United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2025
Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-wheelers Act or the DRIVE Act This bill prohibits the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from issuing any rule or regulation to require vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds and are operating in interstate commerce to be equipped with a speed limiting device set to a maximum speed. The FMCSA issued an advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking on this subject on May 4, 2022.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2025
Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act of 2025 This bill places restrictions on the purchase of certain property by a foreign person (e.g., an individual or entity) who is owned or controlled by, is acting for or on behalf of, or receives subsidies from Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea. Specifically, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) must review a purchase or lease by, or a concession to, any such foreign person of private or public real estate in the United States that is within (1) 100 miles of a military installation; or (2) 50 miles of a military training route, special use airspace, a controlled firing area, or a military operations area. Further, the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation may not issue final determinations regarding specified projects (e.g., energy projects) that involve a transaction under review by CFIUS until CFIUS concludes its action.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2025
Nuclear Family Priority Act This bill imposes limits on various types of family-sponsored immigration visas. The non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) parents of U.S. citizens shall not qualify for visas for immediate relatives, which are not subject to any direct numerical limits. Currently, the spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of citizens are considered immediate relatives. The bill also creates a nonimmigrant visa for such parents of citizens. Such non-U.S. nationals shall not be eligible for employment or any public benefits. The bill also reduces the baseline annual cap for family-sponsored visas from 480,000 to 88,000, and revises the methods for calculating the cap. Currently, the 480,000 cap may be adjusted depending on various factors but shall not be less than 226,000. The bill eliminates preference allocations (visa categories subject to various annual caps) for various family-sponsored visas, including those for the siblings and married children of citizens. The bill provides for a preference allocation for the unmarried children under 21 and spouses of permanent residents, subject to the 88,000 annual cap.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2025
Crime Doesn't Fly Act of 2025 This bill prohibits the use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement warrants for the arrest, removal, or deportation of a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) as proof of identity at an airport security checkpoint unless the non-U.S. national is being removed from the United States pursuant to immigration laws.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2025
Stop Importing Terrorism Act This bill tightens U.S. admission restrictions on a spouse or child of certain individuals barred from the United States due to terrorist activity and makes deportable certain previously admitted individuals. Under current law, the spouse or child of an individual who is inadmissible to the United States due to terrorist activity is barred from admission to the United States if the terrorist activity occurred within the last five years. However, there is an exception that applies to a spouse or child of such an individual (1) who did not know or should not have reasonably known of the terrorist activity, or (2) whom the consular officer or the Department of Justice has reasonable grounds to believe has renounced such activity. The bill repeals this exception. The bill also deems deportable any individual admitted under this exception on or after January 20, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2025
SNAP Reform and Upward Mobility Act of 2025 This bill amends how U.S. poverty levels are determined and modifies Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and enforcement provisions. The Bureau of the Census must (1) collect specified data regarding the receipt of federal benefits and individual income, and (2) use the data to provide an alternative poverty measure. The bill also establishes a commission to recommend the valuation of specific federal benefits for the purpose of estimating the Federal Poverty Level. The bill also expands the applicability of the general work requirements for SNAP recipients to include those who are ages 16-64 (currently 16-59) with exemptions. This bill also expands the applicability of the work requirements for SNAP recipients who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) to include those who are ages 18-64 (currently 18-55). In general, ABAWDs have work requirements in addition to the general SNAP work-related requirements and are limited to receiving 3 months of SNAP benefits in a 36-month period, unless the additional work-related requirements are met. Further, the bill allows married individuals with a dependent over the age of six to jointly fulfill hour-based work requirements. Additional changes to SNAP include requiring states participating in SNAP to contribute specified matching funds, beginning at 10% for FY2025 and increasing annually until the matching requirement reaches 50% for FY2033 and each subsequent fiscal year; requiring SNAP beneficiaries to participate in fraud investigations; and establishing penalties (e.g., benefit suspensions) for unauthorized uses of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2025
American Students First Act This bill bars federal financial assistance from going to state public institutions of higher education if the institution offers certain benefits to non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who are not lawfully present in the United States. Specifically, these institutions may not offer these individuals (1) tuition rates that are lower than or equal to rates for in-state residents who are U.S. citizens, or (2) state-based financial aid.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2025
Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2025 This bill eliminates the Optional Practical Training Program or any successor program, unless Congress expressly authorizes such a program. (The program provides an F-1 student visa holder temporary employment authorization before or after completion of the student's studies, or both.)
