Legislative Activity

The Postal Contracting Financial Accountability Act allows private operators of contract postal units to temporarily continue service after a non-fault-based contract termination. If the operator chooses this option, the existing agreement generally remains in effect without further Postal Service payments until the contractor terminates, breaches the agreement, or closes the location. The Postmaster General retains discretion to establish payment terms for this continued operation.

The Critical Mineral Brine Extraction Research and Development Act directs the Secretary of Energy to support research, development, and demonstration of technologies to extract critical minerals from brine sources like oil and gas wastewater. This effort aims to improve the efficiency and lower the cost of domestic mineral extraction through public-private partnerships. The Secretary must report to Congress on the technical and economic viability of these extraction methods.

This resolution recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Republic of Singapore's independence and celebrates the strong, multifaceted relationship between the U.S. and Singapore. It highlights the deep economic partnership, vital security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and growing people-to-people connections. Ultimately, the bill reaffirms strong U.S. support for this crucial alliance.

The Scam Farms Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act of 2025 authorizes the President to issue official letters of marque and reprisal against foreign entities engaged in cybercrime. This grants private groups the authority to seize the property or persons of those involved in specified cyberattacks, including ransomware and large-scale scams. The Act establishes a legal framework for the U.S. to retaliate against transnational criminal enterprises operating overseas.

The RESTART SUNSET Act of 2025 modernizes federal agency rule review by establishing a new ten-year cycle for evaluating existing and future regulations. This legislation requires agencies to annually report on rules that do not significantly impact small businesses. Crucially, the bill mandates that courts immediately halt the enforcement of any rule that an agency has failed to review according to the new periodic schedule.

The Innovate Less Lethal to De-Escalate Tax Modernization Act aims to encourage the development and use of safer policing tools. This bill exempts qualifying less-than-lethal projectile devices and their ammunition from federal excise taxes normally applied to firearms and ammunition. Furthermore, it removes these specific less-lethal devices from the stringent regulations imposed by the National Firearms Act. The legislation establishes clear criteria for what qualifies as a less-lethal device eligible for these tax and regulatory exemptions.

The WEAR IT Act allows individuals to treat the cost of certain health-monitoring wearable devices as qualified medical expenses for tax-advantaged accounts like HSAs, Archer MSAs, and FSAs/HRAs. This provision permits up to a \$375 annual deduction for these devices, provided they help diagnose, treat, or manage a health condition. These changes will take effect for expenses incurred after December 31, 2025.

The Medicare Transaction Fraud Prevention Act establishes a two-year pilot program to test the use of predictive risk-scoring algorithms to enhance oversight of Medicare payments for durable medical equipment and lab tests. This program will focus on beneficiaries who receive electronic Medicare notices, using the algorithm to flag potentially fraudulent or high-risk claims for human review. The goal is to leverage smart technology to proactively identify and prevent improper payments within the Medicare system.

The Forgotten Funds Act mandates the rescission of all unobligated discretionary funds set aside by Congress for fiscal year 2021 and prior years. This returned money will be permanently transferred to the Treasury's general fund. The sole purpose of these recovered funds is to reduce the national deficit.

This bill aims to significantly reform the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, primarily starting in 2028. Key changes include mandating capitated payments for most providers, restricting how diagnosis data is used for payment adjustments, and implementing automatic enrollment into the lowest-premium MA plans. Furthermore, the legislation introduces a three-year enrollment lock-in period for new MA enrollees.

The Securing Migration, Addressing Reform, and Talent Retention (SMART) Act overhauls the U.S. immigration system by eliminating the Diversity Visa Program and establishing a new points-based system for employment-based immigration. The bill also reforms family-sponsored immigration by redefining "immediate relatives" and creating a new non-working visa category for parents of adult citizens. Furthermore, it sets new annual caps for refugee admissions and reforms the allocation and release of H-1B specialty visas.

The Manifest Modernization Act of 2025 updates federal requirements for public disclosure of cargo manifest information for all incoming ships, vehicles, and aircraft. This bill mandates that manifests include more specific details, such as the Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading and precise country of origin data for all cargo. These new disclosure standards will take effect thirty days after the Act is signed into law.

This bill suspends the production of pennies and nickels for 10 years, while allowing the Treasury Secretary to continue making them for coin collectors under specific guidelines. It also requires the Comptroller General to study the effects of this suspension, including potential savings and the impact of rounding cash transactions, and report findings to Congress within three years to determine if the suspension should continue, become permanent, or be reversed. Pennies and nickels will remain legal tender during this time.

This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish drug adherence guidelines, using AI and machine learning, to achieve a 90% adherence rate for Medicare Part B and D drugs. These guidelines will prioritize the use of generic and biosimilar drugs when appropriate.

The DEBT Act mandates the Secretary of the Treasury to testify before Congress, specifically the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, between 21 and 60 days before the debt limit is reached or before employing "extraordinary measures" to prevent a default. During this appearance, the Secretary must detail the extraordinary measures to be taken, their estimated costs, and any subsequent changes in funding obligations resulting from raising the debt limit. This aims to increase transparency and congressional oversight regarding actions taken to manage the debt limit.

The JFK Act of 2025 mandates the public disclosure of all unclassified assassination records and information related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination, overriding any conflicting laws or prior restrictions. It requires covered Federal officials to release all unredacted records within 30 days of enactment. The Attorney General is directed to petition courts to unseal any relevant records, and such requests are automatically deemed to meet the legal standard for disclosure.

The Healthy Technology Act of 2025 amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, allowing AI and machine learning technologies to prescribe drugs. To do so, the AI must be authorized by state law and approved by the FDA.

The "Paws Off Act of 2025" mandates warning labels on food products containing xylitol, highlighting its toxicity to dogs. The Food and Drug Administration is directed to implement this labeling requirement through an interim rule within 6 months and a final rule within 1 year.

The Maintaining Innovation and Safe Technologies Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance by January 1, 2027, clarifying Medicare payments for remote monitoring devices utilizing artificial intelligence. This includes devices like continuous glucose monitors that transmit data to healthcare providers for patient care. The guidance aims to address how Medicare will handle payments for these innovative technologies.