Legislative Activity

The "Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Completion Act" aims to complete the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail as a continuous route within 10 years through enhanced coordination and planning. It establishes a joint Forest Service-Bureau of Land Management team to develop a comprehensive plan, identify trail gaps, and explore easements. The act also encourages partnerships with volunteer and nonprofit organizations to aid in trail completion and management, while clarifying that it does not grant new land acquisition authorities or prioritize trail land acquisition over other authorizations.

This bill recognizes Clela Rorex, a pioneering county clerk, for issuing the first same-sex marriage license in the United States in 1975. It celebrates her leadership and bravery in advancing civil rights for same-sex couples despite facing threats and condemnation. The bill also expresses support for Clela Rorex Day, honoring her contributions as a civil rights and same-sex marriage pioneer.

The Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act expands the Sarvis Creek Wilderness in Colorado by approximately 6,817 acres within the Routt National Forest. It protects the rights of Indian Tribes to access and use the area for traditional purposes. The Act also allows for necessary actions to manage fire, insects, and diseases within the expanded wilderness area.

The "Safe Workplaces Act" directs the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to study and report on reducing workplace violence. It requires the Secretary of Labor, through OSHA, to issue non-mandatory guidance on activities and work practices to reduce workplace violence, considering factors like engineering controls and environmental risks. The guidance will address unique characteristics and potential threats in various workplaces, such as retail stores, hospitals, and schools. The act defines key terms related to workplace violence, including "dangerous weapon," "engineering controls," and "environmental risk factors."

The Secure Background Checks Act of 2025 amends title 18 of the US Code to make it illegal for people who don't meet certain age or residency requirements to own a gun. Age requirements are described in subsection (b)(1), and residency requirements mandate that a person must reside in the state where the licensed gun dealer is located, unless an exception applies. The bill also updates a reference in section 924(a)(2) of title 18 related to penalties.

The "End Gun Violence Act of 2025" prohibits the sale or transfer of firearms and ammunition to individuals convicted of a violent misdemeanor in the last 5 years, defining a violent misdemeanor as one involving the use or threat of physical force or a deadly weapon, or the intent or act of causing physical injury. The bill updates existing legislation to reflect this prohibition and clarifies that it does not impact convictions occurring before the law's enactment or alter existing federal, state, tribal, or local laws regarding firearms.

The STOP Violence Act of 2025 aims to bolster protection against mass violence by allocating an additional $20,000,000 in grants to states, local governments, and nonprofits. These funds will support public assembly facilities in preparing for and protecting against incidents like active shooter events and targeted violence. The act defines key terms such as "mass violence," "active shooter," "targeted violence," and "public assembly facility" to ensure clear understanding and effective implementation of the grants.

The "Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act of 2025" allows states to use federal grants to purchase naloxone for schools and train staff on its administration. It also supports providing fentanyl awareness education to students. This aims to equip schools with resources to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses among students.

The TRACE Act mandates the Attorney General to enhance the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System by including a data field that indicates whether a missing person's last known location or unidentified remains were found on Federal land. It also requires an annual report to Congress detailing the number of cases involving missing persons or unidentified remains found on these lands, broken down by the responsible federal agency. "Federal land" is defined as land owned by the U.S. and managed by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary of Defense, specifically for land and water projects handled by the Army Corps of Engineers. This aims to improve tracking and reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains cases on federal lands.

The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2025 aims to improve compensation and working conditions for federal wildland firefighters by establishing special base rates of pay, providing incident response premium pay, and granting paid rest and recuperation leave following deployments to qualifying incidents. These changes will take effect after the expiration of previously authorized temporary salary increases for federal wildland firefighters. The Act also allows for the transfer of funds to ensure the continuation of base salary increases.

The Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, requiring lobbyists to disclose whether they are exempt from registering as foreign agents. This aims to increase transparency by identifying lobbyists who may be influenced by foreign entities but are not formally registered as foreign agents.

The Affordable College Textbook Act aims to lower the cost of college textbooks for students by expanding the use of open educational resources and increasing transparency in textbook pricing. The bill authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to higher education institutions to create and expand the use of open textbooks. It also requires colleges and universities to disclose textbook price information, including whether materials are open educational resources, on online course schedules. Additionally, the bill directs the Comptroller General to report on textbook costs and the impact of open textbooks.

* **Title I (Continental Divide):** Expands wilderness areas and designates wildlife conservation areas within the White River National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park to protect natural habitats and recreational spaces, while also protecting existing rights and uses. * **Title II (San Juan Mountains):** Focuses on land management and conservation in the San Juan Mountains region by expanding wilderness protections, designating new special management areas, and protecting traditional tribal rights. * **Title III (Thompson Divide):** Withdraws the Thompson Divide area from mineral and geothermal leasing to protect its natural resources, offers compensation to leaseholders, and establishes a methane capture program to reduce emissions from coal mines. * **Title IV (Curecanti National Recreation Area):** Establishes the Curecanti National Recreation Area as part of the National Park System, outlining management, land acquisition, and usage guidelines to ensure preservation while allowing for recreational activities and existing rights.

The "Bolts Ditch Act" amends a previous act to expand the list of entities eligible to perform maintenance on Bolts Ditch and its headgate within Colorado's Holy Cross Wilderness. Specifically, it adds the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District and the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority to the list of eligible entities. This change aims to ensure the continued upkeep of this important water infrastructure.

The "Rocky Mountain Judgeship Act" authorizes the appointment of two additional district judges for Colorado and one for Idaho, pending Senate approval. It also updates the U.S. Code to reflect these changes in judicial positions. Additionally, the bill amends Title 28 of the U.S. Code to include Fort Collins as a location where court is held in Colorado.

The "Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act of 2025" reauthorizes and modifies the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program, allowing funds to be used for hiring crime analysts, covering overtime costs, and acquiring technology to reduce violent crime. It extends the program's authorization through fiscal year 2030 and supports multi-jurisdictional task forces. Additionally, it mandates the Attorney General to submit annual reports to the Judiciary Committees detailing fund expenditures, community outreach, and violent crime statistics in areas using program funds.

The Disaster Management Costs Modernization Act allows excess funds from disaster relief grants to be used for building capacity, management costs, preparedness measures, and mitigation activities related to major disasters or emergencies. These excess funds will remain available for 5 years and the Comptroller General must submit a report to Congress assessing the appropriateness of the amount set aside for management costs. These changes apply to grant awards related to major disasters or emergencies declared on or after the enactment date of this Act, and funded with amounts appropriated on or after the enactment date. No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out these changes.

The Edward J. Dwight, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025 directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Edward J. Dwight, Jr., the first African-American astronaut candidate, in recognition of his pioneering achievements and contributions to art and Black history. The Act instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to create the gold medal and allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to the public. It also designates the medals as national and numismatic items and outlines the use of funds for medal production and sales.

The REPLACE Act requires the President to waive fees for individuals needing to replace critical documents, such as passports and licenses, after a major disaster. It also directs the Secretary of State and the Director of USCIS to post notices about the availability of these waivers and submit annual reports to Congress on the number of waivers granted and associated costs.

The "Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act" establishes a "Ski Area Fee Retention Account" within the Treasury, directing ski area permit fees collected by the Secretary of Agriculture into this account. These funds will be used to support the administration, maintenance, and improvement of ski areas and related visitor services within the National Forest System. A majority of the fees collected at a specific unit will be reinvested into that unit, with a smaller portion available for use across other National Forest System units. The funds cannot be used for wildfire suppression or land acquisition.