Legislative Activity

The Hire Student Veterans Act expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to incentivize employers for hiring veterans actively using federal educational assistance benefits. This legislation modifies eligibility requirements, allowing employers to claim the tax credit for hiring veterans utilizing benefits like the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Furthermore, it removes the standard minimum employment period requirement for these specific veteran hires, potentially allowing employers to claim the credit sooner.

The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025 expands eligibility for the Public Safety Officers Death Benefits program to include certain retired law enforcement officers. This legislation provides benefits to retired officers, or their families, if their injury or death resulted from a targeted attack directly related to their prior service. These changes are effective immediately and apply retroactively to qualifying incidents occurring on or after January 1, 2012.

The Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act establishes the new **Veteran Small Business Start-up Credit** to incentivize entrepreneurship among veterans and their spouses. This credit allows eligible veteran-owned small businesses operating in underserved communities to claim a tax credit of up to $7,500 annually based on qualified start-up expenditures. The provision aims to support veteran business creation by offering a direct financial benefit during the initial years of operation.

The Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2025 updates federal assistance for advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased products. This legislation introduces new competitive grants specifically for developing and demonstrating pilot-scale biorefineries. It also modifies the criteria for existing loan guarantees, allowing for greater flexibility in reviewing projects with proven technologies. Overall, the bill aims to accelerate the commercial viability of domestic biobased manufacturing through targeted financial support.

The ABLE Employment Flexibility Act modifies retirement plan rules to allow eligible individuals with disabilities to direct some of their employer's retirement contributions into their ABLE account. This change aims to protect working ABLE individuals from losing essential benefits while enabling them to save more money. The bill also clarifies how these redirected contributions are treated for tax and anti-discrimination purposes. Ultimately, it provides greater financial flexibility for employees with disabilities saving through ABLE accounts.

The CLEAR Waters Act narrows the definition of "navigable waters" under federal law. This legislation explicitly excludes features like wastewater treatment systems, ephemeral streams, and groundwater from federal water protection regulations. The goal is to clarify which bodies of water fall under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act aims to enhance security for state and local judges by establishing a new State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center. This center will provide training, monitor threats, coordinate law enforcement responses, and create a national database of incidents targeting judicial personnel. The Act also requires annual reporting to Congress detailing the volume and severity of threats against court officials.

The Farmers First Act of 2025 aims to enhance mental health support for agricultural producers. This legislation increases funding for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network and mandates the inclusion of dedicated crisis lines within its services. Furthermore, it formalizes partnerships between network recipients and various certified healthcare providers to improve access to mental health and substance use treatment.

The Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends critical funding for both Type 1 Diabetes research programs and diabetes programs serving Native Americans. This legislation secures specific annual appropriations of \$160 million for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, along with a transition allocation in late 2027. The bill ensures continued financial support for these vital public health initiatives through the end of 2027.

The Intelligence Community Workforce Agility Protection Act of 2025 aims to support intelligence community personnel by simplifying the tax treatment of required relocations. This bill allows intelligence community employees and appointees to utilize specific moving expense deductions when changing duty stations. Furthermore, it ensures that reimbursements for qualified moving expenses related to these official relocations are excluded from taxable income.

This resolution formally condemns the recent surge in antisemitic attacks across the United States, citing specific tragedies in Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado. It acknowledges the widespread celebration of this violence online and highlights alarming statistics showing the dramatic increase in religiously motivated hate crimes against Jewish Americans. Ultimately, the Senate reaffirms its commitment to fighting antisemitism as a threat to American democracy.

The Taskforce for Recognizing and Averting Payment Scams Act (TRAPS Act) establishes a new Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury, to combat electronic payment scams. This group will bring together federal agencies, financial experts, and consumer advocates to examine current scam trends and develop comprehensive prevention strategies. The Task Force is required to produce an initial report within one year detailing its findings, an educational strategy, and recommendations for new laws or rules. It will continue to issue annual updates before automatically dissolving three years after its first report.

This resolution formally honors the life and tragic death of Sarah Lynn Milgrim, recognizing her significant academic and professional contributions. It also condemns the recent extremist attack that resulted in the deaths of Ms. Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky. Furthermore, the resolution denounces violence targeting religious groups and supports the full prosecution of those responsible for this hate crime.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 allows schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to offer organic or non-organic whole milk as part of their required fluid milk options. This legislation also expands the authority to determine a student's milk choice from physicians to include parents or legal guardians. Finally, it clarifies that the fat content from the offered milk will not count toward a meal's saturated fat limits for compliance purposes.

The VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act of 2025, or VALID Act, aims to increase awareness of VA loan options for consumers. It mandates that FHA disclosures include information about assuming VA-backed loans. Furthermore, the Act requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to add a mandatory military service question to the standard mortgage application form.

The Innovative FEED Act of 2025 establishes a new regulatory category for "zootechnical animal food substances" intended to modify digestion or reduce foodborne pathogens in food animals, while explicitly excluding substances intended to treat disease. These substances are still regulated as food additives requiring FDA approval based on demonstrated efficacy and safety. The bill mandates specific labeling requirements to clarify that these products are not intended as animal drugs.

This resolution serves as a formal tribute honoring the life, achievements, and enduring legacy of former United States Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond of Missouri. It recognizes his decades of public service, including his terms as Missouri Governor and U.S. Senator, where he championed infrastructure, agriculture, and conservative values. The Senate expresses deep sadness over his passing and directs that official copies of this tribute be sent to his family.

The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the Crime Victims Fund by expanding the sources of deposits. This includes allowing the Fund to receive money from certain legal settlements that do not result in a criminal conviction. Additionally, the bill temporarily allows certain recoveries from False Claims Act settlements to fund victim services through 2030, while protecting payments to whistleblowers and the government's direct recovery.

The DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act of 2025 establishes a dedicated, comprehensive research program within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) focused on Down syndrome. This new initiative, the INCLUDE Project, will fund studies across basic science, clinical trials, and biomarker identification to better understand and treat co-occurring medical conditions. The ultimate goal is to improve the health, quality of life, and daily functioning for individuals with Down syndrome.

The AG RESEARCH Act aims to modernize and strengthen the nation's agricultural research infrastructure to keep U.S. farming competitive. It establishes a new, mandatory funding stream to provide grants for the construction, repair, and equipment upgrades of agricultural research facilities. The bill also ensures that grant proposals are reviewed with input from experts at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).