United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2025
Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations Act or the PARTNER Act This bill authorizes the President to extend diplomatic immunities and privileges provided by the International Organizations Immunities Act, including immunity from certain lawsuits and exemption from property taxes, to specified international regional and research organizations. Specifically, the bill authorizes the President to extend these immunities and privileges to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional organization with 10 members including Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam; the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional organization with 18 members including Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea; the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional organization with 15 members and 6 associate members including Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia; and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), an international research organization focused on particle physics. The bill also authorizes the President to extend to the permanent observer mission of the African Union to the United Nations the privileges and immunities provided to permanent missions to the United Nations of member states.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2025
ePermit Act This bill establishes requirements related to digitizing environmental reviews conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) must develop, publish, and iteratively update data standards for the collection and curation of certain data related to environmental reviews. CEQ must also design, test, and build prototype tools for environmental reviews. Additionally, CEQ must publish guidance to assist relevant agencies in implementing such standards as well as certain minimum functional requirements, such as data sharing that enables automated transfer of relevant data among federal agencies. Federal agencies responsible for environmental reviews or authorizations must implement the data standards and such minimum functional requirements. To the maximum extent practicable, CEQ and such agencies must iteratively develop and maintain a unified interagency data system consisting of interconnected federal agency systems and shared services for environmental reviews and authorizations, including a common interactive, digital, cloud-based authorization portal. Within a year, CEQ must oversee a pilot of shared services for environmental reviews and authorizations, including the portal. To the maximum extent practicable, CEQ must develop and implement the unified interagency data system by December 1, 2027.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2025
Federal Maritime Commission Reauthorization Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes the Federal Maritime Commission through FY2029 and expands the commission’s authority to regulate anticompetitive practices within the international ocean transportation system. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of controlled carrier (a category of carriers that are subject to additional regulatory oversight) to include carriers legally or financially related to a corporation based or headquartered in, or otherwise significantly linked to, a nonmarket economy country or a country subject to monitoring by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Additionally, the bill requires the commission to accept and investigate complaints concerning alleged anticompetitive practices by registered shipping exchanges. (A shipping exchange is a data platform that enables businesses shipping goods to connect with carriers to transport those goods.) The bill also requires the commission to report annually on anticompetitive and nonreciprocal trade practices by controlled carriers or marine terminal operators. Further, the bill establishes a National Port Advisory Committee and a National Ocean Carrier Advisory Committee. The committees, together with the existing National Shipper Advisory Committee, are charged with advising the commission on policies relating to competitiveness, reliability, and efficiency in the international ocean freight delivery system. Finally, the bill prohibits the commission from releasing information and documents developed pursuant to an enforcement investigation unless the commission determines that they are relevant to an administrative or judicial proceeding and agrees to release them by a majority vote.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2025
Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act or the PAPA Act of 2025 This bill limits how Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data may be used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other government agencies. The bill also establishes disclosure requirements for certain user fees imposed on general aviation aircraft at public-use airports and limits the purposes for which the fees may be used. As background, ADS-B transmits information (e.g., location and weather information) between aircraft and air traffic control. The bill prohibits a person or government agency from using ADS-B data to identify an aircraft in order to impose a charge on the aircraft owner or operator. The bill also specifies that air traffic controllers may only use ADS-B data to assist in tracking aircraft and improving air traffic safety and efficiency, or for other purposes determined appropriate by the Department of Transportation after notice and public comment. Further, the bill prohibits any federal, state, local, territorial, or tribal official from initiating an investigation (excluding a criminal investigation) of a person based exclusively on ADS-B data. Under current law, this prohibition only applies to the FAA. In addition, owners and operators of public-use airports must publicly disclose financial information about certain expenses and cost estimates for airside safety projects (e.g., runway or taxiway safety improvements) prior to charging landing or takeoff fees for general aviation aircraft (e.g., aircraft used for personal, recreational, or flight training purposes). Further, any revenue from these fees may only be used for airside safety projects.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2025
