Legislative Activity

The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act establishes a new program to support local food producers and strengthen regional food security. This initiative requires the Secretary of Agriculture to fund agreements that ensure nutritious, locally sourced food is purchased and distributed widely, prioritizing small and beginning farmers. Funds must be used to buy minimally processed local products and provide technical assistance to producers. The program is backed by mandatory funding starting in Fiscal Year 2026.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating July 2025 as "American Grown Flower and Foliage Month." It aims to recognize the vital contributions of domestic flower and foliage growers to the U.S. economy and communities. The bill encourages consumers to actively choose and display flowers and greenery grown in the United States to support American farmers.

The Don Young American Grown Act mandates that official floral and greenery decorations in high-level federal buildings, including the Executive Office of the President, State, and Defense Departments, must be grown in the United States. This requirement applies to cut flowers and greens used for official displays, excluding personal decorations. The new rule will take effect one year after the Act is signed into law.

The Biochar Research Network Act of 2025 establishes a National Biochar Research Network, managed by the USDA, to study the real-world effectiveness of biochar across various soils and climates. This network will focus on quantifying carbon sequestration, improving crop production, and developing science-backed guidance for sustainable biochar use. The goal is to provide farmers and land managers with the data needed to boost profits while enhancing soil health and climate resilience.

The Save Our Bacon Act establishes a federal right for producers to move and sell products derived from covered livestock across state lines, ensuring a single national market. This legislation prevents individual states from imposing unique production standards on livestock or products raised outside their borders. Essentially, it standardizes regulations to ensure free interstate commerce for meat and dairy products, excluding those primarily derived from egg-laying animals.

This Act, the World War II Women's Memorial Location Act, designates specific areas where a commemorative work honoring women who served on the home front during World War II can be located. It temporarily waives standard federal regulations governing monument placement in Washington D.C. to allow the memorial to be built in either Area I or The Reserve.

The Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working Animals Act (BOWOW Act) targets non-citizens who harm federal law enforcement animals. This legislation makes individuals inadmissible to the United States if they have been convicted of, or admit to committing, such acts. Furthermore, this behavior is established as grounds for the deportation of non-citizens already residing in the U.S.

This bill establishes the United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act to foster scientific partnerships between the two nations. It creates a grant program, managed by the Secretary of Defense, to fund joint research projects between U.S. academic or non-profit entities and Israeli institutions specializing in PTSD treatment. The goal is to advance new and improved methods for diagnosing and treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act addresses significant delays in obtaining death certificates for veterans who die from natural causes, often due to VA medical staff delays. This bill mandates that VA medical providers must certify a veteran's death within 48 hours or allow the local medical examiner to step in. Furthermore, the VA must annually report on its compliance with this new timely certification requirement.

The "Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025" ensures that hunters and anglers can continue to use lead ammunition and tackle on federal lands and waters managed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture. It restricts these departments from prohibiting or regulating lead in ammunition and tackle, unless the Secretary of Interior or Agriculture determines that lead ammunition is the primary cause of a wildlife population decline in a specific area. Any ban implemented must align with state laws or be approved by the state's fish and wildlife department.

The DIGNIDAD Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill that significantly overhauls U.S. immigration policy across five major divisions. Division A focuses on aggressive border security enhancements, infrastructure modernization, and increased criminal penalties for immigration offenses, while Division B establishes pathways to legal status for long-term residents who entered as children and creates a temporary protection program for others. Finally, Division C aims to improve legal immigration by reducing green card backlogs, streamlining employment and student visas, and providing new discretionary relief for family separation cases.

The AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025 modernizes the reporting requirements for foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land by lowering the minimum reporting threshold for certain transactions. This legislation strengthens enforcement actions and mandates the sharing of critical foreign investment data with national security officials, specifically CFIUS. Furthermore, the Act requires updates to official handbooks to incorporate national security risk assessments and establishes a timeline for fully implementing electronic AFIDA disclosure systems.

This resolution expresses support for designating July 10th as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. It honors the essential and dangerous work performed by these skilled professionals, especially their heroic efforts in restoring power after major disasters. The day serves to recognize their service and remember those who have lost their lives performing this vital work.

This resolution officially commends Petty Officer 3d Class Scott Ruskan for his heroic actions during the devastating central Texas floods of July 2025. It specifically recognizes him for personally rescuing 165 individuals and coordinating triage efforts under hazardous conditions. Furthermore, the bill extends deep gratitude to all federal, state, and volunteer responders who risked their lives during this major natural disaster.

The **Clean Air and Economic Advancement Reform Act (CLEAR Act)** adjusts EPA timelines for reviewing air quality standards, shifting them to a 10-year cycle and allowing states more flexibility in developing compliance plans. The bill updates the definition of "exceptional events" to better account for wildfire mitigation activities and limits penalties when pollution spikes are demonstrably beyond a state's control. Finally, it modifies the makeup of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee to increase state representation and requires new impact assessments before setting air quality standards.

This Act ensures that when the EPA sets new air quality standards, they must immediately provide the necessary guidance for states to process preconstruction permits. If this guidance is delayed, the new standard cannot be applied to permit reviews until the instructions are published. Furthermore, the bill specifies that the new 2024 PM2.5 standard will not apply to certain permit applications already underway before the EPA officially designates the affected areas. These changes do not eliminate requirements for installing the best available pollution control technology.

The Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2025 establishes a new federal crime specifically targeting individuals who knowingly defraud veterans or attempt to steal their federal benefits. This legislation creates enhanced penalties, including potential fines and imprisonment up to five years, for those convicted of such schemes. The Act ensures robust legal tools are in place to protect veterans from financial exploitation related to their earned benefits.

The Wildfire Infrastructure and Landowner Tax Relief Act of 2025 (WILTR Act) aims to incentivize wildfire prevention efforts by landowners. This bill excludes certain federal grants received for hazardous fuel reduction activities from gross income, making them tax-free. Additionally, it creates a new above-the-line tax deduction for qualified expenditures landowners make on certified fire mitigation work on their property.

The Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025 centralizes the approval authority for all U.S. natural gas export and import facilities, including LNG terminals, exclusively with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This legislation mandates that FERC must automatically deem such gas trade as being in the public interest during the review process. Furthermore, the Act explicitly preserves the President's existing authority to impose sanctions on gas imports or exports involving designated state sponsors of terrorism.

The National Landslide Preparedness Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 updates federal landslide preparedness by refining key definitions, including those for atmospheric rivers and extreme precipitation events. It reauthorizes and strengthens the National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program, requiring specific risk assessments and improvements to the national hazard database. The bill also expands stakeholder inclusion, enhances interagency coordination, and reauthorizes funding for USGS landslide activities and the 3D Elevation Program through fiscal year 2030.