Legislative Activity

This bill expresses Congressional support for local law enforcement officers, acknowledging their dedication to protecting communities, upholding the law, and ensuring public safety. It extends gratitude to officers and their families for their service and honors the memory of those who died in the line of duty. The bill also encourages collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve to improve safety and trust.

The "Fresh Start Act of 2025" amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, allowing grant funds to implement state laws that automatically expunge or seal criminal records, even if fees or fines are outstanding. States receiving these grants must report data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender to the Attorney General on expungement eligibility, completed expungements, and pending applications. The Attorney General is then required to publish an annual public report based on the data received from the states.

The Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in organ transplantation and related services. It ensures that qualified individuals with disabilities are not denied access to organ transplants or related services solely based on their disability and requires reasonable modifications to policies and auxiliary aids to ensure accessibility. The Act allows consideration of a person's disability if medically significant to the transplant's success, but not if a support network can ensure compliance with health requirements. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against can file a claim with the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services for expedited resolution.

The "Canadian Snowbird Act" allows Canadian citizens aged 50 and older who own or rent a U.S. residence to stay in the United States for up to 240 days per year as visitors. It also ensures that these individuals are considered non-resident aliens for tax purposes, and sets forth that owning property in the U.S. is not indicative of intent to abandon their Canadian residence. Spouses of qualified Canadian retirees may also be admitted under the same terms.

The "National POW/MIA Memorial and Museum Act" designates the POW-MIA Memorial and Museum in Jacksonville, Florida, as the National POW-MIA Memorial and Museum. It recognizes the museum's role in honoring and educating the public about prisoners of war and those missing in action since World War II. The Act requires the Museum's Director to submit a report to Congress, including a five-year budget, organizational structure, and governing documents. The designation may be withdrawn if the Museum does not operate satisfactorily or if the report is submitted late.

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.

The "Countering Hate Against Israel by Federal Contractors Act" prohibits federal agencies from contracting with companies that boycott Israel, starting January 1, 2026, for contracts exceeding $100,000. Companies must certify they are not participating in such boycotts, and contracts will include clauses prohibiting these activities. The Act includes enforcement mechanisms for violations, while clarifying that it does not infringe upon First Amendment rights or take a position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The "Fight Fentanyl Act" amends the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998, requiring High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) to report on fentanyl trafficking investigations and any limitations in meeting their goals, while allocating \$333,000,000 annually from 2025-2030 for HIDTAs. It also increases funding for the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center (CTAC) to assist law enforcement with fentanyl interdiction. The Act mandates the Attorney General to prioritize fentanyl trafficking investigations and prosecutions by providing sufficient resources, including temporary reassignment of assistant U.S. attorneys.

The "Maritime Fuel Tax Parity Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend an excise tax exemption to certain vessels engaged in trade between Atlantic or Pacific ports of the United States. This exemption applies to alternative fuels used by these vessels, promoting fair fuel tax treatment across different trade routes. The change is effective for sales after December 31, 2023.

Recognizes the crucial role of linemen in maintaining the nation's energy infrastructure and public safety. It also supports designating April 18, 2025, as National Lineman Appreciation Day to honor their contributions and dangerous work.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to limit consumer reporting agencies from sharing credit report information when a person requests a credit report for a residential mortgage loan. Consumer reporting agencies can only furnish this information if the entity has a firm offer of credit or insurance, has the consumer's authorization, or has an existing relationship with the consumer as a mortgage lender, servicer, or financial institution. This act aims to protect consumers' privacy during the home buying process by limiting the amount of entities that get access to their credit information. The changes will take effect 180 days after the Act is enacted.

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 aims to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and countering its support for terrorism by imposing sanctions on those involved in Iran's energy sector and those who provide financial support for its destabilizing activities. It mandates sanctions on foreign entities involved in processing, exporting, or selling Iranian oil, gas, and petrochemicals, while also establishing an interagency working group to coordinate and enforce these sanctions. The Act also amends existing legislation to require the identification of individuals involved in sanctionable activities or sanctions evasion related to Iranian oil and gas sales.

The "Save Our Sequoias Act" aims to protect giant sequoia groves from wildfires, insects, and drought by streamlining environmental review processes for emergency response projects, establishing a collaborative coalition, and creating a reforestation strategy. This act directs the Secretary to create agreements, assessments, and strike teams to address threats to giant sequoias on both public and National Forest System lands. It also establishes grant programs and amends existing laws to support these efforts, including stewardship contracting and good neighbor agreements. Finally, the act authorizes appropriations for these protection and restoration activities.

The "Invest to Protect Act of 2025" establishes a grant program within the Department of Justice to provide resources to local law enforcement agencies with fewer than 175 officers. These grants can be used for de-escalation training, mental health support for officers, officer recruitment and retention, and other community safety programs. The Act prioritizes a streamlined grant application process and emphasizes accountability and transparency in the use of funds, with \$50 million authorized annually from 2027 through 2031.

The "Family Notification of Death, Injury, or Illness in Custody Act of 2025" aims to establish federal policies requiring detention agencies to promptly notify emergency contacts in the event of a detainee's death, serious illness, or injury. It mandates the Attorney General to develop and implement these policies for Department of Justice detention agencies, as well as provide model policies and support for state, tribal, and local agencies. The bill outlines specific procedures for collecting emergency contact information, notification timelines, communication protocols, and standards for handling belongings and remains. An ombudsman will be appointed to investigate complaints of notification failures.

The Deliver for Veterans Act allows the Department of Veteran Affairs to cover the complete cost of delivering an adapted vehicle to a veteran. Additionally, it extends certain limitations on pension payments to March 31, 2032.

The "Ellie Helton, Lisa Colagrossi, Kristen Shafer Englert, Teresa Anne Lawrence, and Jennifer Sedney Focused Research Act" or "Ellie's Law" aims to address the critical need for more research on brain aneurysms. The act authorizes $20,000,000 to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 to conduct comprehensive research on unruptured intracranial aneurysms, with a focus on diversifying the study population by age, sex, and race. These funds are intended to supplement existing funding for brain aneurysm research.

The "CBO Scoring Accountability Act" requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to analyze major legislation for the first 10 years after enactment, including estimates of costs, revenue changes, and comparisons against previous estimates. It mandates a report to Congress if discrepancies between actual costs/revenue and prior estimates exceed 10 percent, ensuring transparency and accountability in legislative financial impacts. Federal departments and agencies are required to provide the CBO director with the information necessary to conduct these analysis. "Major legislation" is defined as any bill projected to result in mandatory spending or federal revenue changes equal to or greater than 0.25 percent of the current projected gross domestic product of the United States for that year.

This bill expresses support for "Financial Literacy Month" and recognizes the critical importance of financial literacy and education for all Americans. It highlights the concerning statistics around financial insecurity and lack of financial knowledge in the US. The bill encourages participation in Financial Literacy Month to promote financial education through various programs and activities.

The "Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act" or the "SAVES Act" establishes a five-year pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to veterans with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions such as PTSD. The grants, up to $2,000,000 each, will support the planning, development, and management of service dog programs, ensuring veterans receive these dogs at no cost and are informed of available VA benefits. The VA will also provide veterinary insurance for the service dogs. $10,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for each of the five fiscal years following the establishment of the pilot program.