Mike Crapo

In the nature of a substitute.

To amend the title.

This bill extends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, which provides federal funding to rural counties and schools in areas with significant federal land holdings. The legislation pushes back the expiration date of secure payments to states and counties from 2026 to 2029, ensuring continued financial support for schools and community projects in these regions. It also extends the authority for special projects on federal land and for counties to spend funds through 2031 and 2032, respectively, and continues a pilot program for Resource Advisory Committees through 2029. The bill includes minor technical corrections to existing law but does not specify new funding amounts, as it primarily extends existing payment mechanisms already authorized under the original 2000 act.

This resolution formally recognizes and supports National Forensic Science Week, designated for September 20 to September 26, 2026. It commends forensic science service providers for their critical role in criminal investigations, prosecutions, and exonerations, as well as their partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies to maintain criminal databases and ensure public safety. The resolution encourages various groups to participate in activities during this week, including forensic laboratories hosting community events and lab tours, local policymakers issuing proclamations and visiting labs, media outlets covering related stories, and law enforcement officers engaging with forensic labs to improve collaboration. The measure is symbolic and does not create new programs, funding, or legal requirements, but rather expresses the Senate's support for raising public awareness of forensic science's contributions to the justice system.

S. 5441, the Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act, is a comprehensive overhaul of IRS operations aimed at improving taxpayer service, strengthening oversight of tax preparers, and expanding taxpayer rights in disputes with the agency. It requires the IRS to modernize by accepting all returns electronically, digitizing paper documents, creating online taxpayer accounts, and meeting new deadlines for processing refund claims and information returns, with most changes phased in over 6 to 24 months after enactment. The bill also imposes tougher penalties and stricter licensing standards on tax return preparers—including new criminal penalties for fraudulent preparer ID numbers and unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer data—while expanding the Tax Court's jurisdiction to hear larger refund suits, judicial conflict-of-interest rules, and broader appeal rights through the IRS Independent Office of Appeals. Special protections are created for Americans wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad, pausing tax deadlines and penalties during their captivity, and farmers and fishermen get a simplified estimated tax deadline aligned with the standard April 15 date. Overall, the bill affects everyday taxpayers, tax professionals, IRS employees, and Americans abroad, with funding tied to expanded IRS enforcement and technology upgrades and most provisions taking effect between 180 days and two years after the bill becomes law.

The RAAM Act would eliminate federal fuel economy standards for automobiles, repealing the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules that currently require manufacturers to meet minimum efficiency requirements. The elimination would take effect for vehicles manufactured in model year 2029 and beyond. The bill affects automobile manufacturers, consumers, and states by establishing that fuel economy regulation is exclusively a federal responsibility and explicitly preventing states from adopting their own fuel economy standards or regulations. The legislation includes conforming amendments to various energy and environmental laws to remove references to the eliminated CAFE standards and clarifies definitions for alternative-fuel and dual-fuel vehicles. The bill contains no specific funding or appropriations, as it is primarily a regulatory repeal rather than a spending measure.

This resolution honors the life of Dirk Kempthorne, former Senator for the state of Idaho, and offers condolences to his family and loved ones.

S. 3985 allows states to charge and collect fees related to boating when they issue vessel numbers to boat owners. Specifically, states can now require payment of fees for search and rescue operations, boating safety programs, and efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (like zebra mussels). States can collect these new boating fees at the same time they collect standard vessel numbering fees, making it more convenient for both boat owners and state agencies. The money collected must be used only for activities that directly benefit recreational boating, such as improving boater safety, maintaining boating access, or managing invasive species in waterways. The bill does not specify a funding amount or implementation timeline, leaving those decisions to individual states.

The Taxpayer Advocacy and Systemization Act modernizes IRS operations and strengthens taxpayer protections through multiple reforms. The bill requires the IRS to digitize paper tax returns using optical character recognition technology and establish an online account system allowing taxpayers to view and manage their returns and correspondence for the past six years, with professionals like tax preparers granted access with taxpayer permission; these digital initiatives must be completed within 18 to 24 months. The legislation also enhances procedural fairness by requiring supervisory approval before IRS penalties are assessed, expanding Tax Court authority to hear refund cases up to $2 million and to conduct pre-trial discovery, and allowing courts to independently review innocent spouse relief cases. Additionally, the bill significantly tightens requirements for tax return preparers by establishing stricter identification standards, raising penalties for improper preparation and failure to use valid identification numbers (ranging up to $1,000 per violation with annual caps of $50,000–$75,000), and granting the IRS authority to suspend or revoke preparer credentials for misconduct. The bill also requires studies on tax compliance burdens for Americans abroad, protects IRS whistleblower awards from budget sequestration, creates relief for tax penalties owed by hostages and wrongfully detained Americans during their detention, and makes various technical adjustments to tax administration, with most provisions taking effect between 180 days and 24 months after enactment.

