This bill prohibits Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from owning or trading certain investments, including stocks, commodities, and derivatives (referred to as "covered investments"). It requires affected individuals to divest these investments within 90-180 days, with specific exemptions for Treasury bonds, diversified mutual funds, small business interests, and family trusts meeting strict conditions. Violations incur penalties of 10% of the investment's value plus disgorgement of profits, paid directly to the U.S. Treasury. The law applies to all covered individuals during federal service, with exceptions for investments acquired through inheritance or occupational trading (e.g., a spouse’s finance job).
# Summary of Proposed FEMA Reform Legislation (FEMA Act of 2025)
This comprehensive legislative document proposes significant reforms to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, with four main sections addressing:
## 1. Disaster Assistance Reforms
- **Expanded eligibility** for assistance, including clarifying that absence of a fixed address doesn't disqualify individuals from sheltering assistance
- **Improved rental assistance** with consideration of local post-disaster rent increases
- **Direct assistance** for those unable to use financial assistance, with no requirement to show other assistance can cover costs (except insurance)
- **Enhanced notices** for applicants, including documentation of denial decisions
- **Clarification of displacement assistance** eligibility, stating insurance shouldn't be considered a duplication of benefits
## 2. Mitigation Program Enhancements
- **Preapproved project mitigation plans** requiring states to develop plans with peer review processes
- **Improved allocation of funds** with formulas prioritizing vulnerable communities, high-risk areas, and rural/economically distressed communities
- **Resilient buildings** requirements for housing retrofits using the latest building codes
- **Streamlined application processes** for hazard mitigation funds across multiple programs
- **Study on mitigation benefits** to evaluate cost savings and effectiveness
## 3. Transparency and Accountability Measures
- **Public dashboards** for both individual assistance (431) and public assistance (432) showing application status, approvals, denials, and funding
- **Transparency requirements** for disaster declarations with detailed justifications for approvals/denials
- **GAO studies** on numerous topics including:
- Identity theft in disaster assistance (409)
- Insurance utilization for public assistance facilities (410)
- Wildfire management plans (411)
- Effectiveness of alerting systems (412)
- Cost savings of repair/rebuilding reforms (415)
- **Prohibition on political discrimination** in assistance distribution
## 4. Workforce and Operational Improvements
- **Study on workforce retention** in noncontiguous communities
- **Pilot program** for preliminary damage assessments in remote communities
- **Fast-moving disasters working group** to develop best practices for rapid response
The legislation focuses on improving efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness of disaster relief programs while prioritizing vulnerable populations and communities with higher risk of disasters. It also emphasizes data-driven decision making through required studies and reports to continuously improve disaster management policies.
S 2688, the District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act, transfers authority over the District of Columbia National Guard from federal officials to the Mayor of Washington D.C. It updates federal and local laws by replacing all references to "President of the United States" or "Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard" with "Mayor of the District of Columbia" in provisions governing command, appointments, and operations. This procedural bill directly affects the District's National Guard structure and the Mayor's role in its management. The changes align DC's National Guard governance with its home rule status under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
Mitigating Automated Internet Networks for Event Ticketing Act or the MAIN Event Ticketing Act This bill expands measures to protect the security and integrity of online ticket sales. Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of applications that perform automated tasks to purchase event tickets from online ticket sellers in circumvention of the seller's posted ticket purchasing order rules. This includes using software applications that circumvent access control systems or security measures. In addition, online ticket sellers must establish, implement, and maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the security, confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the seller's website or service. Further, online ticket sellers must report known incidents of circumvention to the Federal Trade Commission and take reasonable steps to address any such incidents. The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of the provisions of this bill (and related prohibitions under current law) and authorizes the commission to bring civil actions for such violations. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies must coordinate as appropriate with the commission to share information about known instances of cyberattacks against the websites or online services used by ticket sellers. The commission must report to Congress on the status of enforcement actions taken under this bill.
