Legislative Activity

The American Franchise Act aims to protect the traditional franchise business model by clarifying the definition of a "joint employer." This legislation establishes that a franchisor is only considered a joint employer if it exercises "substantial direct and immediate control" over the essential terms of employment for a franchisee's workers. This change specifically targets liability risks associated with maintaining brand standards, ensuring franchisors are not automatically held responsible for local labor practices. The new standard applies prospectively to future legal proceedings.

The Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act of 2025 (RESULTS Act) aims to improve Medicare payment rates for clinical lab tests by mandating the collection of more accurate, real-world payment data directly from large, independent private insurance claims databases. This legislation updates definitions, collection timelines, and calculation methods to ensure Medicare payments for widely available tests reflect current market rates. It also establishes default payment rules if sufficient private payor data cannot be secured.

The RESTORE Act of 2025 aims to improve re-entry support by removing barriers to essential aid for individuals with past drug-related convictions. This legislation voids state restrictions that prevent eligible individuals from receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits based on these convictions. Additionally, it allows individuals scheduled for release within 30 days to be counted in SNAP household determinations.

The FEMA Act of 2025 establishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an independent, cabinet-level agency to lead a unified, all-hazards approach to national emergency management. The bill enacts sweeping reforms across Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, and Mitigation programs to accelerate recovery, streamline funding, and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for disaster survivors and communities. Furthermore, it mandates significant new transparency measures, including public data reporting and GAO oversight, to ensure accountability for federal disaster spending.

This Act establishes a mandatory supply fee for Medicare drug plans to pay long-term care pharmacies for specific prescriptions dispensed in 2026 and 2027. The bill mandates a $30 fee per prescription in 2026, increasing in 2027, with penalties for non-payment. Additionally, the GAO is required to study the financial sustainability of the current payment structure for these essential pharmacies. This legislation aims to ensure continued access to medications for patients in long-term care settings.

The Protecting Air Ambulance Services for Americans Act of 2025 aims to improve the Medicare payment system for emergency air ambulance services. This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to update payment rates using newly collected cost data from providers. Furthermore, it mandates the timely finalization of data collection rules and requires the GAO to study the true operating costs of air ambulance services to inform future payment adjustments.

This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to explicitly clarify that time taken off for an employee's own organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition. This ensures both private and federal sector workers receive FMLA protection for recovery from organ donation. The legislation also specifies how federal employees must substitute existing paid leave when taking FMLA time for this purpose.

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying coverage or increasing premiums solely because an individual is a living organ donor. This legislation ensures that living donors are not financially penalized for their altruistic act. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of HHS to update educational materials to accurately reflect the insurance protections afforded to living donors.

The Samaritan Efforts to Ensure Key Health Emergency and Life-saving Protections Act (SEEK HELP Act) establishes federal Good Samaritan protections for individuals who administer opioid overdose reversal drugs or seek medical help during an overdose. It shields these individuals from civil liability and certain criminal prosecution related to controlled substance possession when seeking aid. Furthermore, the Act mandates public awareness campaigns and a comprehensive GAO study to evaluate the effectiveness of these overdose protection laws across the states.

The Accelerating the Development of Advanced Psychology Trainees (ADAPT) Act aims to expand Medicare coverage for mental health services provided by qualified doctoral interns and postdoctoral residents under general supervision. This legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish necessary billing codes for Medicare reimbursement one year after enactment. Furthermore, the Act requires the Secretary to issue guidance to states on removing barriers to covering these trainee services under Medicaid and CHIP programs.

The Removing Burdens From Organ Donation Act mandates that hospitals electronically notify organ procurement agencies when a patient is declared deceased or near death. This law also grants these agencies electronic access to the potential donor's health records upon the update of the death status. Exemptions are available for hospitals facing significant hardship, cybersecurity attacks, or disaster situations. The Secretary must also issue guidance on best practices for implementing these new electronic notification procedures.

The Preventive Health Savings Act requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to score the long-term budget savings resulting from preventive healthcare measures when requested by key congressional leaders. If savings are found, the CBO must include an estimate of these future reductions in its budget projections for the legislation. However, these supplementary savings estimates cannot be used to satisfy standard budget enforcement rules.

This resolution officially commends Petty Officer 3d Class Scott Ruskan for his heroic actions during the devastating central Texas floods of July 2025. It specifically recognizes him for personally rescuing 165 individuals and coordinating triage efforts under hazardous conditions. Furthermore, the bill extends deep gratitude to all federal, state, and volunteer responders who risked their lives during this major natural disaster.

This resolution solemnly marks the one-year anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald J. Trump, condemning the multiple violent attempts against the President's life. It honors the victims of the shooting, including the late Corey D. Comperatore, and recognizes the bravery of first responders. Furthermore, the resolution condemns all incitement of violence against elected officials and calls for national unity against political violence.

This bill, the Protecting Patient Access to Cancer and Complex Therapies Act, establishes a new mandatory rebate system for manufacturers of certain drugs selected for Maximum Fair Price (MFP) negotiation under Medicare. Manufacturers must pay quarterly rebates based on the difference between the standard Medicare payment and the lower negotiated MFP for units sold under Part B. These changes also adjust beneficiary coinsurance calculations to reflect the lower MFP, ensuring patient out-of-pocket costs are based on the negotiated price.

The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 significantly expands and permanently secures access to Medicare telehealth services by eliminating outdated geographic restrictions and allowing more practitioners to offer remote care. The bill also strengthens program integrity by dedicating funds for telehealth oversight while clarifying rules around providing necessary technology to patients. Finally, it mandates the creation of tailored educational resources and public reporting to improve quality measurement and transparency in remote care delivery.

The Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025 makes technical corrections to the 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act to clarify standards for proving harm and venue for trials. This legislation sets specific caps on attorney fees and retroactively applies these changes to all existing and future claims filed under the original 2022 Act. The bill ensures that existing statutes of limitations for filing claims remain unchanged.

The Apples to Apples Comparison Act of 2025 mandates greater public transparency regarding Medicare spending by requiring the Secretary of HHS to publish detailed, machine-readable expenditure data broken down by county and beneficiary type. Furthermore, the bill requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to annually compare the average cost of Medicare Advantage enrollees versus traditional Medicare beneficiaries, accounting for plan differences and risk factors. Finally, the Medicare Trustees must also report detailed expenditure information categorized by specific beneficiary enrollment statuses.

The Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act aims to increase the pay for certain Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees currently receiving the "Rest of US" locality pay rate. This bill mandates that their pay locality be adjusted to the nearest established locality offering a higher rate, provided it is within 200 miles of their worksite. This change is designed to ensure fairer compensation for these federal correctional staff.

The Baseload Reliability Protection Act prohibits owners of certain dispatchable power plants in areas facing high or elevated risk of electricity shortages from retiring those units or switching their fuel source. Owners can seek an exemption from this ban from FERC, which must grant it if continued operation causes financial hardship or if retirement does not harm grid reliability. The Department of Energy may offer financial assistance to keep essential, money-losing plants operational.