Legislative Activity

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a prior reconciliation act. This action effectively revives the original laws that were previously amended by the repealed provisions. The bill seeks to revert existing agricultural and food-related statutes to their pre-amendment status.

The FRESHER Act of 2025 aims to regulate stormwater runoff from oil, gas, and mining operations under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. This legislation modifies existing permit requirements and mandates a study by the Secretary of the Interior on the contamination risks associated with this runoff. The resulting report will detail measurable contamination and the susceptibility of groundwater resources to pollution from these operations.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to establish new requirements regarding the average monthly cost of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans compared to original Medicare. If an MA plan's average monthly payment exceeds the cost of original Medicare coverage for its enrollees, the Secretary must prohibit new enrollment in that plan for the following year. This restriction does not apply to specialized Medicare Advantage plans for special needs individuals.

The Stop Ballroom Bribery Act establishes strict new rules governing donations made for projects related to the White House, Vice President's residence, or related federal monuments. It prohibits accepting donations from individuals or entities currently involved in litigation, seeking federal contracts, or engaging in lobbying activities targeting the executive branch. Furthermore, the bill mandates transparency by requiring disclosure of meetings with high-ranking officials following a donation and imposes significant civil and criminal penalties for violations.

The Bivens Act of 2025 amends existing law to redefine the scope of civil actions that can be brought against individuals acting under federal authority. This legislation specifically revises Section 1979 of the Revised Statutes concerning such lawsuits. The core change narrows the focus of these civil actions to exclusively target persons acting under the authority of the United States.

The CLOSE Act aims to strengthen air quality regulations by removing the exemption that previously allowed for the aggregation of emissions from oil and gas sources under the Clean Air Act. Furthermore, this legislation mandates the EPA to formally list hydrogen sulfide as a hazardous air pollutant. This action will require the EPA to establish specific source categories for hydrogen sulfide emissions, including oil and gas wells.

The CLEANER Act of 2025 mandates the Administrator to review and regulate wastes generated from oil, gas, and geothermal energy production under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. This includes determining if these wastes qualify as hazardous and establishing corresponding regulations if they do. For non-hazardous wastes from these industries, the Act requires the revision of criteria for disposal facilities to ensure protection of human health and the environment, including requirements for groundwater monitoring.

This bill mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create and maintain a public website for Medicare beneficiaries. This resource will allow users to easily search for healthcare providers and suppliers participating in either Medicare Advantage (MA) plans or traditional Medicare. The website must clearly identify which networks each provider belongs to.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to establish new requirements for Medicare Advantage plans regarding how often they can overturn initial denials of coverage following prior authorization requests. Specifically, it mandates contract termination for plans whose rate of reversed prior authorization denials exceeds 25% in a given year. This measure aims to curb excessive initial denials by Medicare Advantage organizations.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to impose new limitations on the number of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans an organization can offer under contract. Specifically, it restricts MA organizations from offering more than three MA plans unless those plans have significant differences in premiums, benefits, or cost-sharing. This measure aims to streamline the offerings available through Medicare Advantage.

The No Payola Act repeals existing Senate notification requirements concerning legal processes related to the disclosure of Senate data. Furthermore, it mandates that any Senator who received funds through a private right of action under the repealed law must return those awarded funds to the Treasury.

This bill, the International Human Rights Defense Act of 2025, establishes a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Peoples within the Department of State. It codifies U.S. policy to actively combat international criminalization, violence, and discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals worldwide. The legislation also mandates enhanced reporting on these abuses in annual human rights reports and authorizes assistance to support related protection efforts abroad.

The Children's Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety (CARE Act of 2025) aims to strengthen protections for children working in agriculture by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act. This bill revises child labor definitions, increases civil and criminal penalties for violations, and mandates stricter reporting of work-related injuries or deaths involving young farmworkers. Furthermore, it prohibits employing anyone under 18 as a pesticide handler.

The Have You Served Act establishes a grant program to fund "Ask the Question Campaigns." These campaigns encourage service providers to ask clients about their military service to better connect them with veteran resources. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs will award up to 25 grants annually to eligible states and tribes to support training and campaign costs.

This resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975. It honors the memory of the 29 crew members lost in the tragedy on Lake Superior. Furthermore, the bill recognizes the ship's historical significance and the vital safety improvements that resulted from the disaster.

The Veterans Healthcare Improvement Act mandates that the Comptroller General review the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care budget submissions for fiscal years 2026 through 2028. Following each review, the Comptroller General must report the findings to relevant Congressional committees. This process aims to increase transparency and oversight of the VA's medical care funding requests.

The Right to Representation for Department of Veterans Affairs Workers Act of 2025 grants eligible VA employees the right to have a representative present during any examination that they believe could lead to disciplinary action. This representation must be requested by the employee and will occur during duty time if applicable. The bill specifically defines which VA employees are covered by this new right.

The VA Care and Benefits Accountability Act ensures that existing collective bargaining agreements within the Department of Veterans Affairs remain in effect until their specified end dates. Furthermore, this bill nullifies Executive Orders 14251 and 14343, preventing their enforcement or implementation within the VA. This action solidifies current labor agreements for VA employees.

The Every Veteran Counts Act of 2025 mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a comprehensive, publicly accessible database of anonymized veteran demographic data, including sensitive categories like sexual orientation and gender identity. This legislation requires the VA to continuously collect, maintain, and annually update this machine-readable data to better inform policy and outreach. Furthermore, the Secretary must report to Congress within one year on the progress and challenges of implementing a modernized VA data strategy.

The Helping Homeless Veterans Act of 2025 aims to restructure existing programs supporting homeless and special needs veterans. The bill modifies several sections related to treatment, housing assistance, and supportive services for veterans. Notably, it establishes a dedicated funding level of $\$420,000,000$ annually for financial assistance programs for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing starting in fiscal year 2027.