Legislative Activity

The "Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act" extends the statute of limitations to 10 years for prosecuting fraud related to specific pandemic unemployment programs. It applies to violations or conspiracies under Title 18 and Title 31 of the U.S. Code and rescinds $5,000,000 from previously allocated funds to offset the budget. The changes made by this law will begin on the date of enactment.

The "Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act" eliminates the waiting periods for Social Security disability benefits and Medicare coverage for individuals with metastatic breast cancer. This bill amends the Social Security Act to expedite access to disability insurance benefits and Medicare coverage for those with metastatic breast cancer, ensuring quicker access to essential care and support.

This bill recognizes and celebrates the 113th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America and its founder, Juliette Gordon Low, for their legacy of empowering girls. It acknowledges the organization's focus on STEM, outdoors, and entrepreneurship, and the release of the Juliette Gordon Low Commemorative Quarter. The bill also congratulates Girl Scouts who earned the Gold Award in 2024 and encourages the Girl Scouts of the United States of America to continue to champion the ambitions, nurture the creativity, and support the talents of future women leaders.

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to include qualified military spouses as eligible for the Work Opportunity Credit, incentivizing employers to hire them. A qualified military spouse is defined as someone certified by a local agency as married to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. This change applies to amounts paid and individuals starting work after the Act's enactment.

The "Crucial Communism Teaching Act" aims to educate high school students about the history and dangers of communism and similar ideologies, highlighting their contrast with American principles of freedom and democracy. It directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources, featuring stories from victims of communism. The curriculum will cover past and present communist regimes, focusing on human rights abuses and aggression against democratic entities. The Foundation will collaborate with education officials to implement the curriculum in high schools.

The REDI Act amends the Higher Education Act of 1965, allowing student loan deferment for borrowers in medical or dental internships or residency programs. During this deferment, principal payments are not required, and interest will not accrue on the loan.

The "Credit for Caring Act of 2025" introduces a tax credit for eligible working family caregivers to help offset expenses related to caring for a qualified spouse or relative with long-term care needs. This credit covers 30% of qualified expenses over $2,000, with a maximum credit of $5,000, and includes costs for assistance, technology, home modifications, transportation, and respite care. The credit is reduced for higher-income taxpayers and adjusted for inflation after 2025 and goes into effect after 2024.

The "Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act" mandates the transition of TSA personnel management systems to align with Title 5 of the U.S. Code, ensuring TSA employees receive similar rights and protections as other federal employees, including collective bargaining rights. It protects current pay and benefits during the transition, requires consultation with employee representatives, and addresses concerns related to employee well-being, safety, and diversity. The Act also calls for reports and plans to improve recruitment, address workplace harassment, and update background check requirements.

The "Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding Act" allows individuals to defer paying taxes on capital gains dividends from regulated investment companies (RICs) when the dividends are reinvested into additional shares of the same company. Taxes are deferred until the shares purchased with the reinvested dividends are sold, redeemed, or upon the individual's death. This aims to encourage long-term investment and retirement savings.

The 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act directs the Treasury Secretary to produce gold and silver coins to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The coins' designs will represent the courage and resilience of those affected, with at least one coin bearing the inscription "Never Forget." Surcharges from the sale of these coins will be donated to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum to support its operations and maintenance. The Act ensures that the coin production does not create any net cost to the Federal Government.

The American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025 modifies the tax treatment of research and experimental expenditures, allowing taxpayers to deduct these expenses in the year they are incurred rather than capitalizing them. This change applies to expenses related to the taxpayer's business and is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021. The act also includes provisions for electing to treat these expenditures as deferred expenses and updates related sections of the tax code.

The James Earl Jones Congressional Gold Medal Act directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to James Earl Jones, honoring his contributions to the United States and his work promoting inclusion in film and theatre. The Secretary of the Treasury will create the gold medal, and bronze duplicates will be made available for sale to the public.

The "Pay Our Border Patrol and Customs Agents Act of 2025" ensures that U.S. Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection officers are paid during any government shutdown in fiscal year 2025. The bill appropriates the necessary funds to cover the salaries and expenses of these essential employees, guaranteeing they continue to receive paychecks even when the government is shut down.

The "Tanning Tax Repeal Act of 2025" eliminates the federal excise tax on indoor tanning services. This bill removes Chapter 49 from the Internal Revenue Code, effectively repealing the tax. The repeal is applicable for services provided after the bill's enactment.

The "Turkey Diplomatic Realignment Act" shifts the State Department's oversight of Turkey from the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs to the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, acknowledging Turkey's evolving geopolitical position. This administrative change reflects concerns over Turkey's foreign policy direction, including its relationships with non-Western powers and strained relations with allies. The Act aims to recalibrate U.S. diplomatic engagement with Turkey, and requires a report to Congress assessing the effectiveness of this realignment within five years.

The "Medicaid Provider Screening Accountability Act" mandates states to cross-check Medicaid providers against a federal database monthly, starting in 2028. This ensures providers terminated from Medicare or Medicaid/CHIP in other states are identified. The goal is to enhance provider screening processes within the Medicaid program.

The "Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act" restores the previous, higher reporting threshold for third-party payment processors, requiring them to report users' income to the IRS only if it exceeds $20,000 and involves more than 200 transactions. This change is retroactive to the American Rescue Plan Act and also introduces a de minimis rule for backup withholding, applicable from 2025, to reduce unnecessary tax reporting for gig workers and small online sellers.

This bill aims to enhance security along the southern border by constructing roads, increasing access for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and allowing temporary placement of structures by border states. It also seeks to mitigate environmental damage on federal lands caused by illegal activities through initiatives focused on reducing trash, preventing wildfires, and remediating contamination. Additionally, the bill restricts housing options for non-citizens who have not been formally admitted into the country by preventing the use of federal funds to house these individuals on federally managed lands.

The "People and Animals Well-being Act of 2025" allows taxpayers to use certain veterinary care costs as medical care expenses. Specifically, it allows costs for service animal care and pet health insurance to be considered medical expenses. Additionally, it allows up to $1,000 in veterinary care expenses and $1,000 for pet health insurance for a taxpayer's pet to be considered medical expenses. This limit will be adjusted for inflation starting in 2026.

The Fair Access to Co-ops for Veterans Act of 2025 permanently extends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loan guarantee program for residential cooperative housing units. It directs the VA Secretary to establish regulations that align with industry standards and promote the program to veterans, lenders, and realtors. Additionally, it sets loan fee rates and clarifies that cooperative housing shares are considered residential property for loan guarantee purposes.