Legislative Activity

The National Veterans Advocate Act of 2025 establishes an independent Office of the National Veterans Advocate within the VA, reporting directly to the Secretary. This new office will monitor VA operations, identify systemic veteran issues, and make direct, unreviewed recommendations to Congress for improvements. It also restructures advocacy by ensuring dedicated local advocates are available based on veteran enrollment numbers.

The Reduce Bureaucracy to Uplift Families Act aims to ensure more federal funds directly benefit families by lowering the maximum percentage states can spend on administrative costs for certain programs from 15% to 10%. This legislation also clarifies that case management services count toward this new administrative spending cap. States failing to comply with these new limitations face a potential penalty of up to a 5% reduction in their federal grant funding the following year. All provisions of this Act are scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026.

The Strengthen Wood Product Supply Chains Act of 2025 aims to ensure fair and timely enforcement procedures under the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 regarding detained imported goods. This bill establishes strict deadlines for government agencies to either release, test, or seize detained merchandise. If deadlines are missed, the action is treated as a seizure, granting importers clear rights to administrative review and judicial appeal.

The Baby Observation Act mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services conduct a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of home cardiorespiratory monitors in preventing sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). The resulting report must detail the monitors' performance, suggest new infant care practices, and provide recommendations on criteria for insurance coverage. This aims to determine if these vital sign monitors warrant broader health insurance reimbursement.

This bill permits the reliquidation of specific entries of K389 Hole-N-One golf cart tires, allowing for refunds of duties paid, with interest. This applies even if the usual time limit for reliquidation has expired. Reliquidation must occur within 90 days of the bill's enactment, using the original duty rate.

The Improper Payments Transparency Act requires the President's budget to include detailed information on improper payment amounts and rates for programs at executive agencies, including explanations for these payments and trends over the past three years. It also requires information on incomplete corrective actions and future steps to address improper payment issues.

The Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025 expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) headstones and markers by removing a key date restriction for certain individuals. It also updates benefits for families choosing an urn or plaque instead of a traditional marker, effective for veterans who died on or after January 5, 2021. Finally, the bill extends the expiration date for certain existing limits on VA pension payments.

The PROTECT Jewish Student and Faculty Act requires higher education institutions to formally define antisemitism and explicitly prohibit antisemitic conduct in their official campus policies. Under this legislation, colleges and universities must clearly state that such conduct may result in disciplinary action, including student expulsion or employee termination.

The Travel Trailer and Camper Tax Parity Act updates the Internal Revenue Code to allow recreational trailer and camper dealers to fully deduct interest on floor plan financing. By aligning these vehicles with the tax treatment of cars and trucks, the bill reduces the financial burden on dealers carrying this inventory. This change is set to take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The Sergeant Ted Grubbs Mental Healthcare for Disabled Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs provide mental health services to eligible veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 50% or higher within five days of their request. This legislation aims to improve timely access to critical care for veterans suffering from severe mental disorders.

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to limit the total U.S. government debt to a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), starting at 130% and decreasing to a permanent limit of 120%. It allows Congress to exceed this limit with a supermajority vote and provides waivers for defense spending during declared wars or serious military conflicts. The President must submit a budget adhering to these debt limits, and Congress is tasked with enforcing the amendment through legislation. The amendment would take effect three fiscal years after ratification.