Legislative Activity

The Stop CARB Act of 2025 aims to centralize federal control over emission standards for off-road engines and vehicles by immediately repealing all state authority to set or enforce their own rules in this area. This legislation also eliminates the ability for other states to adopt California's stricter new motor vehicle emission standards. In essence, the bill strips states of their power to create pollution regulations that exceed federal requirements for specific engine types and vehicles.

The Safeguarding Medicaid Act mandates that all applicants and recipients of Medicaid across all states and territories must undergo asset testing, removing existing exemptions for age, blindness, or disability. This legislation requires states to incorporate resource eligibility checks alongside income verification for most applicants, with limited exceptions for continuous coverage groups. Furthermore, the bill establishes federal tracking of savings resulting from these new asset verification requirements and mandates regular public reporting from states on their eligibility review processes.

The Financial Integrity and Regulation Management (FIRM) Act mandates that federal banking agencies must cease using "reputational risk" as a factor in the supervision, examination, or rating of depository institutions. This legislation aims to ensure regulators focus solely on a bank's financial safety and soundness, rather than public perception or political pressure. The Act requires all relevant agencies to remove references to reputational risk from their guidance and policies within 180 days of enactment.

The One Agency Act consolidates federal antitrust enforcement authority entirely within the Department of Justice (DOJ), eliminating the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) role in this area. This restructuring transfers all FTC antitrust functions, personnel, and assets to the DOJ's Antitrust Division to streamline enforcement and reduce redundancy. The bill makes extensive technical amendments across various laws to replace FTC references with the Attorney General. All changes take effect at the start of the first full fiscal year beginning at least 90 days after enactment.

The GENIUS Act of 2025 establishes a comprehensive federal framework for regulating "payment stablecoins," defining who can issue them and mandating strict 1:1 reserve requirements backed by safe, liquid assets. This legislation grants primary federal regulators authority to license, supervise, and enforce rules on issuers, while also clarifying that these specific stablecoins are neither securities nor commodities. Furthermore, the Act prioritizes consumer protection by ensuring stablecoin holders have super-priority claims in bankruptcy proceedings and sets standards for international interoperability.

The Forest Service Accountability Act requires the President to nominate the Chief of the Forest Service, subject to Senate confirmation. Nominees must possess significant experience in forest and natural resource management. Furthermore, the nomination must be jointly referred to both the Senate Agriculture and Energy Committees for review.

The Fair and Open Competition Act (FOCA Act) ensures fair competition on federally funded construction projects by prohibiting the government from mandating or barring contractors from entering into agreements with labor unions. This promotes open bidding, reduces taxpayer costs, and prevents discrimination based on union membership. The law requires federal agencies to remain neutral regarding project labor agreements for both direct contracts and federal grants.

The Safe and Secure Transportation of American Energy Act broadens criminal penalties for actions that threaten energy transportation infrastructure. This legislation expands prohibited activities beyond simple destruction to include vandalism, tampering, and disrupting the operation or construction of pipelines and related facilities. These enhanced penalties are enforced under existing federal law.

The End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act of 2025 prohibits the use of any federal money for gender transition procedures, including for federal employees and at federal facilities. This ban also extends to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, preventing individuals from using federal premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions to cover plans that include these procedures. The law strictly defines "gender transition procedures" while excluding treatments for certain disorders of sex development or procedures necessary to prevent imminent death.

The Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act of 2025 amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit states from receiving waivers to set new vehicle emission standards that restrict the sale or use of new cars with internal combustion engines. This legislation invalidates any existing or future state standards that directly or indirectly limit traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. Furthermore, the bill mandates the revocation of any previously granted waivers that conflict with this new restriction.

The Precious Metals Parity Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to ensure that income derived from precious metals is treated consistently with income from foreign currencies for regulated investment companies (RICs). This change updates the rules RICs use to calculate their earnings for tax purposes. The provisions apply to tax years beginning after the date the Act is enacted.

The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2025 repeals the EPA's recent multi-pollutant emissions standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. Furthermore, this Act prohibits the EPA from issuing future tailpipe emission regulations that mandate specific technologies or limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on engine type. The EPA must update existing rules within 24 months to comply with these new restrictions.

This Act officially renames the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office to the **Taiwan Representative Office**. It directs the U.S. to provide Taiwan's representation with de facto diplomatic treatment consistent with existing U.S. policy. Crucially, this change does not alter the official U.S. position on Taiwan's international status or restore full diplomatic relations.

The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act ensures that spouses of active-duty service members stationed overseas can legally receive firearms or ammunition under existing federal exceptions. This legislation also standardizes how a military spouse's residency is determined for federal firearms laws, aligning it with that of the service member. The goal is to provide consistent rights and recognition for military families regarding firearm ownership, regardless of their duty station location.

This joint resolution nullifies a rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The rule concerned the prohibition of creditors and consumer reporting agencies from using or sharing medical information. By disapproving the rule, this resolution prevents the regulation from taking effect.

The Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act of 2025 significantly updates federal loan limits for property improvements and the purchase of manufactured homes, increasing caps across various categories. This legislation also introduces the ability to finance Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and grants the Secretary flexibility to periodically adjust these dollar limits. Furthermore, the Act mandates a comprehensive study by HUD on the cost-effectiveness and broader utility of factory-built housing.

The Securing American Agriculture Act mandates an annual assessment of U.S. reliance on China for critical agricultural products and inputs. This report will identify supply chain vulnerabilities that could be exploited by foreign adversaries. Based on these findings, the Secretary of Agriculture must recommend strategies to onshore or nearshore the production of these essential farming supplies. The data collection for this assessment will rely solely on voluntary submissions from private companies to protect confidential business information.

The ATF Transparency Act aims to streamline firearm transfer and registration processes by mandating a 3-business-day review period, after which applications are automatically approved unless legal requirements are not met. The bill also establishes an administrative appeal process for applicants whose transfers are denied based on federal or state law concerns, including reimbursement for legal fees upon a successful appeal. Furthermore, it requires reports on unresolved background checks and mandates an agreement between the ATF and FBI on processing future NICS inquiries.

The PASS Act enhances national security reviews of foreign investment in U.S. agriculture by formally involving the Secretary of Agriculture in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) process. It establishes specific triggers for reviewing transactions involving agricultural land, particularly near sensitive sites. Furthermore, the bill grants the President authority to prohibit transactions where a "covered foreign person"—often linked to designated foreign adversaries—seeks to acquire critical agricultural assets.

This resolution supports the Local Radio Freedom Act, opposing any new performance fees on local radio stations for playing music. It emphasizes the mutually beneficial relationship between the radio and recording industries, where radio provides free publicity and essential local services. The resolution warns that new fees would harm local radio stations, small businesses, and the communities they serve. Ultimately, it asserts that Congress should not impose any new charges on local radio for broadcasting sound recordings.