Legislative Activity

The Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act aims to provide permanent and expanded tax relief for individuals suffering losses in federally declared major disasters. It makes qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses fully deductible, even for those taking the standard deduction. Additionally, the bill creates a new tax exclusion for compensation received for losses resulting from certain major wildfires. These provisions apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, or after December 31, 2025, for wildfire relief.

The Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act enhances taxpayer rights by requiring the IRS to provide more specific details when notifying taxpayers about contacts with third parties for information gathering. This legislation mandates that taxpayers receive notice identifying the specific information sought from third parties and grants them at least 45 days to respond before the IRS proceeds with the third-party contact. These new specificity and notification requirements aim to increase transparency in IRS information requests.

The PRIMATE Act generally bans the importation of live nonhuman primates into the United States to prevent toxic exposures. This prohibition includes a narrow exception allowing importation only by AZA-accredited facilities under strict conditions regarding the animal's future use. Violations of this ban are subject to significant civil penalties and forfeiture of the illegally imported primates.

The OPTIONS Act establishes "qualified benefit options plans," allowing employees to allocate employer contributions among various tax-free benefits. Under these plans, employees cannot opt to receive cash or other taxable benefits instead of the designated noncash options. This structure ensures that employer contributions allocated through these plans are excluded from the employee's gross income for federal tax purposes.

The CLEAR Act establishes enhanced penalties for individuals who forcibly assault, resist, or interfere with federal law enforcement officers from the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Justice. Specifically, the bill imposes prison sentences of up to 20 years for those who use a vehicle to commit such assaults or who obstruct officers while they are inside a federal law enforcement vehicle.

The American Families First Assistance Act restricts eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for most legal immigrants. While it establishes a general prohibition on these benefits for "qualified aliens," the bill provides specific exceptions for certain categories of immigrants as defined by existing federal law.

The CHARGE Act aims to protect U.S. national security by prohibiting the import of energy storage systems that contain remote monitoring capabilities linked to the People's Republic of China. By restricting these technologies, the bill seeks to prevent potential foreign interference with the reliability of the nation’s critical energy infrastructure.

This resolution sets the stage for the House of Representatives to immediately consider H.R. 7378, a bill that seeks to permanently adjust American time by amending the Calder Act. The process is highly streamlined, waiving all procedural objections and amendments to move directly to a final vote after one hour of debate.

The CLEAN Act proposes to make individuals designated as sex offenders ineligible for the refundable tax credit used to purchase health insurance through the Marketplace. Additionally, the bill would prohibit the use of federal Medicaid funds for medical assistance provided to sex offenders, while allowing states the option to withhold coverage.

The Disaster Zone Energy Affordability and Investment Act allows businesses in federally or state-declared disaster areas to transfer certain unused general business tax credits from prior years. This provision is designed to help affected taxpayers by converting these credits into usable funds based on their eligible operating expenditures within the disaster zone. The credits apply to investments made following disasters declared after December 31, 2023.

The Air Quality Act establishes a sweeping federal prohibition on weather modification, geoengineering, and stratospheric aerosol injection, with limited exceptions for laboratory research and fire suppression. This legislation imposes significant civil and criminal penalties for unauthorized activities that affect interstate commerce or occur within U.S. jurisdictions. Furthermore, the Act mandates public reporting systems managed by the FAA and EPA to track aircraft and investigate suspected violations. Finally, it repeals all existing federal authorities that currently authorize weather modification activities.

The Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions Act (EXILE Act) aims to eliminate the H-1B visa program. This legislation amends existing law to set the numerical limit for H-1B visas to zero starting in fiscal year 2027.

The Daylight Act of 2026 seeks to establish permanent standard time across the United States by amending existing time zone laws. This legislation would eliminate the practice of observing Daylight Saving Time, meaning clocks would no longer change twice a year. The bill sets specific, permanent offsets from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) for all established time zones.

This Act establishes specific definitions for "female," "male," and "sex" based on biological reproductive systems for amateur athletics. It mandates that organizations recognized by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee must prohibit individuals identified as male from competing in competitions designated for females. This aims to protect competitive opportunities specifically for biological females in amateur sports.

The Worldwide Animal Testing Compliance and Harmonization (WATCH) Act of 2026 mandates quarterly inspections and certification for foreign laboratories receiving U.S. federal funding for animal research. The bill ensures these facilities adhere to established animal welfare standards, with provisions to suspend or revoke funding for those that fail to maintain compliance.

The Ensuring Consistency in Nutrition Labels Act establishes stricter standards for food labeling accuracy. It deems a food product "misbranded" if its actual nutrient content exceeds the labeled value by more than 5 percent for certain required nutrients. This legislation mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to update relevant regulations within 60 days of enactment.

The DISPOSAL Act mandates the sale or long-term lease of six specific, underutilized federal buildings in Washington, D.C., granting the Administrator of General Services broad discretion over the transactions. This process is largely exempt from standard environmental and historic preservation reviews, with a strict prohibition on foreign ownership. Net proceeds from these disposals will fund relocation costs before being deposited into the Treasury to reduce the deficit.

The Clean Up DEBRIS Act amends disaster relief law to clarify debris removal procedures following a major disaster. It specifically defines various types of multi-unit residential properties, such as condominiums and housing cooperatives. The bill mandates that debris removal from these communities is considered in the public interest if local authorities determine the debris poses a threat to safety or economic recovery. These changes apply to all future major disasters declared after the Act's enactment.

This resolution seeks to expel Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick from the U.S. House of Representatives. The expulsion is based on her indictment for allegedly stealing \$5 million in FEMA disaster funds and using them to finance her congressional campaign. These actions are cited as a gross abuse of public trust and a violation of House standards.

The Safer Truckers Act of 2025 establishes new residency and work authorization requirements for individuals applying for a Commercial Driver's License (CDL). This legislation mandates that CDL applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or authorized to work in the U.S. in a commercial driving capacity. Furthermore, the Act requires states to annually report on their enforcement of English proficiency standards for commercial drivers.