Legislative Activity

The DC CRIMES Act of 2025 significantly reforms the treatment of youth offenders by lowering the age eligibility for youth offender status to under 18. It also mandates the creation of a public website managed by the Attorney General to transparently report detailed, monthly juvenile crime statistics. This legislation streamlines facility planning for youth services and requires the sharing of previously protected juvenile records to populate the new data portal.

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

This resolution strongly condemns the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, during his national speaking tour. It honors his life, his founding of Turning Point USA, and his dedication to conservative principles. Ultimately, the document calls for national unity and reaffirms the commitment to protecting the right to peaceful assembly and free expression.

The American Franchise Act aims to protect the traditional franchise business model by clarifying the definition of a "joint employer." This legislation establishes that a franchisor is only considered a joint employer if it exercises "substantial direct and immediate control" over the essential terms of employment for a franchisee's workers. This change specifically targets liability risks associated with maintaining brand standards, ensuring franchisors are not automatically held responsible for local labor practices. The new standard applies prospectively to future legal proceedings.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act limits how consumer reporting agencies can share a consumer's report when it is requested in connection with a residential mortgage loan. Reports can only be shared with entities directly involved in the consumer's current mortgage or those providing a firm offer of credit or insurance. The Act also mandates a study by the GAO regarding the use and impact of "trigger leads" derived from credit checks.

The FEMA Act of 2025 establishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an independent, cabinet-level agency to lead a unified, all-hazards approach to national emergency management. The bill enacts sweeping reforms across Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, and Mitigation programs to accelerate recovery, streamline funding, and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for disaster survivors and communities. Furthermore, it mandates significant new transparency measures, including public data reporting and GAO oversight, to ensure accountability for federal disaster spending.

The GRACE Act prohibits federal education funding for any school or agency that mandates vaccinations unless they provide a religious exemption based solely on an individual's stated sincerely held religious beliefs. This exemption cannot require any proof or documentation to support the religious objection. Consequently, institutions requiring documentation for religious vaccine exemptions risk losing federal education funds.

This resolution formally declares the escalating national debt a significant threat to U.S. national security. It outlines the current alarming financial picture, including massive deficits and unsustainable spending levels. The bill commits Congress to returning to regular order for budgeting and addressing the fiscal crisis.

The Cutting LNG Bunkering Red Tape Act clarifies that transferring Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to a ship for marine fuel is generally not considered an "export" under the Natural Gas Act. This exemption applies regardless of the vessel's flag, provided the refueling occurs within U.S. waters. The bill aims to streamline the process for using LNG as ship fuel within the United States.

The **Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025** is a comprehensive bill that authorizes funding and sets personnel goals for the Coast Guard through 2029 while enacting sweeping organizational reforms. Key changes include establishing a civilian Secretary of the Coast Guard, significantly increasing accountability and reporting requirements for major acquisitions, and modernizing policies related to merchant mariner credentials and sexual assault response. The legislation also mandates numerous GAO studies to assess infrastructure needs, healthcare quality, and overall operational efficiency across the service.

This bill reauthorizes the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 through fiscal year 2030, authorizing $56 million annually for FY 2026-2030. It makes administrative updates by replacing "Council" with "Committee" throughout the Act and clarifies the system's scope to include operational oceanography measurements. Furthermore, it mandates that federal agencies develop rules to ensure data sharing between regional offices and federally funded projects with local coastal observing systems.

The PAAW Act, or Preventing Animal Abuse and Waste Act, prohibits the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from conducting or supporting research that causes significant pain or distress to dogs and cats. This ban specifically targets studies categorized as causing pain levels D or E according to established animal welfare standards. The prohibition takes effect 90 days after the Act is officially enacted into law.

This bill establishes the United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act to foster scientific partnerships between the two nations. It creates a grant program, managed by the Secretary of Defense, to fund joint research projects between U.S. academic or non-profit entities and Israeli institutions specializing in PTSD treatment. The goal is to advance new and improved methods for diagnosing and treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Veterans ACCESS Act of 2025 seeks to improve veterans' healthcare by revising the Veterans Community Care Program, enhancing mental health treatment programs, and implementing other healthcare improvements. Title I revises eligibility standards for community care, ensures veterans are informed about their options, and addresses care preferences and telehealth options. Title II standardizes eligibility for mental health programs, improves care quality, and ensures timely access to treatment. Title III focuses on improving healthcare services through online tools, modifying innovation programs, and increasing reporting on healthcare processes.

This bill mandates the U.S. Postal Service to establish and assign a new, unique ZIP Code for eight specific communities across the country. These communities include locations in California, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, and Wyoming. The Postal Service has 270 days from the bill's enactment to complete the assignment of these new mailing addresses.

The Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act mandates new research to better understand how the public receives, interprets, and acts upon hurricane warnings. This effort focuses on the social and behavioral sciences to improve forecast communication, especially for vulnerable populations. The goal is to use this evidence to update NOAA's hurricane forecasting and warning services.

The Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2025 extends the timeline for current Sport Fish Restoration funding allocation rules until 2031 and removes the spending cap for Interstate Fisheries Commission activities. The bill also updates boating infrastructure priorities to specifically include funding for alternative marine fuel facilities for larger vessels. Finally, it significantly reduces the federal excise tax rate on portable, electronically-aerated bait containers from 10 percent to 3 percent.

The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act generally prohibits federal agencies from banning the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal lands and waters open to hunting or fishing. Exceptions are allowed only for specific federal units where scientific data proves lead use is causing wildlife decline, and the restriction aligns with state law or policy. This legislation aims to maintain traditional hunting and fishing practices across most federal domains.

The SAMS Act of 2025 codifies several previous Executive Orders into permanent law, specifically focusing on policies related to critical minerals. This action elevates existing presidential directives concerning these vital resources to the full force and effect of statutory law. The bill ensures the long-term legal standing of established critical mineral supply chain strategies.

The Defend Girls Athletics Act mandates that elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions must certify compliance with Executive Order 14201 regarding biological fairness in women's sports to receive federal funding. This certification must be renewed annually for K-12 districts and by July 1st for colleges and universities. Failure to comply or report results in the immediate requirement to return unobligated federal funds and ineligibility for future federal financial assistance until compliance is restored.