HR 2808, the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act, restricts how consumer reporting agencies share credit reports during mortgage applications. It prevents agencies from sending these reports to third parties unless the request is tied to a firm credit offer and the recipient has either the homebuyer’s explicit written consent or is directly involved in the mortgage (like the lender, loan servicer, or the homebuyer’s bank holding an active account). This directly affects homebuyers applying for residential mortgages by limiting unsolicited sharing of their credit information. The law amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to strengthen privacy protections around mortgage-related credit data.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide quarterly budget briefings to Congress, prohibits the VA from providing specified pay incentives to senior-level employees, and establishes an office to carry out customer service initiatives of the VA. Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act of 2025 or the PRO Veterans Act of 2025 (Sec. 1) This section requires the VA to provide quarterly budget briefings to Congress, which must include information on any budget shortfalls the VA may be experiencing. The VA must present its plans to address or mitigate shortfalls during such briefings. Next, the section prohibits the VA from providing certain senior-level employees with a critical skill incentive, which is generally a payment bonus for employees possessing a high-demand skill or skill that is at a shortage. Specifically, the VA may not provide such an incentive to an employee in a Senior Executive Service position or other comparable position in the VA Central Office, regardless of the actual location where the employee performs the functions of the position. Senior-level employees whose positions are primarily in the VA Central Office but perform some portion of their job function based out of non-Central Office VA facilities are eligible for an incentive for their non-Central Office work. The section also provides that an incentive may only be provided to senior-level employees on an individual basis and upon approval by specified officers (e.g., the Under Secretary for Health). The VA must report to Congress annually regarding senior-level employees who were provided a critical skill incentive. Improving Veterans’ Experience Act of 2025 (Sec. 2) This section establishes the Veterans Experience Office through FY2028 to carry out the key customer experience initiatives of the VA relating to veteran and beneficiary satisfaction with and usage of VA benefits and services. The Government Accountability Office must complete an analysis of and report on the methodology, effectiveness, and implementation of findings and feedback of veterans and beneficiaries used by the VA, including the Veterans Experience Office, to improve customer experience and satisfaction.
Rescissions Act of 2025 This act rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided to the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), various independent and related agencies, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The rescissions were proposed by the President under procedures included in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Under current law, the President may propose rescissions to Congress using specified procedures, and the rescissions must be enacted into law to take effect. Specifically, the act rescinds funds that were provided to the State Department or the President for Contributions to International Organizations; Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities; Global Health Programs (excluding funds for programs addressing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, or maternal and child health); Migration and Refugee Assistance; the Complex Crises Fund; the Democracy Fund; the Economic Support Fund (excluding funds for assistance to Jordan, Egypt, or the Countering PRC Influence Fund); Contributions to the Clean Technology Fund; International Organization and Programs; Development Assistance (excluding funds for Feed the Future Innovation Labs, the Countering PRC Influence Fund, or commodity-based food aid); Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia; International Disaster Assistance (excluding funds for commodity-based food aid); and Transition Initiatives. The act also rescinds funds that were provided for USAID Operating Expenses, the Inter-American Foundation, the U.S. African Development Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This act permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Under the act, offenses involving fentanyl-related substances are triggered by the same quantity thresholds and subject to the same penalties as offenses involving fentanyl analogues (e.g., offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger a 10-year mandatory minimum prison term). Additionally, the act establishes a new, alternative registration process for certain schedule I research. The act also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration. Finally, the act expresses the sense that Congress agrees with the interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act in United States v. McCray , a 2018 case decided by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. In that case, the court held that butyryl fentanyl, a controlled substance, can be considered an analogue of fentanyl even though, under the Controlled Substances Act, the term controlled substance analogue specifically excludes a controlled substance.
H.J.Res. 88 disapproves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would have allowed California to enforce its "Advanced Clean Cars II" vehicle emission standards. This rule, submitted by the EPA on January 6, 2025, sought to grant California a waiver to override federal preemption for its stricter vehicle pollution controls. The resolution, passed by Congress and signed into law on June 12, 2025, formally nullifies the EPA rule, preventing California from implementing its Advanced Clean Cars II program under this specific waiver. The bill directly affects California's ability to set its own vehicle emission standards for passenger cars and light trucks.
HJRES 89 is a congressional disapproval resolution that blocks an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule concerning California's vehicle and engine pollution standards. The resolution specifically targets the EPA's "Omnibus Low NOX Regulation" and waiver of preemption, which would have allowed California to enforce stricter emissions rules. By disapproving this rule under Chapter 8 of Title 5 U.S. Code, Congress has nullified the EPA's action, meaning the regulation will have no legal effect. This directly affects the EPA's authority to approve California's state-level pollution control standards for motor vehicles.
HJRES 61 is a congressional resolution that formally disapproves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule setting new air pollution standards for rubber tire manufacturing. It directly affects tire manufacturers by blocking the EPA’s proposed rule (published November 29, 2024), which would have required them to meet specific limits on hazardous air pollutants. The resolution’s key mechanism is a formal congressional vote to nullify the rule, making it legally ineffective under Title 5, U.S. Code. This action stops the EPA rule from taking effect without creating new regulations.
This joint resolution eliminates new, more stringent energy conservation standards for commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers. Under the joint resolution, such equipment is no longer required to comply with the new standards. Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies the rule titled Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-Freezers and published by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy on January 21, 2025. Under the rule, the office adopted new energy conservation standards for commercial refrigeration equipment to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified. The rule required the equipment to comply with the those standards by January 22, 2029.
H.J. Res. 42 is a congressional disapproval resolution that voids a Department of Energy (DOE) rule on appliance energy efficiency standards. The resolution specifically targets the DOE's 2024 rule requiring certification, labeling, and enforcement for energy-efficient appliances and commercial equipment. By disapproving this rule under federal law (5 U.S.C. § 801), the resolution prevents the rule from taking effect, meaning appliance manufacturers and retailers would not need to comply with its requirements. This resolution directly affects the implementation of the DOE's energy conservation program for consumer products and commercial equipment.
Laken Riley Act This act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, assault of a law enforcement officer, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person. The act also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement. Under this act, DHS must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of the above crimes. The act also authorizes state governments to sue for injunctive relief over certain immigration-related decisions or alleged failures by the federal government if the decision or failure caused the state or its residents harm, including financial harm of more than $100. Specifically, the state government may sue the federal government over a decision to release a non-U.S. national from custody; failure to fulfill requirements relating to inspecting individuals seeking admission into the United States, including requirements related to asylum interviews; failure to fulfill a requirement to stop issuing visas to nationals of a country that unreasonably denies or delays acceptance of nationals of that country; violation of limitations on immigration parole, such as the requirement that parole be granted only on a case-by-case basis; or failure to detain an individual who has been ordered removed from the United States.
The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act transfers administrative control of the 174-acre Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus from the federal government to the District of Columbia. This allows the District to develop the campus for residential, commercial, and public purposes, including designating at least 30% as "Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Park" for recreation. The District must pay all transfer and development costs, maintain public access to the Anacostia River, and follow specific environmental and development requirements. The transfer is for a minimum of 99 years, with provisions for federal reversion if the District fails to meet requirements. The bill also repeals the 1957 Stadium Act and terminates a 1988 lease agreement.
HR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, repeals two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for certain government workers. It eliminates the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which cuts spousal or survivor benefits for people with pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security (like federal or state government roles), and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which lowers retirement benefits for those with similar pensions. The law takes effect for benefits paid after December 2023, requiring the Social Security Administration to adjust benefit calculations to remove these reductions. This change directly affects public-sector employees who previously had their Social Security benefits reduced due to their government pensions.
