United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2025
Fair and Open Competition Act of 2025 or the FOCA Act of 2025 This bill requires that federal contracts for construction projects neither require nor prohibit a bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor from entering into agreements with one or more labor organizations with respect to such projects or related projects. Under the bill, the controlling documents for federal construction contracts (such as bid specifications and project agreements) may not require or prohibit a bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor from entering into or adhering to such labor agreements. Additionally, the controlling documents may not discriminate against or give preference to a bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who signs or refuses to sign such a labor agreement. These requirements also apply to any (1) construction manager acting on behalf of the federal government with respect to such contract, (2) recipient of a federal grant or financial assistance for construction projects or construction manager acting on the recipient's behalf, and (3) party to a federal cooperative agreement for construction projects or construction managers acting on the party's behalf. An agency may exempt a project from this prohibition to avert an imminent threat to public health or safety or to serve the national security.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2025
Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025 This bill establishes a Space National Guard as the reserve component of the U.S. Space Force, specifically in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Ohio. The Space National Guard consists of specified units of the Air National Guard and must use existing facilities, infrastructure, and installations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2025
ESA Amendments Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Endangered Species Act and generally narrows protections provided under the act. The bill directs the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to submit a National Listing Work Plan that establishes a five-year schedule and plan for addressing listing of endangered or threatened species and designation of critical habitats for such species. Under the plan, the bill gives the Services flexibility on the timing of acting on listing petitions and eliminates the requirement for the Services to act within 12 months on listing petitions. The bill limits what land may be designated as critical habitat for an endangered or threatened species. It also limits protections provided to threatened species and allows a state to regulate the recovery of such species if the Services determine the state's proposed recovery strategy would conserve the species. The bill provides statutory authority for Conservation Benefit Agreements, which allow private landowners to voluntarily enter agreements to reduce threats to candidate species in exchange for being allowed to continue their operations if the species is later listed. The bill also modifies the permitting process for certain other voluntary conservation agreements, including by exempting incidental take permits (e.g., permits to harm or kill a species) from environmental review requirements. The bill also makes a variety of other changes to the act, including limiting consultation requirements, judicial review, and awards for attorneys’ fees in certain cases.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2025
Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025 This bill repeals certain restrictions on the import and export of natural gas under the Natural Gas Act, including requirements for Department of Energy (DOE) approval and related provisions that address free trade agreements. In addition, the bill grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the exclusive authority to approve or deny applications to authorize the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of facilities (e.g., liquefied natural gas terminals) to export natural gas to foreign countries or import natural gas from foreign countries. (Currently, DOE authorizes the export or import of natural gas, and FERC authorizes related facilities.) In determining whether to approve or deny an application, FERC must deem the exportation or importation of natural gas to be consistent with the public interest.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
End FEMA Benefits for Illegal Immigrants Act This bill prohibits the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from carrying out the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) and rescinds unobligated funds transferred to FEMA for this purpose for FY2023-FY2024. The SSP provides grants to public and nonprofit entities for temporarily providing shelter and other services (e.g., food, transportation) to noncitizen migrants released from Department of Homeland Security custody and awaiting immigration court proceedings, as well as for increasing grant recipients’ capacity to temporarily shelter such individuals (e.g., modifying existing facilities).