This bill amends federal pay rules to provide hazard pay for specific federal firefighters. It requires that firefighters conducting prescribed burns (controlled fires for land management) and smokejumpers during training or operations receive the same hazard pay rate currently given to those fighting wildfires. The change applies to employees covered under Title 5 of U.S. Code, with implementation required within 90 days of enactment through Office of Personnel Management regulations. The policy directly affects federal wildfire management personnel performing these high-risk duties.
HR 5098, the Strengthening Our Workforce Act of 2025, creates a pathway to conditional lawful permanent residency for certain undocumented workers. It directly affects immigrants who have been continuously present in the U.S. since January 1, 2024, without lawful status, or with deferred action (like DACA), and who have worked at least 100 days in one of 24 designated essential professions (e.g., healthcare, agriculture, construction, domestic care, or disaster recovery work). To qualify, applicants must pay a fee, meet employment requirements (100 days annually for two years), and avoid specific criminal inadmissibility grounds (with limited waivers). After two years of conditional status, the residency automatically converts to permanent without visa caps, provided they pay a fee and pass a background check. The bill targets workers in critical sectors to address labor shortages while establishing a defined adjustment process.
This bill changes Medicaid payment rules to provide more financial support for safety-net hospitals - those serving high numbers of low-income patients. It allows states to use unspent federal funds from prior years to increase payments to these hospitals, without exceeding the overall annual funding cap. States cannot recoup payments already made to hospitals under older rules, and must report any increased payments in their annual Medicaid reports. The changes apply to payments for Medicaid plan years starting after the bill's enactment.
HR 5048, the "Don’t STEAL Act," amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to ensure workers receive the highest wage promised in their contracts or collective bargaining agreements, whichever exceeds federal or state minimum wage requirements. It directly affects employees engaged in commerce or working for businesses involved in commerce, requiring employers to pay at least the higher of their agreed-upon wage or the legal minimum. The bill establishes criminal penalties for willful wage theft exceeding $1,000 (up to 5 years in prison) and civil penalties for all unpaid wages, with fines funding the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforcement efforts. These changes apply to violations occurring 90 days after enactment.
HR 5031, the *Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act*, requires Medicare Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage (MA-PD) to pay long-term care pharmacies an additional supply fee for each specified prescription dispensed to eligible beneficiaries during 2026 ($30) and 2027 (adjusted for inflation). This fee must be paid alongside existing reimbursements for drug costs and dispensing, with a $10,000 penalty for non-payment. The bill also directs the GAO to study long-term care pharmacy payment sustainability under Medicare, analyzing historical payments for brand/generic drugs and dispensing fees. It aims to ensure uninterrupted pharmacy access for Medicare beneficiaries in long-term care settings, particularly in rural areas.
The SUN Act (HR 4998) requires the President to submit a detailed report to Congress within 15 days whenever National Guard members are deployed domestically for non-disaster purposes under specific laws. The report must include the legal basis for the deployment, evidence of reduced violence, input from local law enforcement, total costs, and a certification that the deployment won’t interfere with disaster response capabilities. It applies to all domestic uses of the National Guard except for responses to natural disasters under the Stafford Act. The bill aims to enhance congressional oversight of military deployments on U.S. soil.
HRES 657 is a non-binding House resolution affirming that the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare should not be raised, referencing President Trump’s 2024 pledge. It states the House’s position that current eligibility ages must be preserved, rejecting proposals to delay access to benefits for seniors. The resolution highlights that raising retirement ages would disproportionately impact workers in physically demanding jobs and lower-income communities who rely on these programs for income and healthcare. As a symbolic statement - not a law - it expresses support for maintaining existing benefits but does not change policy or create new obligations.
This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to investigate whether prices for rental spaces (pad sites) in mobile home communities are being manipulated or artificially raised through practices like price gouging. HUD must also monitor if any single buyer (including large investors) purchases over 2,500 mobile homes or pad sites in one area, and investigate potential issues like unjustified rent hikes or utility failures. The investigation findings will lead to reports for Congress and public websites, specifically analyzing impacts on seniors and underserved communities. The bill directly affects residents of manufactured home communities, particularly those in areas with high institutional investment, by mandating federal oversight of pricing practices.
