United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2025
Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act of 2025 This bill increases the above-the-line tax deduction for unreimbursed expenses incurred by an eligible educator for classroom supplies and certain professional development courses. (Above-the-line deductions are subtracted from gross income to calculate adjusted gross income.) Under current law, an eligible educator may deduct up to $300 in 2025 (adjusted annually for inflation) for unreimbursed expenses for classroom supplies and certain professional development courses. An eligible educator is defined as a kindergarten through grade 12 teacher, instructor, counselor, principal, or aide who works at least 900 hours during a school year in a school that provides elementary or secondary education. Under the bill, an eligible educator may deduct up to $1,000 in 2026 for unreimbursed expenses for classroom supplies and certain professional development. For tax years after 2026, the $1,000 limit on the tax deduction is adjusted annually for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2025
This resolution condemns Azerbaijan for its treatment of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, practice of wrongful detention, and suppression of academic freedom. The resolution also calls for Dr. Ibadoghlu's immediate and unconditional release and for the Department of State to prioritize his well-being and release in all engagements with Azerbaijan.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2025
Love Lives On Act of 2025 This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans. The bill provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation or special pension benefits to such spouse. Additionally, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries. The bill also expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2025
AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a rule requiring AM radio capabilities to be standard in all new passenger vehicles. (AM radio is often used to deliver emergency alerts and news and entertainment programming; some newer vehicles do not include AM equipment.) Specifically, this bill applies to passenger vehicles (1) manufactured in the United States for sale in the United States, imported into the United States, or shipped in interstate commerce; and (2) manufactured after the rule's effective date. The rule must require all such vehicles to have devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM stations or digital audio AM stations installed as standard equipment and made easily accessible to drivers. Prior to the rule's effective date, manufacturers that do not include devices that can access AM radio as standard equipment (1) must inform purchasers of this fact through clear and conspicuous labeling, and (2) may not charge an additional or separate fee for AM radio access. DOT may assess civil penalties for any violation of the rule. The Department of Justice may also bring a civil action to enjoin a violation. The rule, including DOT’s authority to enforce it, must expire 10 years after the bill’s enactment. Further, the Government Accountability Office must study and report on the dissemination of emergency alerts to the public, including by conducting an assessment of AM radio relative to other Integrated Public Alert and Warning System communication technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2025
Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025 This bill allows 403(b) retirement plans (i.e., retirement plans designed for certain employees of public schools, charities, and churches) to invest in collective investment trusts, which are a group of pooled investment assets held by a bank or trust company, and in insurance company separate accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2025
Quashing Unwanted and Interruptive Electronic Telecommunications Act or the QUIET Act This bill establishes a disclosure requirement for robocalls that use artificial intelligence (AI) to emulate a human being and increases forfeiture and fine amounts for certain violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). (The TCPA prohibits certain telemarketing calls made without the recipient’s consent and using specified automated technologies.) Specifically, any robocall that uses AI to emulate a human being must include a disclosure at the beginning of the message indicating that AI is being used. Under the bill, robocalls are defined as calls made or text messages sent (1) using automatic dialing technology, or (2) using an artificially generated message or an artificial or prerecorded voice. Calls or texts that are made or sent using equipment that requires substantial human intervention are excluded. Further, the bill doubles the maximum forfeiture penalty and criminal fine that may be imposed for certain violations of the TCPA involving the use of AI to impersonate an individual or entity with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value. This provision applies to violations that occur after the bill’s enactment.
