Bills Desk
Latest Bills
252 bills from the 119th Congress, led by the newest arrivals from Capitol Hill.
Crime and Law EnforcementHR-35-119Latest action: Feb 13, 20250 readersPassed Chamber
Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act
Sponsored by Juan Ciscomani
Currently, federal law does not specifically criminalize fleeing from law enforcement while driving near the U.S. border. While general laws address evasion of police and reckless driving, there is no dedicated federal offense targeting individuals who intentionally flee from Border Patrol agents or officers assisting them during motor vehicle pursuits in border regions. This gap means prosecutions rely on piecemeal charges that may not adequately reflect the specific danger posed by high-speed chases involving federal immigration enforcement. The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act adds a new federal crime to title 18 of the U.S. Code. The statute requires that any person operating a motor vehicle within 100 miles of the U.S. border who intentionally flees from a pursuing U.S. Border Patrol agent or any federal, state, or local officer assisting Border Patrol commits a federal offense. The Department of Justice will prosecute violations. Base penalties include up to two years imprisonment and fines. If serious bodily injury results, sentences increase to a minimum of five years and up to 20 years. If death occurs, sentences range from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment. The bill also amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make conviction of this offense grounds for inadmissibility and deportability of non-citizens, and renders violators ineligible for any immigration relief, including asylum. The Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security must jointly submit annual reports to Congress documenting the number of violations, charges filed, apprehensions, penalties sought, and penalties imposed. Implementation begins upon enactment, with no new appropriations specified. The reporting requirement creates ongoing data collection on enforcement patterns in border regions.
Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest updateFeb 13, 2025
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 264 - 155 (Roll no. 42). (text: CR H683)
Crime and Law Enforcement
Government Operations and PoliticsHR-77-119Latest action: Feb 13, 20250 readersPassed Chamber
Midnight Rules Relief Act
Sponsored by Andy Biggs
Under current law, the Congressional Review Act (Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code) allows Congress to disapprove federal agency rules through joint resolutions. "Midnight rules" are regulations issued during the final year of a presidential term, often in the weeks before a new administration takes office. Historically, Congress has considered disapproval resolutions one rule at a time, requiring separate votes on each resolution. This process can be time-consuming and procedurally cumbersome, particularly when multiple midnight rules are issued in quick succession. The Midnight Rules Relief Act amends the Congressional Review Act to authorize Congress to bundle multiple midnight rules into a single joint resolution of disapproval. Specifically, the bill modifies Section 801(d) and Section 802(a) of Title 5 to permit a joint resolution to contain one or more rules if each rule's report was submitted during the final year of a President's term. The bill also standardizes the language in such bundled resolutions, allowing Congress to list multiple rules in a single disapproval measure with a unified statement that all listed rules "shall have no force or effect." In practice, this change streamlines the congressional disapproval process by allowing lawmakers to vote on multiple midnight rules simultaneously rather than holding separate votes for each regulation. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment and requires no additional funding. The change applies only to rules submitted during a President's final year, meaning it does not affect the standard review process for other regulations. This procedural modification could accelerate Congress's ability to overturn multiple regulations issued near the end of an administration, though the underlying substantive standards for disapproval remain unchanged.