Highway Funding Flexibility Act of 2025 This bill effectively eliminates the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. Specifically, this bill requires states to use unobligated funds under these Department of Transportation (DOT) programs only for certain non-electric vehicle related projects. As background, on January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy , which directed federal agencies to immediately pause the disbursement of funds for electric vehicle charging stations made available through the NEVI and CFI programs. Under this bill, states may use any of the unobligated funds from these programs for projects that include the construction or rehabilitation of a federal highway, the replacement or rehabilitation of bridges, improvements that reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions (e.g., wildlife crossing structures), or parking for commercial motor vehicles. DOT must apportion any of its unobligated or future fiscal year funds from these programs to the states based on the current methodology for apportioning federal highway funds.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2025
Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 or the CLARITY Act of 2025 This bill establishes a regulatory framework for digital commodities, defined by the bill as digital assets that rely upon a blockchain for their value. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission must generally regulate digital commodities transactions, including digital commodity exchanges, brokers, and dealers. To qualify for trade on an exchange (1) a digital commodity’s blockchain must be mature, or on a blockchain system that has achieved decentralized control as defined by the bill; or (2) the issuer of the digital commodity must file certain reports. The bill establishes requirements for trade monitoring, recordkeeping, and the commingling of customer assets. The bill exempts digital commodities on mature blockchains (and digital commodities on blockchains expected to mature within certain timeframes) from Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration requirements if annual sales fall under a certain amount and other requirements are met. The bill provides the SEC with jurisdiction over digital commodity activities and transactions engaged in by certain brokers and dealers on alternative trading systems and by national securities exchanges. Digital commodity exchanges, brokers, and dealers are subject to the Bank Secrecy Act for anti-money laundering and related purposes. The bill also sets forth requirements for alternative trading systems, previously issued digital commodities, and provisional registration until the bill is implemented. For more information on this bill, see CRS Insight IN12583, Crypto Legislation: An Overview of H.R. 3633, the CLARITY Act .
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2025
Interactive Federal Review Act This bill revises the environmental review process for federal-aid highway projects to encourage the use of certain digital platforms and models. Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must encourage recipients of federal highway funding who are carrying out environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to utilize (1) interactive, digital, cloud-based platforms; and (2) high fidelity, three-dimensional digital models of infrastructure project elements, such as digital twins. DOT must also select at least 10 federal-aid highway projects to demonstrate the use of these platforms and models in carrying out the environmental impact analysis and community engagement processes required under NEPA. Further, DOT must publish technology-neutral best practice guidance to encourage sponsors of projects that receive federal funds from DOT to use these platforms and models in carrying out the environmental impact analysis and community engagement processes required under NEPA.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2025
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards; (2) annually submit to the CMS for publication specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations. The CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology must publish on the CMS' website a report that analyzes the information received from MA plans, the feasibility of implementing real-time decision making with respect to prior authorization requests, and the impact of decisions that are made using artificial intelligence on patient access.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2025
Healthy Dog Importation Act This bill expands Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements for the importation of live dogs. Prior to a dog's arrival into the United States, USDA must receive electronic documentation about the dog's health. The documentation must demonstrate that the dog (1) is in good health; (2) has received all necessary vaccinations and parasite treatments and demonstrated negative test results as evidenced by a certificate from a licensed veterinarian; and (3) is officially identified by a permanent method approved by USDA. Additionally, a dog entering the United States for transfer (e.g., for sale, adoption, exchange, or donation) must be at least six months old and accompanied by a USDA permit. USDA must promulgate regulations to, among other things, deny entry of any dog in violation of the new requirements, require USDA to maintain a centralized database of imported dogs, and establish fees for verifying required documentation and issuing transfer permits. USDA must provide an exception to any requirements under the bill for dogs that are transferred as a personal pet of U.S. origin returning to the United States; as a U.S. military working dog; for research purposes; for veterinary treatment under certain conditions, including appropriate quarantining; or for lawful importation into the state of Hawaii (from the British Isles, Australia, Guam, or New Zealand) if the dog is less than six months old and is not transported out of Hawaii for transfer at less than six months old. USDA also has enforcement authority under the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2025
