Legislative Activity

The AERO Act ensures the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City continues operating during government shutdowns or emergency furloughs, maintaining critical air traffic controller training and support services. FAA employees providing services at the Academy and students employed by the FAA are exempt from furlough during funding lapses, ensuring uninterrupted training.

The DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act directs the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to conduct joint research and development activities that advance the missions of both departments, utilizing a competitive, merit-based review process. This collaboration aims to address key challenges in agriculture, energy, and the environment through data-driven solutions, technological advancements, and sustainable practices. The Act also requires a report to Congress on the progress and future opportunities of these interagency efforts.

The "Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2025" amends Title 51 of the U.S. Code, modifying annual reporting requirements for commercial remote sensing licenses. These changes include revised deadlines, updated notification processes, mandatory inclusion of license terms and conditions, categorization of licenses by tier with justifications, and an extension of the sunset provision to September 30, 2030.

The Agricultural Risk Review Act of 2025 amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to include the Secretary of Agriculture on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for transactions involving agricultural land, biotechnology, or the agriculture industry. It also requires CFIUS to consider certain agricultural land transactions, particularly those involving foreign entities from China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran, based on notifications from the Secretary of Agriculture. This consideration is triggered when the Secretary of Agriculture believes a transaction involving these countries is a covered transaction based on intelligence information, involves agricultural land, and requires reporting under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978. These requirements will end for a specific country once that country is removed from the list of foreign adversaries.

The "PROTECT Taiwan Act" aims to exclude representatives from the People's Republic of China from international banking organizations when the President identifies threats to Taiwan's security or U.S. interests. It directs the Treasury Secretary, Federal Reserve, and SEC to advance this policy, which can be waived by the President under certain conditions. The policy will automatically end after five years or sooner if the President determines it is in the national interest to do so.

The "Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025" modifies regulations for 403(b) retirement plans, expanding the types of entities whose assets can be included in collective trust funds. It requires employers to act as fiduciaries and approve investment options for governmental 403(b) plans. The act also adds 403(b) plans to the types of plans that are exempt from certain registration requirements under specific securities regulations.