Legislative Activity

The Canadian Snowbird Act creates a special visitor status for qualifying Canadian retirees, allowing them to stay in the U.S. for up to 240 days per year while maintaining their Canadian residency. This legislation also ensures that these Canadian visitors are treated as non-resident aliens for U.S. tax purposes, preventing them from being taxed like U.S. residents. The bill aims to simplify entry and tax obligations for long-term seasonal visitors from Canada.

The Stopping the Theft and Destruction of Broadband Act of 2025 strengthens federal law to explicitly prohibit the destruction of broadband internet access service facilities. This update broadens protection beyond defense-related infrastructure to cover any privately or publicly operated broadband service. The Act provides a clear definition of what constitutes broadband internet access service under federal protection.

The DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act mandates annual audits of the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis's information systems and bulk data. It requires the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis to conduct these audits and notify Congress when new bulk data sets are analyzed or used. The Act also requires a report to Congress after each audit and a review by the Comptroller General within four years.

The OPIOIDS Act aims to improve data collection and monitoring of opioid-related overdoses by providing grants to states and localities for enhanced toxicology testing, data sharing, and training for law enforcement. It also supports local law enforcement and forensic labs in high-overdose areas with training and resources for identifying overdoses, tracing drugs, and investigating overdose deaths. Additionally, the act seeks to standardize drug data reporting and ensure dedicated funding for fentanyl profiling within the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The "Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act" aims to address and prevent sexual harassment and sexual assault against Bureau of Prisons staff by incarcerated individuals. It mandates a comprehensive review and analysis by the Inspector General of the incidence and effects of such acts, including current punishment practices. Following the review, the Attorney General is directed to establish national standards for preventing, reducing, and punishing sexual harassment and sexual assault in prisons.

The READY Accounts Act establishes Residential Emergency Asset-accumulation Deferred Taxation Yield (READY) accounts, which allow individuals to deduct up to $4,500 annually for contributions used for qualified home disaster mitigation and recovery expenses. These accounts offer tax benefits, including tax-exempt status and exclusion of qualified distributions from gross income, while non-qualified distributions are subject to taxation and potential penalties. The bill also outlines rules for rollovers, divorce-related transfers, treatment upon the beneficiary's death, and reporting requirements. This act amends the Internal Revenue Code to coordinate READY accounts with existing tax provisions and takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.