapping and screening tools used by the EPA.

This joint resolution disapproves and nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule regarding Trichloroethylene (TCE) regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

The "Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act" amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to include rural-area small businesses in the list of entities the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation should focus on. This ensures that the Advocate identifies problems and provides assistance to these businesses, as well as conducts outreach activities to support them.

The "1071 Repeal to Protect Small Business Lending Act" repeals Section 704B of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which mandated data collection on small business loans. This repeal aims to reduce compliance costs for financial institutions, especially smaller ones, and improve small businesses' access to credit by removing regulatory barriers. The act also makes related amendments to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.