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
Access to Counsel Act This bill provides various protections for covered individuals subject to secondary or deferred inspections when seeking admission into the United States. Covered individuals include U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) in possession of a visa, returning asylees, and refugees. The Department of Homeland Security must ensure that a covered individual subject to secondary or deferred inspection has a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel and certain related parties, such as a relative, within an hour of the start of the secondary inspection and as necessary during the inspection process. The counsel and related party must be allowed to advocate on behalf of the covered individual, including by providing evidence and information to the examining immigration officer. A lawful permanent resident subject to secondary or deferred inspection may not abandon lawful permanent resident status until the individual has had a meaningful opportunity to seek advice from counsel, unless the individual voluntarily and knowingly waives in writing this opportunity to seek counsel's advice.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2025
This resolution condemns Russia's nuclear escalatory rhetoric and implied threats on the potential use of nuclear weapons in the context of its invasion of Ukraine. The resolution also (1) condemns Russia's purported suspension of participation in the New START Treaty, (2) emphasizes the value of arms control agreements between the United States and Russia, and (3) calls on the administration to continue pursuing nuclear arms control and risk reduction with Russia and China.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2025
Protect Our Clothes from PFAS Act This bill revises requirements for a garment to be considered water resistant under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). The HTS sets out the tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the United States. Currently, garments that are classified under specified subheadings under chapter 62 of the HTS (e.g., water resistant trousers) must have a water resistance such that, under a head pressure of 600 millimeters, not more than 1.0 gram of water penetrates after two minutes when tested in accordance with a specified test method. Further, the water resistance must be the result of a rubber or plastics application to the outer shell, lining, or inner lining. This bill removes the requirement that the water resistance must be the result of a rubber or plastics application to the outer shell, lining, or inner lining.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act This bill allows, beginning in 2028, for Medicare coverage and payment for multi-cancer early detection screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that are used to screen for cancer across many cancer types, if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determines such coverage is appropriate. Coverage is limited to those under a certain age (age 68 in 2028, increased by one year every year thereafter) and to one test every 11 months.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
TSA Commuting Fairness Act This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to submit to Congress a study on the feasibility of treating as on-duty hours the time TSA employees working at airport locations spend traveling between regular duty locations, airport parking lots, and bus and transit stops.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
Keep Our Promise to America's Children and Teachers Act or the Keep Our PACT Act This bill provides funding through FY2035 for grant programs operated by local educational agencies to provide supplementary educational and related services to low-achieving students and other students who attend elementary and secondary schools with relatively high concentrations of students from low-income families. Additionally, the bill permanently reauthorizes the grant program to assist states and outlying areas in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities. The amounts provided by the bill are designated as an emergency requirement for the purposes of Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rules and other budget enforcement procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2025
Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025 This bill increases certain payment adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule for services furnished between April 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2025
Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act This bill permanently allows services relating to cardiac rehabilitation programs, intensive cardiac rehabilitation programs, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs to be furnished via telehealth at a beneficiary's home under Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2025
Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act This bill directs the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to study and report on Holocaust education efforts in states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and public elementary and secondary schools. Among other elements, the study must (1) determine whether states and LEAs require Holocaust education as part of the curriculum taught in public elementary and secondary schools, (2) identify the standards and requirements relating to Holocaust education, and (3) identify the types of instructional material used to teach students about the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2025
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should ensure that the U.S. Postal Service is not privatized and remains an independent establishment of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2025
Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act This bill establishes that a foreign nongovernmental organization shall not be disqualified from receiving certain U.S. international development assistance solely because the organization provides medical services (including counseling and referral services) using non-U.S. government funds if the medical services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided. Such foreign organizations shall not be subject to requirements relating to their use of non-U.S. funds for advocacy or lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2025
This resolution condemns the Belarusian presidential election of January 26, 2025, as neither free nor fair and calls on the Lukashenka regime to hold free and fair elections with credible international monitoring. The resolution also condemns the Lukashenka regime's (1) repression of the Belarusian democratic opposition, (2) support for Russia's war against Ukraine, and (3) complicity in the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children from Ukraine. The resolution supports additional sanctions against the regime and calls for continued support to the Belarusian democratic opposition.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2025
