Legislative Activity

The Liberating Incandescent Technology Act of 2025 (LIT Act) cleans up outdated definitions and references related to general service lamps within the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. It formally strikes specific sections and rules previously established by the Department of Energy concerning incandescent lamp standards. This legislative action effectively reserves certain parts of the law for future use and cancels previous DOE regulations on the matter.

The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act mandates that group health plans and insurance policies provide comprehensive coverage for medically necessary treatment related to congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This coverage must include services needed to restore normal function and appearance, including necessary dental and orthodontic support. Plans must apply cost-sharing rules no more restrictive than those for other medical benefits, excluding purely cosmetic procedures.

The Punishing Illegal Immigrant Felons Act of 2025 significantly increases prison sentences for non-citizens who commit crimes after entering the U.S. illegally or after being previously removed. This legislation mandates substantial minimum prison terms—including an additional five years for illegal entry followed by a felony conviction and a new ten-year minimum for re-entry after deportation coupled with a crime. The bill aims to impose much harsher penalties on undocumented immigrants who commit serious offenses.

The Stopping the Theft and Destruction of Broadband Act of 2025 strengthens federal law to explicitly prohibit the destruction of broadband internet access service facilities. This update broadens protection beyond defense-related infrastructure to cover any privately or publicly operated broadband service. The Act provides a clear definition of what constitutes broadband internet access service under federal protection.

The Empowering Employer Child and Elder Care Solutions Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to clarify that employer-provided child and dependent care benefits are excluded from an employee's regular rate of pay when calculating overtime compensation. This change aims to encourage employers to offer these valuable care solutions without negatively impacting overtime pay calculations.

The Nuclear Family Priority Act significantly restructures U.S. family-based immigration by redefining "immediate relatives" to only include spouses and children of U.S. citizens, removing parents from that top category. It also establishes a new, temporary nonimmigrant visa for parents of adult U.S. citizens, which prohibits work and public benefits. Furthermore, the bill revises the annual cap for family-sponsored visas and makes numerous technical amendments across immigration law to align with these changes.

The Protecting Student Athletes’ Economic Freedom Act of 2025 clarifies the legal status of college athletes. This Act explicitly states that participation in varsity college sports does not automatically confer employee status upon student athletes under federal or state labor laws. It also establishes clear definitions for key entities in college athletics, such as Associations, Conferences, Institutions, and Student Athletes.

The Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises Act (RIFLE Act) eliminates the existing federal tax on firearm transfers. This legislation strikes the relevant section from the Internal Revenue Code and makes necessary technical updates to related statutes. Importantly, this Act does not grant the Consumer Product Safety Commission any new authority over regulated firearms.

The DETERRENT Act significantly increases transparency requirements for colleges and universities regarding foreign gifts, contracts, and investments, especially those involving "countries or entities of concern." It mandates detailed public disclosure reports, establishes strict prohibitions and waiver processes for contracts with risky foreign entities, and imposes severe financial penalties for non-compliance. Furthermore, the bill requires specified large private institutions to report their holdings in concerning foreign assets annually.

The Keep Our Girls Safe Act of 2025 amends Title IX to prohibit individuals of one sex from entering locker rooms while individuals of the opposite sex are actively using them during school or educational activities. This legislation establishes clear boundaries for sex-segregated facilities in federally funded educational settings. The provisions of the Act will take effect 30 days after becoming law.

The SHORT Act aims to reform federal firearms regulations by redefining what constitutes a "firearm" for tax purposes, largely excluding antique or collector's items. It eliminates disparate federal treatment for short-barreled rifles and shotguns used lawfully and preempts state and local governments from imposing special taxes or registration requirements on these specific weapons. Furthermore, the bill mandates the destruction of certain existing federal registration and transfer records related to defined firearms.

This resolution expresses the formal disapproval by Congress of the "Insurance Regulation Amendment Act of 2024," a law recently passed by the District of Columbia Council. By passing this measure, Congress is effectively vetoing the D.C. Council's insurance regulation change, preventing it from taking effect.

The Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2025 (PHIT Act) aims to improve public health by incentivizing healthier lifestyles, particularly to combat obesity. This bill allows taxpayers to treat certain qualified sports and fitness expenses, such as gym memberships and instruction fees, as deductible medical expenses. Deductions are capped annually at \$1,000 per individual or \$2,000 for joint filers.

The Defining Male and Female Act of 2025 establishes statutory definitions for "male" and "female" across all federal laws, based strictly on biological sex determined at conception (sperm or egg production). This legislation explicitly defines sex as an immutable biological classification, while stating that subjective gender identity will not be recognized as a replacement for biological sex in federal contexts. The Act also clarifies related terms like "mother," "father," "man," and "woman" based on these biological standards.

The Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2025 aims to eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which currently allows F-1 student visa holders to gain temporary work authorization after completing their studies. This bill removes the government's authority to grant such work permission unless explicitly authorized by a future Act of Congress.

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 establishes a national standard for carrying concealed handguns across state lines. This act allows individuals legally permitted to carry in their home state to carry concealed in any other state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. The law does not override private property restrictions or prohibitions on government property, but it provides protections and legal recourse for those traveling in compliance with the new federal standard.

The End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act of 2025 prohibits the use of any federal funds for gender transition procedures, including those provided through federal health plans or facilities. This ban also extends to the Affordable Care Act, preventing individuals from using federal premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions to cover plans that include such procedures. The legislation broadly defines gender transition procedures while excluding care for certain disorders of sex development and life-threatening emergencies.

The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act aims to prevent private health insurance plans from discriminating against patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). This legislation clarifies that plans cannot offer worse benefits or unfairly limit coverage for dialysis treatments compared to other medical services. Furthermore, it stops these plans from shifting the primary financial responsibility for ESRD care onto Medicare. The bill maintains existing rules ensuring fair treatment while preserving a health plan's ability to select its network of dialysis providers.

The Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act of 2025 aims to protect pregnancy resource centers from discrimination by federal and state entities due to their commitment to offering life-affirming alternatives to abortion. This bill prohibits government agencies receiving federal funds from penalizing organizations that do not perform, refer for, or counsel in favor of abortion. Furthermore, it strengthens enforcement by allowing qualified parties to directly sue government entities for violating these conscience protections.

The Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act revises physician self-referral rules to improve healthcare access in underserved areas. Specifically, it creates a new exception allowing physician self-referrals to hospitals located in designated rural areas that meet specific distance requirements. Furthermore, the bill removes existing restrictions that previously limited the expansion of services at physician-owned hospitals.