United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2025
Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception Act or the GUARD Act This bill allows state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and grantees that receive funds from certain law enforcement grant programs to use the funds to investigate general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, and pig butchering. Pig butchering refers to a confidence and investment fraud in which a victim is gradually lured into transferring increasing amounts of money, generally in the form of cryptocurrency, into a fake virtual investment. The bill allows federal law enforcement agencies to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and fusion centers in the use of tracing tools for blockchain and related technology tools. Finally, the bill requires the Department of the Treasury and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to report on efforts and recommendations related to general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, pig butchering, and scams. The bill also requires Treasury and FinCEN to report on the state of scams in the United States, including information about crimes committed, federal civil and criminal enforcement actions, and federal efforts to address the crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2025
Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act or the ROTOR Act This bill addresses aviation safety by increasing requirements for aircraft tracking and communication using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology and expanding oversight. As background, ADS-B for broadcasting (Out) and receiving (In) transmits information (e.g., location and weather information) between aircraft and air traffic control. Under the bill, aircraft must generally operate with ADS-B In equipment to provide the aircraft with location information of other aircraft and traffic advisories. Current law does not require this equipment. Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations allow aircraft performing a sensitive government mission to be excepted from requirements for using ADS-B Out equipment. This bill limits which flights may be considered sensitive government missions (e.g., not training flights) and requires additional reporting and notifications for the exception. The Government Accountability Office must review the use of the ADS-B Out exception and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Transportation must annually audit FAA oversight of operations that use the exception. Further, the bill repeals a 2025 law that exempts certain military helicopters from the ADS-B Out requirements for the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The bill also requires the OIG of the Army to audit the Army’s coordination with the FAA, the FAA to establish an office to coordinate airspace usage of military aircraft and review the safety of flight operations and routes around airports, and the FAA to enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2025
Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act This bill requires each local educational agency (LEA), as a condition of receiving federal elementary and secondary education funds, to ensure that each elementary and secondary school served by the LEA notifies parents of their rights to request and receive information regarding foreign influence (e.g., influence by China) in schools. These rights include the right to review (and make copies of at no cost) any curricular or professional development material used at the school that was obtained using funds received from a foreign government or a foreign entity of concern; know, by written response, how many school personnel are compensated using funds received from a foreign government or a foreign entity of concern; and know, by written response, information about funding from or agreements (e.g., contracts) with a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern. Parents must submit a written request for this information. Each school must post on a publicly accessible website (or otherwise widely disseminate to the public) a summary notice of parental rights under the bill. The bill requires the Department of Education to notify state educational agencies (SEAs) about the bill's requirements. Each SEA must, as a condition of receiving federal elementary and secondary education funds, notify LEAs about the bill's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2025
Stopping Teachers Unions from Damaging Education Needs Today Act or the STUDENT Act This bill revises the federal charter for the National Education Association. The bill specifies that the corporation and its state and local affiliates may only accept payment of membership dues or fees from a state or local government employee if the employee (1) has been notified of the employee's right under the First Amendment to refrain from membership and payment of associated dues or fees, (2) has clearly and affirmatively consented to membership and payment of associated dues or fees, and (3) has authorized the transmittal of membership dues or fees without the use of payroll deduction. Further, the corporation and its state or local affiliates must process and honor cancellation requests for membership or payment of dues as soon as practicable following receipt of the request. The bill also outlines requirements for the corporation, such as prohibiting the corporation or its directors or officers from contributing to, supporting, or participating in political activities; requiring each officer of the corporation to be a U.S. citizen; requiring the corporation to submit annual reports to Congress; prohibiting the corporation and its affiliates from requiring staff, officers, affiliates, or members to affirm, adopt, or adhere to certain principles related to race or sex; and prohibiting the corporation and its affiliates from calling or participating in a strike, work stoppage, or slowdown affecting a state or local government. The bill repeals the corporation's exemption from District of Columbia property taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2025
This bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 505 East 9th Avenue in Amarillo, Texas, as the "Mayor Jerry H. Hodge Post Office Building".
