Legislative Activity

The Restore Trust in Congress Act establishes strict new rules prohibiting Members of Congress and their immediate families from owning or trading specific financial assets, referred to as "covered investments," while in office. Covered individuals must divest existing prohibited holdings within a set timeframe or face significant financial penalties, including fines and forfeiture of profits. The legislation aims to eliminate conflicts of interest arising from personal financial trading while serving in federal office.

The UNLOCK Act amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to expand how federal housing funds can be used. This legislation now allows local entities to directly use these funds for the construction of new housing specifically for low- and moderate-income residents. The bill removes the requirement for these entities to partner with a nonprofit organization to carry out the new construction projects.

The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act of 2025 establishes a comprehensive federal program, managed by the EPA Administrator, to assess, reduce, and prevent exposure to indoor air contaminants in all buildings, with a special focus on schools and childcare facilities. The Act mandates the creation of science-based guidelines for contaminants of concern and supports technical assistance, training, and voluntary "Healthy Building Certifications." It also directs the development of model building codes and a national assessment of air quality in educational settings to ensure healthier indoor environments nationwide.

The FORWARD Act expands eligibility for retired or disabled military personnel to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) using their military retirement or disability pay. This provision allows eligible former service members to make contributions, though these deposits will not receive any government matching funds. The relevant agencies have 180 days to establish the necessary regulations for this new option.

The Data BRIDGE Act mandates that the FCC update its national broadband map to specifically include the locations of agricultural areas. This update must be completed within 180 days of the bill's enactment. To ensure accuracy, the FCC is required to consult with the Secretary of Agriculture and other relevant stakeholders during this process. This action aims to better identify broadband coverage gaps affecting farms.

The Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2025 aims to protect consumers by prohibiting grocery stores from charging "grossly excessive" prices for food items. The bill also bans stores from adjusting prices based on personal tracking data, such as facial recognition, and requires clear signage if facial recognition technology is used. Furthermore, it mandates that large physical grocery stores must use printed signs instead of electronic shelf labels for displaying prices.

The Growing Opportunities in Agriculture Act (GO Ag Act) establishes a new competitive grant program to fund the creation of innovative, high-quality agricultural education programs in high schools. These grants, limited to $100,000 per entity, are intended to develop new curricula, support work-based learning, and fund leadership training. Recipients must report annually on program performance, with a total authorization of $5 million through FY 2028.

The National Guard and Reserve Student Loan Fairness Act simplifies student loan forgiveness for members of the military reserves. It mandates that qualifying years of service, based on points earned toward retired pay, automatically count as qualifying payments toward Federal Direct Loan forgiveness programs. This change applies even if the borrower was not working in public service during those payment months. The Departments of Defense and Education must coordinate data to ensure these payments are counted without requiring extra paperwork from the service member.

The Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must now provide abortion care, counseling, and related medication as part of the medical services offered to eligible veterans and certain other beneficiaries. This legislation formally amends existing VA health care provisions to include these reproductive health services.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act of 2025 repeals specific prior reconciliation health provisions. This bill significantly expands eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit by eliminating the 400% Federal Poverty Level income cap. It also updates the subsidy calculation formula to ensure a smoother, linear adjustment of assistance across various income levels.

The Ethanol for America Act of 2025 mandates that the EPA finalize rules within 90 days regarding E15 fuel labeling and underground storage tank compatibility. This bill ensures current storage tanks are automatically deemed compatible with E15 and prevents forcing partial upgrades on station owners. Additionally, it requires all new or replacement storage system components to be compatible with up to 100% ethanol for future flexibility.

The Click to Cancel Act of 2025 officially codifies the Federal Trade Commission's "click-to-cancel" rule into federal law. This mandates that businesses provide consumers with a simple, online method to cancel subscriptions. Violations of this new law will be enforced by the FTC using its existing authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

The Warrior Impact from Neurological and G-Force Stress Act (WINGS Act) mandates a comprehensive, long-term study by the VA to investigate the physical and mental health effects of military flight operations, particularly high G-forces, on aviators. This research will examine links between flight stress and conditions like TBI, cognitive decline, and mental health issues, comparing aviators to other service members. The bill also requires the creation of a dedicated Military Aviator Neurohealth Registry to track this data over time.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals an outdated ban that prevented Medicaid from making payments to certain healthcare providers. This legislation ensures that these previously prohibited entities will now be reimbursed for medical services rendered between the enactment of the original ban and the passage of this Act. In short, it restores payment eligibility and retroactively covers past services.

The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act establishes a new program to support local food producers and strengthen regional food security. This initiative requires the Secretary of Agriculture to fund agreements that ensure nutritious, locally sourced food is purchased and distributed widely, prioritizing small and beginning farmers. Funds must be used to buy minimally processed local products and provide technical assistance to producers. The program is backed by mandatory funding starting in Fiscal Year 2026.

The Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2025 significantly improves the TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) program for military dependents. This legislation eliminates the age restriction for TYA eligibility and removes the separate premium requirement for coverage. These changes aim to provide broader and simpler healthcare access for adult children of service members.

The VISIBLE Act mandates that federal immigration enforcement officers, such as those from CBP and ICE, must clearly display their agency name and either their last name or badge number during all public-facing civil immigration enforcement activities. This requirement ensures officers are easily identifiable to the public from a distance, promoting transparency and public trust. The law also establishes disciplinary procedures for non-compliance and requires annual reporting to Congress on enforcement activities and violations.

The Safe Schools and Communities Act of 2025 establishes a new federal grant program to fund local school districts. These competitive grants must be used to train school staff on identifying and preventing human trafficking, drug abuse (including fentanyl), and gang activity. This initiative aims to enhance safety protocols and awareness within elementary and secondary schools.

The Access to Homeownership Act aims to help renters build credit by requiring landlords with federally backed loans to report tenants' positive rent payment history to credit bureaus upon the tenant's consent. This new system will allow up to 24 months of prior on-time rent payments to be factored into future mortgage applications. The enterprises (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) will cover all administrative costs for implementing this reporting requirement.

This bill officially renames the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Bloomington, Illinois. The facility will now be known as the "Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic." This action honors Civil War hero Corporal Andrew Jackson Smith for his exceptional bravery at the Battle of Honey Hill.