Legislative Activity

The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act amends the Apex Project, Nevada Land Transfer and Authorization Act of 1989 to clarify land management and usage regulations. It includes updated definitions, expands entities eligible for certain connections, ensures land withdrawals continue indefinitely, and addresses mineral material sales from land grading. The Act also mandates compliance with Federal land laws for all land transfers and rights-of-way.

This bill recognizes May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the significant contributions of these communities to the history and diversity of the United States. It acknowledges key milestones and the ongoing importance of these groups in various sectors, while also addressing historical discrimination and recent legislative efforts to combat hate crimes.

The HOME Act of 2025 aims to protect renters and homebuyers from unfair housing practices. It prohibits excessive price increases during housing crises, directs investigations into market manipulation, and establishes a unit within HUD to monitor housing costs. The Act also addresses unfair tenant screening practices and limits Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investments to ensure renter protections. Finally, it mandates a review of anti-competitive behaviors in the housing market.

The ACES Act mandates a National Academies study on cancer prevalence and mortality among veterans who served as active duty aircrew, identifying potential links between military exposures and cancer rates. Additionally, it extends certain limits on pension payments to December 31, 2031.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury selection. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act seeks to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals and women across various sectors.

The American Music Tourism Act of 2025 directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to promote domestic and international travel to U.S. locations and events significant to music tourism, which includes travel to music-related attractions or attendance at music events. The Act also requires the Assistant Secretary to report biennially to Congress on the progress and challenges in achieving these travel goals.

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.

The "Combating Organized Retail Crime Act" aims to combat the rise in organized retail theft and related crimes by amending Title 18 of the U.S. Code to include provisions that target the theft, fraud, and illegal redistribution of goods. It also establishes an "Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center" to coordinate federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts, share information, and track trends related to organized retail crime. The center will work to support training and technical assistance to combat organized retail crime and organized supply chain crime. Finally, the Act requires the evaluation of existing federal programs to identify ways to expand support for state, local, and tribal law enforcement.

The Preventing Risky Operations from Threatening the Education and Career Trajectories of Students Act of 2025 aims to protect students and taxpayers by increasing transparency and accountability in higher education. It sets standards for educational programs, expands borrower defense rights, and reinforces the ban on incentive compensation. The bill also enhances oversight of third-party servicers, standardizes job placement rate definitions, and mandates spending on instruction. Additionally, it establishes an enforcement unit within the Office of Federal Student Aid and increases transparency regarding institutional finances and marketing practices.

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 aims to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and countering its support for terrorism by imposing sanctions on those involved in Iran's energy sector and those who provide financial support for its destabilizing activities. It mandates sanctions on foreign entities involved in processing, exporting, or selling Iranian oil, gas, and petrochemicals, while also establishing an interagency working group to coordinate and enforce these sanctions. The Act also amends existing legislation to require the identification of individuals involved in sanctionable activities or sanctions evasion related to Iranian oil and gas sales.

The American Family Act establishes a refundable child tax credit with monthly advance payments, providing up to $300 per month per child, and creates a $500 tax credit for other dependents. The amount of the credit is reduced based on the taxpayer's income, with initial reductions starting at $150,000 for joint returns. The IRS will make monthly advance payments and establish an online portal for taxpayers to manage their payments and provide necessary information. This act terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024 and aims to provide regular financial support to families.

The "Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025" outlaws devices that accelerate a semi-automatic firearm's firing rate or simulate machine guns. It redefines "semi-automatic firearm" and requires current owners of affected devices to register them. There are exceptions for governmental entities, and lawful transfers of registered devices are permitted.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act aims to combat the spread of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions, including deepfakes, online. It establishes criminal penalties for intentionally sharing such images without consent, with increased penalties for depictions involving minors. The Act also requires online platforms to create a process for users to report and request the removal of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions within 48 hours, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. It defines key terms related to consent, digital forgeries, and covered platforms, while also ensuring that the rest of the law remains valid if any part is deemed unenforceable.

The Romance Scam Prevention Act requires online dating services to send "fraud ban notifications" to users who have communicated with accounts suspended for suspected fraudulent activity, warning them about potential scams and providing resources to avoid fraud. These notifications must be sent within a specific timeframe, with exceptions for investigations, and the FTC will enforce the Act. The Act also shields dating services from liability for actions taken to comply with the notification requirements.

The "Save Our Sequoias Act" aims to protect giant sequoia groves from wildfires, insects, and drought by streamlining environmental review processes for emergency response projects, establishing a collaborative coalition, and creating a reforestation strategy. This act directs the Secretary to create agreements, assessments, and strike teams to address threats to giant sequoias on both public and National Forest System lands. It also establishes grant programs and amends existing laws to support these efforts, including stewardship contracting and good neighbor agreements. Finally, the act authorizes appropriations for these protection and restoration activities.

The "Invest to Protect Act of 2025" establishes a grant program within the Department of Justice to provide resources to local law enforcement agencies with fewer than 175 officers. These grants can be used for de-escalation training, mental health support for officers, officer recruitment and retention, and other community safety programs. The Act prioritizes a streamlined grant application process and emphasizes accountability and transparency in the use of funds, with \$50 million authorized annually from 2027 through 2031.

The "Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act" aims to improve the clarity of Veterans Affairs notices through an independent assessment, ensuring veterans receive understandable information regarding their claims. It also extends certain limits on pension payments through the end of December 2031.

The "Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025" directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish at least five geographically distributed centers of excellence focused on researching and providing innovative therapies for conditions such as PTSD, depression, and substance use disorder, utilizing treatments like Ketamine and Psilocybin. These centers must meet high scientific standards, collaborate with medical schools, and include veteran representation. The Act authorizes \$30 million annually for research and education activities at these centers, with oversight through annual reports to Congress.

The "Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 2025" mandates increased transparency by requiring the TVA Board to hold at least four annual public meetings with a minimum of six days' notice. It also requires the TVA to make meeting minutes and summaries accessible to the public, ensuring greater accountability. Exceptions are made for emergency meetings called by the Board chairman.

The "Protect America's Workforce Act" nullifies a 2025 executive order that limited federal labor-management relations programs. It prevents the enforcement of the executive order and prohibits the use of federal funds for its implementation. Additionally, the bill ensures the validity of existing collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and labor organizations until their original expiration dates.