Legislative Activity

The DEFENSE Act allows the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to authorize state and local law enforcement to use drone countermeasures at specific protected events. Law enforcement must complete required training and use approved equipment for drone detection, identification, and monitoring. The use of drone countermeasures will be overseen by various federal departments and agencies.

The "Family Business Legacy Act of 2025" amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction from the taxable estate for bequests to certain tax-exempt organizations, specifically those described in sections 501(c)(4), (5), or (6). This deduction is limited to the value of the transferred property included in the gross estate and is reduced by any estate or death taxes payable out of the bequests. The deduction is disallowed if an interest in the same property also passes to a person or use not described in subsection (a), unless the interest is a qualified interest. These amendments apply to estates of decedents dying or bequests, devises, or transfers made after December 31, 2025.

The "Safeguarding Charity Act" clarifies the definition of "Federal financial assistance" within the U.S. Code, ensuring that tax exemptions for certain tax-exempt organizations are not considered federal assistance unless explicitly stated by law. This clarification applies retroactively and prospectively, without implying that past tax exemptions constituted federal assistance.

The Catch Up Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow both spouses to make catch-up contributions to the same health savings account (HSA). For married couples with family coverage under a high deductible health plan, the contribution limit is applied without considering other high deductible health plan coverage of either spouse and is divided equally between the spouses, including catch-up contributions if both are age 55 or older. This change is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

This bill sets the rules for the House of Representatives to debate and vote on several resolutions and bills. These include resolutions disapproving of certain Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules, a bill limiting district courts' power to issue injunctions, and a bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. For each item, the bill typically waives certain procedural objections, sets time limits for debate, and allows a motion to recommit.

The Iranian Terror Prevention Act mandates the Secretary of State to designate specific organizations as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) within 90 days. It directs the President to determine and potentially impose sanctions on these organizations and associated entities within 60 days. The Secretary of State must also regularly report to Congress on new entities that could be designated as FTOs or sanctioned. Finally, the President is required to report to Congress justifying any decisions not to sanction a listed organization.

This bill authorizes the President to use the U.S. Armed Forces against specific Mexican cartels and affiliated groups to eliminate their operational capacity due to their engagement in terrorist activities, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and violation of U.S. territorial integrity. It identifies cartels such as Tren de Aragua, Mara Salvatrucha (MS13), Sinaloa Cartel, and others. The bill is intended to comply with the War Powers Resolution, affirming existing legal requirements.

The "Independent Programmers Tax Incentive Act" introduces a tax credit for eligible video distributors who carry independent programmers, aiming to support diversity in media. This credit covers a portion of license fees paid to qualified independent programmers, with caps based on subscriber numbers. The FCC is required to report biennially to Congress on the state of independent programming and how to further support it.

The Honey Integrity Act aims to protect the integrity of honey sold in the United States by establishing a clear standard of identity for honey and creating a Honey Integrity Program. This program mandates testing for adulteration by commercial honey packers, requires reporting of test results and any identified adulteration, and authorizes investigation and destruction of adulterated honey. The Act also directs the Secretary to submit a report to Congress detailing enforcement actions regarding misbranded honey.

The "Reduction of Excess Business Holding Accrual Act" modifies the rules for calculating a private foundation's excess business holdings. It excludes certain employee-owned stock from being counted towards the limit, specifically stock bought from an ESOP after 2020 that is not publicly traded and is held as treasury stock. This adjustment aims to encourage employee ownership without penalizing private foundations. It applies to taxable years ending after the law's enactment and to stock purchases in taxable years starting after December 31, 2019.

The GIFT Act of 2025, or "Guaranteeing Individual Fairness in Transplants Act of 2025," amends the Social Security Act to ensure that hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals do not consider a patient's vaccination status when determining organ transplant eligibility. This bill aims to prevent discrimination based on vaccination status in the organ transplant selection process.

The PAGER Act aims to restrict U.S. support to the Lebanese Armed Forces unless the Secretary of State certifies that the Lebanese government has taken significant steps to counter Hezbollah's influence, prevent coordination with terrorist organizations, and ensure accountability. It also prohibits U.S. funds from supporting UN programs that aid the Lebanese armed forces or internal security forces. Additionally, the act designates Suhil Bahij Gharab as a global terrorist and requires regular reports on Hezbollah and Iranian influence within the Lebanese government.

The "Moving H-2A to United States Department of Agriculture Act of 2025" shifts the H-2A visa program's administration from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture. This transfer includes all relevant personnel, funding, and resources. The Department of Homeland Security will take over duties previously held by the Attorney General. The changes will take effect 60 days after the bill is enacted.

The "Break the Chain Act" modifies family-sponsored immigration by redefining "immediate relative" to only include children and spouses, setting new limits and requirements for family-based visas, and creating a new nonimmigrant visa category for parents of US citizens. It sets the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants and changes the rules for "aging out." These changes take effect on October 1, 2025, and include prohibitions on new petitions for certain family members.

The FEMA for America First Act of 2025 amends the Stafford Act to restrict FEMA individual assistance to only qualified aliens, excluding asylees, refugees, and certain parolees who have not pursued permanent residency. This bill narrows the eligibility criteria for disaster relief, focusing aid on a specific subset of legal immigrants as defined by existing federal laws.

The "Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act" allows House employees to bring legal self-defense weapons into House office buildings, provided they store them in Capitol Police-operated lockers at external pedestrian entrances. The Capitol Police Board is required to install and manage these storage lockers within 180 days, enabling employees to comply with D.C. laws outside the buildings while adhering to Federal law inside. This act defines which weapons are covered and clarifies which buildings are included, excluding garages.

The U.S. Citrus Protection Act prohibits the importation of commercially produced fresh citrus fruit from China into the United States. This ban will take effect 90 days after the enactment of the Act.

The SWIM Act of 2025 amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers to deduct up to $500 ($1,000 for joint returns/heads of household) for expenses related to water competency and safety lessons for minors. This includes costs for basic swimming instruction and necessary equipment, with equipment expenses limited to $100 per item. The lessons must focus on water safety and competency, not competitive swimming. This change applies to taxable years starting after the Act's enactment.

The Women's Protection in Telehealth Act amends the Social Security Act to exclude individuals or entities from Medicare if they provide abortion-inducing drugs via telehealth. To be eligible for Medicare, a physician must physically examine the patient, be present during the drug's administration, and schedule an in-person follow-up within 14 days. This exclusion is permanent and not subject to standard waivers.

The ACCESS Act modifies health savings account (HSA) rules to allow contributions in place of cost-sharing reductions for certain health plans. For eligible individuals enrolled in a high-deductible health plan through an exchange, the health insurance issuer will contribute to the individual's HSA, with the government reimbursing the issuer for these payments. To ensure funds are used for healthcare, distributions from the HSA during months when contributions are received must be made via a qualified medical debit card. The Act also mandates public education on HSA contributions and appropriates funds for cost-sharing reduction payments and HSA contributions, effective for months beginning after December 31, 2025.