Legislative Activity

This resolution celebrates the Blinded Veterans Association's 80th anniversary and its advocacy for blind and low-vision veterans. It recognizes the BVA's contributions to healthcare, rehabilitation, and employment opportunities for these veterans, while also highlighting ongoing needs such as equal access to services, safe environments for guide dogs, and addressing the impact of new technologies. The resolution urges the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure accessibility for guide dogs and expresses the Senate's commitment to supporting all veterans with disabilities.

This bill makes permanent the Department of Veterans Affairs' pilot program, allowing the VA to contract with non-VA physicians for disability examinations. It ensures that qualified contract physicians can conduct examinations across state lines, streamlining the process for veterans seeking benefits. The bill also requires a report to Congress on the program's impact on cost, timeliness, and thoroughness of examinations.

The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act aims to identify and properly honor deceased Jewish members of the Armed Forces mistakenly buried under non-Jewish markers in U.S. military cemeteries overseas. The American Battle Monuments Commission will manage a 10-year program, partnering with a nonprofit organization to identify these servicemembers and contact their families, ensuring their religious heritage is appropriately recognized. $500,000 is authorized to be appropriated to the Commission for each of the 10 fiscal years to carry out this section.

The "Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2025" amends the National Labor Relations Act to specify that Indian Tribes, and businesses they own and operate on their lands, are not considered employers under the Act. It defines key terms like "Indian Tribe," "Indian," and "Indian lands" to clarify the scope of this exemption, ensuring tribal labor sovereignty.

The "Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act of 2025" aims to support U.S. cities hosting major international sporting events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup by providing federal grants for transportation projects that improve the movement of people and goods. It authorizes the Department of Transportation to allocate funds to eligible entities, prioritizing host metropolitan planning organizations, and also directs the Department of Commerce to study and report on the impact of these events on the U.S. travel and tourism industry. The Act allows for technical and planning assistance to be provided to eligible entities for transportation planning activities. Finally, the Act authorizes $50,000,000 to the Secretary of Transportation each fiscal year for these purposes, available until expended.

The "Helping Optimize Prevention and Engagement for Heroes Act of 2025" reauthorizes and modifies the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program to enhance veteran suicide prevention efforts. Key changes include increased grant amounts, improved coordination between grantees and the Department of Veterans Affairs, expanded training requirements, and extended program duration through 2030. The bill also ensures access to emergent suicide care and includes transportation services as part of suicide prevention.

The Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act establishes a dedicated fund within the U.S. Treasury for the Southwestern Power Administration, consolidating receipts and unexpended balances from existing funds. This fund will support the operation, maintenance, and expansion of power transmission facilities, as well as administrative expenses. Excess funds will be transferred annually to the U.S. Treasury. The Act also repeals outdated provisions and updates language in previous appropriations acts to align with the new fund structure.

The Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025 ensures the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can continue essential programs and projects using existing funds from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund during delays in budget approvals. It allows the FAA to maintain operations, facilities, research, and airport grants at the previous year's funding levels until a new budget is enacted, preventing disruptions due to funding lapses. This act ensures continuous funding for the FAA even when regular appropriations are delayed.

The Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act extends medical care coverage for veteran caregivers and provides them with employment assistance, including reimbursement for certification fees, access to training modules, and support through various programs. It expands services to include retirement planning and assistance for returning to the workforce, while also mandating bereavement counseling. The Act further requires studies on returnship programs and hiring incentives for former caregivers, as well as a report on the feasibility of establishing retirement plans for them.

The "Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act of 2025" (ACRE Act) aims to bolster rural economies by excluding interest earned on qualified real estate loans made by qualified lenders from their gross income. These loans must be secured by rural or agricultural real estate, with specific provisions for single-family residences and exclusions for loans involving foreign adversary entities. The Act requires a report to Congress on its impact and applies to taxable years following its enactment.

The "Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025" amends the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative to include research on brain and mental health conditions, such as those caused by repetitive low-level blast exposure and dementia. It mandates data sharing between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, directs specific research activities, and requires reports to Congress on the initiative's progress and recommendations. The act authorizes $5 million annually from 2025 to 2034 to fund these efforts.

The "Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude broadband grants from gross income. This exclusion applies to grants from programs like the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program and other federal and state broadband initiatives. It prevents grantees from receiving a double benefit by disallowing deductions or credits for expenditures covered by these grants and requires a reduction in the property's adjusted basis by the grant amount. This change is effective for taxable years ending after March 11, 2021.

The "Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025" expands Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility to National Guard members performing specific full-time duties. This includes active duty under title 10 or title 14, section 3713, as well as full-time National Guard duty or active duty within the National Guard. These changes are retroactive to service performed on or after September 11, 2001, and will take effect one year after enactment.

This bill establishes an "External Provider Scheduling Program" within the VA to streamline appointment scheduling for veterans receiving care under the Veterans Community Care Program. The program will utilize technology to allow VA schedulers to view healthcare providers' schedules and book real-time appointments, aiming to reduce scheduling times and wait times. The VA Secretary will oversee the program's implementation, provide annual progress reports, and ensure program availability across all VA medical centers by September 30, 2025.

This resolution authorizes the Committee on Veterans' Affairs to make expenditures, employ personnel, and utilize services from other government entities through February 2027. It sets specific expense limits for various periods, including funds for consultants and staff training. Additionally, it outlines how committee expenses will be managed and paid from the Senate's contingent fund, while also authorizing payments for agency contributions related to employee compensation.

The "Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act" establishes a three-year pilot program to improve healthcare coordination between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Medicare for veterans enrolled in both systems. The program assigns case managers to participating veterans to create care coordination plans, aiming to improve healthcare access, outcomes, and quality while reducing costs and eliminating service duplication. The VA Secretary will oversee the program in selected Veterans Integrated Service Networks, tracking key metrics and reporting to Congress on its progress and potential for continuation.

The "Financing Our Energy Future Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the definition of "qualifying income" for publicly traded partnerships involved in green energy projects. This expansion includes income from various renewable energy activities, such as generating and storing power from renewable sources, processing biomass, utilizing carbon capture technologies, and producing renewable chemicals. These changes aim to incentivize investment in and development of green energy technologies by allowing more green energy companies to qualify for PTP status. The amendments will take effect for taxable years starting after December 31, 2025.

This bill transfers the responsibilities of the Food for Peace Act from the United States Agency for International Development to the Department of Agriculture. It ensures program continuity by allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to implement immediate regulation amendments and utilize existing statutory authorities. The Department of Agriculture will also continue the Famine Early Warning Systems Network to monitor and mitigate food insecurity. The Secretary of Agriculture is required to consult regularly with the Secretary of State when implementing title II of the Food for Peace Act.

The CIRCUIT Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the advanced manufacturing production credit to include distribution transformers. Manufacturers of these transformers will be eligible for a tax credit equal to 10% of production costs. This incentive aims to encourage domestic production of critical components for the electric grid.

This resolution expresses condolences for the 67 lives lost in the tragic collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and United States Army Aviation Brigade Priority Air Transport 25 on January 29, 2025. It also recognizes and appreciates the efforts of the first responders and the support from the community and nation.