Legislative Activity

This bill amends the Veterans Community Care Program to officially include eyeglass lens fittings as a covered medical service provided by non-VA providers. It mandates that the VA quickly establish procedures to ensure veterans eligible for community care can easily access local providers for these fittings. The VA Secretary must report to Congress within 180 days on the implementation and impact of this new coverage.

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 Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act (STARS Act) designates September 17, 2026, as a day of free access to many federal recreation sites. This waiver applies to entrance fees at National Park Service sites and standard amenity fees at locations managed by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation. The measure celebrates America's 250th anniversary by encouraging public recreation.

This Act allows ranchers to temporarily use vacant federal grazing allotments when their primary grazing areas are unusable due to natural disasters like fires or floods. The relevant Secretary must ensure the temporary land is appropriate and coordinate across agencies for quick access. This provision does not alter a rancher's original permit or long-term grazing authorization.

The Public Land Search and Rescue Act establishes a new federal grant program to support search and rescue operations conducted on remote federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior or Agriculture. This program prioritizes funding for high-visitation areas, covering up to 75% of eligible costs for equipment, maintenance, and direct rescue activities. Eligible recipients include state and local entities with existing legal authority and proven capability to perform these specialized remote rescues.

This Joint Resolution expresses the disapproval of Congress regarding a recent rule submitted by the National Park Service concerning motor vehicles within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. By invoking the Congressional Review Act, this bill effectively nullifies and cancels the Park Service's submitted regulation. As a result, the proposed motor vehicle restrictions will not take effect.

The Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement (FREE) Act mandates that federal agencies develop and implement a "permitting by rule" system as an alternative to slow, traditional permitting processes. This new system requires applicants to certify compliance with written standards, streamlining approval with a 180-day automatic grant deadline if the agency fails to act. Agencies retain the right to audit and enforce compliance after permits are issued, with the burden of proof shifting to the agency during appeals.

The Shivwits Band of Paiutes Jurisdictional Clarity Act clarifies legal jurisdiction involving the Tribe and its lands. It grants Utah state courts authority over civil disputes occurring on tribal lands while ensuring that lawsuits arising from contracts or leases involving the Band are heard in federal court. Crucially, the Act explicitly preserves the sovereign immunity of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes from being sued without their consent. Finally, it expands the Tribe's authority to lease land held in trust by the U.S. government.

This bill nullifies the Bureau of Land Management's Henry Mountains and Fremont Gorge Travel Management Plan dated January 2025. It explicitly prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from implementing or enforcing that specific decision record. Essentially, the measure voids the existing travel management plan for the affected areas.

The Water Rights Protection Act of 2025 protects state authority over water rights by requiring federal agencies to respect state water laws and regulations when issuing land use permits or developing policies. It prevents the federal government from requiring water rights transfers or imposing conditions on water use that exceed state limitations. The Act aims to ensure that federal actions do not infringe upon state-established water rights, while clarifying that it does not alter existing Bureau of Reclamation contracts, the Endangered Species Act, federal water rights, or tribal water rights.

The WEST Act of 2025 nullifies the Bureau of Land Management's Conservation and Landscape Health rule. This prevents the rule from being implemented.

This bill disapproves of and nullifies a Forest Service rule concerning law enforcement and criminal prohibitions. The rule was published in the Federal Register and this bill seeks to overturn it.

The "Ending Presidential Overreach on Public Lands Act" requires congressional approval for the creation or expansion of any national monument. This bill aims to limit the President's authority over public lands by ensuring that any designation or expansion of national monuments is subject to congressional oversight and approval.

The GEO Act aims to expedite geothermal energy development by requiring the Secretary to decide on geothermal drilling applications within 60 days of meeting federal requirements, even if there's a pending lawsuit. This applies to geothermal drilling permits, rights-of-way, and other necessary authorizations, unless a court intervenes. The Act does not alter the power of Federal courts to provide injunctive relief for a geothermal lease, drilling permit, or other authorization.

The "Daylight Act" amends the Uniform Time Act of 1966, giving states the option to observe daylight saving time year-round, maintain standard time year-round, apply either standard time to the entire state, or apply daylight saving time year-round to specific areas within a time zone. This provides states with greater flexibility in determining their time observance policies.