Government Operations and Politics
Latest updateFeb 12, 2025
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 212 - 208 (Roll no. 41). (text: CR H654)
Government Operations and Politics
Armed Forces and National SecurityHR-219-119Latest action: Feb 11, 20259 readersIn Committee
Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act of 2025
Sponsored by Julia Brownley
The Department of Veterans Affairs currently furnishes medical services to eligible veterans under established statutory authorities, including outpatient care and hospital-based services. However, there is limited systematic information about the quality, accessibility, and comprehensiveness of menopause care—including perimenopause and genitourinary syndrome of menopause—that the VA provides to women veterans. No formal assessment has been conducted to determine whether VA medical providers receive adequate training in menopause management, whether clinical guidelines and protocols exist, or whether veterans are adequately informed about available treatment options and benefits. The bill directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive study of menopause care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Comptroller General must examine the current state of VA menopause services, review existing clinical guidelines and provider training protocols, evaluate access to interdisciplinary care, assess the adequacy of patient education and outreach efforts, and evaluate the quality of care delivered—including veteran feedback and mechanisms for addressing complaints. The study must also review how the VA leverages research to improve menopause treatments and protocols, and must include recommendations for improvement. The Comptroller General must deliver the study report within 18 months of enactment and make it publicly available. Following the report's release, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has six months to submit a strategic implementation plan to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs detailing how the department will adopt the recommendations, improve menopause care quality, and expand veteran access to these services. The bill carries no direct appropriation but requires the VA to respond formally to findings, creating accountability for addressing identified gaps in women veteran care.
Armed Forces and National Security
Latest updateFeb 11, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Armed Forces and National Security
EnergyHR-26-119Latest action: Feb 10, 20253 readersPassed Chamber
Protecting American Energy Production Act
Sponsored by August Pfluger
The federal government has broad authority to regulate energy production on federal lands and to restrict or prohibit certain extraction methods through executive action. Presidents have used this authority to impose moratoria on specific energy practices, including hydraulic fracturing—the process of injecting pressurized fluid into rock formations to extract oil and natural gas. While states regulate energy production on state and private lands, federal authority over federal lands has allowed administrations to restrict or pause drilling activities based on environmental, climate, or other policy concerns. This bill prohibits the President from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing without explicit authorization from Congress. The legislation removes the executive authority to unilaterally impose such a ban, requiring instead that any federal moratorium on the practice must be enacted through the legislative process. The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that states should retain primary regulatory authority over hydraulic fracturing on state and private lands, though this statement does not change existing law or state regulatory powers. In practice, the bill immediately restricts presidential action going forward. Any future administration seeking to pause or ban hydraulic fracturing would need to secure congressional approval rather than acting through executive order or agency regulation. The change affects only federal authority and does not alter state regulatory frameworks or existing permits and leases. The bill contains no new funding mechanisms or implementation timeline, as it operates as a procedural constraint on executive power rather than establishing new programs or requirements.
Energy
Latest updateFeb 7, 2025
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 226 - 188 (Roll no. 35).
Energy
Crime and Law EnforcementHR-27-119Latest action: Feb 10, 20251 readersPassed Chamber
HALT Fentanyl Act
Sponsored by H. Griffith
Under current law, the Controlled Substances Act establishes a scheduling system that classifies drugs by their abuse potential and medical utility. Fentanyl and its known chemical variants are listed individually in Schedule I, the most restrictive category. However, chemists can create new fentanyl-like substances by making minor structural modifications to the fentanyl molecule—a practice known as "designer drug" synthesis. These novel compounds often fall into legal gray areas because they are not yet specifically named in the scheduling system, allowing them to circulate before the Drug Enforcement Administration can formally add them to the controlled list. The HALT Fentanyl Act amends the Controlled Substances Act to automatically place any substance structurally related to fentanyl into Schedule I, regardless of whether it has been individually identified. The Attorney General gains authority to publish a list of known fentanyl-related substances in the Federal Register for reference, but the absence of a substance from that list does not protect it from control if it meets the chemical definition. The bill defines "fentanyl-related substance" to include any compound that modifies fentanyl's structure through five categories of chemical changes: replacing the phenyl ring, substituting the phenethyl group, modifying the piperidine ring, replacing the aniline ring, or replacing the N-propionyl group. Substances already controlled by the Attorney General or listed in other schedules remain exempt from this blanket scheduling. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment. The Attorney General must establish an electronic submission system for researchers to notify the agency of fentanyl-related substance research. Researchers already registered for Schedule I or II work can begin qualifying research 30 days after notifying the Attorney General; those without prior registration receive a decision within 45 days. The bill also streamlines research registration by allowing multiple researchers at the same institution to work under a single registration, permitting research across multiple sites in the same city or county under one license, and eliminating redundant inspections when researchers add a second controlled substance in the same or higher schedule. The Department of Justice Inspector General must report within one year on fentanyl research conducted under these expedited procedures.
Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest updateFeb 6, 2025
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 312 - 108 (Roll no. 33). (text: CR H520-522)
Crime and Law Enforcement
ImmigrationHR-29-119Latest action: Feb 10, 20250 readersPassed Chamber
Laken Riley Act
Sponsored by Mike Collins
Under current immigration law, the Department of Homeland Security has discretion to detain or release certain noncitizens pending removal proceedings. Section 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act requires mandatory detention for noncitizens convicted of specific crimes, including crimes of violence and drug trafficking. However, theft-related offenses—burglary, larceny, and shoplifting—are not currently included in the mandatory detention categories, meaning DHS officials can exercise discretion about whether to hold such individuals in custody. The Laken Riley Act expands mandatory detention requirements by requiring the Department of Homeland Security to take into custody and issue detainers for noncitizens who are charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admit to committing theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses—provided they are also inadmissible under specific grounds related to criminal history or security concerns. The bill defines these theft-related terms according to the laws of the jurisdiction where the acts occurred. Additionally, the bill grants state attorneys general and other authorized state officers standing to sue the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Attorney General in federal court if they believe these detention and removal requirements are violated, with courts required to expedite such cases. States can bring such actions if they or their residents experience harm, including financial harm exceeding $100. Implementation begins immediately upon enactment. DHS must issue detainers for qualifying noncitizens and take custody if they are not otherwise detained by federal, state, or local authorities. The mandatory detention requirement removes discretion from immigration officials in these cases. State enforcement provisions allow state attorneys general to initiate federal litigation without waiting for federal enforcement action, potentially creating parallel state-level oversight of immigration detention decisions. This could increase the number of noncitizens held in DHS custody and generate litigation over whether specific cases meet the bill's criteria.
Immigration
Latest updateJan 7, 2025
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 264 - 159 (Roll no. 6). (text: CR H53-54)
Immigration
Social WelfareHR-150-119Latest action: Feb 7, 20253 readersIn Committee
People CARE Act
Sponsored by Warren Davidson
Currently, the federal government operates dozens of means-tested assistance programs—including Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers, and job training—through separate agencies with distinct eligibility rules, application processes, and benefit structures. These programs often operate in silos, creating confusion for beneficiaries who must navigate multiple bureaucracies to access help. Social workers and case managers lack integrated tools to address the interconnected causes of poverty, such as lack of employment, inadequate housing, and limited education. The fragmented system makes it difficult for individuals to transition off assistance as their circumstances improve. The People CARE Act establishes the People-Centered Assistance Reform Effort Commission to coordinate and restructure means-tested welfare programs so they function as an integrated system. The bill defines "means-tested welfare programs" broadly to include cash assistance, Medicaid, food programs, housing aid, energy assistance, education grants, job training, child care, and community development initiatives—while excluding Social Security, Medicare, veterans' benefits, and unemployment insurance. The Commission will work across federal agencies to streamline eligibility verification, align benefit structures, and equip social workers with coordinated tools to help individuals holistically. The goal is to enable beneficiaries to increase employment and income so they can eventually exit means-tested programs entirely. The bill's implementation will unfold through the Commission's coordination efforts across multiple federal agencies responsible for these programs. The Commission will likely develop unified intake systems, shared data platforms, and aligned work requirements or incentives across programs. Funding mechanisms and specific timelines are not detailed in the provided text, though the Commission's work will affect how existing programs operate—potentially streamlining access but also potentially tightening eligibility or work expectations. The downstream effect could reshape how millions of low-income Americans access assistance, consolidating fragmented services into a more cohesive pathway designed to promote self-sufficiency.
Social Welfare
Latest updateFeb 7, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.
