Legislative Activity

The "Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025" withdraws specific federal land in New Mexico from mineral leasing and disposal to protect the cultural and historical resources of the Greater Chaco region. It allows for land conveyances or exchanges with Indian Tribes and ensures that non-producing oil and gas leases on the withdrawn land will be terminated. The Act aims to safeguard the Chaco Culture National Historical Park and surrounding areas, which are significant to many Pueblos and Indian Tribes, from potential impacts of oil and gas development.

This resolution supports National Public Health Week, recognizing the critical role of public health professionals and government agencies in preventing disease, addressing health disparities, and improving overall health in the U.S. It encourages increased efforts and resources to enhance community health, strengthen the public health system, and promote awareness of public health's impact on the nation's well-being. The resolution also voices concerns regarding potential budget cuts that could negatively impact public health initiatives and the ability to respond to health crises.

The "New Mexico Land Grant-Mercedes Historical or Traditional Use Cooperation and Coordination Act" aims to improve collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Interior, and New Mexico Land Grant Council, and qualified land grant-mercedes, regarding historical or traditional land uses on Federal land. It requires the creation of a memorandum of understanding that outlines how these groups will cooperate, including permit requirements, fee reductions or waivers, and processes for land use decisions. The Act also mandates consideration of the impact of other land uses on the historical or traditional uses by qualified land grant-mercedes when creating or updating land use plans. This act does not impact any rights or obligations to Indian Tribes, the State's power to regulate water use, the State's power to manage game and fish, or any existing rights of Federal land.

The REPAIR Act ensures vehicle owners and independent repair shops have access to necessary data, tools, and parts to repair vehicles, promoting competition in the repair market. It prohibits manufacturers from limiting access to vehicle-generated data and critical repair information and establishes a committee to assess barriers to competitive vehicle repair. The Act directs the FTC and NHTSA to create regulations protecting consumer access to data and informing owners of their rights. It also establishes a complaint system and requires regular reports to Congress on enforcement and adaptation to technological changes.

The "No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny tax deductions for employer expenses used to influence employees regarding union activities, including union elections and collective bargaining. It requires detailed reporting of such expenditures on tax returns, with significant penalties for non-compliance, while providing exemptions for certain communications and activities. The Act aims to prevent taxpayer subsidization of employer interference in workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain.

The "Special Government Employees Transparency Act of 2025" aims to limit the use of special Government employees to 130 days per year and increase transparency by requiring a public database of these employees, including their positions, pay rates, and tenures. The Act also mandates the public release of financial disclosures filed by these employees, with exceptions for national defense information. This bill seeks to ensure that individuals temporarily working for the government are appropriately classified and that their activities are transparent to the public.

The "Strengthening Communities of Recovery Act" reauthorizes and amends a section of the Public Health Service Act. It updates the name of the section from "Building" to "Strengthening communities of recovery". The bill also increases funding for community recovery programs from 5 million to 16 million per year through 2029.

The "FCC Legal Enforcement Act" empowers the FCC to directly enforce penalties for violations regarding unsolicited advertisements, especially when the Attorney General does not act within 120 days. It prioritizes pursuing penalties exceeding $25,000,000. The Act also grants the FCC authority to create regulations protecting subscribers from unwanted calls.

The "Pregnant and Postpartum Women Treatment Reauthorization Act" reauthorizes and amends section 508 of the Public Health Service Act. It updates language, adds a requirement for service provision plans that may include outreach to women greatly affected by maternal substance use disorder, and increases funding to $38,931,000 annually from 2025 through 2029.

The "Tech to Save Moms Act" aims to improve maternal health outcomes through increased access to telehealth and digital tools, particularly for underserved populations. It establishes grant programs to expand technology-enabled learning for maternal healthcare providers and to promote equity in maternal health through digital tools. The Act also mandates a study on the use of technology and patient monitoring devices in maternity care, with a focus on identifying and preventing racial or ethnic biases. Finally, the bill authorizes appropriations of \$6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the grant programs.

The "Honor Our Living Donors Act" ensures that organ donation reimbursement grants do not consider a recipient's income and removes the expectation that recipients will make payments. It also mandates an annual report to Congress detailing the adequacy of grant funding for donor reimbursements and the unmet needs of donating individuals. This aims to support living organ donors by fully covering their qualifying expenses.

