Legislative Activity

The "First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the creation of a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the First Rhode Island Regiment, a historically significant integrated unit that fought valiantly during the Revolutionary War. The medal will be presented to the Rhode Island State Library for public display and research. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates of the medal to support the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

The Susan Muffley Act of 2025 ensures that eligible participants and beneficiaries under specific pension plans, like the Delphi and PHI retirement programs, receive their full vested benefits. It directs the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to recalculate benefits, provide lump-sum payments for past-due amounts with interest, and establishes a trust fund within the Treasury to cover these increased payments. The act also includes provisions for the tax treatment of lump-sum payments, allowing recipients to spread the income over three years unless they elect otherwise.

The Local Radio Freedom Act expresses Congressional opposition to imposing new performance fees, taxes, or royalties on local radio stations and businesses for playing music. It argues that the current system of free airplay provides essential promotional value to artists and that new fees would threaten the financial viability of local broadcasters and the vital community services they provide.

The Tipped Income Protection and Support (TIPS) Act eliminates the subminimum wage for tipped employees, requiring employers to pay the standard minimum wage before tips. It ensures that all tips go to the employees, allowing for traditional tip pooling. The bill also introduces a tax deduction for qualified cash tips for employees earning up to $112,500 annually, effective for taxable years after 2025.

This resolution designates February 15–22, 2025, as "National FFA Week" to honor the National FFA Organization’s vital role in cultivating the next generation of agricultural leaders. It celebrates the organization’s commitment to personal growth and career readiness while commemorating the 90th anniversary of the New Farmers of America and the 75th anniversary of the FFA’s federal charter.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 expands milk options available to students in the National School Lunch Program by allowing schools to offer organic or non-organic whole milk. This legislation provides greater flexibility for schools in providing fluid milk choices while maintaining accommodations for students with special dietary needs. Importantly, the saturated fat content of these offered milk options will not count toward the meal's overall saturated fat limits.

The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act aims to improve maternal health outcomes in rural areas by establishing programs to train healthcare providers in obstetric emergency care, provide funding for necessary equipment and workforce development, implement teleconsultation programs, and study the challenges facing rural obstetric units. The Act authorizes grants for training, equipment, and telehealth programs, and requires a study on rural maternity ward closures and patient transport patterns.

The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025 expands public safety officer benefits to include deaths and disabilities caused by exposure-related cancers, presuming that certain cancers diagnosed within 15 years of service are line-of-duty injuries if the officer served for at least 5 years. It defines "exposure-related cancer" and allows for updates to the list based on medical evidence, while also permitting individuals to petition for additions. The Act also clarifies "line of duty action" and applies retroactively to claims dating back to January 1, 2020, with a three-year window for filing claims based on these amendments.

The Investing in Rural America Act of 2025 amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971, enabling Farm Credit System institutions to finance essential community facilities in rural areas, with a limit of 15% of their total outstanding loans. These institutions must offer participation in financing to other domestic lenders, especially community banks, and report these offers to the Farm Credit Administration. The Farm Credit Administration will then provide an annual report to Congress on these activities. This amendment aims to support rural development by leveraging the resources of the Farm Credit System.

The United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025 seeks to bolster the defense relationship between the United States and Israel through joint initiatives and increased cooperation. It establishes programs to counter unmanned systems, extend anti-tunnel and counter-UAS cooperation, and promote collaboration in emerging technologies like AI and cybersecurity. The act also mandates the establishment of a Defense Innovation Unit office in Israel and assesses integrated air and missile defense in the U.S. Central Command region. Finally, it explores Israel's potential inclusion in the national technology and industrial base.

The SAFE Act amends the Social Security Act to include physical and occupational therapy benefits in Medicare annual wellness visits and initial preventive physical exams starting in 2026 for individuals determined to have fallen in the previous year. It mandates that these individuals receive falls risk assessments, fall prevention services, and outpatient therapy services. Additionally, the Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit annual reports to Congress on falls experienced by individuals aged 65 and older.

The "Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act" amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to exclude the net value of a family farm (on which the family resides) or a small business (with no more than 100 employees and owned/controlled by the family) from consideration as an asset when determining financial need for federal student aid. This change aims to make higher education more accessible for students from family farm and small business backgrounds.

The "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act" amends Section 529 savings accounts to include expenses related to postsecondary credentialing programs. This allows 529 funds to cover costs like tuition, fees, books, supplies, and testing fees for recognized programs and credentials, as defined by the bill. These changes would apply to distributions made after the bill is enacted.

The Taxpayer Data Protection Act limits access to the Treasury Department's payment systems to Treasury employees or contractors with satisfactory performance reviews and security clearances. It sets specific criteria for individuals accessing the system, including conflict of interest restrictions, training, and ethics agreements. The Act also mandates the Treasury Department's Inspector General to investigate and report to Congress on any unauthorized system use.

The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025 aims to enhance the safety of postal workers by funding high-security infrastructure upgrades, including electronic mailbox keys. The bill also mandates the appointment of dedicated federal prosecutors for postal crimes in every judicial district and requires stricter sentencing guidelines for those who assault or rob postal employees.

The Scientific Integrity Act mandates that federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee scientific research establish and enforce scientific integrity policies. These policies aim to protect scientists from political interference, ensure the open communication of scientific findings, and establish clear processes for reporting and addressing scientific misconduct. The Act requires agencies to appoint Scientific Integrity Officers, provide regular training, and report on misconduct complaints, with oversight from the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Congress. It also protects the rights of federal employees and contractors to share their findings and prevents the suppression or distortion of scientific data.

The Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act of 2025 aims to increase household disaster resilience through a grant program for pre-disaster mitigation activities, tax exclusions for state-based catastrophe loss mitigation payments and certain emergency agricultural assistance, and a tax credit for disaster mitigation expenditures. The grant program will provide funds to states and tribal governments for mitigation activities on individual homes in high-risk disaster areas, while the tax exclusions and credit offer financial relief and incentives for individuals and agricultural producers affected by disasters. This act seeks to encourage proactive measures to protect homes and businesses from the impact of future disasters.

The WARN Act aims to improve community safety during weather emergencies by directing the Comptroller General to study the effectiveness of local, state, territory, and federal emergency alert systems. The study will assess alert dissemination methods, evaluate the clarity and actionability of alert content, and explore improvements to public alerting systems. A report on the study's findings will be submitted to Congress within 18 months, with the goal of enhancing emergency response plans and public safety.

The "Protecting Sensitive Locations Act" amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and places of worship, except in exigent circumstances. It mandates training, reporting, and oversight for enforcement activities near these locations, and invalidates evidence obtained in violation of the Act. The Act aims to ensure discretion and limit enforcement impact on sensitive community spaces, while also requiring annual reports to Congress on enforcement actions taken in sensitive locations.

The **No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act** amends the Internal Revenue Code to discourage corporations from shifting profits and operations overseas. The bill replaces the current global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) regime with a "net CFC tested income" system, implements country-by-country tax reporting, and limits interest deductions for large international groups. Additionally, it strengthens rules to prevent corporate inversions and treats foreign corporations managed within the United States as domestic entities for tax purposes.