Legislative Activity

The "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act" amends Section 529 savings accounts to include expenses related to postsecondary credentialing programs. This allows 529 funds to cover costs like tuition, fees, books, supplies, and testing fees for recognized programs and credentials, as defined by the bill. These changes would apply to distributions made after the bill is enacted.

The Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act of 2025 aims to increase household disaster resilience through a grant program for pre-disaster mitigation activities, tax exclusions for state-based catastrophe loss mitigation payments and certain emergency agricultural assistance, and a tax credit for disaster mitigation expenditures. The grant program will provide funds to states and tribal governments for mitigation activities on individual homes in high-risk disaster areas, while the tax exclusions and credit offer financial relief and incentives for individuals and agricultural producers affected by disasters. This act seeks to encourage proactive measures to protect homes and businesses from the impact of future disasters.

The "Stop the Opioid Pill Presser and Fentanyl Act" aims to combat the opioid crisis by regulating the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of pill presses and encapsulating machines and their critical parts. It amends the Controlled Substances Act to include these machines as drug paraphernalia, mandates serialization and registration of these machines and their parts, and imposes penalties for violations such as tampering with serial numbers or operating without registration. This act seeks to prevent the misuse of these machines in the production of illicit drugs like fentanyl.

The "Marc Fischer Memorial Act" aims to combat the flow of synthetic drugs, particularly fentanyl, into Federal prisons through the mail. It mandates the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to develop and implement a strategy to equip all Federal correctional facilities with the technology and processes needed to scan mail, protect staff and inmates, and ensure timely delivery of mail copies while maintaining legal mail privileges. The strategy includes assessing current practices, identifying necessary resources, and providing a budgetary proposal for implementation, with ongoing reporting to Congress on its effectiveness.

The Taxpayer Data Protection Act limits access to the Treasury Department's payment systems to Treasury employees or contractors with satisfactory performance reviews and security clearances. It sets specific criteria for individuals accessing the system, including conflict of interest restrictions, training, and ethics agreements. The Act also mandates the Treasury Department's Inspector General to investigate and report to Congress on any unauthorized system use.

The "Protecting Sensitive Locations Act" amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and places of worship, except in exigent circumstances. It mandates training, reporting, and oversight for enforcement activities near these locations, and invalidates evidence obtained in violation of the Act. The Act aims to ensure discretion and limit enforcement impact on sensitive community spaces, while also requiring annual reports to Congress on enforcement actions taken in sensitive locations.

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.

The "Love Lives On Act of 2025" amends titles 10 and 38 of the United States Code to improve benefits and services for surviving spouses. This act modifies Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rules, allowing surviving spouses who remarry to still receive benefits. Additionally, it ensures continued Survivor Benefit Plan annuity payments for certain remarried surviving spouses and expands TRICARE eligibility to include remarried widow/widowers whose subsequent marriage ended.

The Right to Contraception Act establishes a federal right for individuals to access and use contraception without government interference. It prohibits federal and state governments from enacting laws that restrict access to contraceptives or the provision of related services. The Act provides clear enforcement mechanisms, allowing individuals and the Attorney General to sue to strike down any rule that violates these protections.

This bill expresses support for the nation's public K-12 schools and the Department of Education, highlighting the Department's role in providing critical funding and resources to students, schools, and families. It condemns any actions that would defund public education or weaken the Department of Education. The bill affirms that public education investment should not be diverted to private K-12 schools through vouchers. It also rejects any claim that the executive branch has the authority to dismantle or relocate major offices within the Department of Education, dismantle or relocate the Department of Education, reduce federal funding for public education, block major federal grant programs for education, or transfer education funding burdens to state and local governments.

The "Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act" reauthorizes and expands programs aimed at supporting the mental health of healthcare providers. It requires annual reports on education and awareness initiatives, broadens eligibility for entities receiving funds, and extends funding for mental health support programs through 2030. The Act prioritizes reducing administrative burdens on healthcare workers to improve access to mental health services.

The "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025" extends increased Medicare payment support for physicians and practitioners through 2025. It increases payment rates by 6.62% for services provided from April 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The bill also updates a section of the Social Security Act to include the years 2021 through 2025 for conforming changes.

The "Stop Antiabortion Disinformation Act" or the "SAD Act" aims to prevent deceptive advertising related to reproductive health services, particularly concerning contraception, abortion services, or the employment of licensed medical personnel. It empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce these prohibitions, treat violations as FTC Act violations, and pursue civil actions against violators, including imposing significant civil penalties. The FTC is required to report to Congress on its enforcement activities under this act.

The Disaster Assistance Fairness Act amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to improve disaster relief for homeowners in common interest communities. It mandates the President to issue rules for debris removal from residential common interest communities after a major disaster if it poses a threat to life, public health, safety, or economic recovery. The Act also covers the repair of essential common elements in condominiums, manufactured housing communities, and housing cooperatives, provided an individual's share of the repair costs are documented. These changes apply to any major disaster or emergency declared on or after the enactment of this law.

The DERAIL Act aims to improve railroad safety by updating the definition of "high-hazard flammable train" to include trains carrying flammable liquids or gases. It also mandates that railroad carriers report derailments involving toxic inhalation materials to relevant authorities within 24 hours.

The "Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act" directs the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts in schools across the country. The study will assess curriculum requirements, teaching methods, materials used, and how students' knowledge and recognition of antisemitism are evaluated. A report on the study's findings must be submitted to Congress.

The "Charitable Act" modifies the tax deduction for charitable contributions for individuals who do not itemize deductions. For the 2026 and 2027 tax years, the deduction will be capped at one-third of the standard deduction amount for the individual. The Act also eliminates and redesignates certain penalty clauses in the Internal Revenue Code related to these deductions, updating references accordingly.

The "Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights Act" aims to ensure that foreign nongovernmental organizations are eligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, part I, regardless of the health or medical services they provide with non-U.S. government funds if such services are legal in their country. It also prevents these organizations from facing stricter requirements than U.S. organizations regarding the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying.

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 "Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act" aims to reform and enhance the pay, benefits, and retirement options for Federal wildland firefighters. It establishes special base rates of pay, incident response premium pay, and rest and recuperation leave, while also addressing health concerns like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health support. The act also ensures pay parity for Federal structural firefighters and establishes a casualty assistance program for families of firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty. Finally, it modifies retirement calculations and service credit for firefighters.