Legislative Activity

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 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 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.

This bill honors Selfridge Air National Guard Base on its 108th anniversary, recognizing its historical significance, economic impact, and strategic importance to national security. It acknowledges the base's contributions to military operations, its role in homeland defense, and its selection for the KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft beddown. The bill also commends the personnel of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and encourages continued support and investment in the base.

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.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 409 South Hicks Street in Lawrenceville, Virginia, as the "James Solomon Russell Post Office." The legislation ensures that all official records and documents reflect this new, permanent name for the Lawrenceville post office.

The Safe Vehicle Access for Survivors Act mandates that providers of connected vehicle services must quickly terminate an abuser's remote access to a survivor's vehicle upon request, without imposing fees or requiring co-owner consent. This legislation requires providers to secure the survivor's information, offer clear instructions for regaining sole control, and establish specific notification procedures for all actions taken. The FCC is tasked with creating detailed regulations to ensure survivor safety and data confidentiality within two years of the bill's enactment.

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.

This bill recognizes and celebrates the 100th anniversary of Delta Air Lines, acknowledging its historical significance as the first U.S. airline to reach this milestone. It highlights Delta's growth, global connectivity, commitment to community, and industry leadership.

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 AI PLAN Act mandates the creation of a unified federal strategy to defend against financial crimes and threats posed by artificial intelligence. Key agencies must annually report to Congress on current defenses, available tools, and necessary resources to combat AI-driven risks like deepfakes and fraud. Following this report, the agencies must provide specific legislative recommendations and best practices for businesses and government entities.

The Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home Act (WISH Act) establishes a new federal long-term care insurance benefit under Social Security to help seniors financially plan for extended care needs and remain in their communities. This benefit is funded through a newly created Trust Fund and is designed to supplement, not replace, personal savings and existing care options. The Act also mandates a national education campaign and requires the Social Security Administration to send personalized notices informing individuals about their potential coverage status.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to improve support for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This bill eliminates the standard waiting period for receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. These changes ensure immediate access to crucial financial and healthcare support upon diagnosis.

The Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 significantly increases the maximum loan amounts available through federal farm ownership and operating loan programs, effective in fiscal year 2025. The bill also updates the calculation method for inflation adjustments in rural development programs and raises the cap for agricultural microloans from $\$50,000$ to $\$100,000$. Finally, it establishes conditions under which distressed FSA guaranteed loans may be refinanced into direct loans, provided the operation has a reasonable chance of success.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 620 East Pecan Boulevard in McAllen, Texas, as the "Agent Raul H. Gonzalez Jr. Memorial Post Office Building." The legislation ensures that all official records and documents reflect this new memorial name for the building.

The Delphi Retirees Pension Restoration Act aims to restore the full pension benefits to eligible participants and beneficiaries under specific terminated pension plans, such as the Delphi Hourly-Rate Employees Pension Plan. It mandates the recalculation of benefits to match the full vested plan benefit, provides for lump-sum payments to cover past underpayments with interest, and funds these increased benefits through existing resources. The bill also includes provisions for the tax treatment of these payments, allowing recipients to spread the income over three years.

The "Mamas and Babies in Underserved Communities Act of 2025" aims to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities in underserved communities by providing grants to healthcare providers. These grants will support the expansion and enhancement of maternal health services, including prenatal, postnatal care for infants, and postpartum care for mothers. Priority is given to entities serving minority, low-income, or medically underserved areas, particularly those led by community members. The act allocates necessary funds from 2026 to 2030 to facilitate these improvements.

The HERO Act establishes a national system to track suicides among public safety officers to better understand prevention needs. It also creates grant programs to fund peer-support and wellness programs for fire, EMS, and healthcare workers. Finally, the bill mandates the development of educational resources to improve mental health treatment for first responders dealing with trauma and PTSD.

The FARMLAND Act of 2025 aims to protect U.S. agriculture and national security by modernizing and enforcing laws against malign foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land and businesses, particularly from countries of concern. It increases penalties for non-compliance with reporting requirements, mandates detailed reports on foreign land ownership and potential threats, and enhances the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) authority to review real estate transactions involving foreign entities. The act also directs the creation of a comprehensive database of foreign-owned agricultural land and prohibits foreign individuals/entities from participating in Farm Service Agency programs. Finally, the act authorizes appropriations for secure workspace construction, database development, and other activities related to enforcing the act.

The Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act restricts political appointees and special government employees from accessing sensitive Social Security beneficiary data systems. It establishes a right for individuals to sue the government or responsible parties for unauthorized access or disclosure of their private Social Security information, including specified minimum damages. Furthermore, the bill mandates the Inspector General to investigate such violations and report findings to Congress within 30 days. Finally, it requires the GAO to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of these new privacy and enforcement measures.