United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2025
Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care. Coverage includes (1) routine dental cleanings and exams, basic and major dental services, emergency dental care, and dentures; (2) routine eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses; and (3) routine hearing exams, hearing aids, and exams for hearing aids. With respect to such care, the bill establishes special payment rules, limitations, and coinsurance requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2025
25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center. The sale of all coins issued under this bill must include a surcharge to be paid to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center to support operations and maintenance. However, if the issuance of this commemorative coin exceeds certain annual limits, no surcharge may be included.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2025
Feed Our Families Act of 2025 This bill provides appropriations for carrying out the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 during the first 90-day period of a lapse in discretionary appropriations for carrying out the act during any fiscal year beginning after FY2024. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 is the authorizing statute for several Department of Agriculture nutrition and food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2025
Patient Matching And Transparency in Certified Health IT Act of 2025 or the MATCH IT Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a definition and standards for patient matching (i.e., the process of accurately matching patients with their medical records, including when records are exchanged between health care providers). It also requires the development of (1) a minimum data set for technology standards to increase patient matching, and (2) incentives for patient matching under Medicare. Specifically, the bill requires HHS to develop a uniform definition and standards for patient matching to track patient match rates and document improvement over time. The definition and standards must account for certain situations, including duplicate records and multiple matches. The bill also requires the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to adopt a minimum data set to help health care providers or health information systems achieve a patient match rate of 99.9%. The minimum data set and related standards must be incorporated into the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability and the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for health information technology. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must establish a voluntary bonus measure within the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program to allow health care providers who have a patient match rate over a certain percentage to receive a payment adjustment. The ONC and CMS must develop a voluntary reporting program for providers to anonymously submit patient matching data to HHS.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2025
Pay Federal Workers and Servicemembers Act This bill makes federal civilian and military personnel who are excepted from furlough during a government shutdown eligible for unemployment compensation benefits. During a government shutdown due to a lapse in appropriations, federal employees who are excepted from furlough are required to report for work and perform duties, but their pay is delayed until appropriations legislation is enacted. Under guidance issued by the Department of Labor, excepted employees who are performing services (but whose payment for that work is delayed) are generally ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits based on states' definitions of unemployment. This bill provides that, for the purpose of determining eligibility for unemployment compensation during a government shutdown, excepted employees are deemed to be (1) totally separated from federal service, and (2) eligible for unemployment compensation benefits with no waiting period for the eligibility to accrue. The bill applies to the following federal personnel who are excepted from furlough and are not being paid due to a government shutdown: (1) any member of the Armed Forces or the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and (2) any federal civilian employee who is an excepted employee or an employee performing emergency work.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2025
Children’s Health Insurance Program Permanency Act or the CHIPP Act This bill permanently extends the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and related measures, programs, and authorities. Specifically, the bill permanently funds CHIP and related programs that support the development of child health quality measures and outreach and enrollment efforts. The bill also permanently authorizes the Medicaid and CHIP express lane eligibility option, which allows states to use information from designated programs (e.g., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to streamline eligibility determinations for children. Additionally, under the bill, states may expand eligibility to children whose family income exceeds the otherwise applicable limits.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2025
Broadcast Freedom and Independence Act of 2025 This bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from taking action against or imposing certain conditions on individuals on the basis of viewpoints broadcast or disseminated by the individuals or their affiliates. Specifically, the FCC may not revoke a license or authorization of, or otherwise take action against, an individual or entity on the basis of viewpoints broadcast or otherwise disseminated by the individual or entity or an affiliate thereof. Further, the FCC may not impose conditions on its approval of certain transactions on the basis of viewpoints broadcast or otherwise disseminated by the individual or entity seeking approval of the transaction, or an affiliate thereof. Under the bill, the FCC retains its authority to take action or impose conditions on the basis of (1) violations of certain existing laws regarding lottery information, fraud, and obscene language; or (2) the broadcast or other dissemination of content that constitutes incitement under the First Amendment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2025
Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act This bill prohibits political appointees and special government employees from accessing Social Security data systems that contain personally identifiable information about Social Security beneficiaries. Specifically, political appointees and special government employees may not access systems maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that issue or record Social Security account numbers, that are used to determine eligibility for or to pay Social Security benefits, or that otherwise contain personally identifiable information about individuals receiving or applying for benefits. The bill also establishes a civil right of action for an individual whose information was negligently accessed or disclosed in violation of these provisions. The individual may bring suit against the United States if the violator was a U.S. employee or officer, or against the violator if they were not a U.S. employee or officer. Such a claim must be brought within two years of the affected individual’s discovery of the violation. Upon a finding of liability, defendants are liable for specified monetary damages. If an individual is criminally charged or subject to proposed disciplinary or adverse action by a federal or state agency for having accessed or disclosed information in violation of these provisions, SSA must notify the individual whose information was accessed or disclosed of the violation as soon as practicable. Finally, the bill requires the SSA Office of the Inspector General to investigate and report to Congress on any unauthorized access to or disclosure of information in a beneficiary data system.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2025
Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act This bill temporarily prohibits the closure or consolidation of, or other limitation of access to, Social Security Administration (SSA) offices and stations, and sets forth procedural requirements for future changes to office and station availability. Specifically, the bill prohibits through at least January 21, 2029, the closure or consolidation of, or other limitation of access to, SSA field offices, hearing offices, and resident stations. On or after that date, SSA must submit a report to Congress justifying its process for selecting stations and offices to be closed, consolidated, or limited. The prohibition is lifted 180 days after the submission of such report. The bill also sets forth requirements that must be met before SSA may close, consolidate, or otherwise limit access to an office or station after the initial moratorium expires. At least 120 days before such a change takes effect, SSA must provide public notice to individuals in affected areas, including information on how lost access to SSA services will be replaced. SSA must also conduct at least two public hearings on each such change. Further, SSA must provide a hearing to any individual who makes a timely showing that a determination to close, consolidate, or limit an office or station is arbitrary, capricious, or deficient in another specified manner. Finally, a closure, consolidation, or limitation may not result in the total number of SSA offices or stations falling below the number of such offices or stations in operation on January 20, 2025.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2025
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if, during the previous 25 years: 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state; 10 or more violations occurred, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself; or 3 or more violations occurred and the state administers the elections. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as redistricting. States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. The bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights. The bill outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the extent of any history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2025
Consumer Safety Technology Act This bill (1) establishes a pilot program to explore the use of artificial intelligence to support the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and (2) requires reports related to blockchain technology and digital tokens. Specifically, the CPSC must consult with relevant stakeholders, such as data scientists and product manufacturers, and use artificial intelligence for a least one of the following purposes: (1) tracking trends in injuries involving consumer products, (2) identifying consumer product hazards, (3) monitoring the sale of recalled consumer products, or (4) identifying consumer products that do not meet specified importation requirements related to product safety. The bill also requires (1) the Department of Commerce to report on existing and emerging uses of blockchain technology for consumer protection, and (2) the Federal Trade Commission to report on its efforts to prevent unfair or deceptive practices relating to digital tokens.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2025
Original Black History Month Resolution of 2025 This resolution recognizes the importance of commemorating Black History Month as it acknowledges the achievements of Black Americans throughout the nation's history.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2025
Financial Reporting Threshold Modernization Act This bill increases the threshold amounts for certain reporting by financial institutions, adjusts these amounts periodically for inflation, and requires a review of specified financial forms and reporting requirements. The bill increases the threshold dollar amounts above which financial institutions are required to file currency-transaction and suspicious-activity reports with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The bill also increases the transaction threshold above which an entity must register with FinCEN as a money services business. Further, these amounts must be updated every five years to reflect the change in the consumer price index. Treasury must review and report on the effectiveness and efficiency of the forms and requirements regarding domestic coin and currency transactions, foreign currency transactions, and anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism measures, among other matters. Treasury must also make appropriate updates to such forms. The bill also extends through 2031 the requirement that the director of FinCEN must be made annually available for testimony before congressional committees regarding certain FinCEN issues, including resources needed to implement beneficial ownership reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2025
Safe Schools Improvement Act This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Sex includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (including intersex traits). Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Commerce to support the leadership of the United States in the use of blockchain technology and other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and tokenization. Generally, blockchain technology is a distributed digital ledger that uses cryptography to share verified information across a network of computers. Tokens refer to the transferrable, digital representation of information recorded on blockchain technology and tokenization is the process of creating a token. Specifically, Commerce must advise the President on policies related to the deployment and use of blockchain technology and other distributed ledger technology, applications built on blockchain technology or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and tokenization. Commerce also must establish advisory committees to support the adoption of blockchain technology to facilitate the development of best practices with respect to blockchain technology, applications built on blockchain technology, tokens, and tokenization. Commerce must report annually on the activities under this bill and provide any recommendations for additional legislation to strengthen U.S. competitiveness with respect to blockchain technology.