Legislative Activity

The Firefighter Learning And Management Education (FLAME) Act establishes new notification requirements for the Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration when large-scale cancellations of National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control courses occur. It mandates timely notification to Congress and affected students regarding any significant course reductions. Furthermore, the bill allows fire departments to seek reimbursement for incurred expenses if a course is cancelled for reasons other than "good cause" and requires a GAO study on the impact of these cancellations.

The Protecting Agricultural Borrower Information Act strengthens privacy protections for individuals receiving loans or payments from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). This legislation prohibits FSA employees from sharing specific borrower data with certain government personnel unless the information is aggregated or the borrower provides voluntary consent. The Act establishes significant penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for intentional violations of these new privacy standards.

This bill, the National Fire Academy Reporting Act, mandates that the Administrator of the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control submit an annual report to Congress. This report must detail the courses and programs offered, including attendance breakdowns by department type and firefighter status. It also requires specific reporting on course cancellations and the allocation of financial assistance and student aid.

The MIL FMLA Act significantly expands existing family and medical leave protections under the FMLA for military families and veterans. It broadens the definition of covered family relationships to include domestic partners and other close relations when caring for a service member. The bill establishes a new entitlement of up to 26 workweeks of leave for caring for a covered service member or for a service member's own serious service-related injury or illness. These changes also apply to federal civilian employees, updating definitions and leave entitlements within Title 5 of the U.S. Code.

The Improving SCRA Benefit Utilization Act aims to strengthen consumer protections for service members under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). This bill mandates improved financial literacy training focusing on SCRA interest rate caps and requires specific notifications of these benefits upon entry or mobilization to active duty. Additionally, it ensures financial institutions must retroactively apply maximum interest rates to pre-service debts from the start of active duty and expand those protections to all debts held by the creditor.

The Deafblind DATA Act aims to establish a more accurate count of Americans who are deafblind by directing the Census Bureau to cross-reference existing survey data. This new law mandates the annual publication of a public table detailing the demographic and economic characteristics of the deafblind population by state, starting in 2026. The goal is to provide essential data to ensure these individuals receive necessary support and resources.