United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2025
Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2025 This bill extends a specialized rate increase for Medicare payment of ground ambulance services in rural areas until January 1, 2028, and provides for a higher rate increase for services furnished between October 1, 2025, and January 1, 2028.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2025
Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term insurance carriers from denying or otherwise restricting coverage for living organ donors. Specifically, carriers may not deny, cancel, vary premiums, or otherwise impose conditions on policies based on an individual's status as a living organ donor. The bill also expressly specifies that recovery from organ-donation surgery constitutes a serious health condition that entitles eligible employees to job-protected medical leave. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must update educational materials on living organ donation to include information about the benefits and risks of living organ donation and the impact of donation on insurance access, particularly with respect to the bill's changes.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2025
Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025 This bill requires the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to provide for the replacement of the full amount of a household's stolen benefits. Specifically, using funds provided by the Department of Agriculture, a state agency must provide a household with replacement SNAP benefits equal to the amount of benefits stolen through card skimming, card cloning, or similar fraudulent methods. This requirement applies if the state agency determines that the benefits were stolen and meets certain requirements. Under current law, a state agency may only replace SNAP benefits that were stolen between the period beginning on October 1, 2022, and ending on December 20, 2024. Further, the replacement amount is limited to the lesser of the amount of (1) the benefits stolen, or (2) two months of the household's monthly allotment immediately prior to the date on which the benefits were stolen. Thus, this bill permanently extends the provision and provides for the replacement of the full amount of the benefits stolen.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2025
Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, except for certain shotguns; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; (4) only capable of firing rimfire ammunition; or (5) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2025
Strengthening America’s Turning Point Act This bill renames the Saratoga National Historical Park, located in Stillwater, New York, as Saratoga National Battlefield Park.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2025
Claiming Age Clarity Act This bill changes certain terms that are used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to describe the ages at which a worker may claim Social Security retirement benefits. First, the SSA must use minimum monthly benefit age instead of early eligibility age . This refers to the earliest age (62 under current law) at which a worker may claim benefits. (Currently, the benefit amount of a worker who claims benefits early is reduced to account for the longer period during which the worker is expected to receive benefits.) Second, the SSA must use standard monthly benefit age instead of full retirement age and normal retirement age . These terms refer to the age at which a worker may claim benefits without a reduction in the benefit amount. (Currently, this age ranges from 65 to 67, depending on the worker's year of birth.) Finally, the SSA must use the term maximum monthly benefit age for any reference to age 70 as the maximum age at which a worker may receive delayed retirement credits. The SSA may not use the term delayed retirement credit. These terms refer to the mechanism that increases the benefit amount of a worker who delays claiming benefits after reaching the full retirement age. (Currently, a worker receives a credit for each month between the full retirement age and age 70 that the worker delays claiming benefits. Each credit increases the benefit amount that the worker will receive after claiming benefits by a specified percentage.)
