Legislative Activity

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.

The "Combating Illicit Xylazine Act" aims to combat the illegal use of xylazine by adding it to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, which would allow for increased regulation and tracking of the substance. The bill includes exemptions and delayed effective dates for certain requirements to ease the transition for legitimate users, such as veterinarians and animal handlers. It also directs the Sentencing Commission to review sentencing guidelines for xylazine-related offenses and mandates reports to Congress on the prevalence and impact of illicit xylazine use. Finally, it will include xylazine in Arcos tracking.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 expands milk options available to students in the National School Lunch Program by allowing schools to offer organic or non-organic whole milk. This legislation provides greater flexibility for schools in providing fluid milk choices while maintaining accommodations for students with special dietary needs. Importantly, the saturated fat content of these offered milk options will not count toward the meal's overall saturated fat limits.

The "Marc Fischer Memorial Act" aims to combat the flow of synthetic drugs, particularly fentanyl, into Federal prisons through the mail. It mandates the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to develop and implement a strategy to equip all Federal correctional facilities with the technology and processes needed to scan mail, protect staff and inmates, and ensure timely delivery of mail copies while maintaining legal mail privileges. The strategy includes assessing current practices, identifying necessary resources, and providing a budgetary proposal for implementation, with ongoing reporting to Congress on its effectiveness.

The "Fair Access to Banking Act" aims to prevent financial institutions from denying services to legal businesses based on subjective or political reasons. It prohibits large banks, credit unions, and payment card networks from discriminating against legal businesses and requires them to provide fair access to financial services based on impartial, risk-based standards. Financial institutions that violate these provisions may face penalties, including ineligibility for taxpayer-funded discount window lending programs and civil penalties. Individuals or businesses who are unfairly denied services can sue the financial institution in U.S. district court.

The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025 ensures that monetary penalties from False Claims Act cases are deposited into the Crime Victims Fund through fiscal year 2029. This excludes payments to whistleblowers and reimbursements to the government. This will increase the amount of money available to help victims of crimes.

The "Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025" reauthorizes and modifies the Department of Defense's authority to sell aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression, extending it to October 1, 2035. It allows sold aircraft to drop water in addition to fire retardant and specifies that these aircraft can only be used for wildfire suppression services.

The "MAILS Act" aims to improve communication between the Postal Service and local communities regarding the relocation or establishment of post offices. It mandates a formal process for local officials to request new post offices and requires the Postal Service to gather community input, provide detailed notifications to local officials, and offer public presentations before any temporary relocation lasting more than two days. Additionally, for extended relocations, the Postal Service must report to Congress on communication compliance and reasons for extending the relocation period.

The "Life at Conception Act" declares that the right to life, as guaranteed by the Constitution, is vested in each human being, both born and preborn, from fertilization onward. This act defines "human being" as every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life. Notably, the act specifies that no woman shall be prosecuted for the death of her unborn child.

The "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" ensures that infants born alive after an abortion receive the same medical care as any other newborn, mandating immediate hospitalization and requiring healthcare practitioners to report any failures to comply. Violators face fines, imprisonment, and potential prosecution for homicide or attempted homicide, while the mother of the child cannot be prosecuted. The bill also allows the woman who had the abortion to file a civil action against anyone who violated the act. It defines abortion and attempts at abortion, and renames "Partial-Birth Abortions" to "Abortions" in relevant sections of the U.S. Code.

The "Main Street Tax Certainty Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the deduction for qualified business income. This removes the previous expiration date, providing long-term tax certainty for eligible businesses. The change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "Public Lands in Public Hands Act" restricts the federal government from transferring ownership of publicly accessible federal land to non-federal entities. Exceptions exist for transfers under 300 acres (or 5 acres if accessible by waterway) and those authorized by specific existing laws or land exchanges. This act aims to maintain public access to federal lands and prevent the government from subdividing land to circumvent these restrictions.

The "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025" seeks to prohibit the use of federal funds for abortions and for health plans that cover abortions, while allowing individuals and entities to purchase separate abortion coverage with non-federal funds. It clarifies that premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) cannot be used for health plans that include abortion coverage. The Act also revises notice requirements for health plans, mandating clear disclosure of abortion coverage and any associated premium surcharges to enrollees. Exceptions to the funding restrictions are included for cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger.

The Veterans Member Business Loan Act amends the Federal Credit Union Act to include loans to veterans as member business loans. The term "veteran" will be defined according to title 38, section 101 of the U.S. Code. This change aims to support veteran entrepreneurship by increasing their access to capital through credit unions. The changes will be effective six months after the enactment of this Act.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the railroad track maintenance credit from $3,500 to $6,100, adjusting for inflation after 2025. It applies to qualified expenditures starting January 1, 2024, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The "Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act" repeals the Corporate Transparency Act, eliminating the requirement for companies to report beneficial ownership information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). It also makes necessary technical adjustments to Title 31 of the United States Code, specifically sections related to financial recordkeeping and reporting of currency and foreign transactions, to reflect the repeal.

The Hearing Protection Act aims to remove silencers from the purview of the National Firearms Act (NFA) by treating them similarly to standard firearms under federal tax law. This legislation preempts certain state and local taxes and registration requirements related to silencers involved in interstate commerce. Furthermore, the bill mandates the destruction of existing federal silencer registration records and updates federal marking requirements for manufacturers.

The "Every Drop Counts Act" amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand the eligibility criteria for water storage projects to include those with smaller storage capacities and those focused on groundwater recharge. It increases the number of eligible projects from 5 to 10. The act ensures compliance with existing water laws and does not infringe on established water rights.

The "REMAIN in Mexico Act of 2025" mandates the Secretary of Homeland Security to reinstate and enforce the Migrant Protection Protocols, as previously outlined in the 2019 Policy Guidance. This requires migrants and asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while awaiting U.S. immigration proceedings.

The FIND Act prohibits federal agencies from contracting with entities that discriminate against the firearm and ammunition industry. It requires federal contractors to certify they do not discriminate against firearm entities and prohibits them from awarding subcontracts to entities that do not provide a similar certification. Violations of these clauses will result in contract termination. The act defines "discriminate" as making judgments or refusing/limiting services based on biased criteria, rather than case-by-case evaluations, empirical data, financial risk, or legal non-compliance.