Legislative Activity

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 establishes a national standard for carrying concealed handguns across state lines. This act allows individuals legally permitted to carry in their home state to carry concealed in any other state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. The law does not override private property restrictions or prohibitions on government property, but it provides protections and legal recourse for those traveling in compliance with the new federal standard.

This Act imposes immediate sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, on the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) for their involvement in terrorism, particularly the October 7th attacks. It also mandates a report from the Secretary of State on designating the Lions Den and the PRC as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Furthermore, the bill requires ongoing reviews to identify and potentially sanction successor or affiliated terrorist groups.

The Common Sense Air Regulations Act invalidates the Environmental Protection Agency's recent final rule concerning the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter. This legislation immediately nullifies the May 16, 2024, EPA action, preventing any changes to the particulate matter air quality standards from taking effect.

The Air America Act of 2025 recognizes the sacrifices of former Air America employees who served the U.S. Government between 1950 and 1976. This Act authorizes a one-time monetary award, up to $40,000 plus potential additional amounts, for qualifying service members or their survivors. The CIA Director is responsible for administering these payments, which are capped at a total of $60 million, and establishing the application procedures. Decisions made by the Director regarding these awards are final and not subject to judicial review.

This bill expresses support for the recognition of "Detransition Awareness Day" to increase understanding and support for individuals who have detransitioned or are detransitioning back to their biological sex. It calls for comprehensive mental health services, informed consent regarding the risks of sex trait modification interventions, and extended statutes of limitations for related medical malpractice claims. The bill also urges the Department of Health and Human Services to review and revise guidelines to promote ethical medical standards and protect patient rights. It encourages states to adopt similar resolutions and initiatives to support detransitioning individuals.

The Land And National Defense Act (LAND Act) imposes strict reciprocal restrictions on foreign entities purchasing U.S. agricultural land, mirroring the limitations a U.S. citizen would face when buying land in the purchaser's home country. It establishes a new Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of Agriculture, to monitor and report on foreign ownership compliance. Furthermore, sellers are required to report all agricultural land sales to foreign purchasers to the Secretary of Agriculture.

The Correcting Guam's History in the PACT Act expands eligibility for veterans who served in Guam to receive a presumption of service connection for diseases linked to herbicide exposure. This change specifically covers service in Guam between August 15, 1958, and July 31, 1980. Coverage for veterans who served in American Samoa remains unchanged.

The Protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act of 2025 restricts the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services from using emergency declarations to enact gun control measures. This bill specifically prevents the use of the National Emergencies Act and the Public Health Service Act for imposing new firearm restrictions. Furthermore, it amends disaster relief law to prohibit federal disaster declarations from banning the possession, sale, or transfer of firearms, ammunition, or related accessories.

The Crucial Communism Teaching Act mandates the development of a high school civic education curriculum focused on the history and dangers of communism. This curriculum must detail the death toll caused by communist regimes and highlight ongoing human rights abuses. The Act also requires the creation of "Portraits in Patriotism" oral history resources featuring victims of oppressive political systems.

The Travelers Gun Rights Act updates the federal definition of "State of Residence" for firearm laws, particularly for active-duty military personnel. This change also modifies background check requirements to ensure a buyer's home address is documented on the necessary paperwork. The bill clarifies residency rules for individuals who may reside in multiple states or lack a traditional physical home.

The Smoke Exposure Research Act of 2025 mandates new federal research to understand and mitigate the impact of wildfire smoke on wine grapes and resulting wine. This research will focus on identifying harmful chemical compounds, developing reliable testing methods, and creating practical solutions for growers. The Secretary of Agriculture will coordinate this effort with universities in key wine-producing states using dedicated funding through 2030.

The VOTE Act, or Voting Only Through English Act, restricts federal election funding for any state that provides ballots in languages other than English for federal elections. This bill eliminates existing federal requirements that mandate bilingual ballots or assistance in certain jurisdictions. Consequently, states choosing to offer multilingual ballots risk losing federal election administration funds for the entire fiscal year.

The Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025 bans all federal funding or support for research utilizing human fetal tissue obtained specifically from an induced abortion. The bill permits federal research on tissue derived from miscarriages or stillbirths, provided it adheres to updated Public Health Service Act guidelines. Furthermore, it prohibits the solicitation or knowing acceptance of human fetal tissue donations if the donor knows the tissue resulted from an induced abortion or was procured for that purpose. This legislation also repeals an existing law concerning NIH revitalization.

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand eligibility for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This change allows employers to claim the tax credit for hiring qualified military spouses. A qualified military spouse is defined as someone certified as being married to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2025 establishes a framework for developing solar and wind energy projects on federal lands. It sets rules for grandfathering existing project fees and mandates a specific revenue-sharing structure for income generated from these new projects starting in 2026. This revenue will be divided equally among the relevant state, county, federal program administration, and a new Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund dedicated to local habitat restoration and public access improvements.

The Productive Public Lands Act mandates the Secretary of the Interior to promptly reissue nine specific Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land management plans finalized between late 2024 and early 2025. This reissuance requires the BLM to formally update its preferred alternative for each plan. Crucially, these reissued documents are automatically deemed compliant with major environmental review and administrative procedure laws, bypassing further environmental analysis.

**ESA Amendments Act of 2025 Summary:** The ESA Amendments Act of 2025 seeks to modify and update the Endangered Species Act of 1973 by prioritizing conservation efforts, incentivizing private land stewardship, and increasing transparency and accountability. The act focuses on streamlining regulations, limiting legal challenges, and ensuring that decisions are based on sound science and economic considerations. These changes aim to balance species protection with the needs of private landowners and state management, while also addressing international trade regulations.

The Delphi Retirees Pension Restoration Act aims to restore the full pension benefits to eligible participants and beneficiaries under specific terminated pension plans, such as the Delphi Hourly-Rate Employees Pension Plan. It mandates the recalculation of benefits to match the full vested plan benefit, provides for lump-sum payments to cover past underpayments with interest, and funds these increased benefits through existing resources. The bill also includes provisions for the tax treatment of these payments, allowing recipients to spread the income over three years.

The Stop the Cartels Act aims to combat drug and human trafficking by prioritizing intelligence gathering, blocking funds to Mexico until cooperation barriers are removed, and designating drug cartels as Special Transnational Criminal Organizations. It also stops federal grant money from going to state or local governments that don't follow federal immigration laws and modifies current immigration laws, particularly concerning the treatment of alien minors and asylum eligibility. Additionally, the act reauthorizes and modifies federal programs aimed at preventing and treating substance abuse, increasing funding for certain block grants while eliminating or phasing out several other related programs.

The FISH Act of 2025 transfers authority over anadromous and catadromous fish species from the Secretary of Commerce to the Secretary of the Interior. It redefines anadromous and catadromous species within the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Act allows for reconsideration of certain past administrative decisions and addresses administrative and legal details related to the transfer, ensuring continuity in existing legal documents, proceedings, and lawsuits. It also defines key terms like "function" and "office" to clarify the scope and implementation of the transfer.