American Ownership and Resilience Act This bill creates an investment facility to support the conversion of private businesses into employee-owned businesses. Specifically, the Department of Commerce must establish an investment facility that provides leverage to ownership investment companies (OICs) licensed by Commerce. Under the bill, OICs manage capital for the purpose of financing the sale of a private business to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) or eligible worker-owned cooperative, have the authority to borrow money and issue securities or other obligations to finance the sale, and have the full faith and credit of the United States to guarantee the payment of all such amounts. In a sale to an ESOP, an independent trustee must be appointed to obtain a fairness opinion on the investment from an independent financial advisor. New OICs may be mentored by other OICs through the Protégé OIC program established by the bill. The bill also establishes private capital requirements, third-party debt limitations, and enforcement provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2025
Protecting America's Property Rights Act This bill directs the government-sponsored enterprises—Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—to establish standards for the use of products such as title insurance. (The enterprises facilitate liquidity in the mortgage market by purchasing mortgages and issuing mortgage-backed securities.) Specifically, the enterprises must establish regulations or guidelines for risk management related to loss or damage from liens upon, encumbrances on, or defects in the title to property, or the invalidity or unenforceability of any liens or encumbrances on property by using third party products subject to state regulation. Further, the enterprises must hold an additional 1% of the unpaid principal of any mortgage that does not meet the above regulations or guidelines as part of each enterprise’s minimum capital levels.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2025
This resolution expresses support for the designation of a Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. It also recognizes the contribution of motorcycles to transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2025
Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act This bill provides for permanent coverage under Medicare of certain pharmacist services. Specifically, the bill provides for permanent coverage of testing and treatment services provided by pharmacists relating to (1) COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat); and (2) other public health needs in relation to a declared public health emergency. (Similar authorities were temporarily granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency.) Such services must be provided in accordance with the applicable state laws governing pharmacists' scope of practice.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2025
Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act This bill limits the circumstances in which credit reporting agencies may provide consumer credit reports to third parties in connection with residential mortgage transactions. Specifically, the bill prohibits a credit reporting agency from providing a consumer's credit report to a third party in connection with a residential mortgage transaction unless the transaction consists of a firm offer of credit or insurance and (1) the third party provides documentation certifying that it has the consumer's consent; or (2) the third party has originated a mortgage on behalf of the consumer, is a current mortgage loan servicer to the consumer, or has a current specified banking relationship with the consumer. These provisions take effect 180 days after the bill's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2025
Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 This bill expands federal enforcement of criminal offenses related to organized retail and supply chain crime. The term organized retail and supply chain crime includes criminal offenses involving the interstate transportation of stolen property, the sale or receipt of stolen goods, or theft from an interstate or foreign shipment that is committed by, in coordination with, or at the instruction of an organization. First, with respect to criminal offenses involving the interstate transportation of stolen property or the sale or receipt of stolen goods, the bill broadens the scope of conduct that qualifies as offenses by allowing prosecutions to be based on the aggregate value of stolen items over a 12-month period. Additionally, the bill makes the offenses predicate offenses (i.e., underlying offenses) for prosecutions under the federal money laundering statute and authorizes the criminal forfeiture of any property obtained from the proceeds of an offense. Second, with respect to criminal offenses involving theft from an interstate or foreign shipment, the bill also makes an offense an underlying offense for prosecution under the federal money laundering statute and authorizes the criminal forfeiture of any associated property. Third, the bill expands the federal money laundering statute to include offenses involving general-use prepaid cards, gift certificates, or store gift cards. Finally, the bill temporarily establishes a center within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate federal law enforcement activities related to organized retail and supply chain crime.
