United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2025
Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act This bill includes combatting the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) as a Department of Agriculture (USDA) high-priority research and extension area and reauthorizes other USDA research and extension initiatives. The bill specifically allows grants for developing and disseminating research-based tools and treatments to combat the spotted lanternfly, which is an invasive species native to Asia that feeds on a wide range of crops and plants (e.g., grapes, apples, hops, walnuts, and hardwood trees). Further, the bill reauthorizes USDA grants to support competitive specialized research and extension activities, including high-priority areas, through FY2030. The bill also specifically reauthorizes through FY2030 the Pulse Crop Health Initiative; the Comprehensive Food Safety Training Network; pollinator protection research and extension grants; increased USDA capacity and infrastructure to address and conduct research on colony collapse disorder and other pollinator issues; and a USDA-conducted nationwide honey bee pest, pathogen, health, and population status surveillance program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2025
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2026-FY2032; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. Additionally, one-third of the positions that are made available under the bill must be allocated to hospitals that are already operating above applicable resident limits. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2025
Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to institutions of higher education that sponsor construction and manufacturing-oriented registered apprenticeship programs for (1) expanding or supporting outreach to high schools, local businesses, local workforce development boards, and apprenticeship intermediaries; and (2) providing advising and support services to students who are enrolled in these apprenticeship programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2025
Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act of 2025 This bill removes the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services under Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2025
Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to use a competitive hiring process to select an assistant administrator for the Office of Rural Affairs. The assistant administrator must have experience (1) with rural affairs and issues relating to small businesses, and (2) providing development assistance to rural small businesses. Additionally, the bill requires the office to host webinars and regional outreach events for rural small businesses. The SBA must report annually about the office's activities.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2025
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities for All Act of 2025 This bill changes grants historically provided under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program from competitive grants to noncompetitive formula grants allocated to each eligible state. These grants fund activities that reduce risk from natural hazards. The bill also provides eligibility for projects to receive grant funds from two different mitigation programs. Under current law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may provide BRIC grants to states and Indian tribal governments through a competitive application process. The bill requires FEMA to instead allocate such grants based on a specified formula which distributes funding to each eligible state while giving certain preference proportionally to states with higher populations and states with the most vulnerability of critical infrastructure to natural hazards. States must distribute at least 50% of the grant funds to local governments carrying out mitigation projects. The bill also specifies a minimum for the amount to be provided to tribes. To be eligible to receive a formula grant under the bill, a state must annually recommend to FEMA specific predisaster mitigation projects. States generally may only use the grants for projects they recommended. Additionally, under current law, a project is not eligible to receive funds from two different FEMA grant programs for the same purpose. The bill prohibits FEMA from considering a project’s receipt of BRIC (or other predisaster mitigation) grant funding in determining such project’s eligibility to receive funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and vice versa.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2025
This bill reauthorizes and revises programs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that support services and education addressing breast and cervical cancer. The bill reauthorizes through FY2030 and makes changes to the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. This program provides grants to states for breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment services for individuals who have low incomes, are uninsured, or otherwise lack access to such services. The bill increases flexibility in how states may spend grant funds under the program. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on the work of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, including the number of individuals served and barriers to accessing screenings. Also, the bill reauthorizes through FY2031 CDC programs relating to young women’s awareness of breast health and breast cancer. These programs include campaigns to educate young women and health care professionals, research on preventing breast cancer in younger women, and grants for resources and services to young women diagnosed with breast cancer and precancerous conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2025
Uncheck the Box Act This bill places restrictions on recurring political contributions or donations. Specifically, the bill prohibits any person from soliciting a recurring contribution or donation for a political committee, an independent expenditure, or an electioneering communication by any method that does not require the affirmative consent of the contributor or donor. In addition, the bill prohibits a political committee, a person funding an independent expenditure, or a person funding an electioneering communication from accepting a recurring contribution or donation unless the contributor or donor gave affirmative consent. This affirmative consent cannot be a passive action by the contributor or donor, such as failing to uncheck a prechecked box. Further, any person who accepts a recurring contribution or donation must (1) provide a receipt for the initial contribution or donation and for each recurrence that clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms, (2) provide all information needed to cancel the recurring contribution or donation in each communication with the contributor or donor, and (3) immediately cancel recurring contributions or donations upon request of the contributor or donor.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2025
Securing Global Telecommunications Act This bill requires the Department of State to develop and submit to Congress a strategy to promote the use of secure telecommunication infrastructure in countries other than the United States. The State Department must also report to Congress on (1) efforts by China and Russia to advance authoritarian interests or oppose fair, industry-led processes at the International Telecommunication Union, the U.N. agency involved with setting telecommunications standards and related regulatory activities; and (2) opportunities for greater collaboration with allies and partners to promote secure information and communications technology infrastructure in countries other than the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2025
Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream Act of 2025 or as the DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025 This bill addresses various immigration-related issues, including by requiring higher pay for U.S. Border Patrol agents, deferring the removal of eligible individuals without lawful immigration status, and implementing a mandatory electronic employment eligibility verification system patterned off the E-Verify system. The bill establishes several programs for individuals present in the United States without lawful status, including a path to lawful permanent resident status for qualified individuals, including those with deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) status. In addition, the bill establishes the Dignity Program, which defers the removal of eligible individuals without lawful immigration status on a seven-year, renewable basis, provided individuals meet employment or education requirements, pay restitution, and satisfy other conditions. The bill also makes various changes to penalties and processes applicable to individuals entering the United States, for example by increasing the maximum criminal penalty for individuals previously removed or denied admission to the United States who attempt to reenter, authorizing the use of DNA testing to verify family relationships of immigrants, and establishing campuses at the border to process asylees. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must create, and U.S. employers must use, a nationwide electronic employment eligibility verification system. Furthermore, DHS may grant relatives of U.S. citizens relief from removal. The bill also increases the per country percentage ceiling for family-sponsored and employment-based visas.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2025
This bill reauthorizes through FY2030 activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address vector-borne diseases (e.g., diseases spread by bites from ticks or mosquitoes). These activities include (1) a national strategy, (2) grants for regional centers of excellence, and (3) cooperative agreements with state, local, and tribal health departments to increase capacity for preventing and responding to vector-borne diseases.
![Official portrait of Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_pa_1_fitzpatrick_brian_200.jpg)