Legislative Activity

The Veteran Suicide Prevention Act mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a comprehensive review of veteran suicides over the preceding five years, focusing on prescription practices. This review will analyze medication use, diagnoses, and demographic data for veterans who died by suicide while receiving VA care. The VA must then submit a detailed report of its findings and recommendations to Congress and the public.

This resolution expresses support for designating November 2025 as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. It highlights the critical need to increase public awareness regarding lung cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment options. The bill also recognizes significant disparities in screening rates and the impact of stigma on patients.

The Protecting Students on Campus Act of 2025 aims to increase awareness of civil rights protections for students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The bill mandates a public awareness campaign and requires colleges receiving federal aid to prominently display links and materials related to filing discrimination complaints. Furthermore, it establishes regular congressional briefings and requires annual reporting and targeted audits on how institutions handle complaints of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.

This resolution condemns antisemitism in all its forms, particularly its proliferation on artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. It urges technology companies to implement robust, transparent safeguards to prevent AI systems from generating or amplifying antisemitic content. The bill encourages the development of standards, research, and public awareness initiatives to combat this threat while ensuring all actions remain consistent with constitutional protections.

The AI OVERWATCH Act establishes strict new licensing requirements for exporting advanced integrated circuits to designated countries of concern, including China and Russia. This legislation mandates detailed national security certifications to Congress before any license can be approved for these high-performance technologies. Furthermore, the bill creates an exemption process for trusted U.S. companies while terminating existing licenses for these sensitive exports.

The Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025 expands existing federal whistleblower safeguards to cover nearly all contracts, grants, and agreements funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This ensures that individuals reporting wrongdoing on HUD-funded projects receive standard federal whistleblower protections. These protections apply retroactively to existing agreements.

The Least Cost Exception Act amends FDIC rules to allow the agency to choose a bank resolution method that is *not* the least costly option. This exception permits the FDIC, in consultation with the Federal Reserve and Treasury, to prioritize limiting concentration among global systemically important banks. Any alternative method chosen must still be less costly than outright liquidation and subject to specific cost limitations and special assessments on acquiring entities.

This bill, the Merger Agreement Approvals Clarity and Predictability Act, directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study how federal banking regulators use commitments and conditions when reviewing insured depository institution merger applications. The study must evaluate metrics and review whether these regulatory decisions adhere strictly to existing law. The GAO is required to report its findings to Congress within six months of enactment.

The New BANK Act of 2025 mandates that key federal financial regulators—including the OCC, NCUA, Federal Reserve, and FDIC—publish detailed annual reports on all applications for new bank charters, credit union charters, holding company approvals, and deposit insurance. These reports must standardize data collection on application outcomes, processing times, and common reasons for denial or withdrawal across federal and state levels. The goal is to increase transparency regarding the chartering and approval processes for depository institutions.

The Protecting Private Job Creators Act addresses the application of an SEC rule (Rule 15c2-11) originally designed for stock markets to the fixed-income (bond) markets. This bill formally creates an exception, ensuring that this specific SEC regulation does not apply to quotations for fixed-income securities. This action aims to protect the vital financing mechanisms used by businesses in the debt markets.

The Bank-Fintech Partnership Enhancement Act mandates a joint study by the Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC on how partnerships between banks and financial technology companies can foster new bank formation and improve community bank health. This study will specifically analyze the impact on product launch times, compliance costs, and technological capabilities. The agencies must report their findings and recommendations for regulatory changes to Congress within six months of enactment.

This bill, the Enhancing Bank Resolution Participation Act, mandates a joint study by the Comptroller of the Currency and the FDIC regarding the use of "shelf charters" and the "modified bidder qualification process" in bank failures. The study will analyze how these tools could expand competition and better protect the Deposit Insurance Fund during resolutions. The agencies must report their findings and any recommendations for legislative or regulatory changes to Congress within 270 days.

The Housing for the 21st Century Act is a comprehensive bill designed to significantly increase the supply of affordable housing by reforming restrictive zoning rules and streamlining federal construction approvals. It modernizes key federal programs, expands financing options for manufactured homes, and introduces new protections and support services for tenants and veterans. Overall, the legislation aims to reduce regulatory delays and lower construction costs to make housing more accessible nationwide.

The Merger Process Review Act mandates that the Inspector General of each federal banking agency regularly review how merger applications from banks and credit unions are processed. These reviews will evaluate processing times, identify sources of delay, and offer recommendations for improving efficiency. Following each review, the agency must submit a formal response and implementation plan to Congress.

This bill, the Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act, mandates that TRICARE provide coverage for fertility treatments, including IVF, for active duty service members and their dependents starting in late 2027. The legislation outlines specific coverage limits for egg retrievals and embryo transfers while prohibiting the use of DoD funds for certain procedures like preimplantation genetic screening. It also requires the establishment of a program to coordinate this specialized fertility care for military families.

The NFIP Extension Act of 2026 officially extends the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This legislation ensures the NFIP continues to operate by pushing its expiration date from September 30, 2023, to September 30, 2026. The bill also includes a provision to ensure this extension takes effect even if enacted after September 30, 2025.

The Campus Housing Affordability Act removes existing federal prohibitions that prevent students from receiving housing assistance. This legislation allows eligible students living in institutional housing to receive tenant-based rental assistance without that aid counting against their eligibility for federal student financial aid or other benefits. The bill grants the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development the authority to waive certain requirements to facilitate this assistance.

The ESTUARIES Act amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to officially add the Mississippi Sound to the National Estuary Program and extends the program's funding authorization through fiscal year 2031. However, the bill places specific restrictions on the EPA Administrator regarding the use of funds to implement this addition during fiscal years 2025 and 2026. This ensures that the expansion of the program is contingent upon specific funding levels in the near term.

The Drunk Driving Prevention and Enforcement Act of 2025 establishes a major prize competition to accelerate the development of passive, in-vehicle technology to prevent drunk driving. The bill also creates a national data collection system for drug-involved crashes and establishes a Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence to assist law enforcement nationwide. These measures aim to reduce alcohol and drug-impaired driving fatalities through innovation, data analysis, and enforcement support.

The Office of Fusion Act of 2025 reestablishes a dedicated Office of Fusion within the Department of Energy to accelerate the research, development, and commercial deployment of fusion energy. This office will coordinate federal efforts, foster public-private partnerships aimed at starting construction on private fusion power plants by 2028, and ensure U.S. leadership in the sector. The Act mandates the creation of a commercial deployment roadmap to identify and overcome key barriers to bringing fusion power online.