Charitable Act This bill allows an individual taxpayer who does not itemize their tax deductions to claim a tax deduction for charitable contributions and eliminates the tax penalty for overstating charitable contributions. (Some limitations apply). Under the bill, for tax years beginning in 2026 or 2027, an individual taxpayer who does not itemize their tax deductions may deduct charitable contributions of up to one-third of the standard deduction allowed to such individual. (Under current law, an individual taxpayer generally must itemize their tax deductions to deduct charitable contributions.) The bill also eliminates the tax penalty for an underpayment of taxes attributable to overstated charitable contributions by taxpayers who do not itemize deductions. (Under current law, taxpayers who claim a deduction under this bill may be assessed a tax penalty in the amount of 50% of the portion of an understatement of tax liability attributable to overstated charitable contributions.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2025
Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2025 This bill prohibits using federal funds to conduct a first-use nuclear strike unless Congress expressly authorizes such a strike pursuant to a declaration of war. A first-use nuclear strike is an attack using nuclear weapons against an enemy without confirming that there has been a nuclear strike against the United States, its territories, or its allies.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2025
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025 This bill extends through FY2030 and modifies the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act to address algal blooms and hypoxia (deficiency of oxygen) in U.S. marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. Harmful algal blooms are high concentrations of algae that may create nuisance or toxic conditions that are harmful to humans, animals, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy. The bill directs the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia to submit to Congress an action strategy for harmful algal blooms at least once every five years. The bill also expands the task force's membership to include the Department of Energy. The bill also expands the duties of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the National Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia program. NOAA must also carry out a variety of activities related to monitoring, predicting, preventing, mitigating, and responding to marine, coastal, and Great Lakes harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events. For example, NOAA must establish (1) a national network of observing systems for monitoring, detecting, and forecasting harmful algal blooms; and (2) a national-level incubator program to increase the number of strategies, technologies, and measures available to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency must develop and enhance operational freshwater harmful algal bloom monitoring, observing, and forecasting programs in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs and carry out other activities related to researching freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2025
Honor Our Living Donors Act This bill modifies certain criteria used to determine eligibility under the Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program, which reimburses organ donors for certain incidental expenses related to organ donation (e.g., travel expenses). The bill specifies that the organ recipient's income may not be considered in determining whether an organ donor may be reimbursed under the program. (Currently, an organ recipient's income may not be greater than 350% of the federal poverty guidelines.) Additionally, under the bill, organ donors may be reimbursed regardless of whether the organ recipient pays them (or could be expected to pay them) for their expenses. The Department of Health and Human Services must report on whether the program adequately covers the expenses of organ donors, and if not, the amount of necessary funding.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2025
Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes On Websites and Networks Act or the TAKE IT DOWN Act This bill generally prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence. Specifically, the bill prohibits the online publication of intimate visual depictions of an adult subject where publication is intended to cause or does cause harm to the subject, and where the depiction was published without the subject’s consent or, in the case of an authentic depiction, was created or obtained under circumstances where the adult had a reasonable expectation of privacy; or a minor subject where publication is intended to abuse or harass the minor or to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. Violators are subject to mandatory restitution and criminal penalties, including prison, a fine, or both. Threats to publish intimate visual depictions of a subject are similarly prohibited under the bill and subject to criminal penalties. Separately, covered platforms must establish a process through which subjects of intimate visual depictions may notify the platform of the existence of, and request removal of, an intimate visual depiction including the subject that was published without the subject’s consent. Covered platforms must remove such depictions within 48 hours of notification. Under the bill, covered platforms are defined as public websites, online services, or applications that primarily provide a forum for user-generated content.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2025
Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2025 or the BEACH Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 and expands an existing program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that awards grants to states and local governments to (1) monitor the water quality of coastal recreational waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access that are used by the public; and (2) notify the public, local governments, and the EPA when the water is not safe for recreational activities. Specifically, the bill expands the program to allow the EPA to award grants for identifying sources of contamination (i.e., pathogens) for coastal recreation waters. It also allows grants to be used for monitoring and notification of contamination in (1) shallow waters upstream from recreational waters, and (2) recreational waters on beaches.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2025
Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics Act or the MACH Act This bill permits the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to establish a research program to facilitate the testing of high-speed aircraft and related technologies, to be known as the Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics Program. Within a specified time period, NASA must develop a strategic plan for such research. NASA must also consult with the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration on these efforts. Under the program, NASA may not (1) fund the development of hypersonic and related technologies; or (2) enter into an agreement with certain foreign entities of concern, including entities owned or controlled by China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2025
Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2025 This bill expands Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to include all services provided by chiropractors, rather than only subluxation corrections through manual manipulation of the spine.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2025
This bill increases the annual limit on the tax credit for qualified railroad track maintenance expenses (also referred to as the short line railroad tax credit) and expands eligibility for claiming the credit. Under current law, the tax credit is limited each tax year to $3,500 multiplied by the sum of the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the taxpayer (miles owned or leased) and the number of railroad track miles assigned to the taxpayer by a Class II or III railroad (miles assigned). This bill increases the annual limit to $6,100 multiplied by the sum of miles owned or leased and miles assigned. The $6,100 amount used in the calculation of the tax credit limit is adjusted for inflation for tax years beginning after 2025. The bill also expands eligibility for the tax credit to include gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2024. Under current law, the tax credit is limited to gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2025
Equal COLA Act This bill applies a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for annuities paid under the Federal Employees Retirement System that is equal to the increase in inflation, regardless of the amount of the increase. Specifically, for any year in which the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased over the previous year, the COLA amount shall be increased by the change in the CPI from the previous year. Current law applies an adjustment equal to the change in CPI only if the change is 2% or less. If the change is between 2% and 3%, the adjustment is limited to 2%. If the change is more than 3%, the adjustment is limited to 1% less than the change.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2025
Ensuring Military Readiness Not Discrimination Act This bill addresses the standards for eligibility for service in the Armed Forces. Specifically, the bill provides that any qualifications established or applied relating to eligibility for service in any of the Armed Forces must not include any criteria relating to the race, color, national origin, religion, or sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, or sex characteristics) of an individual. Additionally, any personnel policy developed or implemented by a military department with respect to members of the Armed Forces must ensure equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, or sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, or sex characteristics).
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2025
Saving the Civil Service Act This bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination while excepted service positions are appointed under one of five schedules. Competitive service positions have notice and appeal requirements for adverse actions that are not applicable to most excepted positions, including those of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character under Schedule C.) On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new Schedule F in the excepted service. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden. The bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in a schedule in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2025
Young Americans Financial Literacy Act This bill requires the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to award competitive grants to eligible institutions for the establishment of financial literacy education programs for young people and families. An eligible institution is a partnership among two or more of the following: an institution of higher education; a state or local government agency specializing in financial education; a nonprofit agency, organization, or association; a financial institution; or another small organization. Authorized grant funded activities shall include developing and implementing comprehensive, research based, financial-literacy education programs for young people; developing and supporting the delivery of professional development programs in financial literacy education; developing educational programs to reduce student loan default rates; and conducting ongoing research and evaluation of financial literacy education programs. The grant program shall terminate after FY2029.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2025
Prevent Tariff Abuse Act This bill prohibits the President from exercising authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose duties, tariff-rate quotas, or other quotas on imports entering the United States. (IEEPA provides the President with broad authority to regulate various economic transactions following a declaration of a national emergency.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2025
Department of Education Protection Act This bill prohibits the use of appropriated funds made available to the Department of Education (ED) to decentralize, reduce the staffing level of, or alter the responsibilities or functionality of ED compared to its organization or operation on January 1, 2025.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2025
This bill prohibits using federal funds to support or facilitate (1) Russia's participation in a Group of Seven (G-7) proceeding, or (2) a reconstituted Group of Eight (G-8) that includes Russia. (The G-7 is an informal group consisting of seven of the world's largest advanced economies. In 2014, the G-8 became the G-7 when Russia 's membership was suspended following Russia's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2025
Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of Congressional Gold Medals to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team in recognition of the team's achievement at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.
![Official portrait of Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/67744b460b34857ecc909143_200.jpg)