Legislative Activity

The Nursing is a Professional Degree Act officially designates nursing as a professional degree under federal law. This bill amends the Higher Education Act to provide a clear statutory definition for "professional degree," explicitly including nursing alongside other established professions like medicine and law. This change ensures consistency in recognizing the advanced academic requirements necessary to practice nursing.

This resolution officially designates April as Community College Month to celebrate the vital role of over 1,000 community colleges nationwide. It recognizes these institutions for providing accessible higher education, workforce training, and significant contributions to the U.S. economy. The bill highlights their affordability, local presence, and impact on student success across the country.

The Baltic Security Assessment Act of 2025 affirms the critical importance of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to U.S. national security amidst Russian aggression. This bill mandates that the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense deliver a comprehensive report to Congress detailing emerging military, cyber, and political threats to the Baltic states. The report must also recommend specific actions to enhance U.S. and NATO defense cooperation and bolster Baltic resilience.

The Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act significantly narrows the federal beneficial ownership information reporting requirements. This legislation limits reporting obligations exclusively to foreign individuals and foreign-connected companies. Furthermore, it mandates the deletion of all previously collected data pertaining to domestic persons and entities.

The Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act of 2026 mandates significant safety upgrades across both civilian and military aviation to prevent midair collisions. It requires the FAA to implement advanced collision avoidance systems and new air traffic controller training, while also compelling the Department of Defense to equip most military helicopters with transponders for increased visibility. The bill establishes new transparency measures, including public tracking of safety rule implementation and enhanced reporting on near-miss incidents, particularly around major airports like Reagan National.

This bill officially renames the United States Postal Service facility located at 46164 Westlake Drive in Sterling, Virginia. The facility will now be known as the Firefighter Trevor Brown Post Office Building. This designation will be used in all official federal references to the building.

The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026 streamlines federal housing programs to better support tribal communities. The bill simplifies environmental review processes, expands homeownership and rental assistance opportunities, and reauthorizes critical funding through 2032. Additionally, it enhances tribal authority over housing management, improves access to loan guarantees, and establishes new support programs for homeless or at-risk Native American veterans.

The MAWS Act of 2026 establishes a two-year pilot program to incentivize the removal of invasive blue catfish from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. By providing funding to pet food and animal feed manufacturers, the program encourages the purchase of blue catfish from local watermen at set prices. Additionally, the act mandates improved data collection and reporting to better track the species' abundance and assess the program's environmental and economic impact.

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 strengthens U.S. policy by imposing mandatory sanctions on foreign persons and financial institutions that support Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, drone, and terrorist activities. The bill specifically targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors to cut off funding for these malign programs. Additionally, it expands the State Department’s "Rewards for Justice" program to incentivize the reporting of individuals who evade these sanctions.

The HONOR Gold Star Families Act increases the military death gratuity payment for survivors of deceased service members from $100,000 to $200,000. Additionally, the bill establishes an annual cost-of-living adjustment to ensure the benefit keeps pace with inflation starting in 2027.

This act reauthorizes the Young Fishermen's Development Act through fiscal year 2031. It is named in honor of Captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo.

The Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act mandates the Secretary of the Interior to issue a specific right-of-way for an emergency exit along the Blue Ridge Parkway. This requirement becomes mandatory only after the Secretary confirms that necessary environmental reviews and an analysis of alternatives have been completed. The act ensures a designated emergency egress route is established near Milepost 9.6, subject to specific reporting conditions.

The Quantum in Practice Act formally integrates quantum molecular modeling and simulation into the National Quantum Initiative. By prioritizing this research, the bill aims to accelerate breakthroughs in fields such as medicine, energy storage, material science, and sustainable agriculture.

The Defense Community Infrastructure Program Tribal Eligibility Act of 2026 amends existing law to formally include Tribal governments as eligible entities for the Department of Defense’s infrastructure grant program. This legislation ensures that Indian tribes can access both financial and technical assistance to support critical project planning and development within their communities.

The Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act aims to promote de-escalation by exempting specific, clearly defined less-than-lethal projectile devices from federal firearm restrictions and excise taxes. This legislation provides a formal process for determining which devices qualify for these exemptions under both federal law and the National Firearms Act. The bill also modernizes tax regulations by exempting qualifying less-than-lethal devices and their ammunition from federal excise taxes.

The After Hours Child Care Act establishes a new Child Care and Development Innovation Fund to improve access to care for parents working nontraditional hours. This fund supports a competitive pilot grant program managed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Grants will help eligible entities expand capacity, contract services, or establish new programs specifically serving families with irregular work schedules. The goal is to help these parents maintain employment and advance their careers.

The Veterans Education and Technical Skills Opportunity Act of 2025 modernizes GI Bill benefits and support for service members and veterans. This bill revises the repayment timing for service members who contribute to their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and expands eligibility for independent study programs. It also provides service members with new options when called to active duty during their education and updates compliance survey procedures for educational institutions.

The Buying American Cotton Act of 2026 establishes the Domestic Cotton Consumption Credit to incentivize the use of U.S.-grown cotton in products sold domestically. This new business tax credit is calculated based on the volume of U.S. cotton used, the market price, and where the product was processed. The bill mandates digital tracing to verify the supply chain and offers significantly increased credit multipliers for products containing U.S.-made cotton yarn or fabric.

This bill aims to streamline the New Source Review (NSR) permitting process for industrial facilities under the Clean Air Act by setting strict deadlines and consolidating permit requirements. It revises the definition of a "modification" to focus on actual hourly emission rate increases and excludes certain efficiency, safety, or reliability projects from triggering new reviews. Furthermore, the legislation narrows the definition of "construction" to primarily mean the physical building of emissions units, limiting when preconstruction review requirements apply.

The Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act of 2025, or VSAFE Act, establishes a dedicated Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs. This officer will centralize the VA's efforts to prevent, report, and respond to fraud and scams targeting veterans. The role includes developing guidance, promoting reporting resources, and coordinating with other federal agencies to better protect veterans and their families.