Cliff Bentz

The IMD CARE Act would allow states to use Medicaid funds to cover mental health treatment for certain patients in psychiatric hospitals and residential mental health facilities, which is currently prohibited under federal law. The bill permits states to provide coverage for up to 30 days per year for individuals aged 21 to 64 who have serious mental illness and are enrolled in Medicaid. To participate, states must maintain current funding levels for community-based mental health services, implement evidence-based placement criteria to ensure patients receive appropriate levels of care, establish transition plans to move patients to community settings, and coordinate with various providers to create a comprehensive mental health service system. The legislation takes effect January 1, 2027, and requires states to report to the federal government on their compliance with these requirements within 12 months of enactment.

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create a centralized online repository on opendata.hhs.gov containing all publicly available health datasets generated or maintained by the department. The repository must be searchable, downloadable at no cost, and accessible to the public in machine-readable formats that allow unrestricted use, reuse, and automated processing of the data. The department must also provide automated access through standardized application programming interfaces and update the datasets regularly. Within two years of the bill's enactment and annually thereafter, the HHS Secretary must report to Congress on the number and types of datasets available, their update frequency, and any legal, technical, financial, or administrative obstacles preventing publication of additional datasets. The bill affects researchers, public health professionals, healthcare providers, and the general public who seek access to HHS health data for analysis and research purposes.

This bill modifies the federal renewable fuel standard under the Clean Air Act to expand what materials qualify as renewable biomass that can be used to produce renewable fuels and energy. The legislation broadens the definition to include forest management waste products, thinning materials, and vegetation removed for wildfire risk reduction on both public and private lands, as well as debris cleared from defensible spaces around structures. The changes are intended to create economic incentives for forest management activities that reduce wildfire risk by making the resulting materials eligible for renewable fuel credits. The bill includes certification requirements that allow landowners and federal land managers to document that materials come from authorized management activities and sustainable forestry practices. No specific funding or implementation timeline is designated in the legislation.

The McCarty and Heideman Air Safety Enhancement Act directs the Federal Aviation Administration to review and update its regulations and policies concerning low-altitude airspace safety within six months of the bill's enactment. The review will focus on whether current FAA rules adequately require marking and lighting of temporary obstacles like slacklines and wires, whether the agency can improve how it shares obstacle information with pilots through flight planning tools and avionics systems, and whether coordination with federal land management agencies should be enhanced. The bill requires the FAA to consult with helicopter operators, air medical services, general aviation pilots, agricultural aviation operators, and other aviation safety experts during the review. If the FAA determines that existing policies are inadequate, it must update its regulations and guidance within one year of enactment. The administrator must also brief Congress within 90 days after completing the review with findings and any legislative recommendations to improve low-altitude airspace safety.

The Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act seeks to streamline the federal licensing process for hydropower projects by narrowing the scope of environmental requirements imposed on operators. Specifically, the bill amends the Federal Power Act to limit conditions that federal agencies can attach to hydropower licenses, requiring that such conditions be narrowly tailored to "reasonably mitigate the direct adverse effect" of a project rather than imposing broader requirements. The legislation also restricts requirements for installing fish passages to only those necessary to address direct harm to fish populations in the affected river system. The bill would affect hydropower developers seeking federal licenses and the federal agencies that oversee licensing, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. By making licensing conditions more focused and limited in scope, the legislation is intended to reduce costs and complexity for hydropower projects, though the bill contains no specific funding allocations or implementation timelines.

This bill grants Crook County, Oregon, an 80-foot-wide right-of-way for building a new road in Juniper Canyon from Oregon Route 380 to Juniper Canyon Road. Additionally, the federal government will convey four parcels of land, totaling approximately 160 acres, to the county at no cost. The county must use these land parcels to establish and maintain fire safe zones designed to support emergency response, protect firefighters, and create fuel breaks during wildfires. The county is responsible for paying all costs associated with the land conveyance, and if the county fails to maintain the properties as fire safe zones, the land will revert to federal ownership. The bill does not specify a timeline or additional funding requirements beyond the county's responsibility for conveyance costs.

