Legislative Activity

The Air America Act of 2025 recognizes the sacrifices of former Air America employees who served the U.S. Government between 1950 and 1976. This Act authorizes a one-time monetary award, up to $40,000 plus potential additional amounts, for qualifying service members or their survivors. The CIA Director is responsible for administering these payments, which are capped at a total of $60 million, and establishing the application procedures. Decisions made by the Director regarding these awards are final and not subject to judicial review.

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 Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to improve support for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This bill eliminates the standard waiting period for receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. These changes ensure immediate access to crucial financial and healthcare support upon diagnosis.

This Act authorizes the creation and sale of special commemorative gold and silver coins to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The coins will feature designs honoring the victims and first responders, with the phrase "Never Forget" required on at least one design. All surcharges collected from the sale of these coins will be donated to support the ongoing operations and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The Treasury must ensure the entire coin program results in no net cost to the Federal Government.

The Arctic Watchers Act establishes a new "Arctic Watcher Program" managed by the Secretary of State to closely monitor security, economic, and political activities in the Arctic. This program is specifically tasked with tracking and countering influence operations from China and Russia that threaten U.S. interests. To achieve this, designated "Arctic Watchers" will be stationed in key allied countries to report annually on their efforts to protect U.S. strategic goals in the region.

The "Employment Services and Jobs Parity Act" amends the Wagner-Peyser Act to include the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa in key provisions, such as the definition section, unemployment compensation law requirements, and allotment provisions. Beginning in the first fiscal year after 2025, if funding exceeds 2025 levels, both the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa will receive allotments equal to half the amount allotted to Guam.

The Military and Educational Data Integration Act mandates a process for State educational agencies to access certain Armed Forces data of individuals who graduated high school in their state, including education level, test scores, and military service details. This data sharing initiative aims to integrate military data into state education systems while adhering to strict confidentiality and data security standards to protect individual privacy. The goal is to provide states with comprehensive data to better understand and support the educational and career pathways of their graduates.

The Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act prevents Congress from imposing new performance fees on local radio stations for playing music. It emphasizes the mutually beneficial relationship between broadcasters and the recording industry, where radio provides free publicity that boosts music sales and supports artists. The act recognizes local radio's crucial role in communities by providing news, weather updates, and public service announcements. Ultimately, this bill aims to protect local radio stations and businesses from economic harm, ensuring they can continue serving their communities without additional financial burdens.

This bill expresses support for designating February 2025 as "Hawaiian Language Month" or "'Olelo Hawai'i Month" to recognize and celebrate the Hawaiian language (lelo Hawaii). It acknowledges the historical suppression of lelo Hawaii and the ongoing revitalization efforts. The bill also commits to preserving, protecting, and promoting the use, practice, and development of lelo Hawaii, urging all people in the United States to participate in celebrating lelo Hawaii Month.

The "Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act" authorizes the creation of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on the National Mall. It ensures the museum's exhibits and programs reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of women in the United States, seeking guidance from varied sources. The Act mandates regular reports to Congress on the museum's efforts to meet these diversity requirements.

The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino Act authorizes the creation of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino on the National Mall. It ensures the museum's exhibits and programs accurately represent the diverse cultures, histories, events, and values of Hispanic and Latino communities, seeking guidance from diverse sources. The Act also mandates regular reports to Congress on the museum's efforts to meet these diversity requirements.

The Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act mandates the State Department to create a national registry of Korean Americans separated from family in North Korea since 1953, in order to prepare for potential family reunions. It requires the Secretary of State to include progress toward these reunions in any dialogue with North Korea, consult with South Korea, and submit annual reports to Congress on the registry's status and reunion efforts. The registry will serve as a private internal database to organize reunions and maintain information on divided families, including those who may have passed away.

The Alpha-gal Allergen Inclusion Act amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to include alpha-gal, a sugar found in non-catarrhine primate mammals and red algae, as a major food allergen. This will require food labels to clearly identify the presence of alpha-gal. The amendment will take effect 18 months after the enactment of this Act, with an exception for mammal-derived ingredients where alpha-gal is below a detectable limit as determined by the Secretary.

The Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2025 exempts from immigrant visa limits individuals eligible for visas under the Immigration and Nationality Act, provided they have a parent who naturalized under specific sections of law related to Filipino veterans who served during World War II. This exemption aims to facilitate the reunification of families of Filipino veterans who served with the United States Armed Forces during World War II.

The Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025 expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) headstones and markers by removing a key date restriction for certain individuals. It also updates benefits for families choosing an urn or plaque instead of a traditional marker, effective for veterans who died on or after January 5, 2021. Finally, the bill extends the expiration date for certain existing limits on VA pension payments.

The "Boosting Long-term US Engagement in the Pacific Act" or "BLUE Pacific Act" aims to establish a comprehensive U.S. strategy for the Pacific Islands, focusing on strengthening partnerships, promoting regional stability, and supporting sustainable development. It directs the President to develop a detailed partnership strategy, encourages increased staffing and strategic communication, and enhances coordination with allies. The Act authorizes various programs to improve public health, education, media freedom, and workforce development, while also addressing peace and security through institutional strengthening and transnational crime prevention. Additionally, it focuses on resource and economic development, environmental and disaster resilience, ocean and environmental sustainability, and enhanced technology and connectivity, with significant funding allocated to support these initiatives.

The "Restore Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act of 2025" aims to improve accountability within the VA by modifying procedures for disciplining VA supervisors, senior executives, and other employees for misconduct or poor performance. It expedites the disciplinary process, limits external review of disciplinary actions, and broadens the scope of employees subject to these procedures. The bill emphasizes the VA Secretary's authority in disciplinary matters, while also protecting whistleblowers. These changes apply retroactively to misconduct or performance issues dating back to the enactment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017.

The "Rosie the Riveter Commemorative Coin Act" directs the Department of Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar coins in 2028 to honor the women who contributed to the World War II Home Front. The coin designs will represent the legacy of these women, with input from the Rosie the Riveter Trust, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Surcharges from the coin sales will go to the Rosie the Riveter Trust to support the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and educational programs. This act ensures that the coin minting incurs no net cost to the government and recognizes the invaluable contributions of women during WWII.

The "Affordable Shipping for All Act" ensures fair shipping rates by preventing shipping services from charging higher fees to or excluding shipments to noncontiguous U.S. areas like Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. This act mandates that shipping costs to these areas must be the same as within the contiguous United States for products valued under $10,000. By standardizing shipping costs, the bill aims to provide economic parity for residents and businesses in these regions.

The "National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act" aims to support the National Law Enforcement Museum's programs for community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness through grants to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The act authorizes \$6,000,000 to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior for each of the first 7 fiscal years after the law is enacted. It requires annual progress reports to ensure accountability and transparency in the use of funds. The Act allows the Secretary to use funds to continue activities the National Law Enforcement Museum was already doing when this law was enacted.