Legislative Activity

The FIGHT Act of 2025 significantly strengthens federal prohibitions against animal fighting ventures, specifically targeting the sponsorship, exhibition, and gambling associated with these events. This legislation clarifies the definition of a rooster for legal purposes and bans the interstate transport of roosters for fighting. Furthermore, it empowers private citizens to file lawsuits against violators, allowing for civil penalties and the potential seizure of property used to facilitate illegal animal fighting.

The Veterans’ Caregiver Appeals Modernization Act of 2025 aims to streamline and improve the VA's caregiver support program. It mandates the creation of a centralized digital system for processing caregiver applications and appeals. Additionally, the bill clarifies stipend payments following a veteran's death and standardizes training for all employees reviewing caregiver assistance appeals.

The Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act of 2025 aims to significantly speed up the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) claims and appeals process through increased reporting and new procedural tools. This legislation mandates annual transparency on decision times and empowers the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA) to group similar cases for faster resolution. Furthermore, it expands the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) and requires studies to explore issuing precedential BVA decisions to streamline common legal issues.

The Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to significantly enhance U.S. weather forecasting, research, and public safety capabilities. It mandates that public safety be the absolute top priority for NOAA, authorizes funding for modernization across computing and radar systems, and establishes new programs to improve forecasts for severe weather like tornadoes and hurricanes. Furthermore, the legislation focuses on integrating commercial data, improving risk communication through social science, and enhancing predictions crucial for agriculture and water management.

This Act establishes the Commission to Study Acts of Antisemitism in the United States to investigate the recent surge in antisemitic incidents across the country, particularly on college campuses. The Commission will review government evidence, gather facts, and issue a comprehensive report with recommendations for legislative or administrative action. After submitting its final report to the President and Congress within one year, the Commission will terminate 120 days later.

This resolution officially recognizes the significant and growing contributions of independent workers, freelancers, and sole proprietors to the American economy. It highlights the substantial economic impact of this sector, which provides flexibility and opportunity for millions of Americans. Furthermore, the resolution expresses concern over potential legislation that could restrict the freedom and flexibility enjoyed by these independent workers.

The DEFIANCE Act of 2025 establishes a federal civil cause of action against the creation, possession with intent to share, or sharing of nonconsensual intimate digital forgeries, often known as deepfakes. This legislation updates existing law to specifically address image-based sexual abuse created through AI or digital manipulation, regardless of whether the image is labeled as fake. Victims can sue for significant statutory damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief to stop the spread of the harmful content. The Act ensures that this new federal standard does not preempt or limit stronger existing State or Tribal laws.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to streamline and modernize the prior authorization process within Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and significantly increases transparency regarding approval rates and decision times starting in 2027. Furthermore, it establishes new enrollee protections and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timeframes for medical services.

The Chip Security Act mandates the installation of security mechanisms on advanced integrated circuit products before they are exported from the United States. These requirements aim to verify chip location, prevent diversion, and protect U.S. technological leadership. The Secretary of Commerce must also study and implement additional security features to enhance export control enforcement and national security.

This resolution strongly condemns Hamas for its premeditated and brutal terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023. It details the resulting casualties and the ongoing hostage crisis, emphasizing the severe mistreatment of those held captive. The bill demands that Hamas immediately release all remaining hostages and allow them safe return.

The Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act extends the life of the Historic Preservation Fund through the year 2035. This legislation also increases the maximum annual funding available for the program from \$150 million to \$250 million. Essentially, this bill ensures continued and increased financial support for preserving historic sites across the nation.

This bill officially renames two key locations within the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park to honor Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. Specifically, the Great Falls Scenic Overlook Trail Bridge and Overlook Park will now bear his name. This change ensures all official records and signage reflect the new designations.

The EAGLE Act of 2025 establishes a new federal grant program to help small, local law enforcement agencies cover the costs associated with achieving or renewing official professional accreditation. This funding is specifically designated to pay for accreditation fees, on-site assessments, and related expenses from recognized organizations like CALEA. The program is funded with $10 million for Fiscal Year 2025 to support agencies with fewer than 350 employees.

The Eastern Mediterranean Gateway Act supports key Eastern Mediterranean nations—Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel—as strategic partners for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The bill directs the U.S. to prioritize diplomatic engagement, energy security, and defense cooperation in the region. It also mandates several reports to Congress detailing implementation, multilateral initiatives, and potential expansions of successful U.S.-Israel partnership models to other regional allies.

The Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act expands the definition of "law enforcement officer" for federal retirement purposes under both the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). This change adds specific IRS, Postal Inspection Service, and VA police roles to those eligible for enhanced retirement benefits. The bill also establishes procedures for current officers to elect to have their prior service counted under these new definitions, which may require a payment from the employee and their employing agency.

The Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2025 reaffirms U.S. policy condemning the illegitimate Lukashenka regime for widespread human rights abuses, fraudulent elections, and subservience to Russia. The bill updates sanctions to target complicity in supporting Russia's war and the abduction of Ukrainian children, while significantly increasing assistance for Belarusian democracy, civil society, and independent media. It also mandates new intelligence reporting on Belarus's role as a staging ground for Russian aggression.

The Quantum Sandbox for Near-Term Applications Act of 2025 establishes a new public-private partnership program managed by the Department of Commerce and NIST. This "quantum sandbox" is specifically designed to accelerate the development and testing of quantum applications that can be deployed within two years. By engaging industry, national labs, and research centers, the Act aims to quickly translate quantum innovation into tangible benefits for government and business.

The PFAS Alternatives Act aims to protect firefighters by funding research and development for next-generation turnout gear that eliminates harmful PFAS chemicals. The bill establishes grants through NIOSH to create safer, PFAS-free protective equipment and separate funding for training programs on the proper care of this new gear. Ultimately, this legislation seeks to reduce occupational illness and injury among fire and EMS personnel.

The Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025 significantly strengthens enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by clarifying definitions and expanding the scope of investigations. It grants the Attorney General explicit authority to file civil actions seeking penalties up to $10,000 per day, and mandates that collected fines help cover temporary animal care costs. The bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Attorney General to establish a formal agreement for coordinated enforcement.

The Uniform School Mapping Act prohibits the use of federal funds to purchase emergency response maps after fiscal year 2026 unless those maps meet strict digital, storage, and content requirements. These mandated maps must detail critical building features and be easily shareable with public safety agencies at no cost. Furthermore, the Secretary of Homeland Security must develop a strategy to ensure the federal government acquires and distributes these standardized maps for critical properties.