Legislative Activity

The Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025 establishes EPA-led grant programs to help communities prepare for, monitor, and mitigate the public health impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. The bill also creates Centers of Excellence to research the health effects of these events and funds the development of community-driven response plans. By providing resources for air filtration, protective equipment, and public outreach, the legislation aims to build local resilience against increasingly frequent climate-related air quality and heat challenges.

The Disaster Assistance Fairness Act amends the Stafford Act to ensure that residential common interest communities—including condominiums, housing cooperatives, and manufactured housing communities—can access federal disaster relief. The bill authorizes federal assistance for debris removal on private community property and allows for the repair of essential shared infrastructure following a major disaster.

The Stop Antiabortion Disinformation (SAD) Act prohibits crisis pregnancy centers from using deceptive advertising to mislead individuals seeking reproductive health care. The bill empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to regulate and penalize organizations that falsely claim to provide abortion services or licensed medical care. This legislation aims to ensure patients have access to accurate, evidence-based information when making reproductive health decisions.

The Charitable Act allows individuals who take the standard deduction to also claim a deduction for charitable contributions during the 2026 and 2027 tax years. This legislation permits non-itemizers to deduct donations up to one-third of their standard deduction amount while removing previous penalties for overstatements.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' view that Congress should act to maintain the United States Postal Service (USPS) as an independent entity within the Federal Government. It emphasizes the USPS's role as a self-sustaining service vital to the economy and national connectivity. The resolution discourages privatization, citing concerns about increased costs, reduced services, and damage to critical infrastructure.

The Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act prevents the U.S. government from denying foreign aid to nongovernmental organizations based on the legal health services they provide using their own private funds. It ensures that these organizations are not penalized for offering counseling or referrals that comply with local laws. Additionally, the bill prohibits the imposition of restrictive advocacy and lobbying requirements on these groups that exceed those applied to U.S.-based organizations.

This bill recognizes the significant historical and ongoing contributions of tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies to communities across the United States through charitable activities, volunteer work, and financial support for members. It expresses the sense of Congress that these societies are a valuable support system that addresses unmet needs and generates substantial returns to the U.S. through their tax-exempt status. The bill also advocates for the continued promotion of fraternal benefit societies.

The FIRE Act of 2025 establishes a dedicated program within NOAA to enhance wildfire forecasting, detection, and risk communication. By leveraging advanced satellite technology, atmospheric modeling, and new research testbeds, the legislation aims to improve early response efforts and reduce the loss of life and property caused by wildfires.

The Semiconductor Technology Advancement and Research (STAR) Act of 2025 establishes a 25 percent tax credit for qualified semiconductor design expenditures conducted within the United States. This legislation aims to bolster domestic innovation by incentivizing both in-house and contract design costs for advanced semiconductor technology. The credit is available through 2036 and is designed to complement existing manufacturing investment incentives.

The Federal Firefighters Families First Act aims to improve pay equity, recruitment, and retention for federal firefighters by modernizing pay computation and establishing a maximum 60-hour regular workweek. Additionally, the bill ensures that regularly scheduled overtime is included in the calculation of federal retirement annuities. These measures seek to align federal firefighter compensation more closely with municipal standards and provide greater financial security for their families.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' disapproval of the President's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, recognizing climate change as a threat and highlighting the increasing costs of extreme weather events. It commends entities supporting the Agreement, urges the President to reconsider, and encourages Congress to prioritize U.S. leadership on climate change.

The Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act mandates that the national clearinghouse for child abuse and neglect include data on animal cruelty. By tracking these incidents alongside child abuse cases, the legislation aims to better identify and report the intersection between animal abuse and child maltreatment.

The Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act establishes a three-year pilot program to improve health outcomes and care coordination for veterans enrolled in both VA health care and Medicare. By utilizing dedicated case managers and private sector care models, the program aims to streamline access to services, reduce costs, and eliminate gaps in care. The initiative will be implemented across select regions, including rural and medically underserved areas, to ensure better integration between VA and Medicare systems.

The Public Lands in Public Hands Act prohibits the federal government from transferring ownership of publicly accessible federal lands to non-federal entities. This legislation ensures that lands currently reachable by the public remain under federal protection, with specific exceptions for authorized land exchanges and existing federal programs. It also explicitly prohibits the subdivision of land to bypass these new transfer restrictions.

The BNA Fairness Act ensures that the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) provided to eligible active-duty service members is exempt from federal income tax. By classifying this support as a qualified military benefit, the bill prevents these essential payments from being reduced by tax obligations.

This bill establishes the Military Firefighters Compensation Fund to provide financial support and medical benefits to current and former military firefighters, or their survivors, who have suffered illnesses due to on-the-job PFAS exposure. It creates a presumption of exposure for those who served at military installations where these chemicals were present, ensuring eligible individuals receive timely and uniform compensation.

The Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act of 2025 authorizes the use of federal grant funds to better equip and train emergency personnel. This legislation enables first responders to purchase specialized containment devices and receive training to prevent accidental secondary exposure to fentanyl and other lethal substances.

The 911 SAVES Act mandates that the Office of Management and Budget reclassify public safety telecommunicators as "Protective Service Occupations" within the federal Standard Occupational Classification system. This legislation recognizes the critical, high-stress, and lifesaving nature of 911 dispatchers, correcting their current misclassification to better reflect their essential role in emergency response.

The WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to reduce or waive non-Federal cost-share requirements for water management improvement grants awarded to Indian Tribes. This measure ensures that financial hardship does not prevent Tribes from accessing essential funding for critical water infrastructure projects.

The Headwaters Protection Act of 2025 strengthens the Water Source Protection Program by expanding its scope to include adjacent non-federal lands and increasing annual funding to $30 million. This legislation enhances watershed health and water security by fostering collaborative partnerships, streamlining project implementation, and prioritizing resilience against wildfire and drought. Additionally, it establishes new safeguards to ensure forest management activities do not cause long-term degradation to watershed conditions.