Legislative Activity

The Defending International Security by Restricting Unacceptable Partnerships and Tactics (DISRUPT) Act aims to counter the growing security threat posed by the deepening cooperation between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The bill mandates the creation of interagency task forces and detailed intelligence reports to analyze and disrupt this adversarial alignment across military, economic, and technological fronts. Ultimately, the policy seeks to constrain the global reach of these nations and enhance U.S. deterrence capabilities against simultaneous challenges.

The VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act of 2025, or VALID Act, aims to increase awareness of VA loan options for consumers. It mandates that FHA disclosures include information about assuming VA-backed loans. Furthermore, the Act requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to add a mandatory military service question to the standard mortgage application form.

The Continuous Skilled Nursing Quality Improvement Act of 2025 redefines and establishes national quality standards for high-level, continuous skilled nursing care provided through Medicaid. This legislation mandates the creation of a working group to develop these standards for complex-care patients receiving home nursing services. Furthermore, the bill ensures these updated standards are integrated into Medicaid's home and community-based waiver services and reviewed regularly.

The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the Crime Victims Fund by expanding the sources of deposits. This includes allowing the Fund to receive money from certain legal settlements that do not result in a criminal conviction. Additionally, the bill temporarily allows certain recoveries from False Claims Act settlements to fund victim services through 2030, while protecting payments to whistleblowers and the government's direct recovery.

This resolution formally congratulates His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his historic election as the first American Pope. The Senate recognizes the Pope as a global symbol of peace and justice, acknowledging his commitment to human dignity and interfaith dialogue. The measure also expresses hope for strengthening relations between the United States and the Holy See.

This resolution serves as a formal tribute honoring the life, achievements, and enduring legacy of former United States Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond of Missouri. It recognizes his decades of public service, including his terms as Missouri Governor and U.S. Senator, where he championed infrastructure, agriculture, and conservative values. The Senate expresses deep sadness over his passing and directs that official copies of this tribute be sent to his family.

The Access Technology Affordability Act of 2025 establishes a new federal tax credit to help offset the cost of essential access technology for blind individuals. This credit covers expenses for hardware or software that converts visual information into usable formats for the taxpayer, their spouse, or a dependent. The credit is capped at \$2,000 over any three-year period and is set to expire for tax years beginning after December 31, 2030.

The COUNTER Act grants the Department of Defense (DoD) expanded authority to neutralize threats from unmanned aircraft systems (drones) operating outside of the United States. This legislation delegates response authority, clarifies mitigation methods like remote identification, and exempts security details regarding these operations from public disclosure. Furthermore, it limits the application of certain criminal and security laws to authorized DoD and Coast Guard activities aimed at countering these aerial threats overseas.

The RTCP Revitalization Act aims to strengthen support for geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). This bill removes existing payment caps for eligible recipients when funding is sufficient to cover all applications. Furthermore, it establishes mandatory, increasing funding levels for this program starting in fiscal year 2026 through 2031 and beyond.

The Kids Online Safety Act establishes a comprehensive "duty of care" requiring online platforms to design features that mitigate specific harms to minors, such as those related to mental health and exploitation. It mandates that platforms provide minors with default, restrictive safety settings and robust parental controls over data sharing and recommendations. Furthermore, the legislation demands significant transparency regarding algorithmic ranking systems and grants the FTC enforcement authority.

The Permitting Transparency and Accountability Act mandates that government agencies provide a public, online status tracker for all permit applications. This tracker must detail every step of the review process, the time taken for each stage, current status, and contact information for all involved personnel. The goal is to increase accountability and provide applicants with clear timelines for final decisions.

This resolution officially designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as "National Police Week." It serves to honor the valor and integrity of law enforcement officers across the nation. The resolution specifically remembers the officers killed in the line of duty during 2024 and encourages the public to observe this week to show appreciation for law enforcement personnel.

The Safeguarding Transit Operations to Prohibit China Act (STOP China Act) aims to prevent U.S. taxpayer funds from supporting transit vehicle manufacturing tied to the People's Republic of China (PRC). The bill specifically prohibits federal funding for the purchase of covered vehicles, such as buses or trains, produced by entities controlled by or based in designated foreign nations. To enforce this, the Act mandates the creation and regular updating of a public watchlist identifying these restricted manufacturers.

The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act mandates that health plans cover medically necessary diagnosis and treatment for congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This coverage must apply to outpatient and inpatient care, including necessary dental and orthodontic support, unless the procedure is purely cosmetic. These new requirements take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2025 streamlines firefighting operations by exempting the use of approved fire retardants during wildfire suppression from standard federal water pollution discharge permits. This change ensures that necessary aerial application of Forest Service-qualified products does not require an NPDES permit. The bill focuses on removing regulatory hurdles for essential wildfire control activities.

The MOMS Act aims to support mothers and unborn children through three main areas: establishing a federal resource website, Pregnancy.gov, to connect expecting and new mothers with local services. It also creates grant programs to fund organizations that support carrying pregnancies to term and expand access to prenatal/postnatal telehealth care. Finally, the Act mandates that states establish and enforce child support obligations on behalf of unborn children upon the mother's request.

This resolution expresses support for designating May 5, 2025, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls." It highlights the severe crisis of violence, homicide, and human trafficking disproportionately affecting American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls. The bill calls for national recognition of this day to honor victims and urges the Department of Justice to conduct an updated study on the crisis. Ultimately, it acknowledges ongoing efforts while emphasizing that more action is urgently needed to address this national tragedy.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as National Small Business Week. It aims to celebrate the vital contributions of the over 34.5 million small businesses that support tens of millions of jobs nationwide. The bill honors the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners in every community.

The Keep Finfish Free Act of 2025 prohibits all federal agencies from issuing permits for commercial finfish aquaculture operations within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This ban specifically targets the farming of finned fish for commercial sale in federal waters. Any future authorization for this activity would require a new act of Congress.

This bill modifies the railroad track maintenance credit by significantly increasing the maximum credit amount per mile from $\$3,500$ to $\$6,100$. It also updates the eligibility period for qualifying expenditures and mandates that the new credit limit will be adjusted for inflation starting in 2026. These changes are designed to provide greater financial support for ongoing railroad infrastructure upkeep.