Legislative Activity

The Labor Enforcement to Securely Protect Workers (LETS Protect Workers) Act significantly increases civil penalties for violations across major federal labor laws, including child labor, wage and hour, and workplace safety standards. It strengthens enforcement mechanisms for mine safety violations and retaliation against miners, while also establishing new penalties for employer unfair labor practices under the National Labor Relations Act. Furthermore, the bill enhances enforcement for health plan parity and makes certain recordkeeping failures under OSHA and FLSA continuing violations.

This bill exempts specific, carefully defined less-than-lethal projectile devices and their ammunition from the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. It also removes these qualifying devices from regulation under the National Firearms Act. The legislation establishes clear criteria, including velocity limits and design restrictions, to ensure the exemption applies only to tools intended for de-escalation rather than lethal force. Manufacturers can request official classification for their products to confirm eligibility for these tax and regulatory benefits.

The Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act raises the federal student loan limits for graduate and professional students. Effective July 1, 2026, the annual borrowing limit for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans will increase to \$50,000, and the aggregate limit will rise to \$200,000. This aims to provide greater financial support for advanced degree candidates.

The Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025 extends the military withdrawal period for key training lands in Alaska, New Mexico, and California until 2051. This legislation also corrects the official acreage descriptions for the McGregor Range and Fort Irwin military lands. The bill ensures continued federal land availability necessary for Department of Defense training operations.

The ePermit Act mandates the creation of a unified, digital system for managing all federal environmental reviews and project permits. This system will standardize data, automate processes, and provide real-time public access to review status and documents. The goal is to increase transparency, efficiency, and data interoperability across federal agencies involved in project authorizations.

The Assessing Safety Tools for Parents and Minors Act directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to review and report on current industry efforts to enhance online safety for minors. This comprehensive review must assess the effectiveness of existing safety tools, educational initiatives, and privacy measures. The FTC is required to submit findings and recommendations for improvement to Congress within three years of enactment.

This bill, the MINKS are Superspreaders Act, prohibits the breeding and possession of American mink raised in captivity for fur production nationwide. It amends the Animal Welfare Act to ban related activities like transport and sale, with limited exceptions. Additionally, the legislation establishes a voluntary federal buy-out program for existing mink farms, contingent upon available funding.

The Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act exempts certain earnings made by healthcare professionals and first responders from the Social Security retirement earnings test. This exemption specifically covers wages earned during the COVID-19 pandemic period (January 31, 2020, to May 11, 2023). Furthermore, the bill establishes a mechanism to exclude similar pandemic-related earnings from benefit calculations during future declared public health emergencies. This aims to provide financial fairness to essential workers who continued working while collecting Social Security benefits.

The SAFE Drugs Act of 2025 aims to enhance the safety and oversight of drug compounding by limiting the ability of pharmacists and physicians to copy commercially available drugs. It introduces new annual reporting requirements for pharmacies compounding drugs for out-of-state patients and imposes stricter FDA inspection schedules for large-scale compounding facilities. Furthermore, the bill mandates registration for all outsourcing facilities and adjusts the fee structure used to fund safety assurance activities.

The Helping Individuals Rejoin Employment (HIRE) Act extends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for five years, making it available for wages paid to qualified employees hired before January 1, 2031. This legislation also expands the credit by adding qualified Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries as a new eligible hiring group. These modifications aim to incentivize businesses to hire individuals facing employment barriers.

This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to deliver timely and relevant information via text message to service members and their adult dependents stationed at Marine Corps bases in Okinawa, Japan. The program will automatically enroll recipients, who will receive updates on employment, childcare, TRICARE benefits, and policy changes. The Secretary must report on the program's implementation, usage, and recommendations for potential expansion by October 2027.

The Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2025 mandates the continuation and enhancement of federal anti-trafficking programs specifically for children. This law requires key Justice Department and Health and Human Services offices to implement recommendations from a 2023 Government Accountability Office report. Furthermore, the responsible office must establish measurable performance goals for these programs and report on their progress to Congress.

The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2025 establishes new grant programs to boost physician training in underserved areas. These programs will fund the creation of new rural residency programs and provide technical assistance to applicants and current grantees. The goal is to increase the number of physicians practicing in rural communities across primary care, high-need specialties, and maternal health.

The Retirement Rollover Flexibility Act simplifies retirement savings by allowing individuals to directly roll over funds from an eligible Roth IRA into a designated Roth account within a 401(k) or similar employer plan. This transfer is treated as a tax-free rollover, and the existing holding period for the funds is preserved for future qualified distributions. This measure aims to increase flexibility for savers consolidating their retirement assets.

The Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone Calls Act of 2025, or the DO NOT Call Act, establishes new criminal penalties for willful violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This legislation also significantly increases the civil fines associated with providing inaccurate caller ID information. These measures aim to deter illegal and unwanted telemarketing and robocalls.

The Kids Internet Safety Partnership Act establishes a temporary partnership within the Department of Commerce to study online risks and benefits for minors. This group will coordinate with experts and stakeholders to develop best practices for online platforms. The Partnership is tasked with publishing public reports and a playbook to guide providers in implementing safety measures, including age verification and parental tools.

This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to introduce an advance payment option for the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). It allows the Secretary of Agriculture to provide eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers with up to 25% of their total TAP payment before they begin replanting trees lost due to natural disasters. This aims to provide quicker financial relief to those affected.

The RCORP Authorization Act establishes the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program within HRSA to combat substance use disorders in rural areas. This program authorizes grants to eligible entities for expanding prevention, treatment, and recovery services. The legislation allocates $165 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to support these critical community efforts.

This Act mandates the Secretary of State to produce a comprehensive report detailing the treatment of ethnic minorities, particularly Albanians in the Preshevo Valley, within Serbia. The report must specifically investigate issues such as the denial of basic rights through residence deactivation and discrimination in public services and education. This assessment aims to shed light on potential systemic challenges faced by these minority groups.

The Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act establishes new rules for deploying telecommunications and broadband facilities within public rights-of-way that cross railroad corridors, as well as directly within railroad rights-of-way. It outlines specific notification and application procedures, decision timelines for railroad carriers, and compensation requirements for application processing. The Act grants the Federal Communications Commission sole jurisdiction to resolve disputes between providers and railroads regarding facility placement and mandates rulemaking to ensure safety and efficiency.