Legislative Activity

The ARCH Act extends Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) and Medicare low-volume hospital (LVH) payments through fiscal year 2031, ensuring continued financial support for rural hospitals. It also mandates a GAO report to Congress analyzing rural hospital classifications and recommending improvements for financial sustainability and healthcare access in rural areas.

The Veterans Readiness and Employment Transparency Act of 2025 aims to improve outreach by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for training and rehabilitation programs for veterans with service-connected disabilities by establishing a dedicated phone number and contact information on regional office websites. It also mandates monthly Q&A sessions between VA employees and school certifying officials, as well as in-person briefings at educational institutions. The Act requires the Secretary to submit an annual report on vocational rehabilitation program extensions and approve or reject extension requests within 30 days.

The Safe Schools Improvement Act aims to reduce bullying and harassment in schools by requiring states to establish policies prohibiting such conduct based on various characteristics, including race, sex, religion, and disability. It mandates annual notifications, data collection on incidents, biennial evaluations of programs, and regular reports to Congress to ensure accountability and effectiveness. This act does not infringe on existing nondiscrimination laws or freedom of speech but seeks to create a safer, more inclusive learning environment for all students.

The "Employer Participation in Repayment Act" permanently extends the tax exclusion for employer-provided student loan repayment assistance. This allows employers to contribute to their employees' student loan debt without the contribution being considered taxable income for the employee. This provision was previously set to expire before January 1, 2026, but is now a permanent part of the tax code. The change is applicable for payments made after the enactment of this law.

The "Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2025" aims to improve the treatment and prevention of sickle cell disease and its complications. It amends the Public Health Service Act to broaden the scope of activities and increase funding for these efforts through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements. The Act authorizes $8,205,000 annually from 2025 to 2029 and emphasizes the need for further research into heritable blood disorders.

The Improper Payments Transparency Act requires the President's budget to include detailed information on improper payment amounts and rates for programs at executive agencies, including explanations for these payments and trends over the past three years. It also requires information on incomplete corrective actions and future steps to address improper payment issues.

The "Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act of 2025" excludes federally subsidized loan repayments for dental school faculty from taxable income, specifically those from programs under section 748(a)(2) of the Public Health Service Act. This exclusion aims to encourage dentists to serve as faculty. The Comptroller General will also report to Congress on the participation and retention of dental providers and faculty in the Dental Faculty Development and Loan Repayment Program.

The "EARLY Minds Act" amends the Public Health Service Act to emphasize early intervention for mental health by requiring states to outline prevention strategies in their plans. States can use up to 5% of their funding to support these programs. The Secretary must report to Congress biennially on state prevention and early intervention activities, including outcomes and demographics.

The "Farm to Fly Act of 2025" aims to boost the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels by including them in Department of Agriculture bio-energy programs. It amends existing definitions to recognize sustainable aviation fuel and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to promote its development through collaborative initiatives and manufacturing assistance. This act supports U.S. agriculture, enhances energy security, and promotes clean energy in the aviation sector by utilizing sustainable biomass resources.

The GUARD VA Benefits Act establishes criminal penalties for individuals who charge veterans unauthorized fees for assisting with claims for benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This legislation amends existing law to prohibit soliciting, contracting for, or receiving compensation for preparing or prosecuting VA benefit claims, except where explicitly authorized by other statutes.

The Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act of 2025 introduces a tax credit for investments in innovative agricultural technology, aiming to boost the production, storage, and processing of specialty crops through precision and controlled environment agriculture. This credit covers 30% of qualified investments in projects using technologies like precision agriculture and controlled environment agriculture, effective for construction starting after January 1, 2025, and includes options for direct payment or transfer of the credit.

The "Grown in America Act of 2025" introduces a tax credit for businesses that use domestic agricultural commodities in their products for human consumption. This credit, capped at $100,000,000, aims to incentivize the use of U.S.-produced agricultural inputs by offering a tax benefit based on the percentage of domestic agricultural commodities used. The percentage of domestic inputs required to receive the full credit increases over time, with the Secretary of Agriculture maintaining a list of agricultural commodities that cannot be produced domestically. These provisions will be effective for taxable years starting after December 31, 2025.

The Technology for Energy Security Act extends the tax credit deadline for "quality fuel cell property" from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2033. This extension applies only to fuel cell property where construction begins after December 31, 2024. The bill aims to promote energy security by incentivizing the development of fuel cell technology.

The SAFE Act of 2025 amends existing legislation to explicitly prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption, reinforcing protections for these animals. This bill seeks to prevent the inhumane treatment of American equines by closing loopholes that allow their slaughter and export for human consumption.

The PAST Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Horse Protection Act to combat the painful practice of soring in specific horse breeds. This bill increases penalties for violations, establishes stricter licensing and oversight for inspectors, and explicitly bans the use of "action devices" designed to cause unnatural gaits. The legislation aims to enhance enforcement, ensure fairer competition, and hold violators accountable through increased fines and disqualifications.

The Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act expands the Department of Veterans Affairs' transportation grant program to include rural areas, not just highly rural ones. It broadens the range of eligible grant recipients to include county veterans service organizations and tribal organizations. The bill also increases the maximum grant amount to $60,000, with a possible increase to $80,000 for vehicle purchases needed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and authorizes necessary funding by removing the previous funding limit.

The "Eliminating the Marriage Penalty in SSI Act" amends the Social Security Act to revise eligibility rules for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. It ensures these individuals are eligible for SSI regardless of their spouse's income and resources. This change allows eligible individuals to receive the standard individual SSI rate, reduced only by their own income.

The Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025 provides increased dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses of veterans who die from ALS, regardless of the duration of the illness. To be eligible, the surviving spouse must have been married to the veteran for at least eight years, and the veteran must have died on or after October 1, 2025. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress identifying other service-connected disabilities that should receive similar treatment as ALS under existing compensation guidelines.

This bill redesignates the Robert E. Lee Memorial as the "Arlington House National Historic Site." It changes all references to the site in law and documentation to reflect the new name. The bill also repeals the previous resolutions that designated the site as a memorial to Robert E. Lee.

The APLUS Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture to update regulations, permitting market agencies to have financial interests in smaller meatpacking companies, defined by specific slaughter capacities. These market agencies must disclose these financial ties to livestock sellers. The Act does not reduce the Secretary's authority to enforce rules protecting producers, competition, and market integrity under existing law.