This bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow federally recognized Indian Tribes with ancestral ties to the Columbia River to kill California sea lions and Steller sea lions in the river without federal restrictions. The legislation permits these tribes to intentionally take an unlimited number of these marine mammals at any time, using methods they determine to be humane, and they may designate others to carry out the killings on their behalf. The targeted area spans the Columbia River mainstem and tributaries in Washington and Oregon from the river's mouth to McNary Dam. The bill is designed to help protect salmon populations in the Columbia River, which are preyed upon by these sea lions, while respecting tribal sovereignty and existing treaty rights. No specific funding amount or implementation timeline is mentioned in the legislation.

This bill directs the Attorney General to establish an official station for the U.S. Attorney's Office serving the Western District of Washington in Clark County, Washington. An official station is a designated workplace location where federal prosecutors can operate and conduct their duties. The bill affects residents and businesses in Clark County, which includes the city of Vancouver, by ensuring they have a local office to access federal prosecution services rather than traveling to other district locations. The legislation does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines, leaving those details for the Attorney General to determine. This is a straightforward administrative measure that aims to improve access to federal legal services in southwestern Washington.

The Stop Scamming Truckers Act creates new rules to protect truck drivers from misleading communications about Department of Transportation registration numbers. Private companies that contact truckers about USDOT number registration, renewal, or compliance must clearly state in plain language that they are private companies, not affiliated with the federal government. These disclosures must appear prominently in easy-to-read font on the first page of printed materials or without scrolling on digital communications, and cannot be hidden or contradicted by other text or design elements. Covered private entities are also prohibited from using government names, seals, or logos that might suggest government affiliation, and they cannot claim that payment to them is required to obtain or maintain a USDOT number. The law allows truckers who receive deceptive communications to sue in federal court for damages between $500 and $5,000 per communication, actual damages paid, and attorney fees, without needing to prove the sender intentionally deceived them, with a five-year statute of limitations on such lawsuits.

H.Amdt.187 amendment — An amendment numbered 14 printed in Part B of House Report 119-628 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop a low-risk classification for fresh fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are typically consumed raw or with minimal processing.. The text for this legislation has not yet been released. A summary will be generated when there is text available.

This resolution expresses House support for establishing an annual Congressional Quilt Show to honor American quilters and their craftsmanship traditions spanning over 250 years. The showcase would be administered through a lottery system open to eligible constituents from each congressional district, specifically those who have won ribbons at county fairs or received similar quilting recognition within their district. Selected quilts would be displayed outside the respective congressional offices in the House of Representatives, with the Architect of the Capitol handling the displays. The House Committee on Administration would oversee the regulations and operations of the annual showcase. While the resolution celebrates quilting as an important cultural and artistic tradition that demonstrates mathematical and visual intelligence, it does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines beyond establishing the show as an annual event.

The Fair Prices for Local Businesses Act strengthens federal antitrust laws by expanding protections against price discrimination under the Clayton Act. The bill broadens the law's scope to cover services in addition to physical goods, extends protections to all activities affecting commerce rather than just direct commerce, and makes it illegal to induce or receive the benefit of discriminatory pricing practices. The legislation particularly protects smaller businesses by requiring companies with annual retail sales exceeding one hundred billion dollars to prove they knowingly engaged in price discrimination, while creating a legal presumption that any victim of unlawful discrimination has suffered measurable damages without needing to prove the exact amount. The changes apply to all transactions occurring after the bill's enactment and are designed to level the playing field for local and smaller businesses competing against large corporations that may use their size to negotiate preferential pricing.

H.Res. 1104 directs the House Office of Congressional Conduct to develop standards for addressing situations where House members may be unable to perform their duties due to significant cognitive impairment. The Office has 180 days to establish what constitutes misconduct under this standard and submit a report to the Committee on Ethics, which then has 90 days to finalize and issue the standard. The resolution also requires the Committee on Ethics to create publicly available guidance that allows House employees to safely and confidentially report concerns about a member's mental capacity to relevant committees. The bill does not authorize any funding or establish a specific enforcement mechanism, but instead aims to create clear procedures and protections for identifying and addressing potential cognitive fitness issues among representatives.