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Second Amendment For Every Registrable Voter Act or the SAFER Voter Act This bill reduces the minimum age—from 21 years to 18 years—at which an individual may obtain a handgun from a federally licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, importer, or collector.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
FEMA for America First Act of 2025 This bill restricts the eligibility of non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) for federal disaster assistance benefits by eliminating eligibility for individuals with certain immigration statuses. Under current law, a non-U.S. national must have one of several specific immigration statuses (e.g., lawful permanent resident, parolee, or refugee) to be eligible for federal disaster assistance provided to individuals (e.g., the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Individuals and Households Program or disaster unemployment assistance). The bill narrows the immigration statuses eligible for disaster assistance to individuals by making non-U.S. nationals ineligible for such assistance if they are a parolee (i.e., paroled into the United States temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit), an asylee that has not sought adjustment to lawful permanent resident status, or a refugee that has not sought adjustment to lawful permanent resident status.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act or the CLEAN Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to increase the frequency of lease sales for developing and utilizing geothermal energy on federal land. Specifically, Interior must hold lease sales at least once a year (rather than two years) in states with pending nominations of federal land to be leased for geothermal energy development. In conducting such lease sales, Interior must offer all of the pending nominated parcels eligible for geothermal development and utilization under the resource management plan in effect for the state. If a lease sale is canceled or delayed, Interior must conduct a replacement sale during the same year. Finally, the bill establishes deadlines for Interior to respond to applications for geothermal drilling permits.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2025
Unhandcuffing Police to Locate and Interdict Foreign Transgressors Act or the UPLIFT Act This bill requires additional cooperation from state and local governments in federal immigration enforcement. Under current law, state and local governments are prohibited from implementing a ban on or in any way restricting the sharing of information regarding an individual’s immigration status with federal agencies. The bill expands the prohibition to include any ban or restriction on complying with federal immigration laws or policies or on assisting or cooperating with federal law enforcement. Additionally, state and local governments may not prohibit (1) inquiring about the immigration status of an individual who is suspected of involvement in a crime, (2) notifying the federal government of certain encounters, and (3) complying with federal requests for such information. The bill also expands the standard for the issuance of a detainer by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under the bill, DHS may issue a detainer for an individual who is arrested on criminal charges or for a motor vehicle violation (currently, for drug violations) if DHS has probable cause that the individual is inadmissible or deportable. Probable cause may be established through methods including an identification match, voluntary statements made, or through other means. Federal immunity is also generally extended to state and local officials and government contractors who comply with a DHS detainer. The bill also allows legal challenges against (1) state governments and local governments brought by certain crime victims, and (2) state governments brought by local jurisdictions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2025
Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025 This bill makes changes to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), including by requiring CFIUS to determine whether a national security review is necessary for reportable agricultural land transactions that are referred by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). (CFIUS oversees the national security risks of certain foreign investment in the United States. CFIUS has the authority to review covered transactions, which include mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers that could result in foreign control of a U.S. business; certain investments in businesses involved in critical technologies, critical infrastructure, or sensitive personal data; and certain real estate transactions.) Specifically, the bill directs CFIUS to, after receiving notification from USDA, determine (1) whether a reportable agricultural land transaction is a covered transaction, and (2) whether CFIUS should initiate a national security review or take another action with respect to the transaction. Reportable agricultural land transaction means a transaction (1) that USDA has reason to believe is a covered transaction; (2) that involves the acquisition of an interest in agricultural land by a foreign person of China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran; and (3) with respect to which a foreign person is required to submit a report to USDA regarding their agricultural land transactions. The bill also expands the membership of CFIUS to include the Secretary of Agriculture for covered transactions that involve agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry (e.g., agricultural transportation, storage, and processing).
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2025
Protecting Life from Chemical Abortions Act This bill nullifies certain changes made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to dispensing requirements for mifepristone. (Mifepristone is a drug that is approved to end pregnancies through 10 weeks gestation when used in conjunction with the drug misoprostol. The procedure is often referred to as medication abortion or the abortion pill.) The FDA regulates mifepristone through the Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. The program requires health care providers to comply with certain requirements in order to prescribe or dispense mifepristone to end a pregnancy; the program previously included an in-person dispensing requirement that required mifepristone to be directly dispensed to patients in clinics, medical offices, or hospitals. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the FDA stopped enforcing the in-person dispensing requirement, which allowed mail-order pharmacies to fill and dispense mifepristone prescriptions. In January 2023, the FDA modified program requirements so as to (1) remove the in-person dispensing requirement, and (2) require pharmacies to be program-certified in order to dispense mifepristone. The modifications allow certified retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone pursuant to prescriptions that are written by certified prescribers. The bill nullifies the January 2023 changes and prohibits the FDA from (1) exercising any enforcement discretion with respect to program requirements, or (2) reducing program protections until every state submits certain data regarding abortions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill also generally prohibits the declaration of a public health emergency with respect to abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2025
Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act This bill reestablishes an initiative in the National Security Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat espionage, theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, and threats to critical infrastructure posed by the Chinese government. A similar initiative was launched in 2018 and discontinued in 2022. Specifically, this bill establishes the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Initiative and sets forth its objectives, including to curb spying by the Chinese Communist Party on U.S. intellectual property and academic institutions; develop an enforcement strategy for technology transfers by nontraditional collectors (e.g., researchers in labs or at universities) to Chinese individuals and entities or their agents contrary to U.S. interests; and address China-related risks arising from foreign investments in U.S. businesses and real estate. The bill further specifies that the CCP Initiative must prioritize the identification and prosecution of trade secret theft, hacking, and economic espionage; the protection of critical infrastructure in the United States; and the identification of intellectual property theft from U.S. businesses. Under the bill, the CCP Initiative terminates six years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2025
Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 This bill imposes sanctions on certain foreign persons (individuals and entities) that are involved in Iran's petroleum sector as well as certain associated persons. The bill also requires or authorizes actions to facilitate the enforcement of sanctions on Iran. Specifically, the bill requires the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person that, after the bill's enactment, knowingly engages in any transaction related to the processing, export, or sale of oil, condensates, gas, liquefied natural gas, or other petrochemical products in whole or in part from Iran. The President must also impose sanctions on certain foreign persons associated with a sanctioned individual or entity. For example, the President must sanction the subsidiaries and corporate officers of a sanctioned business. The bill provides certain exceptions to these sanctions, including specifying that sanctions do not apply to the importation of goods or to conducting or facilitating transactions for humanitarian assistance. The Department of State must establish an interagency working group that shall seek to establish a multilateral contact group to coordinate international efforts to enforce sanctions on Iran. The bill expands the State Department rewards program to authorize a reward payment to any individual who furnishes information leading to the identification of a person (1) subject to sanctions under this bill, or (2) that has attempted or is attempting to evade sanctions under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2025
Reorganizing Government Act of 2025 This bill revives expedited congressional consideration of certain Presidential plans to reorganize the executive branch, expands permissible plan purposes, and changes the prohibitions on plan content. The bill reauthorizes through 2026 a currently expired authority that requires expedited congressional consideration of certain executive branch reorganization plans submitted by the President. The bill also expands the purposes for which such reorganization plans may be undertaken, to include reducing the number of federal employees; eliminating unnecessary and burdensome rules, regulations, and other requirements; and eliminating government operations that do not serve the public interest. The bill removes the following prohibitions on the contents of such plans: creating new executive departments or renaming existing executive departments; abolishing or transferring executive departments or independent regulatory agencies or all of their functions; and consolidating executive departments or independent regulatory agencies or all of their functions. The bill also adds a new prohibition on content, specifying that any such plan may not create a net increase in federal workers or expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2025
This bill prohibits federal funding for (1) disinformation research grants, (2) the National Science Foundation (NSF) Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace grant program, and (3) programs within the NSF Convergence Accelerator grant program’s Track F: Trust and Authenticity in Communications Systems. The Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace grant program provides grants to support research and education on various topics in cybersecurity and privacy, including cryptography, hardware security, and information integrity. The Convergence Accelerator’s Track F projects focused on tools and techniques to prevent, mitigate, and adapt to the unanticipated negative effects of, and potential manipulation of, communications systems (e.g., misinformation).
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2025
Security And Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2025 or SAFE for America Act of 2025 This bill eliminates the diversity visa program. This program provides up to 55,000 visas annually to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2025
Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act This bill prohibits payment card networks from using merchant codes that distinguish firearms retailers from general-merchandise retailers or sporting-goods retailers. The Department of Justice must enforce this bill and report annually on the resulting investigations and cases.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2025
This bill repeals the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA). The ICA generally limits the authority of the President to impound (i.e., withhold from obligation or expenditure) funds that have been appropriated by Congress and establishes related procedures. It also establishes expedited legislative procedures that Congress may use to consider legislation to enact rescissions proposed by the President.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2025
This concurrent resolution calls on the President to abandon the One China policy in favor of one that recognizes Taiwan as an independent country that is not a part of China. The resolution also urges the President to bolster diplomatic and economic relations between the United States and Taiwan through specified means.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2025
