Legislative Activity

The Visa Overstays Penalties Act significantly increases penalties for individuals who enter the country illegally or overstay their authorized visas. This legislation establishes a new violation specifically targeting nonimmigrant visa holders who remain in the U.S. for more than 10 days past their authorized status. Consequences include increased criminal penalties, up to two years in jail for repeat offenses, and substantial civil fines ranging from $\$500$ to $\$1,000$ per violation.

The Reliable Grid Act prioritizes the stability and dependability of the U.S. electric grid over environmental regulations that could force the premature retirement of essential power sources. It directs the EPA Administrator to halt the enforcement of recent rules affecting the power sector until reliability is confirmed, especially concerning dispatchable units like coal and natural gas plants. The bill mandates that new reliability standards must account for the intermittent nature of solar and wind power. Ultimately, this legislation seeks to prevent power shortages by ensuring reliable capacity remains online to meet current and future electricity demands.

The New IDEA Act prohibits businesses from deducting wages paid to unauthorized workers from their taxable income unless they use the E-Verify program. This legislation makes the E-Verify program permanent and voluntary, offering employers who comply with its rules a legal presumption of compliance regarding employee work authorization. Furthermore, the bill mandates increased information sharing between government agencies to help enforce these new wage deduction and employment verification rules.

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.

The Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act reinstates and removes limitations on the federal income tax deduction for personal casualty losses resulting from unexpected events like fires or floods. This legislation also extends the deadline for taxpayers to file claims for refunds related to these casualty loss deductions for past tax years. These changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2017.

This resolution formally honors law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, specifically recognizing the 345 officers whose service ended in 2024. It reaffirms support for all active officers and emphasizes the need to ensure they have the proper resources and training to perform their duties safely. The bill serves as a formal expression of gratitude and remembrance for their ultimate sacrifice.

The Safer Shrimp Imports Act establishes new requirements for foreign facilities that process or pack shrimp destined for the U.S. market. It mandates that foreign governments must agree to U.S. safety standards or demonstrate that their inspection systems are equivalent to the FDA's. Shrimp from countries refusing cooperation or lacking adequate oversight will be blocked from entering the United States.

The Federal Animal Research Accountability Act of 2025 mandates that entities using animals in NIH-funded research must annually report detailed data on animal use, broken down by the level of pain or distress experienced. This comprehensive information, including the number of animals bred or housed but not yet used, will be made publicly available in a searchable database by the NIH. These new transparency requirements are set to begin two years after the bill's enactment.

The Captive Primate Safety Act of 2025 amends the Lacey Act to prohibit the importation, sale, breeding, and possession of most nonhuman primates across state lines. This sweeping ban includes species like monkeys and lemurs, with limited exceptions for registered research facilities and existing owners who register their animals promptly. The law establishes immediate prohibitions, even before the Secretary of the Interior finalizes all associated regulations.

The Honoring our K9 Heroes Act establishes a new grant program administered by the Department of Homeland Security to help cover medical expenses for retired Federal working dogs. Eligible non-profit organizations with a history of supporting these retired K9s can apply for funding. This initiative is authorized with $1 million annually from Fiscal Year 2026 through 2030 to support dogs living with their former handlers.

The Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025 significantly strengthens enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by clarifying definitions and expanding the scope of investigations. It grants the Attorney General explicit authority to file civil actions seeking penalties up to $10,000 per day, and mandates that collected fines help cover temporary animal care costs. The bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Attorney General to establish a formal agreement for coordinated enforcement.

The Accountability in Foreign Animal Research Act prohibits the use of federal funds for medical research or experiments involving live vertebrate animals conducted in or controlled by designated foreign countries, including China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. This legislation prevents the Department of Health and Human Services from directly funding or supporting any entity in these nations that conducts such animal testing. The Secretary of HHS is also granted the authority to add other "countries of concern" to this banned list, subject to reporting requirements to Congress.

This bill, the PROTECT the Second Amendment Act, prevents landlords of federally assisted rental housing from banning tenants who lawfully possess firearms within their private dwelling units. It ensures residents in subsidized housing can legally keep their firearms inside their apartments. The legislation also permits the transportation of firearms through common areas only when moving directly to or from the unit.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) significantly amends federal law to require individuals registering to vote in federal elections to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. This legislation mandates that states actively clean their voter rolls and cooperate with federal agencies to verify citizenship status. It establishes new criminal penalties for officials who fail to enforce these documentation requirements.

This bill, the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act, strictly prohibits the sale or release of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to any entity owned, controlled, or influenced by the Chinese Communist Party. Furthermore, it prevents the sale of SPR products to non-Chinese buyers if those products are intended for export to the People's Republic of China. The legislation aims to safeguard U.S. energy reserves from benefiting the Chinese government.

The Nuclear Family Priority Act significantly restructures U.S. family-based immigration by redefining "immediate relatives" to only include spouses and children of U.S. citizens, removing parents from that top category. It also establishes a new, temporary nonimmigrant visa for parents of adult U.S. citizens, which prohibits work and public benefits. Furthermore, the bill revises the annual cap for family-sponsored visas and makes numerous technical amendments across immigration law to align with these changes.

The POWER Act of 2025 establishes a new, temporary tax credit of up to $500 for individuals who purchase an emergency generator for their primary residence. To qualify, homeowners must have experienced at least two major disasters in their area within the last five years and personally received federal assistance for one of those events. The credit amount is subject to phase-out based on the taxpayer's modified adjusted gross income.

This resolution formally condemns the recent wave of violent domestic terrorism attacks targeting Tesla vehicles and dealerships across the nation. It highlights numerous incidents, including arson, gunfire, and vandalism, that have occurred in multiple states. In response to this escalation, the bill notes that the FBI and ATF have established a joint task force to investigate these serious, politically motivated attacks.

The FISCAL Act updates the National School Lunch Program requirements regarding milk offerings. This legislation mandates that schools must offer both traditional fluid milk and plant-based milk options to students. Furthermore, the bill establishes a framework for the Secretary to set nutritional standards for any qualifying plant-based milk offered under the program.