This bill streamlines federal oversight of state veterans homes by allowing facilities that receive Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) certification to be automatically considered compliant with Medicare and Medicaid requirements, rather than undergoing separate federal inspections. The law would apply to nursing homes that serve veterans and are run by states, affecting both the facilities themselves and the veterans they serve. To qualify for this "deemed compliance" status, the VA must submit its inspection standards and procedures for review by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at least every two years to ensure alignment with federal nursing home standards. The bill preserves federal enforcement authority, allowing the government to investigate complaints, impose penalties, or revoke the exemption if quality standards slip, and requires VA inspection data to be publicly reported on the Nursing Home Care Compare website. The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment, with agencies given 180 days to harmonize their data reporting processes.

Health Care Freedom for Patients Act of 2025This bill allows certain individuals with health savings accounts (HSAs) to receive federal payments. It also restricts payments under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) regarding certain noncitizens and restricts coverage of gender-transition procedures.Specifically, the bill provides funds for the Department of Health and Human Services to deposit payments into an individual’s HSA during 2026-2027 if the individual has a bronze or catastrophic plan through a health insurance exchange, is between the ages of 18 and 64, and has income up to 700% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Individuals may receive $1,000 or $1,500 annually, depending on age. The bill also provides funds, beginning in 2027, for cost-sharing reductions for certain individuals who have a silver plan and income up to 250% of the FPL.Beginning in 2027, the bill allows any individual to enroll in a catastrophic plan. Currently, these plans are limited to those under the age of 30 or who have certain exemptions.The bill also reduces the enhanced federal matching rate for the Medicaid expansion population in states that provide any health benefits for individuals who are not qualified aliens under federal law. The bill makes Medicaid and CHIP coverage of individuals while their status is being verified optional and conditions federal payment during this period on verification. Finally, the bill prohibits exchange plans from covering gender-transition procedures as an essential health benefit and prohibits federal payment under Medicaid and CHIP for these procedures.

The PBM Price Transparency and Accountability Act addresses hidden markups and lack of transparency in how pharmacy benefit managers handle prescription drug payments in Medicaid and Medicare. The bill requires the federal government to set fair pharmacy reimbursement standards based on actual drug costs, eliminates "spread pricing" practices where intermediaries pocket the difference between what they pay pharmacies and what states pay them, and mandates comprehensive reporting by PBMs on their pricing, rebates, and affiliate pharmacy relationships starting in 2028. The legislation establishes enforcement mechanisms including penalties up to $100,000 for violations, whistleblower protections for pharmacies, and an "any willing pharmacy" rule to ensure prescription drug plans accept qualified pharmacies in underserved areas. Congress has allocated approximately $322 million for implementing and overseeing these transparency and accountability requirements.

The Bring Our Heroes Home Act establishes a new independent Review Board to locate, review, and publicly release federal government records related to missing U.S. military personnel and civilians dating back to December 7, 1941. Federal agencies have one year to search their files and send relevant documents to the National Archives, with a strong presumption toward public disclosure unless release would cause grave national security harm. The five-member Review Board, appointed with Senate confirmation and bipartisan input, will have broad authority to access classified records, compel testimony, and make final decisions on what can be released, though the President may postpone disclosure for up to 30 days on national security grounds. Any records withheld must be fully disclosed within 10 years unless the President certifies severe national security risks, and the Board will be terminated after four years with remaining work transferred to the National Archives for permanent public access. The bill also requires annual congressional reports on progress and directs the State Department to contact Russia, China, North Korea, and other nations to seek their records on missing U.S. service members.

This Senate resolution expresses support for designating September 2025 as "National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" to raise awareness about a disease that affects more than 3.3 million American men. The resolution highlights that prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer among men, with 1 in 8 men expected to be diagnosed in their lifetime and an estimated 313,780 new cases and 35,770 deaths projected for 2025. The measure calls for increased awareness of screening methods and treatment options, emphasizes the importance of early detection when survival rates approach 100 percent, and encourages continued research to improve prevention and find a cure. The resolution notes that Congress has already allocated $75 million for Defense Department prostate cancer research in fiscal year 2025 and calls on Americans to observe the awareness month with appropriate activities and ceremonies.

This resolution expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Forensic Science Week.

The amendment introduces provisions that enhance existing regulations by adding stricter compliance requirements for certain industries and expanding the scope of oversight to include additional environmental protections. It also establishes new penalties for violations to ensure better enforcement of the updated standards.

The amendment introduces new provisions that enhance existing regulations by expanding eligibility criteria and increasing funding allocations for specific programs. Additionally, it establishes new reporting requirements to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the implementation of the legislation.

The amendment introduces provisions to enhance the existing legislation by adding new eligibility criteria for funding and establishing stricter accountability measures for recipients. Additionally, it revises reporting requirements to ensure greater transparency and oversight.

The amendment introduces provisions that enhance oversight and accountability measures for federal funding, requiring more detailed reporting from recipients and establishing stricter penalties for non-compliance. Additionally, it expands eligibility criteria for certain programs to include a broader range of organizations.

The amendment introduces new provisions that enhance existing regulations by increasing funding for specific programs and expanding eligibility criteria for beneficiaries. Additionally, it mandates the establishment of new reporting requirements to improve transparency and accountability.