Legislative Activity

The "Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act" expands Medicare coverage to include FDA-approved multi-cancer early detection screening tests starting in 2028. It defines the criteria for these tests, sets payment guidelines, and establishes age and frequency limitations for coverage. The bill ensures that existing cancer screening coverage remains unaffected and allows for waivers of limitations based on recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

The Territorial Response and Access to Veterans’ Essential Lifecare (TRAVEL) Act of 2025 authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to assign existing physicians as traveling doctors to provide essential healthcare services in U.S. territories and possessions for up to one year. These traveling physicians will receive special relocation or retention bonuses in addition to their regular salary. Furthermore, the bill extends the expiration date for certain limits on veterans' pension payments until December 31, 2032.

The Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025 allows authorized Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare professionals to prescribe and dispense controlled medications to eligible veterans via telemedicine. This provision removes the prior requirement for an initial in-person visit before prescribing these medications remotely. The VA is required to establish specific regulations detailing the process for this telemedicine delivery while ensuring compliance with existing federal drug control laws.

The Pakistan Freedom and Accountability Act expresses strong U.S. support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan, citing concerns over military influence and recent election interference. This legislation directs the President to identify and impose sanctions on Pakistani officials responsible for undermining democratic processes or committing serious human rights abuses. The Act emphasizes the need for civilian control over the military and sets an expiration date for its provisions in September 2030.

The Pay Our Border Patrol and Customs Agents Act ensures that essential U.S. Border Patrol Agents and Customs and Border Protection officers who must work during a government shutdown in fiscal year 2026 will receive their salaries. This legislation appropriates necessary funds from the Treasury to cover these payments during the lapse in appropriations. The goal is to guarantee that critical border security personnel are paid even if the government temporarily closes.

The HEAL Act updates how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for using personal vehicles for appointments, aligning the mileage rate with the GSA standard. This legislation explicitly bans the VA from charging veterans any travel deductibles for necessary care. Furthermore, it expands the list of approved providers who can offer transportation services to veterans.

The PART Act aims to combat catalytic converter theft by requiring new vehicles to have traceable identifying markers on these parts. It establishes a federal grant program to help entities stamp identifying numbers onto existing converters. Furthermore, the bill imposes strict record-keeping requirements on businesses that buy used converters and creates new federal criminal penalties for stealing or trafficking stolen catalytic converters.

The TRANSPORT Jobs Act mandates the creation of a "Veteran to Supply Chain Employee Action Plan" to facilitate the transition of service members and veterans into jobs within the port, ocean, rail, and truck supply chain industries. This plan will identify barriers to employment and recommend concrete steps for federal agencies to better connect veterans' skills with industry needs. The goal is to increase the hiring and retention of veterans in critical supply chain roles.

The Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act extends the enhanced financial assistance available for purchasing health insurance through the Marketplace. This legislation pushes the expiration date for these boosted premium tax credits, including those for higher earners, from the end of 2025 through the end of 2026. Essentially, it ensures continued, robust subsidies for Marketplace health coverage.

This bill seeks to amend federal law to provide hazard pay for federal employees carrying out prescribed burns and for smokejumpers. It officially recognizes that performing prescribed burns and parachute jumping for firefighting duties involve unusual physical hardship or hazard comparable to fighting active wildfires. The Office of Personnel Management is tasked with implementing the necessary regulations to ensure this hazard pay takes effect promptly.

The Train More Nurses Act mandates a comprehensive review of federal grant programs supporting the nursing workforce. The resulting report must provide Congress with specific recommendations to improve these programs. Key goals include increasing nursing faculty, facilitating experienced nurses' transition to teaching, and creating clearer pathways for LPNs to become RNs.

The Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act clarifies the order in which accrued pension payments are distributed after a veteran's death, prioritizing the spouse, children, and parents before the estate. It also makes a technical adjustment to extend a specific limit on pension payments by one month, moving the expiration date from November 30, 2031, to December 31, 2031. These provisions apply to veterans who die on or after the date of enactment.

The ROTOR Act mandates a comprehensive study to investigate cancer prevalence and mortality rates among military rotary-wing pilots and aviation support personnel. This research, conducted by the Defense Health Agency in partnership with the NIH and NCI, will first compare cancer rates in these service members against the general population. If elevated rates are found, a second phase will seek to identify potential toxic exposures or environmental factors linked to helicopter operations that may be causing the increased risk.

The SAVES Act establishes a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to eligible veterans. These grants, up to $\$2,000,000$ each, will fund the training and provision of service dogs for veterans with qualifying conditions like PTSD or TBI. The bill also extends the expiration date for certain limits on veterans' pension payments until February 2033.

The EACH Act of 2025 aims to ensure equal access to abortion coverage by requiring all federally funded health programs and facilities to cover abortion services. This legislation prohibits federal interference with state or private insurance coverage of abortion and repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate financial and insurance barriers to abortion care, particularly for low-income individuals relying on programs like Medicaid.

The DIGNIDAD Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill that significantly overhauls U.S. immigration policy across five major divisions. Division A focuses on aggressive border security enhancements, infrastructure modernization, and increased criminal penalties for immigration offenses, while Division B establishes pathways to legal status for long-term residents who entered as children and creates a temporary protection program for others. Finally, Division C aims to improve legal immigration by reducing green card backlogs, streamlining employment and student visas, and providing new discretionary relief for family separation cases.

This bill establishes the Non-Federal Funding Account for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program to manage contributions from non-federal partners. The funds deposited will be invested in U.S. government obligations, with earned interest returning to the account. This structure streamlines cost-sharing while shifting investment risk away from the contributing state parties.

The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act addresses significant delays in obtaining death certificates for veterans who die from natural causes, often due to VA medical staff delays. This bill mandates that VA medical providers must certify a veteran's death within 48 hours or allow the local medical examiner to step in. Furthermore, the VA must annually report on its compliance with this new timely certification requirement.

The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act updates the 1989 Apex Project land transfer law to clarify definitions, responsibilities, and conditions for land conveyance involving Clark County, the City of North Las Vegas, and the Apex Industrial Park Owners Association. It broadens land descriptions and ensures that future land withdrawals are permanent, while also streamlining mineral sales on transferred federal lands. The bill also mandates compliance with key environmental laws for any future land transfers within the Apex Site.