Legislative Activity

The Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025 allows individuals to exclude from their gross income any payments or benefits they receive from state-based catastrophe loss mitigation programs designed to help homeowners protect their properties from disasters such as windstorms, earthquakes, or wildfires. These payments will not affect the property's basis, and the exclusion is applicable retroactively for taxable years starting after December 31, 2020, allowing individuals to claim the exclusion retroactively.

This bill expresses condolences for the 67 lives lost in the American Eagle Flight 5342 and PAT 25 crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2025. It recognizes the impact on Wichita, Kansas, and acknowledges the cooperation of officials in responding to the tragedy and assisting the families. The bill also commends the heroic actions of first responders and emergency services personnel.

The Veterans Readiness and Employment Transparency Act of 2025 aims to improve outreach by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for training and rehabilitation programs for veterans with service-connected disabilities by establishing a dedicated phone number and contact information on regional office websites. It also mandates monthly Q&A sessions between VA employees and school certifying officials, as well as in-person briefings at educational institutions. The Act requires the Secretary to submit an annual report on vocational rehabilitation program extensions and approve or reject extension requests within 30 days.

The Guarding Readiness Resources Act allows the National Guard Bureau to accept funds from states and territories as reimbursement for the use of military property. These funds will be used by the Department of Defense for the repair, maintenance, and replacement of assets used by National Guard units on state active duty.

This bill nullifies the Internal Revenue Service's rule concerning supervisory approval processes for penalties. By disapproving the rule as published in the Federal Register, the bill prevents the implementation of the IRS's updated penalty approval procedures.

This bill expresses support for the Iranian people's desire for a democratic, secular, and nonnuclear republic, while condemning the Iranian regime's human rights abuses, support for terrorism, and attempts to develop nuclear weapons. It affirms the right of the Iranian people to self-determination and supports continued sanctions against the current regime. The bill also calls for the protection of Iranian political refugees in Albania.

The "Protect and Serve Act of 2025" creates federal offenses for intentionally causing serious injury or death to law enforcement officers because of their status as officers. It sets penalties including imprisonment and fines, with increased penalties if death results or if kidnapping or attempted killing is involved. Federal prosecution requires certification from the Attorney General, based on a request from the state or if it is in the public interest to ensure substantial justice. The act defines "law enforcement officer" and "State" for the purposes of the new offenses.

The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act extends the Conrad State 30 program, which allows foreign physicians to work in underserved areas of the U.S. in exchange for a waiver of certain visa requirements. It modifies requirements for foreign physicians seeking waivers, including employment protections, state waiver limits, and contract requirements. The bill also increases the number of waivers available to states and modifies immigration procedures for physicians, including allowing "dual intent" for medical graduates and clarifying national interest waivers. Finally, it requires an annual report on the Conrad State 30 J1 Visa Waiver Program.

The "Parity for Athletic Recreation Act" or "PAR Act" removes the restriction that prohibits bond proceeds from being used for private or commercial golf courses and country clubs. This change applies to bonds issued after the enactment of this Act. Additionally, it affects the empowerment zone employment credit and applies to empowerment zone businesses and opportunity zones.

The "DOC Access Act of 2025" aims to enhance health care coverage under vision and dental plans by ensuring fair payment practices, protecting doctors' choices in labs and suppliers, and respecting state laws. It allows optometrists and dentists to charge their standard rate for non-covered services if the plan's payment is unreasonable, while ensuring they can only charge the contracted rate for dental cleanings. The bill also gives doctors more control over agreement extensions with limited benefit plans and allows them to opt out of certain provisions. Ultimately, this act seeks to balance federal guidelines with state oversight in regulating health insurance issuers and dental or vision benefit plans.

The PLASMA Act, or the Preserving Life-saving Access to Specialty Medicines in America Act, introduces a phased-in approach for manufacturer discounts on plasma-derived products under Medicare Part D, starting in 2026. The discounted price will be a percentage of the negotiated price, with the percentage varying based on whether the beneficiary has met their annual out-of-pocket threshold. Certain beneficiaries and small manufacturers are exempt from these discount requirements.

The "No Deductions for Marijuana Businesses Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit businesses involved in marijuana or controlled substance trafficking from claiming tax deductions or credits for their expenses. This restriction applies regardless of whether the business is violating federal or state law. The change will be effective for expenses paid after the bill is enacted.

The "Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act" modifies excise tax regulations by treating marketplace providers as the importer and seller for excise tax purposes on taxable sporting goods sold through their platform if the goods are shipped from outside the U.S. This applies when the marketplace provider lists the product, collects payments, and the manufacturer is not the marketplace provider. The regulations will be applied to sales in calendar quarters starting 60 days after the enactment of this Act.

The ENABLE Act permanently extends provisions that allow for increased contributions to ABLE accounts, which are savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. It also allows penalty-free rollovers from 529 education savings accounts to ABLE accounts, providing greater flexibility in financial planning for families and individuals with disabilities. Additionally, the act includes contributions made to an ABLE account when calculating retirement savings contributions.

The "Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act" establishes federal criminal penalties for evading arrest or detention in a vehicle near the U.S. border, with increased penalties if serious injury or death results. It also makes individuals convicted of this offense inadmissible to the U.S., deportable, and ineligible for immigration benefits. Finally, it mandates an annual report from the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary to Congress on the enforcement and impact of this new law.

The Protecting America’s Seniors’ Access to Care Act prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from implementing the minimum staffing level rules for nursing homes that were published by CMS on May 10, 2024. This legislation effectively blocks the enforcement of those specific staffing mandates.

The "One Flag for All Act" generally prohibits the display of flags other than the U.S. flag on the exterior or in public areas of covered federal buildings. There are explicit exceptions for flags such as POW/MIA flags, state flags displayed at a Member of Congress's office, flags representing the Armed Forces, flags of historical significance, and flags representing local jurisdictions where the building is located. The bill defines "covered public buildings" broadly, including federal buildings, Senate and House buildings, military installations, and U.S. embassies and consulates.

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include Irish nationals in the E-3 visa program if reciprocity is determined by the Secretary of State. Employers hiring Irish nationals under this program must participate in E-Verify. The number of E-3 visas available to Irish nationals annually is capped at the difference between 10,500 and the number of visas issued to Australian nationals in the previous fiscal year.

The "Veterans Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025" establishes a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans experiencing a mental health crisis with referrals to non-Department mental health care providers. This three-year program, operating in at least three locations, aims to connect veterans with approved providers within one week. The Act requires annual reports to Congress on the program's implementation and outcomes, as well as a final evaluation report. It also authorizes $3,000,000 to be appropriated for each of the fiscal years 2025 through 2027 to carry out the pilot program.

The "PSA Screening for HIM Act" aims to improve early detection of prostate cancer by requiring group health plans and health insurance issuers to cover prostate cancer screenings without cost-sharing for high-risk men aged 40 and over, including African-American men and those with a family history of the disease. This coverage mandate ensures that high-risk individuals have access to potentially life-saving screenings, aligning with the goal of reducing prostate cancer-related deaths and improving treatment outcomes. The Act defines "men with a family history of prostate cancer" as those with a first-degree relative with prostate cancer, associated cancers, or genetic alterations linked to increased risk. This provision is set to take effect for plan years starting on or after January 1, 2026.