Legislative Activity

The Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025 aims to ensure continued access to Medicare home health services by pausing automatic payment reductions scheduled for 2026 and 2027. This is achieved by mandating a positive adjustment to the standard payment rate to fully offset proposed cuts. Furthermore, the bill clarifies that these temporary payment increases will not negatively impact future rate calculations for providers.

This joint resolution formally honors the thirteen U.S. service members who were killed in the August 26, 2021, bombing at Abbey Gate during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. It recognizes their ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation and expresses deep gratitude to their Gold Star Families. The bill essentially establishes a National Day of Remembrance to ensure their faithful service in the fight for liberty is never forgotten.

The American Decade of Sports Act establishes a "Mega-Decade Sports Diplomacy Strategy" to leverage major international sporting events hosted in the U.S. between 2024 and 2034 to enhance America's global standing. This requires the State Department to create comprehensive 5-year plans detailing diplomatic goals, partnerships, and visa facilitation efforts. Furthermore, the Act mandates the creation of a dedicated Office of Sports Diplomacy to coordinate and execute these strategy objectives across government and private sectors. The Secretary of State must provide annual progress reports to Congress on the implementation of these goals until the end of 2034.

The Battling Infections Transmitted by Ticks and Exposure (BITE) Act establishes a comprehensive national system to prevent vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease. This system will utilize AI-driven early warning alerts, expert identification services, and real-time monitoring of insurance claims and symptoms. A key goal of the Act is to support efforts to reduce Lyme disease cases by 25% by 2035.

The Tick Identification Pilot Program Act of 2025 establishes a pilot program to provide grants to states for creating electronic tick identification services. These state programs will allow residents to submit photos of ticks for review by qualified biologists within 72 hours. The goal is to rapidly inform the public about the tick species, potential disease risk, and necessary next steps to combat tick-borne illnesses.

The BIS IT Modernization Act mandates a comprehensive overhaul of the Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) technology systems through fiscal year 2030. This modernization aims to leverage advanced tools like AI and data analysis to speed up export licensing and enhance supply chain tracking. The goal is to improve national security by better identifying and tracking entities involved in illicit trade, particularly concerning adversaries like China and Russia. Ultimately, the Act requires a unified, secure IT environment to boost efficiency and data sharing capabilities across government and industry partners.

This resolution celebrates the 60th anniversary of Medicaid while addressing significant concerns over projected spending increases. Congress commits to protecting the program from waste, fraud, and abuse to ensure its long-term viability for vulnerable populations. The bill emphasizes the ongoing partnership between federal and state governments in supporting essential healthcare access.

The Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2025 significantly improves the TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) program for military dependents. This legislation eliminates the age restriction for TYA eligibility and removes the separate premium requirement for coverage. These changes aim to provide broader and simpler healthcare access for adult children of service members.

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act to establish a clear standard for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. It specifies that a worker is an independent contractor if the hiring entity does not have significant control over the work and the worker has entrepreneurial opportunities and risks. Certain factors, such as legal compliance or carrying insurance, are excluded from consideration of employee status.

The Saving Vet Halls Act of 2025 establishes a new grant program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This program provides funding to Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) specifically for repairing facilities and upgrading technology. Grants are capped at $\$75,000$ or the total project cost (whichever is higher), and organizations receiving funds are ineligible to reapply for five years. The legislation authorizes $\$10$ million to support these essential improvements for VSOs.

This bill ensures that offering portable benefits, like health insurance or retirement savings that workers can take with them between jobs, will not be used to classify them as employees under federal law. The bill defines portable benefits as work-related benefits, such as health insurance, retirement savings, or paid leave, that an individual can retain even when they change jobs. This clarification aims to encourage the provision of such benefits without affecting worker classification status.

This bill establishes a new State judicial threat intelligence and resource center to enhance the security of state and local judges and court staff. The center will provide training, monitor threats, standardize reporting, and create a national database for incidents against the judiciary. It also requires annual reporting to Congress on the number and severity of threats received.

The Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2025 establishes two grant programs totaling \$10 million annually to boost construction and manufacturing apprenticeships. The first program funds community outreach to recruit students and connect programs with local employers, particularly in rural areas. The second program provides funds for expanded academic advising and student support services to improve program retention and completion rates. The Act also formally defines specialized apprenticeship colleges and sets reporting requirements for grant recipients.

The Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2025 targets foreign governments in the Western Hemisphere that have seized or unfairly controlled port infrastructure essential to U.S. trade access since early 2024. The bill requires the executive branch to identify this "prohibited property" and subsequently ban any associated vessels from accessing U.S. ports or receiving services. Furthermore, the Act expands the definition of unfair trade practices to explicitly include the nationalization or discriminatory treatment of U.S. assets by foreign nations.

The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act strictly prohibits the Federal Reserve from directly or indirectly issuing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to individuals. This legislation prevents the Fed from developing, testing, or implementing any digital currency that functions as a direct liability of the Federal Reserve. Furthermore, Congress asserts that any authority to create such a digital asset must explicitly come from Congress itself.

This resolution formally condemns the slogan "Globalize the Intifada" as a call for violence against Israeli and Jewish people worldwide. It cites the historical context of past Intifadas and recent antisemitic incidents to support this position. The bill urges all levels of U.S. leadership to publicly denounce the slogan.

The American Cooperation with Our Neighbors Act establishes a strategy for the U.S. government to enhance local and state-level cooperation with Mexican partners to combat fentanyl trafficking. It also mandates a review by the State Department to explore ways to improve access to financial services within Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states. The bill focuses on strengthening security coordination, sharing resources, and building local capacity on both fronts.

The End the Cyprus Embargo Act lifts the existing policy that automatically denies requests to export U.S. defense articles and services to the Republic of Cyprus. Congress finds that allowing these defense sales strengthens U.S. security interests in Europe by reducing Cyprus's reliance on other nations for military equipment. This change is contingent on Cyprus meeting certain requirements and allows the President to reinstate the denial policy temporarily for national security reasons.

The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act addresses significant delays in obtaining death certificates for veterans who die from natural causes, often due to VA medical staff delays. This bill mandates that VA medical providers must certify a veteran's death within 48 hours or allow the local medical examiner to step in. Furthermore, the VA must annually report on its compliance with this new timely certification requirement.

This resolution officially commends Petty Officer 3d Class Scott Ruskan for his heroic actions during the devastating central Texas floods of July 2025. It specifically recognizes him for personally rescuing 165 individuals and coordinating triage efforts under hazardous conditions. Furthermore, the bill extends deep gratitude to all federal, state, and volunteer responders who risked their lives during this major natural disaster.