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Keep Americans Safe Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The bill does not prohibit certain conduct with respect to an LCAFD, including the following: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification and the date of manufacture. Additionally, the bill allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender an LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Save America's Forgotten Equines Act of 2025 or the SAFE Act of 2025 This bill permanently prohibits the slaughter of equines (e.g., horses and mules) for human consumption. (Current law prohibits the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. This bill extends the prohibition to equines.) Specifically, this bill prohibits a person from knowingly (1) slaughtering an equine for human consumption; or (2) shipping, transporting, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donating an equine to be slaughtered for human consumption or equine parts for human consumption. The bill subjects a violator to a fine. The bill applies to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. However, it does not apply to an activity carried out by an Indian for a religious ceremony. As background, in recent years, the appropriations acts have prohibited the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using federal funds to inspect horses before they are slaughtered for human consumption. Therefore, there are currently no USDA-inspected horse slaughter facilities in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Modern Emoluments and Malfeasance Enforcement Act or the MEME Act This bill prohibits the President, the Vice President, Members of Congress, those holding Senior Executive Service positions, admirals, generals, and other federal public officials from engaging in or benefiting from the issuance, sponsorship, or promotion of certain assets. The spouse and dependent children of such an official are also covered by the prohibition. Assets covered by the bill are securities, security futures, commodities, digital assets such as cryptocurrency or a meme coin, as well as derivatives, options, warrants, mutual funds, or exchange traded funds of the preceding assets. The prohibition applies to (1) such officials during their term of service and for 180 days prior to and after their service, and (2) the spouse and dependent children of such an official during that same period. Civil and criminal penalties under the bill include disgorging (giving) to the Treasury any profits from prohibited transactions, fines, and imprisonment for up to five years. The bill provides additional penalties for such prohibited activities if they involve bribery or insider trading. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel may also determine that federal employees or officers serving in other positions are covered by the prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide competitive grants for projects that provide public parking for commercial motor vehicles and improve the safety of commercial motor vehicle drivers. States, metropolitan planning organizations, tribal governments, and local governments are eligible for these grants. The grants must be used for projects on federal-aid highways or a facility with reasonable access to such a highway or a freight facility. A grant recipient may not charge a fee to a commercial motor vehicle driver to access a public parking facility that is constructed, opened, maintained, or improved with a grant under this program. In providing grants, DOT must determine that there is a shortage of commercial motor vehicle parking capacity in the project's corridor; the eligible entity has consulted motor carriers, commercial motor vehicle drivers, public safety officials, and private providers of commercial motor vehicle parking regarding the project; the project will likely increase the availability or utilization of commercial motor vehicle parking, facilitate the efficient movement of freight, or improve highway safety, traffic congestion, and air quality; and the eligible entity has demonstrated the ability to provide for the facility's maintenance and operation. To the maximum extent practicable, DOT must select grant projects that maximize the geographic dispersion of new commercial motor vehicle parking capacity across the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2025 or the PAST Act of 2025 This bill increases protections for horses at shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions (horse events) to prevent the practice of soring horses. Generally, the soring of horses includes certain actions taken on horses' limbs to produce higher gaits that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. Specifically, the bill expands existing soring prohibitions under the Horse Protection Act, including by banning the use of certain action devices (e.g., nonprotective boots) on specified horse breeds. The bill also requires soring inspectors at horse events to be assigned by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the Department of Agriculture rather than appointed by the management of horse events. APHIS must also license, train, and oversee inspectors to detect and diagnose soring at such events. Additionally, the bill increases penalties for violations of the act. It also directs APHIS to disqualify horses found to be sore from being shown or exhibited for specified periods. Further, APHIS may permanently disqualify violators from participating in horse events after the third or any subsequent violation. By way of background, APHIS issued a rule in 2024 to increase efforts to protect horses from soring practices. However, in 2025, a court vacated parts of the rule as exceeding APHIS' statutory authority (e.g., prohibiting the use of certain action devices) while deeming other parts acceptable (e.g., establishing APHIS-designated inspectors). APHIS subsequently delayed the effective date of the rule to December 31, 2026.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2025
Safe Access to Cash Act of 2025 This bill specifies that robbery offenses involving ATMs and related cash constitute crimes under the federal bank robbery statute. Currently, the federal bank robbery statute makes it a federal crime to take or attempt to take, by force and violence or by intimidation, money or other property belonging to or in the care, custody, control, management, or possession of any bank, credit union, or savings and loan association. However, federal circuit courts have split on whether forcing someone to withdraw money from an ATM constitutes an offense under the federal bank robbery statute. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has held that directly forcing a bank customer to withdraw money from an ATM does not constitute a federal bank robbery because the funds were in the possession of the customer, not the bank. In contrast, the Tenth and Seventh Circuits have held that directly forcing a bank customer to withdraw money from an ATM constitutes a federal bank robbery because the funds belonged to the bank when the withdrawal occurred. This bill specifies that for purposes of the federal bank robbery statute, an ATM and any cash in transit to, being loaded into, or being unloaded from an ATM is in the care, custody, control, management, or possession of, any bank, credit union, or any savings and loan association, regardless of whether the ATM is located on the physical premises of such an institution or owned or operated by such an institution.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2025