Social Welfare
Armed Forces and National SecurityHR-211-119Latest action: Feb 6, 20256 readersIn Committee
Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act
Sponsored by Julia Brownley
Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs provides health care to eligible veterans, including prescription medications and medical services. Title 38 of the United States Code governs VA benefits and establishes copayment requirements for various services. Currently, the VA can charge veterans copayments for contraceptive items and services, similar to other prescription medications. However, the Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurance plans to cover certain contraceptive methods without any copayment or cost-sharing. This creates an inconsistency: veterans using VA health care may face out-of-pocket costs for contraception that civilians with private insurance do not. The Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act amends Section 1722A(a)(2) of title 38 to eliminate copayments for contraceptive items covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill prohibits the VA from charging veterans copayments that exceed the agency's actual cost for contraceptive medications, and it further prohibits any copayment for contraceptive items that federal law requires private insurers to cover without cost-sharing under the Public Health Service Act. This aligns VA coverage with the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive coverage standards, ensuring veterans receive the same no-cost access to approved contraceptive methods as privately insured Americans. The changes take effect upon enactment, immediately eliminating copayments for eligible contraceptive items at VA facilities nationwide. The bill does not require new appropriations; instead, it redirects existing VA pharmacy budgets by removing copayment collection for these specific items. The downstream effect reduces out-of-pocket spending for veterans seeking contraception through VA health care, potentially increasing utilization of preventive reproductive health services. This may modestly increase VA pharmacy costs for contraceptive medications, though the agency's overall budget remains unchanged. The change applies only to contraceptive items explicitly covered under federal insurance requirements, leaving copayment structures for other VA services intact.
Armed Forces and National Security
Latest updateFeb 6, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Armed Forces and National Security
Armed Forces and National SecurityHR-71-119Latest action: Feb 6, 20255 readersIn Committee
Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
Sponsored by Andy Biggs
Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs operates under strict geographic and clinical requirements that limit where veterans can receive care. Under existing law, veterans generally must receive community care through specific authorization pathways—either through section 1703 of title 38, which requires meeting certain distance or wait-time thresholds, or section 1703A, which involves Veterans Care Agreements with predetermined conditions. Additionally, veterans typically must receive care within their assigned Veterans Integrated Service Network, even if facilities in other networks are closer or more appropriate. These restrictions can create delays and limit veteran choice. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment, shall establish a three-year pilot program in at least four geographically diverse Veterans Integrated Service Networks—including both rural and urban areas—that removes these restrictions. The pilot authorizes eligible enrolled veterans to select any primary care provider, specialty care provider, and mental health provider within a "covered care system" that includes VA facilities nationwide, community providers under section 1703, and providers with Veterans Care Agreements. The Secretary shall waive the distance and wait-time requirements that normally gate access to community care and shall allow veterans to receive care at any VA facility regardless of their home network. Each veteran must designate a primary care provider to coordinate services, though specialists may serve as primary providers when clinically appropriate. The pilot runs for three years beginning one year after enactment, with the Secretary submitting quarterly implementation reports and annual results reports to Congress. No new appropriations are authorized; the program operates within existing Veterans Health Administration funding. Critically, four years after enactment, the pilot's provider-choice model becomes permanent law. The Secretary must then apply the same conditions to all covered veterans under both section 1703 and section 1703A, and must allow veterans to access any VA facility nationwide regardless of their assigned network. This transition converts a temporary pilot into standing policy affecting all veterans' access to care.
