Legislative Activity

The "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025" extends increased Medicare payment support for physicians and practitioners through 2025. It increases payment rates by 6.62% for services provided from April 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The bill also updates a section of the Social Security Act to include the years 2021 through 2025 for conforming changes.

The "Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights Act" aims to ensure that foreign nongovernmental organizations are eligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, part I, regardless of the health or medical services they provide with non-U.S. government funds if such services are legal in their country. It also prevents these organizations from facing stricter requirements than U.S. organizations regarding the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' view that Congress should act to maintain the United States Postal Service (USPS) as an independent entity within the Federal Government. It emphasizes the USPS's role as a self-sustaining service vital to the economy and national connectivity. The resolution discourages privatization, citing concerns about increased costs, reduced services, and damage to critical infrastructure.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' disapproval of the President's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, recognizing climate change as a threat and highlighting the increasing costs of extreme weather events. It commends entities supporting the Agreement, urges the President to reconsider, and encourages Congress to prioritize U.S. leadership on climate change.

The "Health Care Providers Safety Act of 2025" authorizes the Secretary to award grants to health care providers. These grants will enhance the physical and cyber security of healthcare facilities, personnel, and patients. Funds can be used for security services, upgrades to physical access, cyber security, video surveillance, data privacy, and structural improvements.

The Close the Medigap Act of 2025 aims to strengthen consumer protections and improve transparency in the Medicare supplemental insurance market. It ensures guaranteed issue of Medigap policies regardless of health status, sets minimum medical loss ratios, and prohibits age-based pricing discrimination. The Act also enhances the Medicare plan finder website to provide clearer information about Medigap options and requires transparency in payments to brokers. Finally, the Act restores access to first-dollar Medigap coverage.

The "Increased TSP Access Act of 2025" amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the delivery of technical assistance for conservation practices. It streamlines the certification process for third-party technical service providers (TSPs) by allowing non-Federal entities and State agencies to certify them. The Act also mandates the Secretary to establish fair payment amounts for TSP services and increases transparency regarding the use and impact of third-party providers. Ultimately, this bill aims to enhance conservation efforts by expanding the pool of qualified TSPs and improving their accessibility to agricultural producers.

This bill recognizes the 96th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth and reaffirms his teachings on diversity, tolerance, and civil rights. It condemns hate, discrimination, and prejudice against minority groups and individuals based on gender or sexual orientation. The bill honors Dr. King's legacy and calls for upholding his values of justice, equality, and peace.

The "Saving the Civil Service Act" limits the ability to reclassify civil service positions, maintaining competitive service standards. It requires OPM approval for certain position changes and sets restrictions on the number of employees that can be moved between service types during a presidential term. Employee consent is mandated for transfers between different service schedules. The Office of Personnel Management is tasked with creating regulations to implement the provisions of this act.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the railroad track maintenance credit from $3,500 to $6,100, adjusting for inflation after 2025. It applies to qualified expenditures starting January 1, 2024, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The Food Deserts Act establishes a grant program providing funds to states to create revolving loan funds for grocery stores in underserved communities. These funds will offer loans to establish new grocery stores or support existing ones, emphasizing the availability of healthful foods at affordable prices. States will prioritize entities that hire locally, offer nutritional education, and source food from local farms. The Act allocates $150 million for fiscal year 2026 to carry out these provisions.

The Equal COLA Act aims to provide fair cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuities. Starting December 1 of each year, annuity payments will be increased based on the percentage change in the price index between the base quarters of the current and previous years, rounded to the nearest 1/10 of 1 percent. This adjustment applies to COLAs made after the enactment of this Act and to annuities starting before, on, or after that date, ensuring retirees receive adequate support to keep pace with inflation.

The READY Accounts Act establishes Residential Emergency Asset-accumulation Deferred Taxation Yield (READY) accounts, which allow individuals to deduct up to $4,500 annually for contributions used for qualified home disaster mitigation and recovery expenses. These accounts offer tax benefits, including tax-exempt status and exclusion of qualified distributions from gross income, while non-qualified distributions are subject to taxation and potential penalties. The bill also outlines rules for rollovers, divorce-related transfers, treatment upon the beneficiary's death, and reporting requirements. This act amends the Internal Revenue Code to coordinate READY accounts with existing tax provisions and takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The "Rosie the Riveter Commemorative Coin Act" directs the Department of Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar coins in 2028 to honor the women who contributed to the World War II Home Front. The coin designs will represent the legacy of these women, with input from the Rosie the Riveter Trust, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Surcharges from the coin sales will go to the Rosie the Riveter Trust to support the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and educational programs. This act ensures that the coin minting incurs no net cost to the government and recognizes the invaluable contributions of women during WWII.

The TRUST in Congress Act mandates that members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children place covered investments, such as securities and commodities, into qualified blind trusts within a specified timeframe. These trusts must remain in place until 180 days after the member leaves office, ensuring that investment decisions are made without the member's knowledge or influence. Members must certify their compliance or declare the absence of covered investments, with these certifications being made public. An exception is provided for spouses or dependent children whose primary income is derived from a covered investment.

This bill designates January 13th of each year as Korean American Day. It recognizes the important influence, contributions, and sacrifices of Korean Americans in the United States, and celebrates the 122nd anniversary of the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the U.S. The bill encourages all Americans to acknowledge and celebrate the integral role of Korean Americans in strengthening the ties between the United States and the Republic of Korea.

The Goldie's Act seeks to strengthen the USDA's enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by mandating annual inspections, requiring humane treatment of suffering animals, and imposing significant penalties for violations. It ensures transparency through mandated sharing of violation records and sets firm guidelines for determining penalties based on the severity and frequency of violations. The Act also enables legal action to recover unpaid penalties and penalizes the disobedience of "cease and desist" orders.

The "National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act" aims to support the National Law Enforcement Museum's programs for community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness through grants to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The act authorizes \$6,000,000 to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior for each of the first 7 fiscal years after the law is enacted. It requires annual progress reports to ensure accountability and transparency in the use of funds. The Act allows the Secretary to use funds to continue activities the National Law Enforcement Museum was already doing when this law was enacted.

The "Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution" allows Members of the House, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner who have recently given birth or whose spouse has given birth to designate another Member to vote on their behalf in the House, in committee, and in the Committee of the Whole for a period of 12 weeks. This proxy voting authority can begin before the birth if a doctor advises that the pregnancy presents a serious medical condition or that she is unable to travel safely. The resolution outlines specific procedures for designating, changing, and revoking proxy designations, ensuring transparency and adherence to instructions. Members whose votes are cast by proxy will not be counted for quorum purposes.

The "Health Care Affordability Act of 2025" expands eligibility for health insurance tax credits by removing the income cap, allowing more individuals and families to qualify for financial assistance. The bill adjusts the premium tax credit calculation, providing a sliding scale based on income to ensure affordability. These changes will apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.