Legislative Activity

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 strengthens the national earthquake preparedness strategy by expanding its focus to include recovery standards, tsunami coordination, and improved communication protocols. This legislation specifically enhances the U.S. Geological Survey's role in improving the early warning system, ensuring faster and more accessible alerts. Furthermore, the bill authorizes specific funding levels for earthquake hazard reduction efforts through fiscal year 2030.

This Act amends the Federal Employees Compensation Act to expand the list of authorized healthcare providers for federal employees' work-related injury claims. Specifically, it includes physician assistants and nurse practitioners as eligible providers under the law. This change aims to improve access to care for injured federal workers by broadening their choice of medical professionals.

The Advanced Weather Model Computing Development Act directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to significantly upgrade its capabilities by integrating advanced computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning into its weather and climate modeling. This legislation mandates the creation of Centers of Excellence and a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan to ensure NOAA has the necessary high-performance computing infrastructure for faster and more accurate forecasting of hazardous weather events. The bill also requires collaboration with the Department of Energy and regular reporting to Congress on progress and future needs.

The Veterans Energy Transition Act of 2025 (VET Act) establishes a new grant program administered by the Secretary of Labor to incentivize organizations to hire active duty military members, veterans, and their spouses for jobs in the energy industry. These grants reimburse employers for training, recruitment, and other costs associated with employing these "covered individuals." The program prioritizes hiring those with relevant skills and aims to coordinate with existing transition services to ensure effective job placement.

The Cancer Drug Parity Act of 2025 mandates that group health plans treat the cost-sharing for oral (take-at-home) anticancer drugs the same as they treat cost-sharing for intravenously administered cancer drugs. This ensures patients do not face higher out-of-pocket expenses for necessary oral chemotherapy medications. The Act also requires the GAO to study the financial impact of this new parity requirement on patients.

This resolution formally supports designating July 21, 2025, as "Guam Liberation Day" to honor the island's history. It recognizes the suffering of the CHamoru people under Japanese occupation and commemorates the sacrifices of U.S. servicemembers during the 1944 liberation campaign. The bill encourages the President to issue a proclamation observing this important anniversary across the nation.

The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025 establishes a federal statutory right to access abortion services, prohibiting medically unnecessary restrictions that impede care before fetal viability. This Act protects the right of patients to travel across state lines to receive reproductive healthcare and allows providers to offer services free from state interference that conflicts with established medical standards. It preempts conflicting state and local laws and provides robust enforcement mechanisms for individuals and the Attorney General to challenge violations.

The Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act mandates that regulatory bodies explicitly include rural-area small businesses when considering advisory roles and consultations related to capital access. This amendment ensures that the unique needs of rural businesses are recognized alongside other specific small business categories, like women-owned businesses. The goal is to improve capital access for job creators in rural America.

The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2025 aims to improve women's health after childbirth by clarifying Medicaid/CHIP coverage for essential pelvic health services. It mandates federal guidance for states on covering services like pelvic floor exams and physical therapy, alongside establishing a national education campaign for both providers and new mothers. The bill also directs the GAO to study existing coverage gaps for postpartum women under Medicaid.

The Fire Weather Development Act of 2025 aims to significantly enhance wildfire preparedness and response by improving fire weather forecasting, detection, and information sharing through NOAA. The bill establishes new interagency and advisory committees to coordinate federal efforts and gather expert input on crucial needs. It also creates a dedicated fire weather testbed, addresses the incident meteorologist workforce, and mandates research into better communication systems for first responders.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating June 19, 2025, as "World Sickle Cell Awareness Day" to elevate public understanding of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). It calls for increased empirical research, early detection screenings, and equitable access to novel treatments and potential cures for those affected globally. Furthermore, the bill urges federal agencies to coordinate efforts to address systemic barriers and biases in SCD care.

The Treatment Continuity Act of 2025 expands federal support for treatment by explicitly including serious mental illness alongside substance use disorders under key grant programs. This legislation prioritizes funding for services utilizing long-acting injectable medications and requires updated annual reporting to Congress on treatment outcomes. These changes aim to ensure continuous, evidence-based care for individuals with these significant health needs.

This bill officially renames the Bureau of Land Management Foundation to the Foundation for America’s Public Lands and modifies its governing structure. It increases the size of the Board of Directors over four years while mandating specific expertise from various public land users and resource managers. Furthermore, the Act places strict prohibitions on the Foundation using funds for lobbying or litigation and authorizes $10 million annually for five fiscal years.

The Wildfire Response and Preparedness Act of 2025 mandates federal agencies to establish strict new response time standards for wildfires on federal lands. This includes setting goals for initial incident evaluation within 30 minutes and deploying suppression crews within 3 hours. The responsible Secretaries must report annually to Congress on unified budgeting, resource needs, and necessary system changes to meet these aggressive readiness targets.

The National Airport Supersonic Readiness Act of 2025 mandates the FAA to conduct a comprehensive study assessing whether major U.S. airports are prepared for the arrival of next-generation supersonic and hypersonic aircraft. This assessment will evaluate runway capacity, ground support infrastructure, air traffic control, and environmental regulations. The resulting report will provide Congress with necessary recommendations and cost estimates for future infrastructure upgrades to support high-speed air travel.

The FIGHT Act of 2025 significantly strengthens federal prohibitions against animal fighting ventures, specifically targeting the sponsorship, exhibition, and gambling associated with these events. This legislation clarifies the definition of a rooster for legal purposes and bans the interstate transport of roosters for fighting. Furthermore, it empowers private citizens to file lawsuits against violators, allowing for civil penalties and the potential seizure of property used to facilitate illegal animal fighting.

The American Flags to Honor Our Veterans Act of 2025 specifically authorizes the placement of the U.S. flag directly next to the gravesite of any individual who served in the Armed Forces or is a veteran. This provision ensures that flags can be displayed securely and upright next to individual graves, regardless of other existing flag display regulations.

The Nuclear REFUEL Act amends the Atomic Energy Act to clarify regulations surrounding nuclear fuel processing. Specifically, it excludes the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel from the definition of a "production facility" if the process does not separate plutonium from other transuranic elements. This change aims to streamline regulatory oversight for certain fuel recycling activities.

The Advanced AI Security Readiness Act mandates the creation of an "AI Security Playbook" to defend cutting-edge artificial intelligence from theft by sophisticated actors. Developed by the NSA Director through the AI Security Center, this playbook will detail vulnerabilities, identify critical components of advanced AI, and outline strategies for defense and response. The goal is to establish robust security measures for technologies deemed high-risk to national security.

The Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act of 2025 reauthorizes and significantly increases mandatory funding levels for critical animal disease prevention and management programs through 2031. This legislation ensures sustained financial support for national animal health laboratories, surveillance efforts, and preparedness initiatives. The bill updates funding allocations to enhance the nation's ability to rapidly respond to potential foreign animal disease outbreaks.