Legislative Activity

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

This resolution condemns the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and extends condolences to his family. It honors his life and legacy, recognizing his founding of Turning Point USA and his commitment to encouraging civil discourse on college campuses.

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 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 Unleashing Low-Cost Rural AI Act mandates a comprehensive study by the Secretary of Energy to assess the impact of growing AI and data center infrastructure on the nation's energy supply. This study must specifically examine energy needs, alternative power sources, and consumer costs, with a special focus on frontier and remote areas. The goal is to identify supply gaps and explore ways to expedite necessary infrastructure permitting.

The Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act ensures that certain qualified relief payments received by individuals for wildfire-related losses are excluded from their federal gross income. This provision applies to payments covering uninsured or underinsured expenses, damages, or lost wages resulting from federally declared forest or range fires. The tax exclusion is designed to prevent double benefits and is set to expire for payments received after December 31, 2032.

This bill amends current law to mandate the exclusion of the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) when calculating the gross household income for eligible members of the Armed Forces. This change specifically impacts the determination of eligibility for benefits tied to the basic needs allowance. By removing the housing stipend from income calculations, the legislation aims to provide a more accurate assessment of a service member's actual financial need.

This bill seeks to amend federal law to provide hazard pay for federal employees carrying out prescribed burns and for smokejumpers. It officially recognizes that performing prescribed burns and parachute jumping for firefighting duties involve unusual physical hardship or hazard comparable to fighting active wildfires. The Office of Personnel Management is tasked with implementing the necessary regulations to ensure this hazard pay takes effect promptly.

The AUKUS Improvement Act of 2025 streamlines defense cooperation between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. This legislation eases restrictions on the export, re-export, and transfer of defense articles among the three nations, removing certain presidential authorization requirements. Furthermore, it eliminates specific certification requirements for technical assistance and manufacturing license agreements conducted within Australia or the United Kingdom. Overall, the bill aims to increase flexibility and efficiency in defense trade and technology sharing under the AUKUS partnership.

The Enduring Welcome Act of 2025 establishes a permanent Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts within the State Department to streamline and support the resettlement of Afghan allies. This Act mandates the creation of a secure, centralized database to track all applicants, beneficiaries, and relocation progress, ensuring accountability to Congress. The Coordinator will manage interagency efforts, resolve family reunification roadblocks, and provide integration support for covered persons. This entire framework is set to automatically expire five years after enactment unless otherwise specified.

The Parents Opt-in Protection Act requires schools to obtain prior written consent before collecting specific survey or evaluation data from students. This legislation amends existing law to ensure that participation in certain student surveys is voluntary and requires explicit parental or student permission.

The CREATE Act, or Creative Relief and Expensing for Artistic Entertainment Act, modifies tax rules for qualified productions by significantly increasing the allowable spending limits for certain tax benefits. This legislation also introduces automatic inflation adjustments for these dollar amounts starting in 2027. Furthermore, the bill extends the expiration date for these beneficial tax provisions from the end of 2025 to the end of 2030.

The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act establishes a new program to support local food producers and strengthen regional food security. This initiative requires the Secretary of Agriculture to fund agreements that ensure nutritious, locally sourced food is purchased and distributed widely, prioritizing small and beginning farmers. Funds must be used to buy minimally processed local products and provide technical assistance to producers. The program is backed by mandatory funding starting in Fiscal Year 2026.

The Save Our Seniors Act (SOS Act) mandates that reports on the Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds must now include a new graphical comparison. This comparison will show the difference between initial budget assumptions and the actual projected payouts from the Trust Funds based on dedicated funding sources. The goal is to provide clearer transparency regarding the financial status and projections of these vital funds.

The Rescissions Act of 2025 immediately cancels billions of dollars in previously appropriated budget authority across various federal programs. This bill specifically targets and rescinds unspent funds primarily related to international operations, global health initiatives, and foreign assistance accounts. The rescissions are enacted based on a proposal submitted by the President to Congress in June 2025.

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 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 Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 enhances efforts to combat human trafficking both within the United States and internationally. The act focuses on prevention education, survivor support, and international cooperation, while increasing funding authorizations for key anti-trafficking programs. It prioritizes resources for areas with high trafficking rates, improves data collection, and ensures that foreign assistance aligns with counter-trafficking goals. This legislation aims to protect vulnerable populations, empower survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable.

The Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act of 2025 allows tax-exempt nonprofit organizations to claim valuable federal retirement plan startup and auto-enrollment tax credits. Instead of receiving a refund, eligible nonprofits can apply these credits directly against their required payroll tax obligations. This measure aims to encourage small tax-exempt employers to establish retirement plans for their employees.

The Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2025 targets foreign governments in the Western Hemisphere that have seized or unfairly controlled port infrastructure essential to U.S. trade access since early 2024. The bill requires the executive branch to identify this "prohibited property" and subsequently ban any associated vessels from accessing U.S. ports or receiving services. Furthermore, the Act expands the definition of unfair trade practices to explicitly include the nationalization or discriminatory treatment of U.S. assets by foreign nations.