Legislative Activity

The John W. Walsh Alpha-1 Home Infusion Act of 2025 amends Medicare to specifically cover augmentation therapy for individuals with severe Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Disorder when administered in the home. This legislation establishes new payment rules under Medicare Part B for the necessary intravenous kits and associated nursing services. The goal is to ensure qualified home infusion suppliers are reimbursed directly for providing this essential, ongoing maintenance treatment.

The Puppy Protection Act of 2025 significantly increases humane treatment standards for dog dealers under the Animal Welfare Act. This legislation mandates specific minimum space requirements, daily exercise access, and mandatory socialization for housed dogs. Furthermore, it establishes strict limits on female dog breeding frequency and age, alongside enhanced veterinary care protocols.

The PARA-EMT Act of 2025 addresses the critical national shortage of EMTs and paramedics by establishing a pilot grant program to help agencies hire, train, and support their emergency medical workforce. It also creates a federal grant program to assist states in streamlining the transition of veterans with military medical training into civilian EMS roles. Finally, the bill mandates a comprehensive study to quantify the current and projected workforce shortage and recommend solutions, including potential visa considerations.

The Air America Act of 2025 recognizes the sacrifices of former Air America employees who served the U.S. Government between 1950 and 1976. This Act authorizes a one-time monetary award, up to $40,000 plus potential additional amounts, for qualifying service members or their survivors. The CIA Director is responsible for administering these payments, which are capped at a total of $60 million, and establishing the application procedures. Decisions made by the Director regarding these awards are final and not subject to judicial review.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The SPEAK Act of 2025 directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue updated guidance on ensuring meaningful language access during telehealth services. This guidance must establish best practices for incorporating interpreters, improving access to technology, and providing multilingual patient materials for individuals with limited English proficiency. The goal is to ensure equitable care delivery across virtual health platforms.

The Radiation Oncology Case Rate Value Based Program Act of 2025 establishes a new Medicare payment system that pays providers a single, set rate for an entire episode of radiation therapy care, rather than paying for individual services. This program aims to incentivize high-quality, efficient care while achieving cost savings for Medicare. It also includes specific provisions to support patient access, such as a health equity bonus for addressing transportation insecurity. Finally, the bill exempts the savings generated by this new payment structure from standard Medicare budget neutrality adjustments.

This bill, the Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding Act, allows individual investors to defer paying taxes on capital gain dividends from mutual funds if those dividends are automatically reinvested into more fund shares. Taxes on these deferred gains are only due when the investor sells the shares or upon death. This provision aims to encourage long-term investment in mutual funds by providing immediate tax relief on reinvested earnings.

The Combating Houthi Threats and Aggression Act commits the U.S. to working with allies to secure vital shipping lanes against Houthi attacks. The bill mandates several detailed, regular reports to Congress regarding Houthi capabilities, their threats to navigation, and violations of the UN arms embargo. Furthermore, it authorizes the President to impose strict sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on foreign individuals supporting Houthi aggression against international shipping. This entire Act is set to expire five years after its enactment.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to improve support for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This bill eliminates the standard waiting period for receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. These changes ensure immediate access to crucial financial and healthcare support upon diagnosis.

The Medicare Home Health Accessibility Act updates Medicare rules to explicitly include the need for occupational therapy as a valid basis for qualifying for home health services under both Part A and Part B. This change ensures that occupational therapy is treated equally alongside physical and speech therapy when determining eligibility for in-home care. These new provisions will take effect for services provided on or after January 1, 2026.

Tyler's Law mandates a comprehensive study by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the frequency, cost, and impact of fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments during overdose cases. Following the study, the Secretary must issue guidance on whether routine fentanyl testing should become standard practice for overdose patients. This guidance will also address staff training regarding existing drug test panels and the long-term health implications of such testing.

This Act authorizes the creation and sale of special commemorative gold and silver coins to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The coins will feature designs honoring the victims and first responders, with the phrase "Never Forget" required on at least one design. All surcharges collected from the sale of these coins will be donated to support the ongoing operations and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The Treasury must ensure the entire coin program results in no net cost to the Federal Government.

The James Earl Jones Congressional Gold Medal Act directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to James Earl Jones, honoring his contributions to the United States and his work promoting inclusion in film and theatre. The Secretary of the Treasury will create the gold medal, and bronze duplicates will be made available for sale to the public.

The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2025 establishes permanent, higher base pay rates for federal wildland firefighters based on their GS grade. It also creates a significant daily premium pay bonus for time spent responding to qualifying wildfire incidents. Finally, the bill mandates new paid rest and recuperation leave for firefighters following deployment to ensure proper recovery.

This Act mandates that the Department of Defense (DoD) immediately seek to update its stormwater discharge permits to require quarterly testing for PFAS chemicals at all facilities. Furthermore, the DoD must implement necessary cleanup measures to reduce these discharges. At least one percent of annual PFAS cleanup funding must be dedicated specifically to this required stormwater testing.

The "Stop Fentanyl Money Laundering Act of 2025" aims to combat fentanyl and narcotics trafficking by enhancing financial institutions' ability to detect and report money laundering activities. It authorizes the Treasury Secretary to impose special measures against financial institutions involved in illicit fentanyl financing, mandates updated advisories on identifying Chinese professional money laundering networks, and requires guidance for reporting suspicious transactions linked to transnational criminal organizations involved in narcotics trafficking. The Act also calls for a comprehensive report on lessons learned from past drug crises to inform strategies for addressing the opioid crisis.

The Cutting Red Tape on Child Care Providers Act of 2025 aims to improve child nutrition by simplifying regulations that hinder the serving of fresh foods. This bill prohibits states from creating barriers that prevent licensed and exempt child care facilities from performing simple food preparation, such as washing and cutting fruits and vegetables. By streamlining these rules, the Act seeks to support providers and encourage healthier eating habits for children.

This bill disapproves and nullifies the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's rule that defines larger participants in the market for general-use digital consumer payment applications. The disapproval effectively cancels the rule.

The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act establishes a grant program to expand commercial truck parking and improve safety. The program provides funds to states, local governments, and tribal entities for projects that increase parking availability, improve existing facilities, and use technology to manage parking. The Act also requires a biennial report to Congress on the availability of truck parking and the effectiveness of funded projects. It authorizes $151 million per fiscal year from 2025 through 2029 for these initiatives.