Legislative Activity

The Veterans ACCESS Act of 2025 seeks to improve veterans' healthcare by revising the Veterans Community Care Program, enhancing mental health treatment programs, and implementing other healthcare improvements. Title I revises eligibility standards for community care, ensures veterans are informed about their options, and addresses care preferences and telehealth options. Title II standardizes eligibility for mental health programs, improves care quality, and ensures timely access to treatment. Title III focuses on improving healthcare services through online tools, modifying innovation programs, and increasing reporting on healthcare processes.

The PRIME Act, or Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act, exempts custom slaughter facilities from federal inspection requirements for meat that is processed and sold only within the state of origin. To qualify, facilities must comply with all applicable state laws regarding slaughter and preparation. This legislation ensures that states retain the authority to enforce their own, potentially stricter, regulations on local meat processing.

The Combating Online Fentanyl Trafficking Act authorizes the Attorney General to provide incentive pay of up to 25% of salary for Department of Justice employees possessing specialized cyber skills essential to combating fentanyl trafficking. This new pay structure is designed to attract and retain talent needed for digital investigations into illicit fentanyl distribution. The incentive pay is specifically excluded from certain federal pay caps but will count toward retirement calculations.

The Equal Shot Act of 2025 prohibits the Small Business Administration (SBA) from denying financial assistance to otherwise qualified applicants solely based on their involvement in the firearms industry. This legislation ensures that businesses defined as "firearm entities," their affiliates, or trade associations are not unfairly rejected for SBA loans or guarantees. The Act clearly defines these terms to prevent discrimination against businesses involved in manufacturing, selling, or servicing firearms and related accessories.

This resolution formally condemns the violent attack on the U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, on July 7, 2025. It expresses support for the injured agents and reaffirms Congress's strong backing for the dedicated men and women of the Border Patrol. The bill emphasizes that such violence against law enforcement is unacceptable and undermines national security efforts.

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.

This resolution solemnly marks the one-year anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald J. Trump, condemning the multiple violent attempts against the President's life. It honors the victims of the shooting, including the late Corey D. Comperatore, and recognizes the bravery of first responders. Furthermore, the resolution condemns all incitement of violence against elected officials and calls for national unity against political violence.

The Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act updates federal grants supporting high-quality charter schools by enhancing technical assistance for authorizing agencies. It establishes new educator-led experience requirements for entities receiving pre-charter planning subgrants. The bill also modifies the required allocation percentages for how state entities distribute these grant funds.

The Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025 makes technical corrections to the 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act to clarify standards for proving harm and venue for trials. This legislation sets specific caps on attorney fees and retroactively applies these changes to all existing and future claims filed under the original 2022 Act. The bill ensures that existing statutes of limitations for filing claims remain unchanged.

The LEDGER Act mandates the creation of a comprehensive, centralized system managed by the Secretary of the Treasury to track every expenditure made by all branches of the U.S. Government. This new system must detail exactly where federal funds are spent and how long those funds were available for obligation. The goal is to significantly enhance the traceability and transparency of government spending.

The Veterans Energy Transition Act of 2025 (VET Act) establishes a new grant program administered by the Secretary of Labor to incentivize organizations to hire active duty military members, veterans, and their spouses for jobs in the energy industry. These grants reimburse employers for training, recruitment, and other costs associated with employing these "covered individuals." The program prioritizes hiring those with relevant skills and aims to coordinate with existing transition services to ensure effective job placement.

The Apples to Apples Comparison Act of 2025 mandates greater public transparency regarding Medicare spending by requiring the Secretary of HHS to publish detailed, machine-readable expenditure data broken down by county and beneficiary type. Furthermore, the bill requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to annually compare the average cost of Medicare Advantage enrollees versus traditional Medicare beneficiaries, accounting for plan differences and risk factors. Finally, the Medicare Trustees must also report detailed expenditure information categorized by specific beneficiary enrollment statuses.

The Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act aims to increase the pay for certain Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees currently receiving the "Rest of US" locality pay rate. This bill mandates that their pay locality be adjusted to the nearest established locality offering a higher rate, provided it is within 200 miles of their worksite. This change is designed to ensure fairer compensation for these federal correctional staff.

The FIGHT Act of 2025 significantly strengthens federal prohibitions against animal fighting ventures, specifically targeting the sponsorship, exhibition, and gambling associated with these events. This legislation clarifies the definition of a rooster for legal purposes and bans the interstate transport of roosters for fighting. Furthermore, it empowers private citizens to file lawsuits against violators, allowing for civil penalties and the potential seizure of property used to facilitate illegal animal fighting.

The Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2025 addresses the funding and administration of the federal bankruptcy system. This bill primarily increases the compensation for Chapter 7 trustees to address decades of stagnant pay while adjusting various bankruptcy fees to ensure the U.S. Trustee System remains self-funded. Additionally, it extends the term limits for certain temporary bankruptcy judge offices.

The Baseload Reliability Protection Act prohibits owners of certain dispatchable power plants in areas facing high or elevated risk of electricity shortages from retiring those units or switching their fuel source. Owners can seek an exemption from this ban from FERC, which must grant it if continued operation causes financial hardship or if retirement does not harm grid reliability. The Department of Energy may offer financial assistance to keep essential, money-losing plants operational.

This bill expresses the disapproval of Congress, under the Congressional Review Act, of a specific rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The rejected rule concerned the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the rubber tire manufacturing industry. As a result of this disapproval, the EPA's proposed standards will not take effect.

The Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends and improves key federal grant programs designed to support successful reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals. This legislation shifts the authorization window for several demonstration projects to run from 2026 through 2030. It also specifically broadens the scope of reentry demonstration projects to explicitly fund substance use disorder treatment, including peer recovery services and reentry housing. Overall, the bill ensures continued federal support for vital reentry, education, and substance abuse collaboration initiatives through the end of the decade.

The DEFIANCE Act of 2025 establishes a federal civil cause of action against the creation, possession with intent to share, or sharing of nonconsensual intimate digital forgeries, often known as deepfakes. This legislation updates existing law to specifically address image-based sexual abuse created through AI or digital manipulation, regardless of whether the image is labeled as fake. Victims can sue for significant statutory damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief to stop the spread of the harmful content. The Act ensures that this new federal standard does not preempt or limit stronger existing State or Tribal laws.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to streamline and modernize the prior authorization process within Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and significantly increases transparency regarding approval rates and decision times starting in 2027. Furthermore, it establishes new enrollee protections and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timeframes for medical services.