United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2025
Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act of 2025 or the SAVES Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a five-year pilot program to award grants on a competitive basis to nonprofit entities to provide service dogs to veterans who have certain disabilities, conditions, or diagnoses (e.g., a visual impairment). Under the program, the VA may provide up to $2 million to a nonprofit entity in a fiscal year. The VA must provide a veterinary insurance policy to veterans who receive a service dog through a grant under the program.
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 · 9 April 2025
Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025 This bill expands Department of Agriculture (USDA) support for organic agricultural research. USDA must establish the Coordinating and Expanding Organic Research Initiative for USDA resources dedicated to organic agricultural research. Every five years, the initiative must survey USDA's organic agricultural research and produce a report, including findings and recommendations on expanding research and increasing project coordination and effectiveness. USDA must take the findings and recommendations into consideration when preparing USDA's annual budget recommendations. In carrying out its work, the initiative must consult with the National Organic Standards Board and land-grant colleges and universities. In preparing each report, the initiative must consult organic and conventional farmers, ranchers, handlers and the organizations that serve them. The bill also reauthorizes the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative through FY2030 and increases funding for the initiative. Further, eligible grant projects are expanded to include (1) facilitating the identification and adoption of traditional ecological knowledge and cultural practices, and (2) identifying how organic agriculture can adapt to and mitigate climate change. The bill also reauthorizes, and extends funding for, USDA's organic production and market data initiatives through FY2030. The Economic Research Service must conduct an economic impact analysis of organic agricultural management conducted in accordance with the National Organic Program. USDA may make competitive grants to support research, education, and extension activities relating to the transition from nonorganic production systems into organic agricultural production systems.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2025
No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act This bill excludes from the tax deduction for ordinary and necessary business expenses amounts paid or incurred to influence employees with respect to labor organizations or labor organization activities. The bill also imposes information reporting requirements related to such expenses and imposes penalties for failure to comply. Under the bill, amounts paid to influence employees with respect to labor organizations include amounts paid (including wages and other costs) in connection with an action that results in a complaint or settlement related to an unfair labor practice or a finding of interference, influence, or coercion related to railway employees’ rights to organize and bargain collectively; for any meeting or training attended by employees and at which labor organizations are discussed; and that require certain employer disclosures and financial reporting. (Some exceptions apply.) The bill requires employers to file a return reporting certain information related to expenses paid to influence employees with respect to labor organizations and imposes a penalty for noncompliance. The amount of the penalty is the greater of (1) $10,000, or (2) $1,000 multiplied by the number full-time equivalent employees. Additional penalties apply for violations that continue for more than 90 days. The bill also imposes information reporting requirements on persons conducting activities on behalf of another person to influence employees with respect to labor organizations. The bill allows certain penalties for noncompliance with the reporting requirements to be waived if noncompliance is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2025
Driving Forward Act This bill directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to permanently allow states to exempt school bus drivers from the “under-the-hood” testing requirement for a commercial driver's license (CDL). As background, on December 2, 2024, the FMCSA renewed an exemption through November 28, 2026, that allows states to exempt all school bus driver applicants for a CDL from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement, commonly referred to as the under-the-hood testing requirement. States must meet certain terms and conditions for the exemption. Under the bill, the FMCSA must make permanent the December 2, 2024, exemption, thus permanently allowing states to exempt school bus drivers from the under-the-hood testing requirement. States must meet the additional terms and conditions for an exemption, which include (1) restricting school bus drivers who are issued a CDL based on the exemption to the intrastate operation of school buses, and (2) requiring states to conduct the remaining pre-trip vehicle inspection components of the skills test. Further, the FMCSA must require any state participating in the exemption to submit an annual report describing the number of drivers that obtain a CDL under the exemption.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2025
This bill directs the Forest Service to release its reversionary interest in approximately 31.83 acres in the Black River State Forest if the State of Wisconsin offers to exchange those acres for approximately 37.27 acres of land owned by Deli, Inc., a sphagnum moss production business located in Millston, Wisconsin. The Forest Service's reversionary interest requires the state forest land to be used for public purposes. After the release, the Forest Service must provide a quitclaim deed of the release as expeditiously as practicable.
