Legislative Activity

The Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025 transforms the existing pilot project into a permanent, federally funded program for procuring domestically grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for schools. This bill expands participation to 14 states and mandates dedicated annual funding of $25 million through fiscal year 2030. It also enhances requirements for states to support small, local, and socially disadvantaged farmers while strengthening program evaluation and reporting.

The FEMA Act of 2025 establishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an independent, cabinet-level agency to lead a unified, all-hazards approach to national emergency management. The bill enacts sweeping reforms across Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, and Mitigation programs to accelerate recovery, streamline funding, and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for disaster survivors and communities. Furthermore, it mandates significant new transparency measures, including public data reporting and GAO oversight, to ensure accountability for federal disaster spending.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act seeks to federally decriminalize cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act, which will retroactively apply to past offenses. The bill establishes an Opportunity Trust Fund, financed by new cannabis taxes, to reinvest in communities harmed by prohibition. Furthermore, it mandates the expungement of non-violent federal cannabis convictions and opens up Small Business Administration (SBA) programs to legitimate cannabis businesses.

The DETECT Act of 2025 mandates a report from the Comptroller General assessing the potential for the IRS to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the detection of tax fraud. This report must be delivered to key Congressional committees within 180 days of the Act's enactment. Essentially, the bill initiates a study on leveraging AI for improved tax compliance tracking.

The Keep Seniors Fed Act makes technical amendments to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 regarding how income is calculated for food assistance eligibility. Specifically, it mandates that income received under Title II of the Social Security Act must now be counted when determining eligibility for benefits. These changes will take effect 90 days after the bill is signed into law.

The Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must now provide abortion care, counseling, and related medication as part of the medical services offered to eligible veterans and certain other beneficiaries. This legislation formally amends existing VA health care provisions to include these reproductive health services.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act of 2025 repeals specific prior reconciliation health provisions. This bill significantly expands eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit by eliminating the 400% Federal Poverty Level income cap. It also updates the subsidy calculation formula to ensure a smoother, linear adjustment of assistance across various income levels.

The EATS Act of 2025 significantly updates eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by removing previous restrictions that often disqualified students. This legislation explicitly includes bona fide students enrolled at least half-time in recognized educational programs as eligible participants for food assistance. These changes take effect on January 2, 2026.

The Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act establishes the Healthy H2O Program to provide grants for improving drinking water quality in rural areas. These grants help eligible households and small facilities address contamination from issues like lead or PFAS by covering the costs of certified water treatment systems, installation, and testing. The program prioritizes private well owners and requires annual reporting on contamination trends and program effectiveness.

The SAVES Act establishes a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to eligible veterans. These grants, up to $\$2,000,000$ each, will fund the training and provision of service dogs for veterans with qualifying conditions like PTSD or TBI. The bill also extends the expiration date for certain limits on veterans' pension payments until February 2033.

This bill, the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, updates the eligibility requirements for creating records of lawful admission for long-term residents. It replaces a fixed entry date with a new standard requiring applicants to have resided in the U.S. for at least seven years prior to applying. These revised provisions will take effect 60 days after the Act is enacted.

This bill reauthorizes the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 through fiscal year 2030, authorizing $56 million annually for FY 2026-2030. It makes administrative updates by replacing "Council" with "Committee" throughout the Act and clarifies the system's scope to include operational oceanography measurements. Furthermore, it mandates that federal agencies develop rules to ensure data sharing between regional offices and federally funded projects with local coastal observing systems.

The VISIBLE Act mandates that federal immigration enforcement officers, such as those from CBP and ICE, must clearly display their agency name and either their last name or badge number during all public-facing civil immigration enforcement activities. This requirement ensures officers are easily identifiable to the public from a distance, promoting transparency and public trust. The law also establishes disciplinary procedures for non-compliance and requires annual reporting to Congress on enforcement activities and violations.

The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 establishes a structured process for distributing up to 2,000 additional, federally funded residency positions annually between fiscal years 2026 and 2032. This distribution prioritizes hospitals serving in underserved areas, those already training above their limit, and those committed to primary care and general surgery training. The bill also mandates a study and report by the Comptroller General on effective strategies to increase diversity within the health professional workforce.

The EACH Act of 2025 aims to ensure equal access to abortion coverage by requiring all federally funded health programs and facilities to cover abortion services. This legislation prohibits federal interference with state or private insurance coverage of abortion and repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate financial and insurance barriers to abortion care, particularly for low-income individuals relying on programs like Medicaid.

This proposed constitutional amendment would eliminate immunity from criminal prosecution for federal officials, including the President, based on their official duties. It also explicitly prohibits the President from issuing a self-pardon for any federal crimes. If ratified, these changes would take effect immediately.

The Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act aims to ensure that U.S. foreign assistance commodities, such as food and medicine, are delivered to those in need rather than being destroyed. This legislation mandates that aid supplies must be distributed before they expire or spoil, thereby maximizing the humanitarian impact of U.S. aid. Furthermore, it establishes strict reporting requirements to track and prevent the waste of these vital resources. The bill highlights that effective foreign aid supports global health, strengthens the U.S. economy, and benefits American agriculture.

The Gun Safety Incentive Act aims to promote responsible firearm ownership by establishing voluntary best practices for safe storage developed by the Attorney General. It mandates clear safe storage warnings on newly manufactured firearms and expands existing federal law to require safe storage information for all firearm purchases, including rifles and shotguns. Furthermore, the Act establishes a grant program to help states and Tribes distribute free safe storage devices and creates a tax credit for businesses selling these devices.

The Restore and Modernize Our National Laboratories Act of 2025 authorizes significant funding to address deferred maintenance and modernize critical infrastructure across the Department of Energy's National Laboratories. This legislation mandates the Secretary of Energy to prioritize projects ensuring labs can support cutting-edge science missions safely and efficiently through fiscal year 2030. Furthermore, the Act requires the development of a comprehensive, long-term strategy for managing and optimizing all research facilities to meet future energy and science goals.

The Stop NOAA Closures Act places a temporary moratorium on the closure or restriction of access to any National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facilities. This freeze remains in effect until 180 days after key officials submit a required report to Congress detailing the criteria and process for any future facility changes. After the moratorium lifts, any major facility action will still require a 30-day advance notice and justification report to Congress, except in cases of immediate emergency threatening staff safety.