Legislative Activity

The Digital Coast Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends the authorization of the Digital Coast Act through 2030. This legislation mandates that all data provided under the Act must be fully and freely available once accessible. Furthermore, it explicitly expands the required data to include information on underground infrastructure and subsurface utilities.

The Security and Accountability For Everyone (SAFE) Act of 2025 amends the Privacy Act of 1974 to allow individuals to sue federal employees directly for intentional or willful violations of their privacy rights that result in demonstrable harm. This legislation removes immunity defenses for federal personnel in such cases and makes them personally liable for damages, meaning the U.S. government will not cover these specific judgments. Additionally, State Attorneys General are empowered to bring civil actions on behalf of state residents harmed by these intentional privacy breaches.

The DEAL Act of 2025 mandates the Comptroller General to investigate specific large-value settlements or agreements between the Executive Branch and certain law firms occurring between February 1 and April 30, 2025. This report will determine if these arrangements—where legal services were provided concerning Executive Branch priorities—violated existing federal financial rules. The focus is on high-value legal engagements potentially linked to the government easing enforcement actions against those firms.

The SECURE Act aims to strengthen due process protections for all individuals facing security clearance revocation or denial, extending coverage beyond just executive branch employees. It also enhances transparency by requiring agencies to report detailed annual statistics on clearance actions, including employer identification and the reasons for denial or revocation. This legislation ensures clearer reporting standards for government-wide security clearance decisions.

The Autism Family Caregivers Act of 2025 establishes a new pilot program to award grants for evidence-based skills training to family caregivers of children with autism or developmental disabilities. This training aims to improve child well-being and community engagement by focusing on communication, daily living skills, and caregiver self-care. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will oversee the program, which requires grantees to establish diverse advisory committees and report annually on program effectiveness. Funding is authorized through fiscal year 2030 to support at least 25 entities across multiple states.

The STOCK Act 2.0 significantly enhances ethics and transparency rules for federal officials by requiring timely reporting of government payments received by covered persons and their families. It expands ethics oversight to include Federal Reserve bank leaders and bans high-ranking officials from holding or trading specific assets, including cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, the bill mandates that financial disclosure and transaction reports across Congress, the Executive Branch, and the Judiciary be made publicly available in searchable, accessible online databases.

The BRUSH Fires Act mandates a comprehensive, one-year study by the Forest Service to evaluate the effectiveness of current wildfire mitigation methods in shrubland ecosystems. This study must analyze fuel management, ignition source control, and implementation hurdles to determine best practices. The resulting report will provide Congress with recommendations for improving fire risk reduction and enhancing partnerships to protect communities near wildlands.

The Special Government Employees Transparency Act of 2025 establishes a strict 130-day service limit for individuals serving as special Government employees within the executive branch, requiring their reclassification afterward. The bill mandates the creation of a public, searchable database detailing key employment information for these employees, managed by the Office of Personnel Management. Furthermore, it requires the public release of financial disclosure reports filed by these designated employees, with limited exceptions for national defense information.

The "BAD DOGE Act" repeals Executive Order 14158, effectively disbanding the US DOGE Service (USDS) and the US DOGE Service Temporary Organization (USDSTO). This action is in response to findings that the USDS and USDSTO, under the leadership of Elon Musk, exceeded their authorized powers, violated constitutional principles, and contravened federal statutes and ethics regulations. The Act aims to restore proper oversight and adherence to legal standards within government IT operations.

The "Aquatic Biodiversity Preservation Act of 2025" establishes a program, managed by the Secretary of Commerce, for sequencing aquatic species genomes to improve conservation and management efforts. It directs the Secretary to work with various entities to collect, sequence, and make genomic data publicly available, while providing funding and assistance. Tribal governments determine whether and when to release data. The act authorizes $2,000,000 annually from 2025-2031 for program implementation.