Legislative Activity

The "JOBS Act of 2025" expands Federal Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in short-term job training programs (150-600 hours) that lead to credentials in high-demand fields. These programs must meet specific requirements, including alignment with industry needs and assurance from state boards. The act also requires accrediting agencies to assess the quality of these programs and mandates data sharing between the Departments of Education and Labor. Finally, the bill lowers the threshold for the minimum Federal Pell Grant from 10 percent to 5 percent.

This joint resolution disapproves and nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule regarding waste emissions charges for petroleum and natural gas systems. The resolution utilizes the Congressional Review Act to prevent the rule's implementation.

The Hearing Protection Act seeks to remove silencers from special regulation under federal tax law, treating them similarly to standard firearms components. This bill preempts state and local governments from imposing special taxes or registration requirements on silencers involved in interstate commerce. Furthermore, it mandates the destruction of existing federal records identifying silencer owners and establishes new serial number marking requirements for manufacturers.

The Rural Hospital Support Act aims to improve Medicare payments to small, rural hospitals by rebasing payment calculations for sole community and Medicare-dependent hospitals to fiscal year 2016, if it results in higher payments. It also extends the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program and the increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program by removing certain deadlines, ensuring continued support for these hospitals. Additionally, the bill prohibits adjustments to payment classifications and weighting factors before October 1, 2015, when using rebased target amounts. These changes are intended to provide financial stability for rural hospitals and maintain access to care in rural communities.

The Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025 allows individuals to exclude from their gross income any payments or benefits they receive from state-based catastrophe loss mitigation programs. These programs are designed to reduce property damage from natural disasters like windstorms, earthquakes, floods, or wildfires. This exclusion applies retroactively to taxable years starting after December 31, 2021, allowing individuals to claim refunds on previous tax returns.

The "Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act" expands Medicare coverage to include innovative multi-cancer early detection screening tests starting in 2028. These tests, which use genomic sequencing to detect multiple cancer types, will be covered for eligible beneficiaries with age and frequency limitations. The payment amount for these tests will initially align with that of multi-target stool screening DNA tests. This new coverage aims to improve early cancer detection without affecting existing Medicare-covered cancer screenings.

The Laken Riley Act mandates the detention of illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It empowers state attorneys general to sue the Department of Homeland Security or the Secretary of State if they believe the state or its residents are harmed by violations of immigration enforcement or visa granting. The bill aims to ensure that these aliens are detained throughout their removal proceedings and to provide states with legal recourse against perceived failures in federal immigration enforcement.

The "Charitable Act" modifies and extends the deduction for charitable contributions for individuals who do not itemize deductions. For the 2026 and 2027 tax years, the deduction is capped at one-third of the standard deduction for the individual. The bill also eliminates a penalty related to this deduction. These changes are effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025" introduces a federal tax credit for individuals and corporations who donate to scholarship granting organizations that provide educational scholarships to eligible elementary and secondary students. These scholarships can be used for tuition, books, tutoring, and other qualified education expenses. The bill sets a volume cap on the total amount of donations eligible for the tax credit and includes provisions to prevent government control over scholarship organizations and non-public schools. It also exempts these scholarship amounts from gross income.

This resolution designates January 26 through February 1, 2025, as "National School Choice Week," recognizing the importance of diverse educational options (public, charter, magnet, private, online, and homeschooling). It emphasizes the role of parents in choosing the best educational environment for their children and encourages awareness of the benefits of school choice. The resolution supports celebrating educational choice and acknowledges the contributions of students, parents, teachers, and school leaders.

The WALL Act of 2025 allocates $25 billion for constructing a physical barrier on the southern border. It offsets this spending by tightening eligibility requirements for tax credits like the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, requiring E-Verify for federal benefits and housing programs, and increasing fines for illegal entry and visa overstays.

The "Dignity for Aborted Children Act" requires abortion providers to offer patients the option to take possession of fetal remains for interment or cremation, or to release the remains to the provider for proper disposal. Abortion providers must obtain consent, maintain records, and submit annual reports on abortion procedures and fetal tissue disposal. Non-compliance can result in fines and imprisonment, but patients are exempt from prosecution. The act does not override state laws regarding the interment or cremation of human remains.

The "Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025" prohibits federal funding to colleges and universities that host or are affiliated with school-based service sites that provide abortion drugs or abortions to students or employees. To remain eligible for federal funds, these institutions must annually certify that their school-based service sites do not offer these services. Compliance with this law protects institutions from penalties under state law.

The Veterans Health Care Freedom Act establishes a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs, allowing eligible veterans to choose their healthcare providers, including both VA and non-VA facilities. This program requires veterans to select a primary care provider to coordinate their care but allows them to choose any specialist within the covered care system. After four years, the bill makes these conditions on healthcare provider choice permanent, enabling veterans to receive care at any VA facility, regardless of their Veterans Integrated Service Network. The pilot program will be carried out using existing Veterans Health Administration funds.

The "Restoring the First Amendment and Right to Peaceful Civil Disobedience Act of 2025" repeals federal prohibitions on obstructing access to clinic entrances. This repeal would apply retroactively, affecting ongoing or future prosecutions that began after the enactment of this act.

This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Energy rule setting energy conservation standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters. By disapproving the rule, Congress prevents its enforcement.

The "Unborn Child Support Act" amends the Social Security Act to include unborn children in child support enforcement, allowing mothers to seek child support from the biological father starting from the first month of conception. It ensures states establish and enforce these obligations while protecting the interests and safety of both the mother and the unborn child, with collections potentially dating back to conception, and prevents the modification of these requirements through experimental projects. These changes take effect two years after enactment.

The "Main Street Tax Certainty Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the deduction for qualified business income permanent. This is achieved by eliminating the expiration date for this deduction. This change provides long-term tax certainty for small businesses.

The "Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act" prohibits abortions performed because of a belief or diagnosis that an unborn child has Down syndrome, and establishes criminal penalties and civil remedies for violations. This bill also requires medical professionals to ask pregnant women about any knowledge or evidence concerning the unborn child having Down syndrome and informs them of the prohibitions of abortion under this section. Additionally, the bill specifies that violations will be considered discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act, potentially resulting in a loss of federal funding.

The "Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act" prohibits federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates. It states that the funds will still be available to other eligible entities for women's health services. It does not alter existing abortion-related limitations or decrease overall federal funding for women's health initiatives.