This bill establishes the Commission on National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Modernization to study and provide recommendations on modernizing and streamlining data collection at NASS. As background, NASS conducts the Census of Agriculture and provides official statistics on agricultural production and other farm sector indicators. The 11-member commission must include 4 specified members from the Department of Agriculture, 1 member from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and 6 members appointed by the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. At the request of the commission chair, federal agencies must provide the commission information related to the study. The commission must submit a report to the President and Congress on the results of the study within two years of the bill's enactment. The report must include (1) an inventory of surveys conducted by NASS and their frequency; and (2) recommendations for administrative, regulatory, and legislative changes.
HR 2953, the ALERT Act, requires federal agencies to submit monthly reports to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) detailing upcoming rules. Agencies must include summaries, cost estimates (categorized in $50 million increments), job impact assessments, and scientific information for rules expected to be finalized within 12 months. OIRA publishes this data monthly online and annually in the Federal Register, including a yearly analysis of agency rulemaking costs and job effects. Rules cannot take effect until 6 months after the required information is publicly available, with limited exceptions for emergencies or national security.
HRES 332 is a resolution designating April 11-17, 2025, as "Black Maternal Health Week" to raise awareness about maternal health disparities affecting Black women and birthing people in the U.S. It references CDC data showing Black women are 2-3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women and that the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations. The resolution emphasizes the need to address systemic inequities contributing to these outcomes without creating new laws or funding. It serves as a symbolic recognition to amplify community-led efforts, such as those by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, rather than implementing policy changes.
This bill prohibits the IRS from purchasing, storing, or using firearms or ammunition. It requires the IRS to transfer all existing firearms and ammunition to the General Services Administration within 120 days. The GSA must then sell firearms to licensed dealers and ammunition to the public, with all proceeds deposited into the Treasury for deficit reduction. The bill also transfers the IRS's criminal investigation authority over tax crimes to the Department of Justice, effective 90 days after enactment.
This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to explicitly include accounting education as part of a well-rounded K-12 curriculum. It requires schools to develop and strengthen programs teaching accounting, including increasing access to high-quality accounting courses for students from groups historically underrepresented in accounting careers. The key provision inserts specific language into existing law, directing schools to promote accounting career awareness and expand course availability through grade 12. This directly affects K-12 students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, by making accounting education a recognized component of career-focused learning.
This resolution (HRES 330) honors Volkert, Inc. for its 100th anniversary and century of engineering service to Alabama and the U.S. It recognizes the company’s historical contributions, including designing major infrastructure like the Mobile Bay Causeway, Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, and Alabama’s Cochrane Africatown Bridge, as well as its role in economic development. The resolution directs the House to send a copy to Volkert’s leadership (CEO Thomas Hand and COO Leon Barkan). As a ceremonial resolution, it has no legal effect or policy changes.
HRES 327 is a procedural resolution requesting the President to provide the House of Representatives with specific documents about Social Security Administration (SSA) operations after March 12, 2025. It seeks information on policies ending phone applications for benefits (effective March 18 and 26, 2025), office closures/consolidations, and staffing reductions. The resolution does not change laws but asks for records related to how these changes may affect public access to SSA services. This is a request for information, not a policy change.
This resolution (HRES 331) is a non-binding House of Representatives statement supporting National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. It urges state/local governments and schools to recognize the day and promotes inclusive HIV education in curricula, including information on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The resolution calls for removing outdated HIV criminalization laws, expanding youth-friendly healthcare access (including confidential testing and treatment without parental consent), and supporting existing programs like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. It specifically highlights the disproportionate impact of HIV on young Black gay and bisexual men and advocates for reducing stigma to improve health outcomes for youth living with HIV.
The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act amends federal law to strengthen legal tools for addressing organized retail crime, including theft from stores, online, and supply chains. It establishes a new Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts. The Center will share information, assist with investigations, track crime trends, and provide training to combat these crimes. The bill expands legal definitions to include organized retail crime as a specific category and requires annual reports on the Center's activities. The Center will operate for 7 years before sunset.
This bill amends the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 to exclude certain veterans' disability benefits from income calculations for housing assistance. Specifically, it excludes disability benefits received under Chapter 11 or 15 of Title 38 (veterans' benefits) when determining eligibility for the Section 8 supported housing program and other housing assistance. It directly affects disabled veterans receiving these specific benefits by making them less likely to be disqualified from housing programs due to their disability income. The change applies to income eligibility determinations under HUD-administered housing assistance programs, not to the definition of adjusted income itself.
This bill, the Veterans First Act of 2025, redirects $2 billion from unobligated funds originally allocated to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The funds are specifically appropriated to provide grants to states for constructing, acquiring, remodeling, or modifying state-run nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, and hospitals that serve veterans. These grants will support facilities operating under existing VA authorization (38 U.S.C. §§ 8131-8138) to provide care for veterans. The bill directly affects state facilities and the VA’s ability to fund infrastructure improvements for veteran care.
The FIGHT Act of 2025 amends the Animal Welfare Act to ban gambling on animal fighting events (including broadcasts), prohibit transporting roosters (defined as male chickens over 6 months old) for fighting, and make it illegal to sponsor, exhibit, or allow minors under 16 to attend such events. It allows citizens to file civil lawsuits to stop violations after 60 days' notice to authorities, with fines up to $5,000 per violation. The law also permits seizure of property used to facilitate violations, such as land or buildings. It does not override state or local laws on animal fighting unless there is a direct conflict.
