Legislative Activity

The DOGE BROS Act significantly increases the financial penalties for various federal offenses related to the misuse and unauthorized disclosure of sensitive government data. This bill raises maximum fines for misusing personal records, hacking government computers, and improperly sharing information held by the SSA, HHS, the IRS, and the Census Bureau. The overall goal is to bolster safeguards and increase accountability for protecting government electronic data.

The ACCESS Act of 2025 mandates that large communications platforms must enable users to easily transfer their data to competing services and ensure their platforms are interoperable with rivals. This legislation aims to increase competition by breaking down "walled gardens" for major digital services. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with enforcing these new portability and interoperability requirements. Furthermore, the Act establishes rules allowing trusted third parties to manage user accounts on the user's behalf.

The Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act establishes a new tax credit and grant program to incentivize grocery stores, food banks, and mobile vendors to operate in designated "food deserts." This financial support aims to increase access to fresh food in underserved communities across the nation. Furthermore, the bill mandates that the Department of Agriculture update its Food Access Research Atlas annually to reflect new food retailers.

The Performing Artist Tax Parity Act of 2025 modifies the above-the-line deduction for performing artists' business expenses, including agent commissions. It introduces a phase-out of this deduction for artists earning over $100,000, with the threshold subject to future inflation adjustments. Additionally, the bill raises the employer wage threshold used in determining deduction applicability from $200 to $500, also subject to inflation indexing. These changes aim to provide greater tax parity for performing artists.

The China Financial Threat Mitigation Act of 2025 mandates a comprehensive study and report by the Secretary of the Treasury on the risks posed by the People's Republic of China's financial sector to the U.S. economy. This report, developed in consultation with key financial regulators and the State Department, must assess potential systemic vulnerabilities and current mitigation efforts. The findings will be made public, along with recommendations for enhanced international cooperation to safeguard U.S. financial interests.

The Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act updates Medicare rules to ensure continued patient access to necessary home infusion therapy starting in 2026. This legislation explicitly includes pharmacy services in the definition of home infusion care and adjusts payment calculations for suppliers. Furthermore, it expands the scope of professionals who can establish and review patient care plans and clarifies payment for certain intravenous drugs administered without an infusion pump.

The Alleviating Spaceport Traffic by Rewarding Operators Act of 2025 establishes a pilot program to improve transportation infrastructure at space launch and reentry sites. This program allows the Secretary of Transportation to award grants to operators based on their previous year's launch and reentry activity. These funds must be used for on-site transportation improvements, with opportunities for supplemental grants based on matching funds from other entities. The pilot program is authorized to run until October 1, 2030, with an annual funding cap of $20 million.

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 in 2026, but this bill makes the exclusion permanent for payments made after the enactment of this law.

This bill modifies and reauthorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs' Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program through September 30, 2028. Key changes include increasing the maximum grant award to $\$1,250,000$ and giving the VA more flexibility in selecting advisory groups. The legislation also enhances accountability by requiring updated success metrics and improved coordination between local VA medical centers and grant recipients.

This bill mandates the United States Postal Service to assign a unique ZIP Code to Fairlawn, Virginia, within 180 days. The change seeks to rectify the current misallocation of sales tax revenue from electronic commerce, which is incorrectly directed to Radford, Virginia, due to the shared ZIP Code.