Restoring Military Focus Act This bill eliminates the position of Chief Diversity Officer within the Department of Defense (DOD), as well as the position of Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion within the military departments. Additionally, the bill prohibits the use of federal funds to establish similar positions to that of Chief Diversity Officer or Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion within DOD. On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing , which directed the termination of all federal diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs, offices, and positions, including Chief Diversity Officer positions. On January 27, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled Restoring America's Fighting Force, which specifically directed the abolishment of every diversity, equity and inclusion office within DOD and the Department of Homeland Security with regard to the Coast Guard.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2025
Protecting Women’s Private Spaces Act This bill prohibits a person from accessing or using single-sex restrooms, locker rooms, or changing rooms on federal property other than those corresponding to such person's biological sex. This prohibition does not apply to (1) emergency medical personnel responding to a medical emergency, or (2) law enforcement officers in active pursuit of a suspect or as part of an active investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2025
Fair Access to Banking Act This bill places restrictions on certain banks, credit unions, and payment card networks if they refuse to do business with a person who complies with the law. Restrictions include prohibiting the use of electronic funds transfer systems and lending programs, termination of an institution's depository insurance, and specified civil penalties. Banks and other specified financial institutions are allowed to deny financial services to a person only if the denial is justified by a documented failure of that person to meet quantitative, impartial, risk-based standards established in advance by the institution. This justification may not be based upon reputational risks to the institution. The bill establishes the right for a person to bring a civil action for a violation of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2025
Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025 This bill adds a new source of revenue for the Crime Victims Fund (CVF). Specifically, the bill requires certain civil monetary penalties collected from settlements and judgments in cases involving fraud and false claims against the federal government to be deposited into the CVF through FY2029. The CVF supports federal, state, and local programs and activities to compensate and assist victims of crimes. Currently, the CVF is funded by deposits from a variety of sources, including federal criminal fines, penalties, and assessments; forfeited bail bonds; and certain other gifts, donations, and bequests.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2025
Stop the Censorship Act This bill limits the federal liability protection afforded to providers and users of interactive computer services (e.g., social media companies) for their efforts to screen and block objectionable content. This liability protection is often referred to as Section 230 protection. Specifically, the bill eliminates the existing liability protection for providers and users that take voluntary, good faith action to screen and block material they deem obscene, lewd, lascivious, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable (or that make available the technical means to screen and block such content). The bill instead provides liability protection to providers and users (1) that take voluntary, good faith action to screen and block unlawful material (or that make available the technical means to do so), or (2) that provide users with the option to screen or block any other material.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2025
No User Fees for Gun Owners Act This bill prohibits a state or local government from imposing any insurance requirement, tax, user fee, or similar charge on the manufacture, import, acquisition, transfer, or continued ownership of a firearm or ammunition. The bill includes an exception for a generally applicable sales tax that is assessed against firearms or ammunition in the same proportion to which the tax applies to other goods or services.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2025
Veterans Access to Direct Primary Care Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to provide veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system with the option to receive primary care services from a non-VA health care provider under a direct primary care service arrangement and pay using a veteran health savings account.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to remove protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Specifically, the bill requires Interior to reissue the final rule titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and published on November 3, 2020. The rule removed the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States, except for the Mexican wolf ( C. l. baileyi ) subspecies, from the endangered and threatened species list. However, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacated the rule on February 10, 2022. As a result, the gray wolf reattained the protection status it had prior to the rule's promulgation. The bill also prohibits the reissuance of the rule from being subject to judicial review.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting persons who are not U.S. citizens, nationals, or lawful permanent residents from voting in elections. Specifically, the joint resolution prohibits such a person from voting in any election for federal, state, tribal, or local office, including offices in the District of Columbia or in any of the territories or possessions of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
Silencers Help Us Save Hearing Act or the SHUSH Act This bill removes silencers from regulation under certain federal statutes governing the sale, transfer, and possession of firearms. Specifically, it removes silencers from the list of firearms subject to regulation (i.e., registration and licensing requirements) under the National Firearms Act (NFA). Additionally, it excludes a muffler or silencer from the list of firearms subject to regulation (e.g., background check requirements) under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). Finally, the bill does the following: preempts state or local laws that tax or regulate firearm silencers, specifies that a person who lawfully acquires or possesses a silencer under provisions of the GCA meets the registration and licensing requirements of the NFA, eliminates mandatory minimum prison terms for a crime of violence or drug trafficking offense in which a defendant uses or carries a firearm equipped with a silencer or muffler, and permits active and retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed silencer.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
No Foreign Persons Administering Our Elections Act This bill prohibits states and local jurisdictions from hiring noncitizens to administer federal elections.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
This bill prohibits a non-U.S. citizen from voting in a District of Columbia (DC) election and repeals relevant provisions of DC law. Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in a federal election; however, in 2022, DC enacted a law allowing noncitizens who meet residency and other requirements to vote in local elections. This bill repeals the DC law, which went into effect on February 23, 2023.