Legislative Activity

The Equal Campus Access Act of 2025 ensures that public colleges and universities receiving federal funding must grant religious student groups the same rights, benefits, and privileges afforded to all other student organizations. This legislation prohibits discrimination against religious groups based on their beliefs, speech, leadership, or standards of conduct. Essentially, it mandates equal access to campus resources for all student organizations.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 mandates that the Secretary of Transportation establish a rule requiring AM broadcast radio receivers to be installed as standard equipment in new passenger motor vehicles. This requirement aims to ensure public access to AM radio signals, which are often used for emergency alerts. The bill also directs a GAO study on the effectiveness of AM radio within the national emergency alert system compared to other technologies. Finally, the Act preempts state and local laws on this matter and includes a sunset provision eight years after enactment.

The FIREARM Act aims to protect licensed firearm dealers from overly harsh penalties for minor or self-reported mistakes. It establishes new standards requiring the government to provide notice and an opportunity for dealers to correct violations before license revocation. Furthermore, the bill retroactively applies these protections to licenses previously revoked under a specific 2021 enforcement policy, allowing affected individuals a path to reapply.

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.

This joint resolution expresses support for designating September 12th annually as "The Day of the Bible" to honor the historical significance of the Bible in shaping American culture and values. The resolution specifically commemorates the anniversary of the 1782 Congressional approval for printing the first complete English Bible in the United States. If enacted, it would require the President to issue an annual proclamation encouraging citizens to observe the day.

The GRACE Act prohibits federal education funding for any school or agency that mandates vaccinations unless they provide a religious exemption based solely on an individual's stated sincerely held religious beliefs. This exemption cannot require any proof or documentation to support the religious objection. Consequently, institutions requiring documentation for religious vaccine exemptions risk losing federal education funds.

The Safe Students Act completely repeals the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, eliminating the previous ban on possessing firearms within 1,000 feet of a school. This action removes the specific federal prohibition and cleans up related definitions and penalty structures within the U.S. Code.

The Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2025 amends federal law regarding interference with commerce through threats or violence, increasing penalties for robbery and extortion. It creates an exemption from federal prosecution for minor acts of violence or property damage during a labor dispute, reserving those cases for state and local authorities. This Act does not alter existing federal labor laws.

The Sanctuary Penalty and Public Protection Act of 2025 establishes a federal database to identify and publicly list state and local governments deemed to have policies that obstruct federal immigration enforcement. Jurisdictions placed on this "sanctuary jurisdiction" list will be prohibited from receiving or using any new federal funding. This act aims to penalize local governments that refuse to fully cooperate with federal immigration detainers and enforcement requests.

The Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act establishes federal crimes for knowingly transporting a minor across state lines to circumvent her home state's parental involvement laws for an abortion. It also mandates that physicians performing out-of-state abortions on minors must provide at least 24 hours of actual or constructive notice to a parent, unless specific exceptions apply. The law protects the minor and her parents from prosecution under the transportation provision and includes civil remedies for parents harmed by violations.

The Blue Shield Privacy Act of 2025 updates federal law to expand the definition of "restricted personal information." This expansion adds several new categories of sensitive data requiring enhanced privacy protection. Specifically, the bill now includes items like license plate numbers, biometric information, workplace/school addresses, and GPS coordinates.

This bill would require the District of Columbia to recognize valid concealed carry permits or the legal right to carry a concealed firearm held by Members of Congress from their home states. Specifically, it allows Senators, Representatives, Delegates, and Resident Commissioners to carry a concealed firearm in D.C. provided they meet federal eligibility requirements and carry proper identification.

The Modern Worker Security Act prohibits federal law from considering the provision of benefits when determining an individual's employment status. This means benefits commonly associated with full-time employment can no longer be used as a factor in classifying a worker. The goal is to clarify the definition of an employee by removing benefit considerations from the determination process.

The Modern Worker Empowerment Act establishes a new, two-part test under federal law to determine if a worker is an independent contractor rather than an employee. This test focuses on the degree of control exercised over the work's details and whether the worker has the risks and opportunities of entrepreneurship. The Act applies this updated classification standard to both the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act.

The PRIME Act, or Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act, exempts custom slaughter facilities from federal inspection requirements for meat that is processed and sold only within the state of origin. To qualify, facilities must comply with all applicable state laws regarding slaughter and preparation. This legislation ensures that states retain the authority to enforce their own, potentially stricter, regulations on local meat processing.

The End the Vaccine Carveout Act fundamentally changes vaccine injury compensation by allowing individuals to choose between filing a claim through the existing National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program or suing the manufacturer or administrator directly in court. This legislation removes the liability shield for vaccine makers and eliminates time limits for filing claims with the Program. Additionally, it specifically excludes COVID-19 vaccines from existing countermeasure liability protections.

This bill officially renames the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Bloomington, Illinois. The facility will now be known as the "Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic." This action honors Civil War hero Corporal Andrew Jackson Smith for his exceptional bravery at the Battle of Honey Hill.

The Jamie Reed Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act establishes a federal right for individuals to sue medical providers for harm resulting from gender-transition procedures received as minors. This legislation also prohibits the use of federal funds for pediatric gender clinics or for gender-transition procedures performed on minors. These provisions apply retroactively to procedures that occurred before the Act's enactment.

The Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act establishes a new federal program dedicated to repairing and improving critical local and rural roads essential for agriculture. This program aims to enhance access to farms and agricultural facilities, reduce weight-restricted bridges, and increase the safety and resilience of rural transportation networks. Federal funding for these projects will cover up to 90 percent of the total cost.

This bill amends federal law to explicitly include violations related to rioting within the definition of "racketeering activity." By adding this specific crime to the list under Title 18, Section 1961(1), the legislation makes participation in such activities subject to serious federal racketeering charges. This change treats rioting violations similarly to other established offenses like bribery or extortion for the purposes of federal prosecution.