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 This action effectively revives the original laws that were previously amended by the repealed provisions.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 Water Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2025 updates federal water pollution control grants to prioritize and fund "intelligent water infrastructure technology." This technology utilizes real-time monitoring, AI, and advanced sensors to improve the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of water and wastewater systems. The bill modifies grant uses to specifically cover the implementation of these smart technologies and increases the authorization of appropriations.

The Agricultural Cooperative Energy Savings Act of 2025 expands eligibility for certain USDA programs by including agricultural cooperatives with fewer than 2,500 employees. This amendment modifies the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to broaden access to these federal resources for a wider range of agricultural cooperatives.

This resolution officially recognizes and supports the goals of National Rural Health Day to honor the vital role of rural communities and their healthcare providers. It acknowledges the unique challenges faced by rural residents, such as limited access to care and hospital closures. The bill expresses a commitment to advancing policies that improve the accessibility and affordability of healthcare in rural America.

The Fire Innovation Unit Act establishes a pilot program for deploying and demonstrating new wildfire prevention, detection, communication, response, and mitigation technologies through public-private partnerships. The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior must create this program within one year to test innovations in areas like fuels reduction, modeling, and remote sensing. The goal is to evaluate promising technologies for effectiveness and scalability, coordinating testing between private entities and federal, state, and local fire agencies. The Secretaries will report annually to Congress on the program's progress and recommendations for broader technology adoption.

The PILLAR Act reauthorizes and modifies the CISA State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program through 2033. This legislation expands the program's focus to explicitly include operational technology and artificial intelligence systems in cybersecurity planning. It also updates definitions, adjusts federal cost-sharing requirements, and restricts grant use for technology from foreign entities of concern.

The SEMI Investment Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand and extend the advanced manufacturing investment credit. This legislation redefines "advanced manufacturing facility" to explicitly include facilities producing semiconductors, semiconductor equipment, and a broad range of qualifying semiconductor materials. Crucially, the bill extends the availability period for this investment credit through the end of 2031.

This bill ensures that service in specific Female Cultural Support Teams (CSTs) between 2010 and 2021 is officially recognized in military records and for veterans benefits. It mandates updating service records and requires the VA to treat this service as combat for disability claims purposes. Furthermore, the legislation requires the VA to conduct outreach regarding these benefits and mandates a study on similar unrecognized service.

The Stuck On Hold Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implement automated systems to inform callers of their estimated wait times on customer service lines. If the wait exceeds ten minutes, callers must be offered an automated callback option. The VA is also required to issue guidance aimed at reducing average wait times to ten minutes or less.

The Bringing Assistance for Rural Needs During Shutdowns Act designates services provided by the Farm Services Agency (FSA) as essential during a government shutdown. This ensures that FSA officers and employees can continue their work, recognizing their services as necessary for protecting human life and property.

The Veterans Bill of Rights Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provide every veteran with a comprehensive, published Bill of Rights detailing their entitlements. This bill outlines specific rights regarding fair treatment, access to quality healthcare, privacy, and transparent claims processing. While establishing these standards, the Act explicitly states it does not create any new enforceable legal rights against the United States. The VA must also establish a public reporting mechanism for compliance and address veteran complaints within 30 days.

The USS Frank E. Evans Act mandates the Secretary of Defense to add the names of the 74 crew members lost when the USS Frank E. Evans sank on June 3, 1969, to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. This action must be completed within one year of the Act becoming law. The Secretary is required to consult with relevant authorities regarding space on the Memorial Wall for these additions.

The National Cemetery Access Act mandates that all national cemeteries managed by the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the National Park Service must remain open to the public on all federal legal public holidays. This ensures continuous access for visitors to honor veterans and their families throughout the year.

The North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2025 seeks to continue and strengthen U.S. efforts to promote human rights and democracy in North Korea. The bill reauthorizes key programs and emphasizes the need to increase the flow of outside information into the isolated nation. It also urges China to cease forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees and calls for prioritizing family reunions for divided Korean Americans. Finally, the Act establishes new reporting requirements concerning U.S. human rights activities related to North Korea.

The VA Billing Accountability Act establishes new deadlines and procedures for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to notify veterans about copayments for medical care and services. If the VA fails to notify a veteran within specified timeframes (180 days for VA care or 18 months for non-VA care), the bill restricts the VA's ability to collect that payment. The Act also grants the VA Secretary temporary authority to waive copayments resulting from VA billing errors.

This bill mandates the U.S. Postal Service to create and sell a "Veterans Medical Debt Relief Stamp." All proceeds from the sale of this special stamp will be transferred directly to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA must then use these funds exclusively to pay down medical debt, including copayments and coinsurance, owed by veterans for VA and Community Care Program services.

The Veterans Heroin Overdose Prevention Examination Act, or Veterans HOPE Act, mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a comprehensive review of veteran overdose deaths over the preceding five years. This review must analyze prescription history, medications present at death, and contributing factors, especially focusing on deaths involving non-prescription opioids like heroin and fentanyl. The findings, including recommendations for improving veteran safety, will be reported to Congress and made publicly available.

The Same Day Registration Act of 2025 mandates that all states allow eligible individuals to register to vote and cast a ballot on the same day during any federal election, including early voting periods. This requirement applies starting with the November 2026 general election. States without any voter registration requirement for federal elections are exempt from this mandate.

The Community Investment and Prosperity Act aims to boost community welfare by increasing existing investment limits for financial institutions. Specifically, this legislation raises the statutory investment cap from 15% to 20% within relevant sections of the Revised Statutes and the Federal Reserve Act. This adjustment is intended to encourage greater investment activity.

This bill, the Servicemember Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act, updates the Fair Credit Reporting Act to clarify and standardize the term used for service members eligible for credit monitoring services. It replaces the outdated term "active duty military consumer" with the broader and more accurate term "uniformed services member consumer." This ensures consistent protection and access to credit monitoring for all eligible members of the uniformed services.