Legislative Activity

The "Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025" authorizes the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Fred Korematsu in recognition of his civil rights contributions, loyalty, patriotism, and dedication to justice and equality. The Act directs the Secretary of the Treasury to create the gold medal, which will be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution after the award presentation. Additionally, the Act allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates of the gold medal to cover production costs.

The "Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act" expands Medicare coverage to include innovative multi-cancer early detection screening tests starting in 2028. These tests, which use genomic sequencing to detect multiple cancer types, will be covered for eligible beneficiaries with age and frequency limitations. The payment amount for these tests will initially align with that of multi-target stool screening DNA tests. This new coverage aims to improve early cancer detection without affecting existing Medicare-covered cancer screenings.

The "Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025" introduces a federal tax credit for individuals and corporations who donate to scholarship granting organizations that provide educational scholarships to eligible elementary and secondary students. These scholarships can be used for tuition, books, tutoring, and other qualified education expenses. The bill sets a volume cap on the total amount of donations eligible for the tax credit and includes provisions to prevent government control over scholarship organizations and non-public schools. It also exempts these scholarship amounts from gross income.

The WALL Act of 2025 allocates $25 billion for constructing a physical barrier on the southern border. It offsets this spending by tightening eligibility requirements for tax credits like the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, requiring E-Verify for federal benefits and housing programs, and increasing fines for illegal entry and visa overstays.

The Laken Riley Act mandates the detention of illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It empowers state attorneys general to sue the Department of Homeland Security or the Secretary of State if they believe the state or its residents are harmed by violations of immigration enforcement or visa granting. The bill aims to ensure that these aliens are detained throughout their removal proceedings and to provide states with legal recourse against perceived failures in federal immigration enforcement.

This resolution designates January 26 through February 1, 2025, as "National School Choice Week," recognizing the importance of diverse educational options (public, charter, magnet, private, online, and homeschooling). It emphasizes the role of parents in choosing the best educational environment for their children and encourages awareness of the benefits of school choice. The resolution supports celebrating educational choice and acknowledges the contributions of students, parents, teachers, and school leaders.

The Grizzly Bear State Management Act of 2025 instructs the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a final rule delisting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population of grizzly bears from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife, as previously published in the Federal Register. This reissuance must occur within 180 days of the Act's enactment and bypasses standard regulatory considerations and judicial review.

The "Fairness for Crime Victims Act of 2025" aims to protect the Crime Victims Fund by establishing a point of order in the House and Senate against legislative maneuvers ("CHIMPs") that reduce the fund's availability below a 3-year average. This fund, which supports victims of crimes like child abuse and sexual assault, is financed through federal crime fines and penalties. The point of order can be waived with a three-fifths vote, and it does not apply if the fund balance is within $2 billion of the prior year's balance. This bill seeks to ensure that funds intended for crime victims are not diverted for other purposes.

This concurrent resolution recognizes the significant historical and ongoing contributions of tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies to communities across the United States. It acknowledges their extensive volunteer network and substantial charitable giving, which helps to meet various needs and support financial security. The resolution affirms that their tax-exempt status continues to benefit the country and that their work should be encouraged.

The "Dignity for Aborted Children Act" requires abortion providers to offer patients the option to take possession of fetal remains for interment or cremation, or to release the remains to the provider for proper disposal. Abortion providers must obtain consent, maintain records, and submit annual reports on abortion procedures and fetal tissue disposal. Non-compliance can result in fines and imprisonment, but patients are exempt from prosecution. The act does not override state laws regarding the interment or cremation of human remains.

The "Guidance Out Of Darkness Act" or the "GOOD Act" mandates federal agencies to publish both new and existing guidance documents online in a central, easily accessible location. This aims to increase transparency by ensuring the public has access to agency policies and interpretations. The Act requires agencies to categorize these documents and maintain a record of rescinded guidance, while also exempting information protected by the Freedom of Information Act.

The "Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act" prohibits abortions performed because of a belief or diagnosis that an unborn child has Down syndrome, and establishes criminal penalties and civil remedies for violations. This bill also requires medical professionals to ask pregnant women about any knowledge or evidence concerning the unborn child having Down syndrome and informs them of the prohibitions of abortion under this section. Additionally, the bill specifies that violations will be considered discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act, potentially resulting in a loss of federal funding.

This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Energy rule setting energy conservation standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters. By disapproving the rule, Congress prevents its enforcement.

The "Resiliency for Ranching and Natural Conservation Health Act" allows the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to provide temporary grazing land to permit or lease holders whose original land is unusable due to natural disasters. It outlines terms for these temporary permits, prioritizing ecological conditions and coordination between agencies. The bill ensures temporary use doesn't alter original permit terms or future grazing rights and requires the Secretaries to establish implementation guidelines and evaluate land health conditions.

The "Promoting Domestic Energy Production Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to change how intangible drilling and development costs are calculated for adjusted financial statement income, specifically regarding depreciation and depletion expenses. It allows companies to deduct these costs, aligning financial statement income calculations more closely with taxable income calculations. These changes apply to taxable years starting after December 31, 2025.

The "Main Street Tax Certainty Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the deduction for qualified business income permanent. This is achieved by eliminating the expiration date for this deduction. This change provides long-term tax certainty for small businesses.

The "Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025" prohibits federal funding to colleges and universities that host or are affiliated with school-based service sites that provide abortion drugs or abortions to students or employees. To remain eligible for federal funds, these institutions must annually certify that their school-based service sites do not offer these services. Compliance with this law protects institutions from penalties under state law.

The "Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act" prohibits federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates. It states that the funds will still be available to other eligible entities for women's health services. It does not alter existing abortion-related limitations or decrease overall federal funding for women's health initiatives.

The ALIGN Act makes full expensing permanent for qualified property placed in service after September 27, 2017, by amending Section 168(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It also removes outdated clauses and updates references within Section 168(k) and amends Section 460(c)(6)(B) to clarify its application to property with a recovery period of 7 years or less. These changes are retroactive, as if included in Public Law 115-97.

The "Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions Act" (CURD Act) defines "natural cheese" to differentiate it from processed cheese, setting specific criteria for its production and composition. It restricts the use of "natural cheese" on labels to products meeting these standards, while allowing "natural" or "all-natural" claims as per existing regulations. The Act amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to include this new definition in labeling regulations.