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2025
Medicare for All Act This bill establishes a national health insurance program that is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among other requirements, the program must (1) cover all U.S. residents; (2) provide for automatic enrollment of individuals upon birth or residency in the United States; and (3) cover items and services that are medically necessary or appropriate to maintain health or to diagnose, treat, or rehabilitate a health condition, including hospital services, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, dental and vision services, home- and community-based long-term care, gender affirming care, and reproductive care, including contraception and abortions. The bill prohibits cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments) and other charges for covered services, with the exception of prescription drugs. Additionally, private health insurers and employers may only offer coverage that is supplemental to, and not duplicative of, benefits provided under the program. Health insurance exchanges and specified federal health programs terminate upon program implementation. However, the program does not affect coverage provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs, TRICARE, or the Indian Health Service. Additionally, state Medicaid programs must cover certain institutional long-term care services. The bill also establishes a series of implementing provisions relating to (1) health care provider participation; (2) HHS administration; and (3) payments and costs, including the requirement that HHS negotiate prices for prescription drugs and establish a formulary. Individuals who are age 18 or younger may enroll in the program starting one year after enactment of this bill; other individuals may buy into a transitional plan or an expanded Medicare program at this time, depending on age. The bill's program must be fully implemented four years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2025
Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025 This bill establishes, expands, and revises multiple programs and activities of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) primarily to reduce carbon emissions from the agricultural sector. Specifically, USDA must finalize and implement a plan to achieve net-zero emissions from the sector by 2040. USDA must periodically review and revise the plan, as necessary, and annually report on its implementation. Additionally, the bill expands the scope of various USDA research, extension, and education programs; conservation programs; and livestock programs to incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation. Expanded activities include efforts to improve soil health and preserve farmland and grassland. Further, the bill changes programs that support renewable energy in rural areas to address carbon emissions in the agricultural sector. Among these changes, the bill provides statutory authority for the AgSTAR program for reducing methane emissions from livestock waste and requires the program to be moved from the Environmental Protection Agency to USDA. The bill also addresses food waste, for example, by (1) standardizing the voluntary labels used by food producers to indicate the date by which food should be used or discarded, and (2) making composting activities eligible for support through USDA conservation programs. Moreover, the bill establishes grants to reduce and prevent food waste in landfills and in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2025
Combating Organized Retail Crime Act 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
Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2025 This bill increases and modifies reimbursements for meals and snacks served under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). CACFP is a Food and Nutrition Service program that provides federal reimbursements for meals and snacks provided to eligible children and adults who are enrolled at participating child care centers, day care homes (i.e., private homes that provide nonresidential child care services), and adult day care centers. Specifically, the bill eliminates the two-tiered system for CACFP reimbursement rates for day care homes and generally makes all day care homes eligible for the same reimbursement rates. Under current law, day care homes located in a low-income area or with a low-income provider receive higher reimbursement rates (i.e., Tier I rates). Day care homes that do not qualify for Tier I rates receive Tier II rates, which are lower. Further, the bill provides an additional 10-cent reimbursement for each eligible meal and snack served in the CACFP. The bill also allows the provider of a family or group day care home to serve reimbursable meals and snacks to their own children when serving meals and snacks to children in their care. Specifically, the bill eliminates the current requirement that the child of a day care home provider meet the program's income eligibility requirement in order for the day care provider to receive reimbursement for the meals and snacks served to their child.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2025
Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access to address the accessibility of the VA for individuals with disabilities. Prior to establishing the advisory committee, the VA must take action to abolish or consolidate advisory committees that are currently inactive.
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 · 8 April 2025
Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause Research Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to coordinate with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to evaluate and report on research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women’s health among members and former members of the uniformed services (i.e., Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Such evaluation must also examine (1) any gaps in knowledge and research on menopause treatments and the relation of service in the uniformed services to perimenopause and menopause, (2) the availability and uptake of professional training resources for DOD- or VA-employed providers relating to mid-life women’s health, and (3) the availability of and uptake of treatments for women in the uniformed services or veterans who are experiencing perimenopause or menopause. The report must include a strategic plan that resolves the gaps in knowledge and research.
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 · 3 April 2025
Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2025 This bill provides legal protections for a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) who is detained or subject to immigration-related proceedings. The Department of Justice (DOJ), or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in a case involving an unaccompanied child, may appoint or provide counsel at the government's expense to non-U.S. nationals in removal proceedings and related appeals. An unaccompanied child must be represented by counsel paid for and appointed by the government at every stage of such proceedings unless the child has obtained counsel at their own expense. If HHS fails to provide counsel to an unaccompanied child, the child's deadline for filing a motion to reopen a removal proceeding shall not apply, and the filing of such a motion shall stay the child's removal from the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must provide a complete copy of a non-U.S. national's immigration file to the non-U.S. national (or the non-U.S. national's counsel) within seven days of a notice to appear for an immigration proceeding, and failure to provide the file shall result in a delay in the proceeding. DHS must provide access to counsel for all detained non-U.S. nationals. The Office of Refugee Resettlement must develop model guidelines for representing non-U.S. national children in immigration proceedings. HHS must annually report on the extent to which it has provided counsel for unaccompanied children under this bill.