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2025
Space Exploration Research Act This bill explicitly authorizes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lease its properties to states and localities, universities, and nonprofit organizations to conduct space research and training. (Under current law, NASA is authorized to lease property to individuals and entities subject to specified conditions.) Under the bill, NASA may use existing authorities to lease property under its jurisdiction to (1) the state in which the property is located or a subdivision thereof, (2) a nonprofit organization founded for educational or scientific purposes, or (3) an institution of higher education. NASA may also enter into agreements to lease back such property. Construction and operations on leased property must serve a space-related purpose relevant to NASA’s mission. NASA may provide administrative, instructional, and other appropriate support to lessees. NASA must report annually to Congress on the relevance, value, and other quantifiable benefits of the lease agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2025
Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2025 This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to complete an audit of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks not later than 12 months after enactment. In addition, the bill allows the GAO to audit the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks with respect to (1) international financial transactions; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; and (4) discussions or communications among Federal Reserve officers, board members, and employees regarding any of these matters.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2025
This resolution designates June 2025 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and June 27, 2025, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day. The resolution also supports the efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DOD), and the medical community to educate people about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress. Additionally, it supports efforts by the VA and DOD to foster cultural change around post-traumatic stress.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2025
Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 This bill permanently extends and expands judicial authority under the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016. The law allows and establishes procedures for civil claims and causes of action to recover artwork and other property lost between 1933 and 1945 because of Nazi persecution. Among the changes, the bill removes the deadline for filing civil claims or causes of action. Currently, the filing deadline is December 31, 2026. (Claims must still be filed within six years of the claimant's discovery of the property in question.) The bill permits courts to exercise jurisdiction over civil claims or causes of action against a foreign state without regard to the nationality or citizenship of the alleged victim. The art or property at issue must still have a connection to the foreign state's commercial activities in the United States. Additionally, the bill authorizes nationwide service of process, which allows courts to exercise personal jurisdiction over defendants in any judicial district where they may be found, reside, have an agent, or transact business. Finally, the bill limits the defenses that may be asserted against civil claims or causes of action, including by prohibiting defenses based on the passage of time, including equitable defenses such as laches (i.e., unreasonable delays); and discretionary bases for dismissal that are unrelated to the merits of the claim, including international comity (i.e., deference to the laws of other countries). These changes apply to pending and future civil claims or causes of action.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2025
Drone Espionage Act This bill makes it a federal crime under the Espionage Act to engage in certain activities related to obtaining, receiving, or transmitting video of national defense information. The term national defense information means information or other material that is related to national defense. The Espionage Act prohibits certain activities related to obtaining, receiving, or transmitting national defense information that could harm the United States or aid a foreign nation. Under current law, the prohibitions only apply if national defense information is obtained, received, or transmitted by certain means, such as a sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, document, writing, or note. Under current law, a violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both. This bill makes the criminal prohibitions under the Espionage Act applicable if national defense information is obtained, received, or transmitted by means of video. Under this bill, a violator is subject to the same penalties as under existing law—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2025
Black Vulture Relief Act of 2025 This bill allows livestock producers and their employees to take certain actions against black vultures to protect livestock. (Black vultures are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.) Specifically, livestock producers and their employees may (1) take (i.e., capture, kill, or disperse, or transport the carcass of) a black vulture that they reasonably believe will cause death, injury, or destruction to livestock; or (2) in the course of taking or attempting to take the black vulture, cause injury to the bird. However, they may not take or attempt to take a black vulture through the use of poison. Livestock producers and their employees must submit an annual report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on black vultures taken under this bill. The FWS must develop a reporting form and make this reporting form available on its website. Currently, the FWS has a permit process under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the taking of black vultures.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2025
Livestock Indemnity Program Enhancement Act of 2025 or the LIP Enhancement Act of 2025 This bill expands coverage under the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) to include unborn livestock as LIP-eligible livestock losses. The bill applies to unborn livestock death losses (i.e., losses of any livestock that was gestating on the date of the death of the livestock) incurred on or after January 1, 2024. LIP is a Farm Service Agency program that provides indemnity payments to eligible livestock owners and contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality or reduced sales prices due to specified events (e.g., adverse weather, disease, or animal attack).
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