The LIGHT Safety Act directs the U.S. Department of Transportation to establish a maximum brightness limit for low beam headlights on vehicles within one year of the law's enactment. The rule would revise existing federal safety standards to prevent excessively bright headlamps that can cause dangerous glare for other drivers on highways and two-lane roads. This legislation affects all vehicle manufacturers and drivers, as it will set binding limits on how bright new vehicle headlights can be, measured in lumens or similar brightness units. The bill does not appear to include new federal funding allocations, instead tasking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with developing and implementing the brightness standard through its existing regulatory authority.

This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of Representative Jesús G. “Chuy” García of Illinois.

The FARM Act requires farm equipment manufacturers to provide farmers and independent repair shops with access to parts, tools, software, and repair documentation on fair and reasonable terms. This applies to equipment like tractors, combines, sprayers, and other farm machinery. The bill aims to prevent manufacturers from restricting repairs to their authorized dealers by requiring them to supply repair materials at costs comparable to what authorized repair providers receive, without imposing registration requirements or conditions that force farmers to use specific repair channels. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce the law by treating violations as unfair business practices, with escalating daily penalties starting at $1,000 for the first violation, $2,000 for the second, and $5,000 for subsequent violations related to discontinuing repair resources. The legislation also clarifies that farmers and repair providers can legally circumvent software locks on equipment for legitimate repair purposes, though manufacturers are not required to reveal trade secrets or allow modifications that disable safety systems or violate emissions laws.

Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative to prioritize certain loans and grants that address childcare in agricultural and rural communities. Under the bill, childcare includes eligible programs that provide quality care and early education for young children who are in kindergarten or have not yet entered kindergarten.Under the initiative, USDA must give priority to applicants that propose to use certain loans or grants to address the availability, quality, or costs of childcare in an agricultural or rural community. In addition, USDA must prioritize communities in farming-dependent counties and ensure a balanced geographical distribution of the benefits.USDA must conduct a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the projects carried out under the initiative and submit a report to Congress.

The Warrior Right to Repair Act requires defense contractors to give the Department of Defense fair and reasonable access to repair parts, tools, and technical information needed to maintain and fix military equipment. This applies to all new defense contracts going forward, though the law allows the Pentagon to waive the requirement for existing programs if it submits a technical risk assessment to Congress explaining potential impacts on costs, schedules, or performance. The bill defines "fair and reasonable access" as pricing and terms equivalent to what the manufacturer offers to other authorized repair providers, ensuring the military isn't charged more than commercial customers. Additionally, the Secretary of Defense must review existing contracts to identify and remove intellectual property restrictions that prevent military maintenance and repair access. The Government Accountability Office must report back to Congress within one year on how well the Defense Department implements these new requirements.

The Jobs in the Woods Act directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a competitive grant program funding career training in forestry and forest products industries. Grants ranging from $500,000 to $2 million will support training programs in rural, low-income areas with populations under 50,000, with priority given to programs that address workforce aging, youth retention, and partner with schools or community colleges. The bill authorizes $10 million annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2030, and the Agriculture Department must establish the program within one year of the bill's enactment. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, state and local governments, Indian tribes, and higher education institutions.

Research for Healthy Soils ActThis bill includes research on the agricultural impacts of microplastics and PFAS in land-applied biosolids or compost on farmland as a Department of Agriculture (USDA) high-priority research and extension area. Microplastic is a plastic or plastic-coated particle that is less than 5 millimeters in size. Perfluoroalky and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, are man-made and may have adverse human health effects.The bill specifically allows grants for carrying out or enhancing research in this area (e.g., the development or analysis of techniques, including wastewater treatment and composting, to filter out or biodegrade such substances from biosolids intended to be used for agricultural purposes).Further, the bill reauthorizes USDA grants to support competitive specialized research and extension activities, including high-priority areas, through FY2031.The bill also specifically reauthorizes through FY2031the Pulse Crop Health Initiative;the Comprehensive Food Safety Training Network;pollinator protection research and extension grants;increased USDA capacity and infrastructure to address and conduct research on colony collapse disorder and other pollinator issues; anda USDA-conducted nationwide honey bee pest, pathogen, health, and population status surveillance program.

Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act of 2025 This bill makes changes to grant programs administered by the Forest Service to promote wood products.Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2030, modifies, and renames the Community Wood Facilities Grant program. Currently named the Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program, this program provides competitive grants to fund a portion of the capital costs for installing community wood energy systems or building innovative wood products facilities. Modifications to the program include increasing the maximum grant amount per facility, increasing the portion of a project's cost that may be covered by a grant, and changing the grant selection criteria.The bill also modifies the Wood Innovation Grant Program, which provides grants to develop and expand the market for innovative wood products. Specifically, the bill increases the portion of a project's cost that may be covered by such a grant.The bill also modifies both programs to prioritize grants for the construction, use, or retrofitting of forest products manufacturing.

The PARA-EMT Act addresses a critical shortage of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics across the United States by establishing two federal grant programs and requiring a workforce study. The bill creates a $50 million annual pilot program (2026-2030) through the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to EMS agencies for recruiting, training, and retaining EMTs and paramedics, with priority given to programs serving rural areas, youth, and disadvantaged populations. It also establishes a separate $20 million annual program (2026-2030) to help states assist military veterans with medical training in transitioning to civilian EMS careers by covering certification and licensing costs. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretaries of Labor and Health and Human Services to study the EMT and paramedic workforce shortage and submit recommendations to Congress within one year, including whether to expand federal hiring preferences for these occupations. The legislation aims to address a shortage projected to exceed 42,000 workers by 2030, a problem worsened by high turnover rates and the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of training programs.

Helping Heroes ActThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Veteran Family Resource Program to address social determinants of health challenges experienced in veterans’ family units and ensure veterans and their families have access to services and resources to support wellness within the family units.In implementing the program, the VA must (1) appoint at least one family coordinator in each Veterans Integrated Service Network (regional VA health care administrative areas), and (2) ensure adequate staffing and resources to ensure family coordinators are able to carry out their duties and functions. Under the bill, a family coordinator’s function is generally to serve at a VA medical center as a point person regarding VA and community resources for veterans, their families, and caregivers and survivors of veterans.The VA may expand the program to additional medical centers as appropriate.Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this bill, and not less frequently than once every five years after, the VA must survey disabled veterans and their families to identify and better understand their needs.

This bill requires states that receive federal child care funding to stop prohibiting licensed child care providers from preparing fresh fruits and vegetables in simple ways, such as washing, peeling, and cutting produce. The legislation defines "simple food preparation" as basic handling of minimally processed fruits and vegetables and applies to both licensed facilities and unlicensed exempt providers. Congress found that overly restrictive food regulations discourage child care providers from serving fresh, healthy foods and contribute to the decline of home-based child care options, which disproportionately affects low-income and rural families. By removing these regulatory barriers, the bill aims to make it easier for providers to offer nutritious meals and snacks while reducing bureaucratic obstacles that burden child care operations. The bill does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines beyond requiring states receiving Child Care and Development Block Grant funds to comply with the new provision.

Rural Veterans Transportation to Care ActThis bill expands and makes permanent the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grant program that provides transportation options to veterans for medical purposes.First, the bill expands the program to cover transportation for veterans in rural areas, in addition to veterans in highly rural areas (who are already eligible under the program).The bill also authorizes the VA to award such grants to county veterans service organizations and tribal organizations to assist veterans with transportation for medical care.Further, the bill increases the maximum grant amount to $60,000. However, if a grant recipient is required to purchase a vehicle to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, such grant amount may be increased to not more than $80,000.Finally, the bill defines rural and highly rural in the same manner as the terms are given under the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system of the Department of Agriculture. RUCA uses population density and commuting patterns to assign designations.

Farmland Security Act of 2025This bill authorizes increased civil penalties for violations of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) and increases Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversight of and research into foreign investment in agricultural land. As background, AFIDA and the regulations that implemented the act require foreign investors who acquire, transfer, or hold an interest in U.S. agricultural land to report such holdings and transactions to USDA.In general, the bill allows USDA to determine an appropriate civil penalty amount for an AFIDA violation by removing the cap that currently prohibits the civil penalty from exceeding 25% of the fair market value of the interest in the agricultural land associated with the violation.Under an exception in the bill, the civil penalty for a foreign-owned shell corporation is 100% of the fair market value of the interest in the agricultural land. The bill defines a shell corporation to include a company, association, firm, partnership, society, joint stock company, trust, or estate that has no or nominal operations. The penalty does not apply if the shell corporation remedies a defective filing or failure to file within 60 days of USDA providing notice.USDA must conduct annual compliance audits of at least 10% of the reports. Further, USDA must provide state and county-level personnel certain annual training.USDA must also annually conduct research and submit a report to Congress on foreign investment in agricultural land, including trends in the purchase of U.S. agricultural land by foreign-owned shell corporations.

