Legislative Activity

The District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act of 2025 significantly tightens pretrial and post-conviction detention rules for individuals charged with violent or dangerous crimes, making detention mandatory in many such cases. For other offenses, the bill introduces a requirement for a secured cash or property bond for release if the charge involves public safety or order offenses. These changes will only apply to defendants charged with crimes after the Act officially takes effect thirty days following its enactment.

The Protect LNG Act of 2025 aims to streamline and stabilize the permitting process for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities. It ensures that existing facility approvals remain valid even if challenged in court over environmental reviews, requiring courts to remand violations to agencies for correction rather than invalidating permits. Furthermore, the Act centralizes legal challenges to these covered applications exclusively in the U.S. Court of Appeals with geographic jurisdiction over the facility, subject to a strict 90-day filing deadline.

The Domestic Jobs Protection Act amends immigration law by updating the definition of "unauthorized alien" within employment verification rules. This change specifically removes a reference to the Attorney General in the existing statutory definition. The goal is to streamline and clarify who is covered under current employment verification statutes.

The Keep Violent Criminals Off Our Streets Act prohibits the Attorney General from awarding federal grants to state and local governments that limit the use of cash bail for individuals charged with specified violent or public-disorder offenses. This measure ties federal funding to local bail policies concerning serious crimes like murder, robbery, and assault. Jurisdictions must maintain policies allowing for cash bail for these "covered offenses" to remain eligible for certain federal grants.

The PRICE Act, or Protect and Respect ICE Act, aims to increase penalties for individuals who assault, resist, or impede officers or employees of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This legislation specifically doubles the maximum jail time and corresponding fines for committing such offenses against ICE staff.

This Act, the Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act, penalizes states that issue driver's licenses to individuals lacking proof of lawful presence. It also targets states that restrict local officials from sharing immigration enforcement data with the Department of Homeland Security. States found in violation must return unspent Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funds and become ineligible for future funding until compliance is achieved.

This bill amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to significantly extend the emergency period during which the President may exercise control over the Metropolitan Police Department. Specifically, it changes the standard emergency declaration period from 30 days to 180 days. This extension applies to both current and future emergency declarations made under the relevant section of the Act.

The Keep Offenders Off Our Streets Act mandates that individuals charged with offenses in the District of Columbia must execute a secured appearance bond to be released pending trial. This legislation explicitly prohibits the D.C. government from allowing release on personal recognizance or unsecured bonds. The Act amends D.C. Code provisions to ensure that release is conditioned upon a financial guarantee ensuring court appearance.

The Greyhound Protection Act of 2025 seeks to end commercial greyhound racing and related cruel training practices nationwide by October 1, 2027. This legislation bans all forms of wagering on greyhound races and prohibits the use of live animals for training or coursing events. Violators face significant fines and potential imprisonment under the strengthened Animal Welfare Act. The bill reflects concerns over widespread animal injuries, drug use, and inhumane confinement within the declining industry.

The Parents Opt-in Protection Act requires schools to obtain prior written consent before collecting specific survey or evaluation data from students. This legislation amends existing law to ensure that participation in certain student surveys is voluntary and requires explicit parental or student permission.

The Rare Earth Solutions and Carbon Utilization Enhancement Act of 2025 (RESCUE Act) streamlines the permitting process for projects recovering critical materials from sources like mine waste and coal byproducts. This amendment expands eligibility under the FAST Act's expedited review to include the extraction of rare earth elements and specific forms of carbon from these secondary sources. The goal is to accelerate the development of domestic supplies of these vital resources.

The PRIME Act, or Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act, exempts custom slaughter facilities from federal inspection requirements for meat that is processed and sold only within the state of origin. To qualify, facilities must comply with all applicable state laws regarding slaughter and preparation. This legislation ensures that states retain the authority to enforce their own, potentially stricter, regulations on local meat processing.

The End the Vaccine Carveout Act fundamentally changes vaccine injury compensation by allowing individuals to choose between filing a claim through the existing National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program or suing the manufacturer or administrator directly in court. This legislation removes the liability shield for vaccine makers and eliminates time limits for filing claims with the Program. Additionally, it specifically excludes COVID-19 vaccines from existing countermeasure liability protections.

The PAAW Act, or Preventing Animal Abuse and Waste Act, prohibits the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from conducting or supporting research that causes significant pain or distress to dogs and cats. This ban specifically targets studies categorized as causing pain levels D or E according to established animal welfare standards. The prohibition takes effect 90 days after the Act is officially enacted into law.

The SAVES Act establishes a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to eligible veterans. These grants, up to $\$2,000,000$ each, will fund the training and provision of service dogs for veterans with qualifying conditions like PTSD or TBI. The bill also extends the expiration date for certain limits on veterans' pension payments until February 2033.

The WAGER Act of 2025 simplifies the statutory language regarding the deduction of gambling losses for federal tax purposes. This amendment clarifies the existing rule that limits the deduction of gambling losses to the amount of gambling winnings. This change will take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

This bill officially renames the United States Postal Service facility located at 505 East 9th Avenue in Amarillo, Texas. The building will now be known as the "Mayor Jerry H. Hodge Post Office Building." This designation requires all official records and documents to use the new name for this specific location.

The U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 mandates the President to formally assess South Africa's foreign policy alignment, particularly concerning its ties with Russia, China, and Hamas. This review requires the President to certify whether South Africa's actions harm U.S. national security interests within 30 days of enactment. Furthermore, the bill requires a comprehensive review of the entire bilateral relationship and a classified report identifying South African officials eligible for sanctions due to corruption or human rights abuses.

The Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act establishes a new federal program dedicated to repairing and improving critical local and rural roads essential for agriculture. This program aims to enhance access to farms and agricultural facilities, reduce weight-restricted bridges, and increase the safety and resilience of rural transportation networks. Federal funding for these projects will cover up to 90 percent of the total cost.

The Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act streamlines the process for farm workers by allowing states to establish online systems for renewing seasonal, restricted Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs). This legislation also clarifies that implements of husbandry (farm equipment) are not classified as commercial motor vehicles for licensing purposes. Overall, the bill aims to modernize and simplify CDL requirements for those in the farm-related service industries.