Legislative Activity

The Military Learning for Credit Act of 2025 allows eligible veterans to use their existing educational assistance benefits to pay for specific exams and assessments designed to earn college credit. This provision caps the benefit usage at \$500 per covered test, including DSST and CLEP exams. Using these benefits for testing will count against the veteran's total entitlement time, calculated based on the cost of the exam.

The CIRCLE Act aims to boost domestic recycling capacity by introducing a new, temporary federal tax credit for investments in recycling infrastructure. This credit, set at 30% of qualified investment, incentivizes modernizing facilities and increasing the supply of domestically recycled materials. The bill also enhances the definition of recyclable materials to support U.S. markets against foreign competition.

The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025 mandates that employers protect workers from dangerous heat stress by establishing comprehensive safety standards. This Act requires the Secretary of Labor to create evidence-based rules covering engineering controls, administrative procedures, required training, and paid rest breaks to prevent heat-related illness. Furthermore, the law establishes strict enforcement mechanisms, whistleblower protections, and specific timelines for the implementation of these new federal heat protection standards.

This bill amends federal law to officially include Parkinson's disease in the list of illnesses presumed to be proximately caused by employment in fire protection activities. This addition aims to simplify the process for federal firefighters and emergency responders to qualify for related benefits when diagnosed with Parkinson's.

The Child Care for Working Families Act establishes comprehensive federal programs to ensure access to high-quality, affordable child care and universal preschool for young children. The legislation creates an entitlement program for child care, mandates that provider reimbursement rates cover actual costs and ensure living wages for staff, and establishes free, universal preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Additionally, it provides dedicated funding to stabilize childcare providers and extend the operating hours and compensation for Head Start staff.

The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act addresses significant delays in obtaining death certificates for veterans who die from natural causes, often due to VA medical staff delays. This bill mandates that VA medical providers must certify a veteran's death within 48 hours or allow the local medical examiner to step in. Furthermore, the VA must annually report on its compliance with this new timely certification requirement.

The Qualified to Serve Act aims to standardize and clarify medical accession standards for individuals joining the Armed Forces. It prohibits disqualification based on certain medical conditions diagnosed before age 13, provided specific conditions regarding subsequent treatment and current fitness are met. The bill also mandates formal review and national security waiver processes for medical disqualifications and requires annual reporting on disqualifications and waivers to Congress.

This bill reauthorizes key programs under the Kay Hagan Tick Act to combat vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease through 2030. It extends funding for the national strategy and regional centers focused on these illnesses. Additionally, the legislation continues enhanced support for local health departments to improve disease surveillance and response capabilities.

The CROP for Farming Act updates existing conservation programs to explicitly include climate change mitigation as a primary focus. It expands the definition of a "conservation incentive" to cover issues like reducing nitrous oxide and methane emissions. Furthermore, the bill redefines successful conservation to include measurable reductions in greenhouse gases and increases in soil carbon storage.

The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 significantly expands and permanently secures access to Medicare telehealth services by eliminating outdated geographic restrictions and allowing more practitioners to offer remote care. The bill also strengthens program integrity by dedicating funds for telehealth oversight while clarifying rules around providing necessary technology to patients. Finally, it mandates the creation of tailored educational resources and public reporting to improve quality measurement and transparency in remote care delivery.

The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025 establishes a federal statutory right to access abortion services, prohibiting medically unnecessary restrictions that impede care before fetal viability. This Act protects the right of patients to travel across state lines to receive reproductive healthcare and allows providers to offer services free from state interference that conflicts with established medical standards. It preempts conflicting state and local laws and provides robust enforcement mechanisms for individuals and the Attorney General to challenge violations.

The Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act prohibits states from interfering with or retaliating against individuals who provide or receive abortion services that are legal in the state where the service occurs. This protection extends to interstate travel for legal abortion care and the movement of FDA-approved abortion-related drugs across state lines. Individuals harmed by violations can sue in federal court for damages and legal fees.

The Organic Dairy Data Collection Act mandates the USDA to significantly enhance data collection for the organic dairy sector. This law requires the establishment of new surveys to track the costs of organic milk production and the prices farmers receive for their milk and feedstuffs. Ultimately, this ensures organic dairy producers have access to detailed, equivalent economic information currently available to conventional dairy farmers.

The Agricultural Risk Review Act of 2025 ensures the Secretary of Agriculture has a seat on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for reviews involving agricultural land, biotechnology, or the food industry. This legislation mandates that specific committees review certain agricultural land transactions involving foreign entities from designated adversarial nations. These new provisions aim to enhance national security by scrutinizing foreign investment in critical U.S. agricultural assets.

The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2025 aims to improve women's health after childbirth by clarifying Medicaid/CHIP coverage for essential pelvic health services. It mandates federal guidance for states on covering services like pelvic floor exams and physical therapy, alongside establishing a national education campaign for both providers and new mothers. The bill also directs the GAO to study existing coverage gaps for postpartum women under Medicaid.

The Safer Response Act of 2025 aims to enhance first responder preparedness by updating the Public Health Service Act. This legislation modifies existing training programs to include broader medical countermeasures and increases funding for these critical services through fiscal year 2030. The bill focuses on ensuring first responders have access to necessary, legally marketed treatments for overdose situations.

This bill provides an emergency increase in federal Medicaid funding for states that commit to improving their Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). States will receive a 10 percentage point boost in their Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for HCBS expenditures during fiscal years 2026 and 2027. This additional funding must be used to expand workforce capacity, raise worker compensation, and increase access to services for eligible individuals. States must submit a plan detailing how they will use the funds to ensure the money supplements, rather than replaces, existing state spending.

This resolution commemorates the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama by designating July 6, 2025, as a "Day of Compassion." It strongly reaffirms U.S. support for the human rights, religious freedom, and cultural preservation of the Tibetan people. Furthermore, the resolution asserts that the selection of the next Dalai Lama is solely the right of the Tibetan Buddhist community, rejecting any interference by the People's Republic of China.

The Preventing Lethal Agricultural and National Threats (PLANT) Act establishes a new federal crime for the reckless importation of high-risk agricultural pathogens without proper authorization. This legislation imposes significant penalties, including up to 10 years in prison, which can increase to 20 years if the act involves foreign government ties or causes substantial economic damage. The Department of Agriculture is tasked with defining which specific pathogens are considered high-risk under this new law.

The LEAPS Act aims to promote energy efficiency in agricultural water pumping systems to save farmers money and reduce environmental impact. It mandates the USDA to provide farmers with information and an online tool to calculate potential savings from upgrading pumps, pipes, and related equipment. Furthermore, the bill ensures that energy-efficient system installations qualify for conservation program credits.