Water Systems PFAS Liability Protection Act This bill exempts specified water management entities from liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) for releases of certain perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS. Specifically, the entities covered under the bill are public water systems, publicly or privately owned or operated treatment works, municipalities with a stormwater discharge permit, political subdivisions or special districts of a state that act as a wholesale water agency, and contractors performing the management or disposal activities for such entities. Under the bill, the exemption only applies if a specified entity transports, treats, disposes of, or arranges for the transport, treatment or disposal of PFAS consistent with applicable laws and during and following the conveyance or treatment of water under federal or state law, such as through the management or disposal of biosolids consistent with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Liability for damages or costs associated with the release of certain PFAS must not be precluded if an entity acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct.

Truth in Tuition Act of 2025This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student aid programs to provide admitted students with information related to tuition and fees. Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to provide to a student (1) a multi-year tuition and fee schedule; or (2) a single-year tuition and fee schedule and a nonbinding, multi-year estimate of net costs after financial aid is awarded. The Department of Education may waive this requirement under certain circumstances.

Carried Interest Fairness Act of 2025This bill taxes income from carried interest at ordinary income tax rates and makes other changes related to carried interest. (Some exceptions apply.)As background, a general partner in a private equity firm or hedge fund (typically structured as a partnership) generally receives a share of the profits from the assets managed by the general partner (known as carried interest). Under current law, carried interest is characterized (for federal tax purposes) as an interest in a partnership’s capital and, thus, taxed at capital gains tax rates (which may be lower than the applicable ordinary income tax rates). Under the bill, net capital gain and loss attributable to carried interest is recharacterized as ordinary income and loss and, thus, taxed at ordinary income tax rates. (Some exceptions apply.)The bill also treats as ordinary the money (or fair market value of property) received by a partner in a sale or exchange of carried interest. (Thus, the bill extends what is known as the hot asset rule to include carried interest.)Further, the bill deems distributions of carried interest by a partnership in exchange for interest in other partnership property a sale or exchange of such property and, thus, requires the partner to recognize ordinary gain on the distributed carried interest.Finally, the bill imposes self-employment taxes on carried interest income.

Fairness for the Trades ActThis bill expands the expenses that may be paid for with tax-free distributions from a qualified tuition program (known as a 529 plan) to include those incurred to purchase business property in certain industries. (Some limitations apply.)Under the bill, tax-free 529 plan distributions may be used to pay for certain property for use by the plan beneficiary in industries within the following industry groups (as classified in the North American Industry Classification System):timber tract operations;forest nurseries and gathering of forest products;logging;fishing;hunting and trapping;support activities for forestry;residential and nonresidential building construction;utility system construction;land subdivision;highway, street, and bridge construction;other heavy and civil engineering construction;foundation, structure, and building exterior contracting;building equipment contracting;building finishing contracting;other specialty trade contracting;automotive repair and maintenance;electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance;commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (except automotive and electronic) repair and maintenance; and personal and household goods repair and maintenance.

Reliability for Ratepayers ActThis bill modifies provisions concerning the hiring and compensation of employees of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which is a nonprofit federal power marketing administration that sells hydropower in the Northwest.Specifically, it directs BPA to develop and implement a plan that specifies and fixes the compensation for its employees, including members of the Senior Executive Service. Within a year, BPA must develop an initial compensation plan, which must be approved by the Department of Energy. BPA must implement the plan no later than one year after the plan is developed. The compensation plan must be based on an annual survey of the prevailing compensation for similar positions in the public sectors of the electric industry, provide compensation that is competitive with similar positions among consumer-owned utilities in the Western Interconnection, be consistent with BPA's approved annual general and administrative budget, and meet other criteria as outlined in the bill. BPA must (1) annually review the compensation plan and make any updates as appropriate, and (2) publish the plan and any updates made to the plan.The bill exempts BPA from certain civil service laws when it is carrying out its hiring authority.Finally, the bill subjects BPA's employees to certain merit system principles.