Legislative Activity

The Campus Free Speech Restoration Act aims to strengthen First Amendment rights for students at colleges and universities receiving federal funding. It prohibits public institutions from imposing overly restrictive speech codes, "free speech zones," or biased reporting systems that limit lawful expressive activity in generally accessible outdoor areas. The bill establishes enforcement mechanisms, including private lawsuits and federal review processes that could lead to the loss of federal funding for non-compliant public and private institutions.

This resolution asserts that compelled political litmus tests, such as mandatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statements required by public institutions for hiring or admission, violate the First Amendment rights to academic freedom and free speech. It condemns public colleges and universities for conditioning employment or admission on adherence to specific ideological viewpoints. The resolution strongly discourages the practice of requiring applicants or faculty to pledge allegiance to any political ideology as a condition of advancement.

This Act, the Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act, ensures that tax deadlines postponed due to a disaster also apply to the time limit for filing tax credit or refund claims. Furthermore, it requires the IRS to factor in these disaster-related postponement periods when calculating the deadline for issuing tax collection notices. This standardizes the treatment of deadlines following a declared disaster.

This bill extends and modifies special trade benefits for Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, extending duty-free treatment for apparel until December 31, 2028, with revised sourcing rules. It also restores preferential tariff treatment for certain articles from other Caribbean Basin countries that previously lost eligibility. Furthermore, the legislation applies these duty-free benefits retroactively to qualifying imports from Haiti entered on or after September 30, 2025.

The Veterans Heroin Overdose Prevention Examination Act, or Veterans HOPE Act, mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a comprehensive review of veteran overdose deaths over the preceding five years. This review must analyze prescription history, medications present at death, and contributing factors, especially focusing on deaths involving non-prescription opioids like heroin and fentanyl. The findings, including recommendations for improving veteran safety, will be reported to Congress and made publicly available.

The Make America's Youth Healthy Again Act of 2025 establishes a new Presidents Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. This Council will advise the President on promoting physical activity and setting new national fitness goals for American youth. Its key responsibilities include recommending the return of the Presidential Fitness Award and developing strategies to combat childhood obesity. The Council is set to operate for two years unless the President extends its term.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that China should no longer be classified as a "Developing Nation" by the United Nations. The House believes that China's significant global economic status warrants a change in this long-standing designation. This action seeks to align China's international classification with its current economic reality.

The National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act grants the Secretary of the Interior the authority to extend certain existing National Park Service leases without adhering to standard regulatory procedures. This exception applies if the current lessee has held the lease for at least five years and is in good standing, and the extension is deemed beneficial for park management. The Act also mandates an update to the relevant federal regulations within 90 days.

The No Surprises Act Enforcement Act significantly increases financial penalties for group health plans and insurance issuers that violate balance billing protections. It establishes steep fines, including up to $\$10,000$ per affected individual for serious non-compliance. Furthermore, the bill imposes severe penalties, including triple the disputed amount plus interest, for failing to make required payments promptly after an Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) determination. Finally, it mandates more frequent and detailed transparency reporting on enforcement actions and violations.

The Protecting Endowments from Our Adversaries Act imposes severe excise taxes on large private colleges and universities that invest in companies listed on specific U.S. government watchlists. These taxes include an immediate 50% levy upon acquiring a restricted investment and a 100% tax on short-term net income derived from such holdings. The legislation aims to penalize institutions holding assets tied to entities deemed adversarial by federal agencies.

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 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 Veterans PTSD Screening Act mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a study on using RNA sequencing as a diagnostic tool for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in veterans. This research will investigate if genetic testing can accurately identify biological markers related to PTSD. The VA must complete the study by September 2027 and report its findings to Congress by September 2028.

This bill prohibits graduate medical schools from receiving federal funding or participating in federal student loan programs unless they certify they do not mandate adherence to specific diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) tenets. This certification bans forcing faculty, staff, or students to pledge beliefs regarding inherent group status or collective guilt, and prevents the establishment of offices that compel such adherence. Furthermore, accrediting agencies cannot require medical programs to adopt policies conflicting with these restrictions to maintain accreditation.

This resolution expresses support for designating May as National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month to highlight the serious impact of this often-overlooked cancer. It emphasizes that early detection is crucial for survival, yet awareness of symptoms and the need for research remain low. The designation aims to promote public education, support patients, and push for renewed research into better treatments and a cure.

The Preventing Environmental Hazards Act of 2025 modifies the National Flood Insurance Program to provide coverage for the demolition or relocation of structures facing imminent collapse due to shoreline erosion or subsidence. This new benefit offers homeowners a payout based on the structure's value, contingent upon timely action following official condemnation. The Act establishes specific payment schedules for demolition and relocation, while also setting limits on total payouts and excluding coverage for contents.

The No Handouts for Drug Advertisements Act prohibits businesses from taking a federal tax deduction for expenses related to direct-to-consumer advertising of certain prescription drugs. This measure specifically targets costs associated with advertising aimed at the general public via television, radio, or digital platforms. The goal is to disallow tax write-offs for these promotional activities, with an exception for ads placed in professional medical journals.

The First Responders Retirement Parity Act allows certain firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics employed by qualifying public safety agencies to participate in governmental pension plans. This ensures that these essential emergency response providers are treated similarly to other government employees under various federal retirement and benefit rules. The Act clarifies that including these specific providers will not jeopardize the tax status of the governmental pension plan.

The Down East Remembrance Act officially designates several specific creeks with new, permanent names recognized by the U.S. government. This legislation assigns names like Noah Styron Creek and Hunter Parks Creek based on precise geographic coordinates. Moving forward, all federal records and documents must use these newly established official names for the designated waterways.

The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act updates federal firearms laws to better support military families stationed overseas. It allows spouses of service members stationed abroad to receive firearms and ammunition at that duty station. Furthermore, the bill ensures that a service member's spouse is considered a resident for federal firearms laws based on the service member's official residency or duty station. These changes will take effect six months after the Act is signed into law.