Legislative Activity

This bill, the National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act, mandates the replacement of the current NWSChat instant messaging system with a modern, commercially available, public cloud-hosted solution by October 1, 2027. The new system must meet standards for scalability and usability. Funding for this upgrade, up to \$3 million annually from 2026 to 2029, will be sourced from the existing NWS Operations, Research, and Facilities budget.

The Puppy Protection Act of 2025 significantly increases humane treatment standards for dog dealers under the Animal Welfare Act. This legislation mandates specific minimum space requirements, daily exercise access, and mandatory socialization for housed dogs. Furthermore, it establishes strict limits on female dog breeding frequency and age, alongside enhanced veterinary care protocols.

The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Coin Act authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue special commemorative gold, silver, and clad coins honoring the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. These coins will be sold to the public, with surcharges from the sales benefiting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The Treasury must ensure that the production and issuance of these coins result in no net cost to the U.S. Government.

This bill affirms the House of Representatives' belief that every person has the right to emergency health care, including abortion care. It argues that abortion restrictions endanger lives, force doctors to make impossible choices, and disproportionately harm people of color, low-income individuals, and LGBTQI individuals. The bill emphasizes that delays in emergency care due to abortion bans can lead to life-threatening situations and that everyone, including pregnant individuals, should have access to necessary medical care without discrimination.

This resolution expresses support for designating March 18, 2025, as "National Agriculture Day." It recognizes and celebrates the significant impact of agriculture as a leading industry in the United States.

The Saving NASA’s Workforce Act establishes a temporary moratorium on layoffs at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This freeze prevents the agency from conducting any reduction in force until Congress passes the full Fiscal Year 2026 budget. However, the bill allows NASA to terminate employees for specific reasons such as misconduct or poor performance.

The Saving DOE’s Workforce Act institutes a moratorium, freezing all non-cause-based layoffs at the Department of Energy (DOE) until Congress enacts the full-year budget for Fiscal Year 2026. This measure protects most career federal employees at the DOE from staff reductions during this period. Exceptions for removal are strictly limited to documented misconduct or poor performance.

The Saving NSF’s Workforce Act imposes a temporary moratorium on layoffs and reductions in force at the National Science Foundation (NSF). This freeze will remain in effect until Congress enacts the full-year funding bill for Fiscal Year 2026. The bill allows the NSF to proceed with involuntary separations only for specific reasons, such as misconduct or poor performance.

The Saving NOAA’s Workforce Act establishes a moratorium on job reductions and layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This freeze prevents NOAA from initiating or carrying out involuntary reductions in force until Congress passes the full-year funding bill for fiscal year 2026. Career employees are protected from layoffs during this period unless termination is due to specific causes such as misconduct or poor performance.

The Lowering Egg Prices Act of 2025 aims to reduce costs by streamlining the handling of surplus broiler hatching eggs sold to commercial egg breakers for processing into liquid egg products. This bill exempts these specific surplus eggs from certain current shell egg regulations. It also mandates the creation of a new rule within 180 days to establish appropriate temperature and time limits for holding these eggs before processing.

The Air America Act of 2025 recognizes the sacrifices of former Air America employees who served the U.S. Government between 1950 and 1976. This Act authorizes a one-time monetary award, up to $40,000 plus potential additional amounts, for qualifying service members or their survivors. The CIA Director is responsible for administering these payments, which are capped at a total of $60 million, and establishing the application procedures. Decisions made by the Director regarding these awards are final and not subject to judicial review.

The Saving NIST’s Workforce Act places an immediate moratorium on layoffs and reductions in force (RIF) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This freeze will remain in effect until Congress passes the full-year budget for Fiscal Year 2026. During this period, NIST is prohibited from involuntarily separating most career employees except for documented misconduct or poor performance.

The Feed Hungry Veterans Act of 2025 expands eligibility for certain food assistance benefits for veterans. It updates the criteria for veterans based on service-connected disability ratings and adds specific categories of disabled or pensioned veterans who will now qualify. These changes are scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2030.

The Postal Police Reform Act of 2025 officially designates Postal Service police officers as federal law enforcement agents under Title 18 of the U.S. Code. This legislation grants the Postmaster General the authority to establish and enforce rules for protecting Postal Service property. Violations of these new rules may result in federal fines or imprisonment up to 30 days.

The HELPER Act of 2025 establishes a new FHA mortgage insurance program to assist first responders, educators, and law enforcement officers in purchasing homes. This program offers eligible first-time homebuyers 100% financing with no down payment required. Instead of monthly premiums, borrowers pay an upfront FHA insurance premium at closing.

The Deliver for Democracy Act ties the Postal Service's ability to raise rates for periodicals to meeting specific on-time delivery performance targets. It mandates annual public reporting on newspaper delivery performance, requiring the Postmaster General to detail service metrics. Furthermore, the bill directs the GAO to study and report on strategies the USPS could use to improve the financial standing of underperforming mail products.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act amends the national rural water and wastewater circuit rider program to mandate the inclusion of cybersecurity technical assistance for small, rural water systems. This assistance will help systems serving fewer than 10,000 people assess threats and implement protective measures. The bill also extends and increases funding for the program, specifically allocating \$7.5 million annually for these new cybersecurity services.

The Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act expands eligibility for enhanced crop insurance support by increasing the definition of a "beginning farmer or rancher" from five to ten crop years. This legislation also extends the qualifying period for "veteran farmers and ranchers" under the same terms. Furthermore, it restructures the premium assistance structure for these groups, providing tiered, decreasing levels of extra financial help over their first ten years of participation.

The Women's Retirement Protection Act aims to address the significant retirement savings gap disproportionately affecting women by strengthening spousal protections in defined contribution plans like 401(k)s. The bill mandates spousal consent for certain distributions and beneficiary changes to safeguard retirement assets during divorce or death. Furthermore, it establishes grant programs to boost financial literacy for women and provide direct assistance for low-income women and survivors of domestic violence to secure court-ordered retirement benefits.