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 · 1 April 2025
Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act or the ABC Act This bill requires federal agencies to review and modify the administrative processes related to Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Social Security programs in order to streamline these processes for family caregivers. Specifically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) must review processes related to eligibility determinations, applications, forms, and communications for these programs and identify ways to simplify and streamline these processes for family caregivers (e.g., reducing the need for family caregivers to submit the same information for multiple programs). The CMS and SSA must solicit input from family caregivers and state and regional organizations, implement any identified improvements, and report on these efforts to Congress. In addition, the CMS must issue a letter to state Medicaid and CHIP programs that encourages states to conduct a similar review and that provides potential improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2025
Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 This bill imposes penalties on certain persons (individuals and entities) if the President determines that the Russian government or a person acting at Russia's direction is involved with (1) refusing to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine; (2) violating a negotiated peace agreement; (3) initiating another invasion of Ukraine; or (4) overthrowing, dismantling, or seeking to subvert the Ukrainian government. If the President makes such a determination, the bill requires certain actions including the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on specified persons such as the Russian president, certain Russian military commanders, and any foreign person that knowingly provides defense items to the Russian armed forces; the President must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported from Russia into the United States to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services; the President must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported into the United States from countries that knowingly engage in the exchange of Russian-origin uranium and petroleum products to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services; the Department of the Treasury must impose property-blocking sanctions on any financial institution organized under Russian law and owned wholly or partly by Russia, and any financial institution that engages in transactions with those entities; and the Department of Commerce must prohibit the export, reexport, or in-country transfer to or in Russia of any U.S.-produced energy or energy product.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2025
Honor Farmer Contracts Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to unfreeze funding for agreements and contracts and prohibits USDA from closing certain offices and service centers without notifying Congress in advance. Specifically, USDA must (1) unfreeze funding for, and implement, all agreements and contracts entered into by USDA prior to the bill's enactment; and (2) pay all related past due amounts owed by USDA as rapidly as possible. Further, the bill prohibits USDA from canceling a signed agreement or contract with a farmer or an entity providing assistance to farmers (unless the farmer or entity is not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the agreement or contract). Finally, the bill prohibits USDA from closing Farm Service Agency county offices, Natural Resources Conservation Service field offices, or Rural Development Service Centers without providing written notice and a justification to Congress at least 60 days before the closure.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2025
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2025
Lower Drug Costs for Families Act This bill applies certain Medicare prescription drug rebate requirements to prescription drugs that are available under private health insurance. Current law requires drug manufacturers to issue rebates to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for brand-name drugs without generic equivalents under Medicare that (1) cost $100 or more per year per individual, and (2) for which prices increase faster than inflation. Manufacturers that fail to comply are subject to civil penalties. The bill applies these requirements to prescription drugs that are available in the commercial market under private health insurance. It also indexes rebate calculations to drug prices in 2016 (as opposed to 2021).
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2025
This resolution celebrates the successes of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and the contributions they have made in the United States. The resolution also recognizes the importance of providing for the safety and upholding the interests of these women.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2025
Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder Act of 2025 or the HELPER Act of 2025 This bill establishes a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, elementary and secondary school teachers, firefighters, or other first responders. Specifically, these individuals may be eligible for a first-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment. Instead, the mortgage is subject to a one-time, up-front mortgage insurance premium.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2025
Safe Schools Improvement Act This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Sex includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (including intersex traits). Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2025
Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act This bill expands the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) to include additional bicyclist and pedestrian safety measures and increases the federal cost share for certain safety projects. Specifically, the bill allows HSIP to fund projects (1) for the connection of two or more segments of existing bicyclist or pedestrian infrastructure, or (2) that are based on a state's plan to improve the safety of vulnerable road users (e.g., bicyclists or pedestrians) in areas identified as high-risk. In addition, the bill allows an increased federal cost share of up to 100% for these projects. The bill also allows an increased federal cost share of up to 100% for transportation projects that meet certain criteria, including (1) the project includes a Federal Highway Administration Proven Safety Countermeasure for bicyclists or pedestrians (e.g., bicycle lanes, walkways, and crosswalk visibility enhancements), or (2) the relevant state strategic highway safety plan includes an emphasis area that is related to vulnerable road users.
![Official portrait of Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001230_200.jpg)