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2025
Land And National Defense Act or the LAND Act This bill requires that a foreign purchaser of agricultural land be subject to (1) the same restrictions and limitations as a U.S. citizen or national would be subject to when purchasing agricultural land in the foreign purchaser's home country, and (2) any restrictions and limitations that apply under state law with respect to the purchase. The bill applies to all foreign purchasers, including U.S. citizens who are also a citizen of one or more other countries (e.g., a dual citizen). For a foreign company purchasing agricultural land, a country is treated as the company's home country if (1) it has the most restrictive laws with respect to the purchasing of agricultural land, and (2) the citizens of the country hold at least 5% of the company. The seller of the agricultural land to a foreign purchaser must report the sale to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Further, USDA must notify certain Members of Congress of the sale, including (1) the Senators from the state in which the agricultural land is located, and (2) the Representative from the congressional district where the land is located. In addition, the bill establishes the U.S. Land Protection Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of Agriculture, to identify violations of these restrictions on foreign agricultural land purchasers. The task force must submit a report to Congress every six months, which must include specific information on the sale of agricultural land to foreign purchasers.
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
Voting Only Through English Act or the VOTE Act This bill requires states to use English-only ballots to qualify for certain federal election funds. It also repeals a prohibition on English-only federal elections and eliminates language assistance provisions under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). (The VRA requires some jurisdictions to provide materials such as ballots and registration information in English and in other covered languages for voters whose English proficiency is limited. The bill removes these requirements.) Specifically, the bill prohibits a state from receiving federal election administration funds if the state provides ballots for a federal election that include text in any language other than English.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2025
Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026 This bill makes certain acts related to public benefits fraud grounds for (1) barring a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) from admission into the United States, or (2) deporting the individual. The bill also makes such an individual ineligible for immigration enforcement relief, including relief for an individual in danger of subjection to torture. Specifically, this bill applies to individuals who have been convicted of, admit to having committed, or admit to acts which constitute certain offenses. Offenses covered by this bill include (1) fraud involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, (2) fraud involving Social Security benefits, (3) fraud involving programs that receive federal funds, and (4) the production of fraudulent identification documents.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2025
Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act This bill prohibits a Federal Reserve bank from offering products or services directly to an individual, maintaining an account on behalf of an individual, or issuing a central bank digital currency (i.e., a digital dollar). Further, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is prohibited from using a central bank digital currency to implement monetary policy or from testing, studying, creating, or implementing a central bank digital currency, with exceptions as provided by the bill.
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
Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information from federal agencies and report to Congress regarding projects that are behind schedule or have expenditures that have exceeded the original cost estimate. Specifically, the bill requires OMB to issue guidance directing federal agencies to annually submit specified information to OMB regarding certain federally funded projects that (1) are more than five years behind schedule, or (2) have expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost estimate for the project. Among other information, the agencies must submit to OMB a description of each project; an explanation of any change to the original scope of the project; the original and current expected dates for the completion of the project; the original and current cost estimates adjusted for inflation; an explanation for any delays in completing the project or increases in the cost; and the amount of and rationale for any award, incentive fee, or other type of bonus awarded for the project. The bill also requires OMB to submit an annual report to Congress containing the information submitted by the agencies and post the report on the OMB website.