The "Broadcast Freedom and Independence Act of 2025" aims to protect viewpoint expression in broadcasting by preventing the FCC from punishing broadcasters based on their viewpoints or imposing viewpoint-related conditions on broadcast approvals. It affirms the FCC's authority to address violations related to lotteries, fraud, obscenity, and content inciting violence or illegal activities. This act reinforces the FCC's independence and ensures broadcasters are not intimidated into aligning with any political agenda.

This bill aims to reform mining practices on federal lands by setting royalties on mineral extraction, introducing stricter permitting and environmental regulations, and establishing a fund for reclaiming abandoned mines. It requires mining operators to pay annual fees and royalties, obtain permits for mineral activities, and provide financial assurances for land reclamation. The bill also prioritizes the protection of sensitive lands and mandates tribal consultation before mineral activities begin. These changes are intended to balance resource extraction with environmental protection and ensure fair compensation for the use of public lands.

The "Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act of 2025" amends the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act to improve the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. These improvements include expanding the project's service area, modifying land acquisition processes, directing the Secretary to take land into trust for the Navajo Nation, and increasing authorized appropriations for the project. The act also modifies terms for water delivery and use, establishes and modifies several trust funds related to water rights and project maintenance for the Navajo Nation and the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and allows the Navajo Nation to supply non-Project water to its communities in Utah under specific conditions.

The "Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act" directs the Secretary to establish a program for research, development, and demonstration to improve data collection, plugging, remediation, and repurposing of abandoned wells, as well as strategies to mitigate their environmental impacts. The program aims to enhance technologies for identifying wells, understanding methane emissions, improving the efficiency of plugging and repurposing wells, and assessing impacts on groundwater quality. The Act authorizes appropriations totaling \$162.5 million over five years for this program.

The Hatch Act Enforcement Transparency and Accountability Act increases transparency and accountability in the investigation and enforcement of Hatch Act violations, which prohibits certain political activities by federal employees. It requires the Special Counsel to report to Congress on allegations against noncareer employees, provide detailed explanations for not filing complaints, and publish anonymized data on Hatch Act enforcement. The Act also ensures the Special Counsel has access to demographic information of employees involved in allegations.

The "Expanding Local Meat Processing Act of 2025" aims to ease restrictions on smaller meat packers by allowing them to have ownership interests in market agencies, under certain conditions. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to revise regulations to exempt packers slaughtering below specified daily/annual livestock numbers. Market agencies must disclose relationships with packers to ensure transparency. The Act does not reduce the Secretary's broader regulatory authority under the Packers and Stockyards Act.

The "Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025" establishes a network of regional wildland fire research centers across the country, coordinated by a National Center Coordination Board, to improve the understanding, management, and mitigation of wildland fires. These centers will focus on research, technology development, and data sharing to support wildland fire management agencies and communities. The Act authorizes specific appropriations for the centers and the board to facilitate their operations and research activities. It also emphasizes collaboration and open access to data, ensuring that research findings are widely available to inform decision-making and improve public safety.

The DOT Victim and Survivor Advocate Act establishes a National Roadway Safety Advocate within the Department of Transportation. This advocate will serve as a point of contact and resource for road crash victims, survivors, and their families, ensuring their voices are heard and considered in roadway safety programs and policies. The Advocate will share stakeholder recommendations, explain DOT processes in plain language, and publish educational materials, while also providing annual reports to the Secretary of Transportation on systemic safety issues. The goal is to improve communication and collaboration between the DOT and those affected by road crashes, ultimately enhancing roadway safety.

The Acequia Communities Empowered by Qualifying Upgrades for Infrastructure Act, or ACEQUIA Act, aims to support farmers and ranchers who rely on acequia systems by ensuring they have access to drought and disaster assistance. It amends existing legislation to provide aid for all losses when the Secretary of Agriculture makes a disaster determination. Additionally, the Act exempts acequias from needing special use permits for routine maintenance and minor improvements on Federal land and requires the Department of Agriculture to report on assistance provided to these producers.