Legislative Activity

The Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act ensures that service-connected disability compensation received by veterans is excluded when calculating income for eligibility in certain federal housing programs. This change aims to increase access to affordable housing for disabled veterans. The bill also mandates a report to Congress reviewing how HUD currently treats this compensation across its programs.

The Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act of 2026 establishes a special pay system to increase the base pay for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officers by 35 percent. This legislation also provides a similar 35 percent wage increase for certain hourly BOP employees involved in inmate custody. The new pay authority is set to expire after five years, unless the Department of Justice Inspector General reports measurable progress in reducing the use of non-custodial staff for officer duties and excessive overtime.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 targets the increasing threat posed by organized theft groups impacting retail and the national supply chain. This bill strengthens federal law by expanding money laundering statutes and lowering thresholds for property crimes related to theft. Crucially, it establishes a new federal coordination center within Homeland Security Investigations to align efforts across all levels of law enforcement and the private sector to combat these cross-jurisdictional crimes.

This bill amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to temporarily exclude certain False Claims Act recoveries from being deposited into the Crime Victims Fund through fiscal year 2029. It also mandates a comprehensive audit by the Department of Justice Inspector General on the Fund's sustainability and the impact of recent legislative changes. The resulting report will provide recommendations for improving the Fund's effectiveness and oversight.

The Main Street Capital Access Act is a comprehensive bill designed to revitalize community banking by making it easier to start new banks, tailoring regulations to the size of financial institutions, and increasing transparency in bank supervision. It introduces regulatory relief for smaller banks, streamlines the application process, and reforms how bank failures are resolved to promote competition. Ultimately, the legislation seeks to reduce regulatory burdens and foster a more diverse and accessible financial system.

The Reliable Power Act mandates annual long-term reliability assessments by the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to proactively identify risks of power shortages. If a "generation inadequacy" is found, it triggers a review process for certain federal agency regulations that affect power generation resources. This ensures federal agencies must address and respond to FERC's recommendations on how their proposed rules might impact the reliability of the bulk-power system before finalizing those actions.

The "Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act" prevents payment card networks from assigning a unique merchant category code to firearm retailers. The Attorney General is responsible for enforcing the Act, investigating complaints, and reporting to Congress. This law overrides state and local laws regarding merchant category codes for firearm retailers and does not establish a private right of action.

The Housing for the 21st Century Act is a comprehensive bill designed to significantly increase the supply of affordable housing by reforming restrictive zoning rules and streamlining federal construction approvals. It modernizes key federal programs, expands financing options for manufactured homes, and introduces new protections and support services for tenants and veterans. Overall, the legislation aims to reduce regulatory delays and lower construction costs to make housing more accessible nationwide.

The Tailoring and Indexing Enhanced Regulations Act of 2025 (TIER Act) adjusts current dollar thresholds across major banking laws to reflect historical increases in U.S. GDP, potentially reducing regulatory burdens for some financial institutions. It also mandates that key regulatory thresholds be automatically adjusted every five years based on future GDP growth, starting in 2031. Furthermore, the bill requires federal financial agencies to jointly review and adjust non-statutory regulatory thresholds every five years to maintain consistency with economic changes.

The Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025 expands existing federal whistleblower safeguards to cover nearly all contracts, grants, and agreements funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This ensures that individuals reporting wrongdoing on HUD-funded projects receive standard federal whistleblower protections. These protections apply retroactively to existing agreements.

The Professional Student Degree Act seeks to amend the Higher Education Act by formally defining what constitutes a "professional degree" for student loan purposes. This definition specifies degrees that prepare students to immediately begin practicing in a profession and require a skill level beyond a standard bachelor's degree. The bill explicitly lists numerous professional degrees, such as Law, Medicine, and specialized health fields, under this new classification.

This bill, the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act, officially authorizes Congress to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 U.S. Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. The medals will be struck by the Treasury and permanently displayed at specific national sports museums. The Act also permits the sale of duplicate bronze medals to cover production costs.

This bill, the "Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act," aims to stop improper government payments by improving how the Social Security Administration shares death data with the federal Do Not Pay system. It mandates the SSA to provide death information to prevent and recover mistaken benefit payments. The legislation also establishes a clear standard for recording deaths and requires notifying agencies if an individual is incorrectly listed as deceased.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 521 Thorn Street in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, as the "Mary Elizabeth Bettie Cole Post Office Building." This change ensures all future federal references use the newly established name for the building.

The HELP Copays Act requires that financial assistance provided by non-profit organizations and drug manufacturers must count toward a patient's deductible, copayments, and out-of-pocket maximums for prescription drugs. This change ensures that patient assistance dollars directly reduce the amount a patient must pay before their coverage fully kicks in. The legislation specifically applies to specialty drugs and those subject to utilization management. These provisions will take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act of 2025 aims to limit the financial burden of federal regulations on small businesses by requiring the SBA to track and cap its own rulemaking costs. It also mandates annual reporting to Congress detailing the regulatory costs imposed on small businesses by all other federal agencies. Additionally, this bill establishes a one-time $1,000 payment for eligible U.S. citizens and qualified aliens, funded by a transfer from the Treasury's general fund.

The Energy Choice Act prevents state and local governments from enacting bans or restrictions on the type or source of energy services consumers can access. This legislation protects consumer choice across various energy sources, including natural gas, hydrogen, propane, and electricity, provided the energy is sold across state lines. Essentially, it limits local interference with energy delivery options.

The Expanding WKSI Eligibility Act creates a new, alternative pathway for companies to qualify as a "well-known seasoned issuer" (WKSI) by lowering the public market value threshold to \$400 million, while removing the existing worldwide market value requirement. Additionally, the bill mandates that the SEC annually report on the number of WKSI-related applications that are withdrawn. This aims to streamline the process for certain issuers to benefit from WKSI status.

The HUD Transparency Act of 2025 mandates that the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provide annual testimony to Congress. This testimony must detail the OIG's efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse, and assess HUD's efficiency and resource needs. The goal is to enhance public accountability and oversight of HUD programs.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act focuses primarily on improving pediatric drug development and ensuring patient access to necessary treatments. This legislation mandates new research requirements for molecularly targeted pediatric cancer drugs, strengthens FDA enforcement of pediatric study completion, and extends incentives for developing drugs for rare pediatric diseases. Additionally, the bill updates organ transplant network functions and establishes an Abraham Accords Office within the FDA to enhance international regulatory cooperation.