Legislative Activity

The "No Vaccine Mandates in Higher Education Act" prevents federal funding from going to colleges or universities that require students or employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This prohibition applies to enrollment, employment, or receiving any benefit, service, or contract from the institution. The bill references the Higher Education Act of 1965 to define "institution of higher education."

The "Empowering Employer Child and Elder Care Solutions Act" amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to exclude employer-provided child and dependent care services and payments from the calculation of overtime compensation. This means that the cost or value of these care benefits will not be factored into an employee's regular rate of pay when determining overtime pay. The change aims to encourage employers to offer these benefits without increasing their overtime expenses. This exclusion is applicable for workweeks beginning on or after the enactment date of the Act.

The INSTRUCT Act of 2025 aims to increase transparency and oversight of foreign funding in higher education by mandating the sharing of disclosure reports between the Department of Education, intelligence agencies, and other federal departments. It requires the Secretary of Education to provide these agencies with both current and historical reports related to Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The Act also tasks the Comptroller General with studying and recommending improvements to interagency coordination in implementing and enforcing Section 117, and to report the findings to Congress. The public will also have access to these disclosure reports.

This bill disapproves and nullifies the Department of Energy's rule regarding energy conservation standards for commercial water heating equipment.