Legislative Activity

The Saving the American Dream Act mandates that key federal housing agencies collaborate to share research and data through a formal agreement. This legislation requires these agencies to jointly submit a comprehensive report to Congress outlining policy solutions for improving housing finance coordination, reducing mortgage costs, and addressing barriers to new home construction. The goal is to ensure federal housing policy is based on coordinated, evidence-based analysis.

The FAMILY Act establishes a national Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This program provides monthly benefits to eligible individuals who take time off for qualified caregiving reasons, including serious health conditions or victims of violence. The Act also sets forth detailed eligibility requirements, benefit calculation formulas, and job protection guarantees for employees utilizing the leave. Finally, it creates a funding mechanism to support existing state-level paid leave programs that meet federal standards.

The Nitazene Control Act of 2025 permanently classifies the entire class of highly potent synthetic opioids known as nitazenes (2-Benzylbenzimidazole opioids) as Schedule I controlled substances. This action is taken due to their extreme danger, high potential for abuse, and role in fatal overdoses across the country. By scheduling the entire chemical class at once, the bill aims to proactively stop the emergence of new, dangerous analogs. This permanent scheduling subjects nitazenes to the strictest federal controls, mirroring those applied to fentanyl.

The Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025 allows authorized Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare professionals to prescribe and dispense controlled medications to eligible veterans via telemedicine. This provision removes the prior requirement for an initial in-person visit before prescribing these medications remotely. The VA is required to establish specific regulations detailing the process for this telemedicine delivery while ensuring compliance with existing federal drug control laws.

The FAIR Act of 2025 invalidates pre-dispute arbitration agreements and class action waivers for employment, consumer, antitrust, and civil rights claims. This law restores the right for individuals to pursue these disputes in court or through collective legal action. The provisions apply to all covered disputes arising on or after the date the Act is enacted.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to increase police accountability and transparency nationwide through federal mandates and funding incentives. It reforms standards for prosecuting civil rights violations, eliminates qualified immunity, and establishes national registries for police misconduct and use-of-force data. Furthermore, the Act bans specific dangerous police tactics like chokeholds and restricts the transfer of military equipment to local departments.

The College Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act of 2025 establishes a system for licensing reciprocity, allowing college mental health providers to offer telehealth services to their enrolled students across state lines. This streamlines care by generally adhering to the provider's home state licensing rules, while ensuring patient safety through required disclosures and identity verification. The Act also encourages interstate agreements to further facilitate this cross-state mental health support for students.

This bill, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, posthumously awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the pioneering civil rights attorney and federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. The legislation recognizes her historic achievements, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education* and her service as the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike the medal, and provisions are made for selling bronze duplicates to cover production costs.

The Firefighter Learning And Management Education (FLAME) Act establishes new notification requirements for the Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration when large-scale cancellations of National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control courses occur. It mandates timely notification to Congress and affected students regarding any significant course reductions. Furthermore, the bill allows fire departments to seek reimbursement for incurred expenses if a course is cancelled for reasons other than "good cause" and requires a GAO study on the impact of these cancellations.

The Susan E. Lukas 9/11 Servicemember Fairness Act establishes a presumption of service connection for specific diseases developed by veterans who served at the Pentagon Reservation between September 11 and November 19, 2001. This provision simplifies the process for these veterans to receive VA disability benefits for listed conditions like asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, linking them automatically to their toxic exposure following the 9/11 attacks. The Secretary is also empowered to add other related illnesses to this covered list.

The Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act of 2025 (RESULTS Act) aims to improve Medicare payment rates for clinical lab tests by mandating the collection of more accurate, real-world payment data directly from large, independent private insurance claims databases. This legislation updates definitions, collection timelines, and calculation methods to ensure Medicare payments for widely available tests reflect current market rates. It also establishes default payment rules if sufficient private payor data cannot be secured.

The Reauthorizing Support and Treatment for Officers in Crisis Act of 2025 extends crucial federal funding for programs supporting law enforcement officers in crisis. This bill specifically reauthorizes existing support and treatment initiatives for an additional five years, running from 2025 through 2029. It ensures continued resources are available for officers needing mental health and wellness assistance.

The Protecting Farmers from Natural Disasters Act of 2025 amends existing law to grant the Secretary of Agriculture greater flexibility in restoring disaster-damaged watersheds. This change allows the Secretary to restore areas to a condition better than pre-disaster levels if it ensures long-term watershed health. The bill focuses on proactive, improved recovery efforts following natural disasters.

The Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act ensures that certain qualified relief payments received by individuals for wildfire-related losses are excluded from their federal gross income. This provision applies to payments covering uninsured or underinsured expenses, damages, or lost wages resulting from federally declared forest or range fires. The tax exclusion is designed to prevent double benefits and is set to expire for payments received after December 31, 2032.

The PART Act aims to combat catalytic converter theft by requiring new vehicles to have traceable identifying markers on these parts. It establishes a federal grant program to help entities stamp identifying numbers onto existing converters. Furthermore, the bill imposes strict record-keeping requirements on businesses that buy used converters and creates new federal criminal penalties for stealing or trafficking stolen catalytic converters.

The Rural Health Clinic Location Modernization Act of 2025 updates the criteria for clinics to qualify as Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) under Medicare. This legislation revises the definition of an "urban area," setting a new population threshold of 50,000 people to determine eligibility. These changes to the location standards will take effect starting January 1, 2027.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act limits how consumer reporting agencies can share a consumer's report when it is requested in connection with a residential mortgage loan. Reports can only be shared with entities directly involved in the consumer's current mortgage or those providing a firm offer of credit or insurance. The Act also mandates a study by the GAO regarding the use and impact of "trigger leads" derived from credit checks.

The Agriculture Skills Preparation for Industry Recruitment Efforts (ASPIRE) Act establishes a new grant program managed by the Secretary of Agriculture to fund specialized workforce training in agriculture. These grants will enable eligible schools to partner with industry to develop hands-on programs, internships, and technical workshops. The goal is to enhance the agricultural workforce by ensuring training directly meets industry needs and supports worker recruitment.

The Quiet Communities Act of 2025 addresses the growing public health crisis caused by noise pollution by reestablishing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Noise Abatement and Control. This office will be tasked with researching noise impacts, supporting state and local noise control efforts through technical assistance and grants, and conducting a specific study on aircraft noise. The Act authorizes \$25 million annually through Fiscal Year 2030 to fund these critical national noise reduction initiatives.

The BOP Release Card ID Act of 2025 mandates that the Bureau of Prisons issue a REAL ID-compliant photo identification card to all departing federal prisoners, valid for at least 18 months. This federal release card must be accepted for identity verification when accessing major federal benefits like Social Security, Medicaid, and SNAP. Furthermore, the BOP must establish agreements with states to help former inmates use this card to obtain standard state identification. The Attorney General will also issue guidance to states on creating similar release ID programs for state prisoners.