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 · 26 February 2025
Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net Act or the SCREEN Act This bill establishes age-verification requirements for commercial interactive computer services (e.g., websites) that make available content that is harmful to minors (e.g., content that appeals to the prurient interest in nudity or sex, is obscene, or is child pornography). Specifically, the bill requires such services to adopt and utilize technology verification measures to ensure that (1) users of the service are not minors, and (2) minors are prevented from accessing any content on the service that is harmful to minors. Additionally, such services must (1) use the technology to verify a user's age; (2) publish the verification process that the service uses; and (3) subject users' Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, including known virtual proxy network (VPN) IP addresses, to the technology verification measures, unless the service determines a user is not located within the United States. Covered services also must implement data security measures to protect information about individuals collected through the verification process. The Federal Trade Commission must conduct regular audits of such services, issue guidance, and otherwise enforce the requirements of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2025
Dismantling Investments in Violation of Ethical Standards through Trusts Act This bill prohibits a senior federal employee or an employee's spouse or dependent children from holding, purchasing, or selling certain financial instruments during the employee's term of service. (A senior federal employee is defined as any individual occupying a Senior Executive Service position.) Financial instruments covered by this prohibition include any investments in securities, security futures, commodities, or comparable economic interests acquired through synthetic means such as the use of derivatives. The prohibition does not apply to such instruments if they are held in a qualified blind trust or fall below certain value thresholds. Additionally, the prohibition does not apply to diversified mutual funds, diversified exchange-traded funds, specified Treasury debt securities, or compensation from the primary occupation of a spouse or child. The bill provides a 180-day window for individuals affected by the bill to sell any prohibited financial instruments. Any profit made in violation of the prohibition must be disgorged (given) to the Treasury and may subject the individual to a civil fine assessed by the supervising ethics office. A loss from a transaction or holding conducted in violation of this bill may not be deducted from the amount of income tax owed by the applicable senior federal employee, spouse, or dependent child. The bill requires each senior federal employee to annually certify compliance, including the compliance of the employee's spouse and dependent children. The Government Accountability Office must conduct a compliance audit.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2025
Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act of 2025 This bill creates a trust account, funds the account, and establishes a distribution process to settle certain claims between the federal government and the Quapaw Nation (a tribe in Oklahoma). Specifically, the bill establishes the Quapaw Bear Settlement Trust Account and directs the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Trust Funds Administration to administer all funds appropriated to the trust account. Interior must make payments to the tribe and individual members of the tribe in accordance with the January 2020 recommendation of the review panel of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The bill outlines the distribution process for the settlement funds in the trust account.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2025
Disengaging Entirely From the United Nations Debacle Act of 2025 or the DEFUND Act of 2025 This bill directs the President to terminate U.S. membership in the United Nations (U.N.) and all formally affiliated bodies. It also ends U.S. participation in all U.N. conventions and agreements. Funds may be appropriated to facilitate U.S. withdrawal from the U.N. No funds may be made available for contributions or payments to any U.N. body. The bill prohibits U.S. participation in any U.N. peacekeeping operation. The bill also repeals diplomatic immunity for officers and employees of the U.N. and for officers and employees of foreign government missions to the U.N. The bill repeals various acts related to the U.N., including the United Nations Participation Act of 1945, the United Nations Headquarters Agreement Act, and a joint resolution establishing U.S. membership in the World Health Organization. The United States may not rejoin the U.N. or any formally affiliated body without the advice and consent of the Senate. Any agreement to rejoin the U.N. or a formally affiliated body must include the right of the United States to withdraw from the agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2025
Ending the Cycle of Dependency Act of 2025 This bill establishes work requirements for adults ages 19 to 59 under Medicaid. It also extends work requirements to additional individuals under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Specifically, the bill prohibits federal Medicaid payment for adults ages 19 to 59 unless these individuals (1) work at least 80 hours per month or have a monthly income that is at least equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 80 hours, (2) participate in a work program for at least 80 hours per month, (3) engage in community service for at least 80 hours per month, or (4) participate in a combination of the aforementioned activities for at least 80 hours per month. States may choose to disenroll individuals from Medicaid if they do not meet these requirements. The bill excludes certain individuals from these requirements, including those with disabilities, who care for children under the age of six, or who are enrolled in an educational program at least half-time. The bill also modifies work requirements under SNAP so as to require individuals ages 56 to 60, those with children ages 6 and older, homeless individuals, and certain former foster youth to meet the work requirements for SNAP (these individuals are currently exempt from work requirements). Additionally, states may no longer request to waive work requirements for individuals in areas with high unemployment rates or that lack a sufficient number of available jobs.
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 · 14 February 2025
Unobligated Spending Adjustment to Focus Investment on Relief and Support for Taxpayers Act or the USA FIRST Act This bill transfers unobligated funds previously appropriated to the U.S. Agency for International Development to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) for general disaster relief for major disasters declared by the President. The DRF is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the activities it funds pursuant to major disaster declarations include domestic disaster response, recovery, and mitigation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2025
This concurrent resolution declares that Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.