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 · 1 April 2025
Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025 This bill establishes freedom of association protections for college students in single-sex social organizations. Specifically, the bill gives students (or groups of students) enrolled at institutions of higher education (IHEs) the right to form or join social organizations, including single-sex social organizations. Additionally, the bill prohibits IHEs that participate in federal student aid programs from taking adverse actions against single-sex social organizations or students who are members or prospective members of such organizations based solely on the practice of limiting membership to only individuals of one sex; taking actions that require or coerce members or prospective members of such organizations to waive protections provided under the bill, including as a condition of enrolling in the IHE; or imposing a recruitment restriction on a single-sex social organization that is not imposed upon other student organizations, unless the organization and IHE have entered into a written agreement allowing the restriction.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2025
Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields Act of 2025 or the SAFETY Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to secure foreign markets for goods using common names. In general, the bill defines common name as a name that (1) is ordinarily or customarily used for an agricultural commodity or food product, (2) is typically placed on the packaging and product label of the agricultural commodity or food product, and (3) the use of which is consistent with standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The bill includes a list of names that will be considered common names for (1) food products (e.g., basmati, bratwurst, and parmesan); (2) wine, including grape varietal terms, grape variety designations, and non-varietal descriptors such as chateau and vintage; and (3) beer (e.g., bitter, pale ale, and hefeweizen). Specifically, USDA must coordinate efforts with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to secure the right of U.S. agricultural producers, processors, and exporters to use common names for agricultural commodities or food products in foreign markets. Through the negotiation of bilateral, plurilateral, or multilateral agreements, memoranda of understanding, or exchanges of letters, USDA and the USTR must assure the current and future use of each common name in connection with U.S. agricultural commodities or food products. USDA and the USTR must jointly brief Congress on these efforts on a semi-annual basis.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2025
Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a dairy nutrition incentive program to develop and test methods to increase the purchase and consumption of dairy under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Specifically, the program must provide an incentive to SNAP benefit recipients for the purchase of naturally nutrient-rich dairy, which the bill defines to include fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese made from cow's milk. To carry out the program, USDA must enter into cooperative agreements with, or provide competitive grants to, state or local governments and nonprofit organizations for projects. The bill provides funding for the program for each fiscal year. USDA must provide for an independent evaluation of each project that measures, to the maximum extent practicable, the effect of incentives on purchases of naturally nutrient-rich dairy by SNAP recipients. Projects currently carried out by the USDA Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) program must be transitioned to the new dairy nutrition incentive program; the bill repeals the HFMI program one year after USDA certifies that the transition is complete.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2025
Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development Act of 2025 or the Innovative FEED Act of 2025 This bill provides for the regulation of zootechnical animal food substances as food additives. The bill defines zootechnical animal food substance as a substance that is added to the food or drinking water of animals and that affects only the animal's gastrointestinal tract, with the intended purpose of affecting the byproducts of the animal's digestion, reducing foodborne pathogens, or altering the animal's gastrointestinal biome. The definition does not include substances that are used to treat or prevent diseases in animals, hormones, or active ingredients of animal drugs. Labels for zootechnical animal food substances must include a disclaimer that the substance may not be used to treat or prevent diseases in animals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2025
This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that Congress and the Administration must work together to pursue effective food and agricultural trade policies that include specified components. Among others, these components include (1) a renewed commitment to secure market access and maintain global competitiveness for the U.S. food and agriculture industries; and (2) consideration of comprehensive trade agreements, enforcement of existing trade agreements, and elimination of certain nontariff trade barriers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2025
Lowering Egg Prices Act of 2025 This bill permits unrefrigerated surplus eggs originally intended for hatching to be repurposed for use in pasteurized liquid egg products intended for consumption. Under current regulations, most eggs intended for consumption must be refrigerated within 36 hours of being laid. The bill would exempt from this requirement surplus broiler hatching eggs (eggs originally intended to be hatched and raised for meat) that are repurposed for sale to an egg breaker (a facility that sells liquid egg to food manufacturers). (Broiler hatching eggs are generally held at a warmer temperature than other eggs in order to facilitate incubation. Because these eggs are not refrigerated, current regulations prohibit the sale of any surplus broiler hatching eggs to egg breakers for use in liquid egg products. Liquid egg products distributed for consumption are separately required under current law to be pasteurized, or treated to destroy bacteria.) The bill also requires the Food and Drug Administration to revise the refrigeration requirement to permit surplus broiler hatching eggs held at temperatures suitable for hatching chicks to be sold to egg breakers for processing as liquid egg products.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2025
Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025 This bill sets forth requirements for the processing of a proposed residential leasehold mortgage, business leasehold mortgage, land mortgage, or right-of-way document by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA must notify lenders upon receipt of such documentation, perform a preliminary review of such documents not later than 10 days after receipt, and approve or disapprove of such documents within 20 or 30 days, depending on the type of application. Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements for the BIA regarding (1) response times for the completion of certified title status reports, (2) notification of delays in processing, and (3) the form of notices and delivery of certain reports. The bill also provides relevant federal agencies and Indian tribes with read-only access to the Trust Asset and Accounting Management System maintained by the BIA. The Government Accountability Office must report on digitizing documents for the purpose of streamlining and expediting the completion of mortgage packages for residential mortgages on Indian land. Finally, the bill establishes within the BIA's Division of Real Estate Services the position of Realty Ombudsman.
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.
