Legislative Activity

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.

This Act officially authorizes the adjustment of the boundaries for Big Bend National Park. The Secretary of the Interior is permitted to acquire approximately 6,100 acres of land or rights through donation or exchange to expand the park. Crucially, this expansion explicitly prohibits the use of eminent domain to secure the additional property.

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 Reorganizing Government Act of 2025 updates the laws governing presidential executive reorganization plans. This bill expands the objectives for these plans to include reducing federal employees and eliminating burdensome regulations. It also extends the authority for the President to submit reorganization plans to Congress until the end of 2026.

The United States Leadership in Immersive Technology Act of 2025 aims to secure American leadership in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies. This bill establishes a principal advisor and an interagency Advisory Panel to study the economic and security impacts of immersive tech. The goal is to develop strategies for government investment, set standards, and ensure ethical deployment to maintain U.S. competitiveness globally.

The Common Sense Air Regulations Act invalidates the Environmental Protection Agency's recent final rule concerning the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter. This legislation immediately nullifies the May 16, 2024, EPA action, preventing any changes to the particulate matter air quality standards from taking effect.

The WOLF Act of 2025 aims to increase financial support for livestock producers affected by Mexican gray wolf depredation. This legislation mandates that farmers receive 100% of the market value for livestock killed by these wolves. Additionally, it establishes a new emergency relief program to help producers mitigate ongoing negative impacts, such as increased management costs and reduced birth rates.

The Innovative FEED Act of 2025 establishes a new regulatory category for "zootechnical animal food substances" intended to modify animal digestive byproducts or reduce foodborne pathogens without treating disease. This bill mandates that these new substances must undergo the standard food additive approval process with the FDA, requiring petitioners to provide extensive data on their intended effects. Approval is contingent upon proving the substance achieves its claimed function under proposed use conditions, and all resulting animal food must carry a specific disclaimer stating it is not for disease treatment.

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 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.

The Children’s Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends critical federal funding for graduate medical education programs at children's hospitals through fiscal year 2030. The bill increases annual funding allocations for the program during this extension period. Notably, it introduces a new restriction that prohibits payments to hospitals that provided certain gender-affirming surgeries and high-dose hormone treatments to minors in the preceding year, with specific exceptions for emergency care and treatment of certain medical conditions.

The Fair and Open Competition Act of 2025 ensures fair competition on federally funded construction projects by prohibiting the government from requiring or penalizing bidders based on union agreements. This legislation aims to keep federal agencies neutral in labor relations while promoting cost savings and opening opportunities for all businesses. Exceptions to this neutrality rule are strictly limited to specific public health, safety, or national security emergencies.

The Reimbursing Border Communities Act of 2025 establishes a grant program to help local governments within 200 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border cover specific security-related costs. To qualify, communities cannot be designated as "sanctuary jurisdictions" that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Grants are capped at $500,000 per year and strictly prohibit funding for non-citizen basic needs or legal representation.

The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 mandates an increase in disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) rates for veterans and survivors. This increase, effective December 1, 2025, will match the percentage increase applied to Social Security benefits for that year. The bill also requires the VA to publish the adjusted rates according to the Social Security Administration's COLA announcement schedule.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The Radiation Oncology Case Rate Value Based Program Act of 2025 establishes a new Medicare payment system that pays providers a single, set rate for an entire episode of radiation therapy care, rather than paying for individual services. This program aims to incentivize high-quality, efficient care while achieving cost savings for Medicare. It also includes specific provisions to support patient access, such as a health equity bonus for addressing transportation insecurity. Finally, the bill exempts the savings generated by this new payment structure from standard Medicare budget neutrality adjustments.

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand eligibility for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This change allows employers to claim the tax credit for hiring qualified military spouses. A qualified military spouse is defined as someone certified as being married to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The "Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act" prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from procuring batteries from specific foreign companies, primarily those with ties to China, starting in 2027. Waivers are permitted under certain conditions, such as lack of national security risk or use for research purposes, with congressional notification required. The Secretary of Homeland Security must report on the ban's impact on Department of Homeland Security operations and costs.

The "SHIELD Against CCP Act" establishes a working group within the Department of Homeland Security to counter threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) related to terrorism, cybersecurity, border and port security, and transportation security. This group will examine and report on the Department's efforts, account for dedicated resources, identify policy gaps, and facilitate cooperation, while also sharing information with federal, state, and local partners. The Secretary of Homeland Security must submit annual reports to Congress for five years, assessing CCP threats and the activities of the working group. The working group will terminate seven years after its establishment.

Tyler's Law mandates a comprehensive study by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the frequency, cost, and impact of fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments during overdose cases. Following the study, the Secretary must issue guidance on whether routine fentanyl testing should become standard practice for overdose patients. This guidance will also address staff training regarding existing drug test panels and the long-term health implications of such testing.