Armed Forces and National Security
Latest updateFeb 6, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Armed Forces and National Security
EnergyHR-75-119Latest action: Feb 6, 20251 readersIn Committee
HOUSE Act of 2025
Sponsored by Andy Biggs
In 2024, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly issued new energy efficiency standards for housing financed through their programs. These standards, published in the Federal Register, represented an update to building requirements aimed at reducing energy consumption in new construction. The standards applied to homes financed through HUD mortgage insurance programs and USDA rural housing loans, establishing minimum efficiency benchmarks that builders and developers had to meet to access federal financing. The HOUSE Act of 2025 requires HUD and USDA to withdraw that final determination and prohibits both agencies from using federal funds to implement or enforce it. The bill directs the agencies to revert to the energy efficiency standards that were in place before the 2024 determination took effect. Additionally, the bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from taking similar action on energy efficiency standards, and it bars the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing any determination or rule relating to energy efficiency standards for single-family and multifamily housing. The bill also amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to add a new requirement that at least 26 states must adopt an energy efficiency code or standard meeting or exceeding revised standards before such standards can be applied. The withdrawal takes effect immediately upon enactment, reverting covered housing programs to their previous efficiency standards. No new funding is required, as the bill eliminates rather than creates spending obligations. The change affects all new construction financed through HUD and USDA programs going forward. Builders and developers will no longer face the compliance requirements of the 2024 standards, potentially reducing construction costs but also eliminating the energy savings those standards would have generated. The FHFA provision prevents any parallel rulemaking on efficiency standards for housing financed through government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Energy
Latest updateFeb 6, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Energy
Government Operations and PoliticsHR-149-119Latest action: Feb 6, 20250 readersIn Committee
Lead by Example Act of 2025
Sponsored by Warren Davidson
Currently, Members of Congress and Congressional staff receive health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), which offers a range of private health plans, or through health care exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act. These benefits are funded through a combination of employee and employer contributions, similar to coverage available to other federal employees. The FEHBP provides access to a broad network of private providers and has been the standard health insurance mechanism for Congress since its establishment in 1959. This arrangement allows Members and staff to choose from multiple insurance options with varying coverage levels and costs. The Lead by Example Act of 2025 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to become the sole health care provider for Members of Congress and Congressional staff beginning January 3, 2027. Under this change, Congress members and their staff would receive care through the VA system—including VA medical facilities and non-VA providers contracted by the VA—as if they were veterans eligible for VA benefits. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management must jointly develop and submit an implementation plan to Congress by September 15, 2025, outlining how to transition Congress to VA care and identifying any additional legislative changes needed to execute the shift. The transition takes effect in January 2027, providing roughly 16 months for the VA and Office of Personnel Management to prepare. The bill does not specify a dedicated funding source; instead, VA care would be provided under existing VA authorities governing veteran health services. The shift would eliminate Congressional participation in the FEHBP and health exchange plans, potentially reducing administrative costs for those programs while increasing demand on VA resources. The VA would need to expand capacity and staffing to accommodate several thousand new enrollees, and the implementation plan will determine whether legislative changes to VA eligibility or service delivery are required.
Government Operations and Politics
Latest updateFeb 6, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Government Operations and Politics
Armed Forces and National SecurityHR-72-119Latest action: Feb 6, 20250 readersIn Committee
TBI and PTSD Treatment Act
Sponsored by Andy Biggs
The Department of Veterans Affairs currently provides a range of medical treatments for veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder through its health care system, but hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not explicitly authorized as a covered benefit under title 38 of the United States Code. While the VA may provide this treatment in limited circumstances, veterans seeking hyperbaric oxygen therapy for these conditions often face uncertainty about coverage and access. The absence of clear statutory authority has created gaps in treatment options for veterans dealing with these service-connected conditions. This bill amends title 38 by adding a new section 1710F that directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder. The therapy must be provided through health care providers meeting the standards outlined in existing VA regulations. The bill establishes a clear statutory mandate rather than leaving the decision to VA discretion, ensuring eligible veterans can access this treatment as part of their covered benefits. The change takes effect upon enactment, though implementation will depend on VA capacity and provider availability. The bill does not specify a dedicated funding source, meaning costs will be absorbed within the VA's existing medical care budget. As the VA expands access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, it may need to contract with additional providers or establish new treatment facilities, potentially affecting wait times for other VA services and requiring resource reallocation within the department's health care system.
Armed Forces and National Security
Latest updateFeb 6, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Armed Forces and National Security