H.Amdt.181 amendment — An amendment numbered 2 printed in Part B of House Report 119-628 to broaden the Renewable Fuel Standard's definition of "renewable biomass".. The text for this legislation has not yet been released. A summary will be generated when there is text available.

This bill requires federal agencies operating water projects in western reclamation states to meaningfully consult with local water contractors before making decisions that could reduce water deliveries under the Endangered Species Act. The legislation applies to water agencies, irrigation districts, and water users associations that have contracts with the Bureau of Reclamation for water supply. Under the bill, these contractors must be given advance notice and opportunities to review and comment on biological assessments, biological opinions, and proposed alternatives before federal agencies finalize decisions about water operations. The bill specifically requires agencies to explain the scientific basis for any actions that would limit water delivery and to consider whether alternatives with fewer impacts on water supply would still protect endangered species and their habitat. The bill includes no specific funding amounts or implementation deadlines but applies only to federal water project consultations related to endangered species protections.

This bill adjusts how much the federal government pays the Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a federal agency that sells hydroelectric power in the Pacific Northwest and West. Beginning six months after the bill becomes law, the Administrator's salary will be set to match what chief executives earn at comparable consumer-owned utilities in the region, rather than following standard federal pay scales. The bill also extends similar market-based pay adjustments to other BPA employees, with salaries determined by surveying compensation at regional utilities and considering factors like education, experience, and retention needs. The goal is to make federal BPA jobs competitive enough to attract and keep experienced leaders and staff in the utility industry. No specific dollar amounts or funding totals are mentioned in the legislation.

This bill modifies the National Flood Insurance Program by limiting how the Endangered Species Act applies to certain flood insurance activities. Specifically, it exempts specific flood insurance program actions from the requirement to consult with federal wildlife agencies and obtain their approval under the Endangered Species Act, meaning those activities can proceed without environmental review for potential impacts on protected species. The bill also requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department's fisheries office to withdraw and discard any existing biological opinions (expert assessments) about how the flood insurance program affects endangered species, with no ability to issue new ones. Additionally, it clarifies that land management measures funded through the flood insurance program exist solely to protect property and human health. The legislation takes effect upon enactment with no specific funding authorization mentioned in the text provided.

This bill amends a 1937 federal law governing timber management on certain Oregon and California lands to prioritize timber production as the primary use. The legislation establishes that generating revenue for county government services through sustainable timber harvesting should be the main purpose of these lands, with other goals like watershed protection and wildfire reduction listed as secondary. The bill also requires the federal government to match Oregon's fire protection standards for these timberlands and to compensate the state and local fire protection agencies for their services. Additionally, it clarifies which lands qualify as "timberlands" under the law based on timber growth capacity. The Department of Interior must complete revised management plans for all affected lands within two years of the bill's enactment, implementing these changes throughout the federal timber program.

The Oregon Owyhee Wilderness and Community Protection Act designates approximately 924,440 acres in Malheur County as wilderness areas and special management zones while allowing continued livestock grazing, motorized access for specific purposes, and resource management activities on federal lands. The bill streamlines grazing operations by permitting ranchers with federal permits to make minor adjustments—such as shifting grazing seasons or relocating water sources—without lengthy environmental reviews, and establishes a local advisory group called the Malheur County Economic Opportunities (C.E.O.) Group to recommend and fund ecosystem restoration and community projects across the county. The legislation also transfers approximately 28,000 acres, including Jonesboro Ranch, to the Burns Paiute Tribe to be held in trust, and directs the Secretary of Interior to create a co-stewardship agreement with the tribe for the Castle Rock area while preserving existing grazing permits and rights. Throughout these designated lands, the bill explicitly permits wildfire suppression, invasive species control, and livestock management, and prohibits new permanent roads and mining activities. No specific funding amounts or implementation timelines are detailed in the provided sections.

