Legislative Activity

The "Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act" redirects federal funds away from Planned Parenthood to other eligible entities that provide women's health services such as well-child care, prenatal and postpartum care, immunizations, and cancer screenings, particularly in underserved areas. This ensures continued access to comprehensive healthcare for women without reducing overall federal funding for women's health initiatives. The bill codifies that Planned Parenthood, including its affiliates, subsidiaries, or clinics, will not be eligible for these federal funds. It does not alter existing abortion-related funding restrictions.

This bill amends the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act, updating the definition of "numismatic material" to include various forms of currency and related objects. It revises import restrictions for these materials, requiring evidence of lawful acquisition and specifying that customs officials should not demand excessive documentation without reasonable suspicion of fraud. The goal is to facilitate the lawful trade and collecting of numismatic items while preventing the import of items from illegal excavations.

The "No Retaining Every Gun In a System That Restricts Your Rights Act" mandates the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to destroy all firearm transaction records of discontinued firearms businesses within 90 days of enactment. It also eliminates the requirement for these businesses to send these records to the Attorney General. Finally, the Act requires the Director of the ATF to submit a report to Congress detailing the number of records destroyed.

The "Declaration of Energy Independence Act" amends the Mineral Leasing Act to lower royalty and rental rates for onshore oil and gas leases, aiming to encourage domestic energy production. It sets new minimum bid amounts, adjusts rental fees, and revises noncompetitive leasing terms to stimulate oil and gas development on federal lands. The act also includes provisions for extending leases on low-production mineral estates and reducing royalty payments under certain conditions.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the railroad track maintenance credit from $3,500 to $6,100, adjusting for inflation after 2025. It applies to qualified expenditures starting January 1, 2024, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The "Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2025" seeks to modernize Medicare coverage for chiropractic services. It expands coverage to include all services provided by licensed Doctors of Chiropractic, not just manual spinal manipulation. Doctors of Chiropractic are required to attend an educational webinar to be eligible for Medicare reimbursement. This aims to align Medicare with other healthcare systems and private insurance in recognizing the full scope of chiropractic care.

The Hearing Protection Act aims to remove silencers from the purview of the National Firearms Act (NFA) by treating them similarly to standard firearms under federal tax law. This legislation preempts certain state and local taxes and registration requirements related to silencers involved in interstate commerce. Furthermore, the bill mandates the destruction of existing federal silencer registration records and updates federal marking requirements for manufacturers.

The "Thin Blue Line Act" amends the US Code to include the killing or targeting of a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder as a new aggravating factor for the death penalty. This applies if the victim was targeted because of their official duties or status as a public official.

This bill designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 107 North Hoyne Avenue in Fritch, Texas, as the "Chief Zeb Smith Post Office." Any reference to this facility will now refer to it as the Chief Zeb Smith Post Office.

The "Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025" amends federal law to criminalize the act of "swatting," where false information is reported to trigger an emergency response. Those who commit swatting would face increased penalties, including fines and imprisonment, especially if serious bodily injury or death results. Additionally, individuals who engage in swatting would be liable for the costs incurred by emergency responders due to the false report.

This bill renames the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Lubbock, Texas, to the "General Bernie Mittemeyer VA Clinic". All official references to the clinic will reflect this new name.

The "Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act of 2025" prohibits federal funding for organizations that perform abortions or fund other organizations that do so, with exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the woman's life. The term "entity" refers to the entire legal entity, including any entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such entity.

The "Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2025" places a one-year moratorium on federal funding to Planned Parenthood, with exceptions for abortions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the woman's life. It redirects $235 million to community health centers and ensures that overall federal funding for women's health initiatives is not reduced.

The Border Safety and Security Act of 2025 allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend the entry of certain aliens at U.S. borders if it's needed to maintain control, and requires the Secretary to prohibit entry if aliens cannot be detained or placed in an appropriate program. State Attorneys General can sue the Secretary of Homeland Security in federal court if they believe this section is being violated. The bill defines "covered alien" as someone seeking entry who is inadmissible under existing immigration law.

The FIND Act prohibits federal agencies from contracting with entities that discriminate against the firearm and ammunition industry. It requires federal contractors to certify they do not discriminate against firearm entities and prohibits them from awarding subcontracts to entities that do not provide a similar certification. Violations of these clauses will result in contract termination. The act defines "discriminate" as making judgments or refusing/limiting services based on biased criteria, rather than case-by-case evaluations, empirical data, financial risk, or legal non-compliance.

The TCJA Permanency Act makes permanent several tax provisions that were enacted as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and were set to expire. These provisions include modifications to individual income tax rates and brackets, the standard deduction, the child tax credit, and the estate and gift tax exemption. The act also increases the exemption for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and adjusts the phase-out thresholds. Additionally, it includes various changes affecting deductions, credits, and exclusions for individuals, families, businesses, and estates.