American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 This bill provides certain non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) with a path to receive permanent resident status and contains other immigration-related provisions. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall provide conditional permanent resident status for 10 years to a qualifying individual who entered the United States as a minor and (1) is deportable or inadmissible, (2) has deferred enforced departure (DED) status or temporary protected status (TPS), or (3) is the child of certain classes of nonimmigrants. The bill imposes various qualifying requirements, such as the individual being continuously physically present in the United States since January 1, 2021, passing a background check, and being enrolled in or having completed certain educational programs. DHS shall remove the conditions placed on permanent resident status granted under this bill if the individual applies and meets certain requirements, such as completing certain programs at an educational institution, serving in the military, or being employed. Furthermore, DHS or DOJ shall provide lawful permanent resident status to certain individuals who had TPS, were eligible for TPS, or were eligible for DED status on certain dates. Such individuals must meet certain requirements and apply for such status within three years of this bill's enactment. This bill also repeals a restriction that bars a state from providing higher education benefits to undocumented individuals unless those benefits are available to all U.S. nationals without regard to residency in the state.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2025
Ethan's Law This bill establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels. At the federal level, the bill establishes statutory requirements for firearms on residential premises to be safely stored if a minor is likely to gain access without permission or if a resident is ineligible to possess a firearm. An individual who violates the requirements is subject to criminal penalties. A firearm stored in violation of the requirements is subject to seizure and forfeiture. At the state and tribal levels, the bill requires the Department of Justice to award grants to implement functionally identical requirements for the safe storage of firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2025
Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2025 This bill directs the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to award competitive grants to state agencies under a home delivery pilot program for participants in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). As background, the CSFP works to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious Department of Agriculture foods. Under the pilot program, a state agency must distribute grant funds to an eligible entity (i.e., a local agency or subdistributing agency) to operate projects that facilitate home delivery of commodities to CSFP participants. Grant funds may be used for costs associated with transportation and distribution of commodities to CSFP participants, staffing required to operate home delivery services, and home delivery outreach to CSFP participants or potential participants. A state agency must prioritize eligible entities that serve CSFP participants who reside in rural areas. A state agency must also submit an annual report to FNS about the project, including best practices regarding the use of home delivery to improve the effectiveness of the CSFP.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2025
New Era of Preventing End-Stage Kidney Disease Act This bill establishes regional centers of excellence, postgraduate fellowships, and training for health professionals relating to the diagnosis and treatment of rare kidney disease. It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct various studies on rare kidney disease. Specifically, it authorizes the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to award funding to public and private nonprofit entities for establishing regional centers of excellence that will increase public awareness, conduct research, and develop resources for diagnosing and treating rare kidney diseases. A center may receive such funding for up to five years, unless extended by the institute. The bill also requires health professions schools receiving a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Centers of Excellence program to award fellowships for training on preventing, diagnosing, and treating rare kidney disease in disproportionately impacted populations. Also, the bill expands the priorities of HRSA’s Primary Care Training and Enhancement program to include training for health care workers to care for individuals with kidney disease. Additionally, HHS must conduct several studies and report to Congress on topics such as treating rare kidney disease in disproportionately affected populations, eliminating the need for dialysis or kidney transplants, and increasing public awareness of rare kidney disease.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2025
Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2025 This bill allows a physical therapist to receive payment under Medicare for services provided to the physical therapist's patients by another physical therapist through a qualifying temporary arrangement, regardless of the geographic area or population served. Currently, physical therapists may only receive payment with respect to such arrangements for services provided in medically underserved, rural, or health professional shortage areas.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2025
Dentist and Optometric Care Access Act of 2025 or the DOC Access Act of 20 25 This bill prohibits private health insurance plans from setting rates for items and services, except for dental cleanings, provided by a doctor of optometry, of dental surgery, or of dental medicine (or an employer of such a doctor) for which the plan does not pay a substantial amount. Additionally, an agreement between a plan and such a doctor for limited scope dental or vision benefits may last longer than two years only with the prior acceptance of the doctor for each term extension. Plans also may not restrict such a doctor's choice of laboratories or suppliers. Such doctors may elect to waive the application of the payment amount and choice of laboratories provisions of this bill. The bill does not supersede state laws regarding health insurers and dental or vision benefit plans.