This bill, the Protecting Ballot Measures From Foreign Influence Act of 2025, bans foreign nationals from contributing money to state and local ballot initiatives and referendums. It amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to explicitly include these state and local voting measures under the existing prohibition on foreign contributions for federal elections. The key provision requires that contributions to ballot measures - like state-level policy votes - must not come from foreign individuals or entities. The law would apply to all contributions made after its enactment date.
This bill authorizes the U.S. Department of the Interior to provide funding, contracts, and technical assistance to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for buffalo restoration and management on tribal lands. It requires the Department to consult with tribes on buffalo-related initiatives and allows tribes to receive surplus buffalo from federal land without cost. The law supports tribes in using buffalo for cultural preservation, subsistence, and economic development through programs like meat processing and habitat management. It explicitly protects tribal treaty rights and mandates that all actions align with tribal laws and management plans.
This bill allows groups of small businesses or self-employed individuals to form a single health plan that treats all members as one employer for coverage purposes. It directly affects small business associations and self-employed people who can join such groups to access pooled health coverage, provided they meet specific requirements (e.g., 51+ total employees, 2+ years in existence, no health-based discrimination). Key mechanisms include permitting modified community rating for premiums (based on pooled claims) while prohibiting health status-related discrimination in enrollment, premiums, or pre-existing condition coverage. The plan remains subject to federal ERISA rules, and self-employed members must meet defined criteria to participate as both employers and employees.
Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act This act provides for the award of Congressional Gold Medals to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team in recognition of the team's achievement at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.
HR 6670 creates a new nonimmigrant visa category ("family purpose visas") allowing relatives of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to visit temporarily for family events. It requires applicants to provide proof of financial support, short-term medical insurance covering U.S. travel, and a sworn statement to depart within 90 days per calendar year. The bill restricts petitioners from previously sponsoring relatives who overstayed their visas, and explicitly states that these visits do not count toward permanent residency eligibility. This directly affects extended family members (including grandparents, siblings, and nieces/nephews) seeking short-term U.S. visits for social or major life events.
HR 1623 (the SCREEN Act) requires online platforms that profit from hosting pornographic content to implement age verification technology, preventing minors from accessing such material. Covered platforms must publicly disclose their verification process and securely handle age data collected through these systems. The law applies specifically to platforms where pornographic content is a regular business activity, not all websites. It mandates that only adults can access pornographic content on these platforms, without banning the content itself.
This bill requires federal agencies to report detailed payment information - including the purpose, funding source, and payment type - to the Treasury before disbursing funds. It mandates agencies to verify recipient bank account details and cross-check payment records to prevent errors or fraud. The Treasury gains access to databases like the National Directory of New Hires and tax/Social Security data (with privacy safeguards) to identify and recover improper payments. These requirements apply to all agencies using Treasury payment systems, aiming to improve transparency and reduce wasteful spending.
This bill allows seniors over 65 who only have Medicare Part A hospital insurance (and no other Medicare coverage) to contribute to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Currently, Medicare beneficiaries cannot contribute to HSAs, but this bill removes that restriction for seniors enrolled solely in Part A. The change amends the tax code to exclude these individuals from the existing HSA contribution ban during periods they have only Part A coverage. The provision takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.
The Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization Act establishes a strategy to combat cyber-enabled fraud operations run by transnational criminal organizations from "scam compounds" that use human trafficking victims for forced criminality. The bill requires the State Department to create a global strategy within 180 days of enactment, identify enabling countries (those permitting scam operations) and impacted countries, and coordinate international efforts to prevent recruitment fraud and support trafficking survivors. It authorizes sanctions against foreign individuals or entities that support scam operations, including financial sanctions, visa restrictions, and asset seizures. The strategy will be implemented through an interagency task force that will monitor progress, update the strategy as needed, and report annually to Congress. The bill expires seven years after enactment.
S 3381 requires the Air Force Secretary to include depot-level aircraft maintenance coordination in at least one annual multinational exercise within the Indo-Pacific Command area. It mandates binational planning with partner nations (starting with Australia and South Korea) on shared repair capabilities, real-time munitions coordination, mutual certification of aircraft maintenance, and emergency response drills. The bill also requires the Air Force to submit a detailed report to Congress within one year, covering co-sustainment opportunities, logistical challenges, intellectual property issues, and recommendations for strengthening maintenance partnerships. This directly affects the Air Force, its Indo-Pacific Command, and partner nations like Australia and South Korea through new coordination protocols.
This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exclusive authority to approve U.S. LNG export terminal projects, requiring FERC to deem such exports consistent with the public interest. It directly affects natural gas companies seeking to build or expand export facilities and streamlines FERC's review process by removing prior requirements for interagency coordination. The bill clarifies that FERC's decisions won't override existing sanctions laws, including restrictions on trade with countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism under current law. This change aims to accelerate domestic LNG export projects while maintaining legal safeguards for national security and foreign policy.
The PBM Price Transparency and Accountability Act requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to be more transparent about drug pricing and ensure accurate payments to pharmacies. It establishes national average drug acquisition cost benchmarks for Medicaid, prohibits PBMs from keeping excessive profits through "spread pricing," and mandates detailed reporting of drug pricing, rebates, and fees. The bill affects Medicaid programs, Medicare Part D plans, and the PBMs that negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurers. It includes enforcement mechanisms like civil penalties for non-compliance and requires PBMs to report detailed pricing information to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
