Legislative Activity

The Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act restructures Haskell Indian Nations University into a federally chartered corporation, granting it independence from the Bureau of Indian Education. This change establishes an independent Board of Trustees to govern the university, which will continue to provide tuition-free higher education to Native American students. The Act also creates an endowment program, sets specific hiring preferences for Tribal members, and outlines new reporting and facility planning requirements.

This resolution formally recognizes the 250th birthday of the United States Army, celebrating its long history of defending the nation since 1775. It honors the valor, dedication, and core values of the soldiers who have served across two and a half centuries. The Senate encourages all Americans to observe this significant anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and programs.

The FORECAST Act ensures that essential positions within the National Weather Service (NWS), critical for public safety and weather warnings, are exempt from federal hiring freezes. This law mandates the Secretary of Commerce to protect these key roles, including meteorologists and hydrologists, from being affected by such freezes. Furthermore, it voids any cancellations of job offers for these essential positions made since early 2025.

This resolution supports designating May 2, 2025, as "National Space Day" to recognize the significant positive impact of the U.S. aerospace community. It highlights past and current achievements in space exploration and the resulting technological benefits for the nation. The resolution also emphasizes the importance of inspiring the next generation in STEM fields.

The Criminal History Access Act of 2025 amends federal law to explicitly grant access to criminal history records for state Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Agencies. This ensures that agencies responsible for certifying and training law enforcement officers have the necessary information. The Attorney General is required to update federal regulations within 180 days to reflect these changes.

This bill mandates that all aircraft operating within the nation's Class B airspace must be equipped with and actively use both ADS-B In and ADS-B Out tracking technology. It explicitly prohibits the FAA and the Secretary of Transportation from granting any exemptions to this requirement for any aircraft, including military planes. Furthermore, this legislation repeals a previous defense authorization that allowed certain Department of Defense aircraft to bypass ADS-B installation.

This resolution officially honors and commends the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) for its 80th anniversary and its long history of advocacy. It recognizes the BVA's crucial role in securing better healthcare, rehabilitation, and benefits for blind and low-vision veterans. The measure also urges the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure safe access for service dogs and to appoint specialized staff at all medical centers. Ultimately, this resolution celebrates the BVA's dedication to helping blinded veterans live full and independent lives.

The Preserving Rural Housing Investments Act clarifies tax rules regarding stock ownership in government-sponsored enterprises like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Specifically, it ensures that when determining if an organization qualifies as a tax-exempt entity, the U.S. government's ownership stake in these GSEs is disregarded. This change applies to tax years ending after July 30, 2008.

The Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2025 amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to clarify the definition of "employer." This bill explicitly includes Indian Tribes and their tribally owned enterprises operating on tribal lands under the scope of the NLRA for labor relations purposes. It also establishes clear definitions for "Indian Tribe," "Indian," and "Indian Lands" within this context.

This Act establishes a federal grant program, managed by the Secretary of Transportation, to provide up to $50 million annually for transportation projects supporting U.S. host cities for major international events like the Olympics or FIFA World Cup. The funding aims to assist eligible local entities with transportation planning and infrastructure needs within 100 miles of the event site, starting five years before and ending shortly after the event concludes. Additionally, the bill mandates the Secretary of Commerce to conduct studies analyzing the travel and tourism industry impacts of the 2028 Olympics and the 2026 World Cup.

This bill establishes the Southwestern Power Administration Fund (SWPA Fund) as a dedicated, non-expiring Treasury account for the Southwestern Power Administration. The Fund will consolidate all SWPA receipts and appropriated funds to cover the costs of power operations, maintenance, and construction. This structure grants the Administrator greater flexibility to commit funds for authorized expenses ahead of annual appropriations.

The Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025 ensures the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) remains operational during a lapse in appropriations by automatically accessing funds from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. This mechanism allows essential FAA operations, research, and grants to continue at the previous year's funding level until a new budget is enacted. The bill prevents disruptions to aviation services by providing a stable, temporary funding source during government shutdowns.

The Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act of 2025 (ACRE Act) creates a new federal tax incentive for qualified lenders. This incentive excludes interest earned on certain loans secured by rural or agricultural real property from taxable income. The goal is to encourage lending for agricultural, rural housing, and related property by reducing the cost of capital for lenders.

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.

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 "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 resolution authorizes the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs to carry out its official responsibilities from March 1, 2025, through February 28, 2027. It establishes specific funding caps for committee operations, including staff salaries, consultant services, and professional training. Additionally, the bill outlines the administrative procedures for managing these expenditures through the Senate’s contingent fund.

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 honors the memory of the 67 victims who lost their lives in the tragic mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter on January 29, 2025. It extends heartfelt condolences to the grieving families and expresses profound gratitude to the numerous first responder organizations that provided dedicated rescue and recovery efforts.

The "Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act" updates terminology in the D.C. Official Code, replacing outdated terms like "substantially retarded persons" and "at least moderately mentally retarded" with the more respectful and accurate phrase "persons with moderate intellectual disabilities" when referring to court jurisdictions. This change applies to the U.S. District Court, the Superior Court, and the Family Court within the District of Columbia.