The Safe Social Media Act directs the Federal Trade Commission, working with the Department of Health and Human Services, to study how social media platforms affect teenagers under 17. The study will examine what personal information these platforms collect from young users, how that data is used in algorithms and targeted advertising, how much time teenagers spend on these platforms, and what mental health effects result from social media use. The FTC must submit a comprehensive report to Congress within three years of the bill's enactment that includes findings from the study and any recommended policy changes. The legislation specifically defines social media platforms as public-facing websites and apps that host user-generated content like messages, videos, and images, while excluding broadband providers and email services. No funding amount is specified in the bill, and the study is exempt from standard paperwork reduction requirements.

The Pacific Northwest Gray Wolves Relief Act of 2025 directs the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a federal rule that removes gray wolves from the endangered and threatened species list, but only for wolves in Oregon and Washington. The bill requires this reissuance to occur within 60 days of the law's enactment. This legislation would effectively allow gray wolves in those two states to lose federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, potentially enabling increased hunting, culling, or other management strategies that might not be permitted while they remain federally protected. The bill directly affects gray wolves and wildlife management in the Pacific Northwest, as well as ranchers, hunters, conservationists, and others with interests in wolf populations and livestock protection in Oregon and Washington.

This bill requires prescription drug manufacturers to provide patients with standardized, one-page printed medication information sheets written in plain language whenever a prescription is filled. The law applies to all prescription drugs and mandates that these sheets include key safety information such as drug name, uses, directions, side effects, drug interactions, warnings for special populations like children and pregnant women, and instructions for reporting adverse events. The Food and Drug Administration must issue final regulations within one year of the bill's enactment to establish the specific format, content, language, graphics, and printing standards for these materials. Supporters argue that providing consistent printed information could prevent millions of dollars in healthcare costs by reducing adverse drug events and emergency room visits, particularly for patients without reliable electronic access to medication information.

Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2025 or the SECURE Notarization Act of 2025 This bill allows a notary public commissioned under state law to remotely notarize electronic records and perform notarizations for remotely located individuals. The bill provides technical requirements for the notarizations, including the creation and retention of video and audio recordings and the use of communication technologies (i.e., video chat).Additionally, the bill requires U.S. courts and states to recognize notarizations—including remote notarizations of electronic records and notarizations of remotely-located individuals—that occur in or affect interstate commerce and are performed by a notary public commissioned under the laws of other states.The bill also allows a notary public to remotely notarize electronic records involving an individual located outside of the United States, subject to certain requirements.

Wildfire Communications Resiliency ActThis bill exempts certain post-wildfire communications infrastructure projects from specified federal environmental and historic preservation review requirements. Specifically, the bill exempts from review projects that (1) are to be carried out within five years of the declaration of a wildfire-related major disaster or emergency in a given area; (2) are to be carried out entirely within the area for which the major disaster or emergency was declared; and (3) will replace a communications facility damaged by the major disaster or emergency, or make improvements to a communications facility that are necessary for recovery or to prevent or mitigate a future major disaster or emergency. To qualify under the bill, a major disaster or emergency must have been declared by the President, a state governor, or a tribal chief executive. The bill specifies that these projects are not considered major federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or undertakings under the National Historic Preservation Act, thus exempting such projects from the review procedures required under those acts.

The Dalles Watershed Development ActThis bill provides for the conveyance of approximately 150 acres of National Forest System land located in the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon from the Forest Service to the City of The Dalles, Oregon. If the city requests Interior to convey the land within a year of this bill's enactment, then the Forest Service must convey the land to the city as soon as practicable.The exact acreage and legal description of the National Forest System land to be conveyed must be determined by a survey satisfactory to the Forest Service. The conveyance must be (1) subject to valid existing rights; (2) made without consideration (i.e., made without the transfer of value, such as money); (3) made by a quitclaim deed; and (4) subject to such additional terms and conditions as the Forest Service determines to be appropriate to protect the interests of the United States.As a condition of the conveyance, the city must pay the costs associated with the conveyance, including the cost of a survey.