Congressional Bills
Community Reclamation Partnerships Act of 2025This bill revises the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, which restores land and water adversely impacted by surface coal mines that were abandoned before August 3, 1977.Until September 30, 2032, the bill allows a state with an approved reclamation program to enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant federal or state agencies for remediating mine drainage on abandoned mine land and water impacted by abandoned mines.In addition, the bill authorizes a partnership between a state and a community reclaimer for remediating abandoned mine land if certain conditions are met. A community reclaimer is a person who (1) voluntarily assists a state in a reclamation project, (2) did not participate in the creation of site conditions at the proposed site or activities that caused any land or waters at the site to become eligible for reclamation or drainage abatement expenditures, and (3) is not subject to outstanding violations of surface coal mining permits.
Targeted Operations to Remove Catastrophic Hazards Act or the TORCH ActThis bill establishes requirements concerning forest management on federal land, including provisions to expedite the approval of forest management activities.Specifically, it expands exclusions from environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for certain forest management activities, including by directing the Forest Service to develop a categorical exclusion for forest management activities that mitigate the risks associated with high-priority hazard trees. A categorical exclusion is a class of actions that a federal agency has determined do not significantly affect the quality of the human environment and, thus, do not require an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement.The bill also exempts the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management from the requirement to reinitiate consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 on an approved, amended, or revised land management plan when (1) a new species is listed or critical habitat is designated, or (2) new information reveals that the land management plan may affect a listed species or critical habitat in a manner or to an extent not previously considered.It also creates and modifies requirements related to vegetation management practices and forest management activities, such as activities to reduce wildfire risks. For example, the bill modifies the treatment of certain revenue under good neighbor agreements, which allow federal agencies to partner with state and local governments to carry out certain restoration services.
Prevent Family Fire Act of 2025 This bill establishes a new business tax credit on the sale of a safe firearm storage device on or before December 31, 2032. The amount of the tax credit is 10% of the retail sales price (up to a maximum price of $400 and excluding separately stated sales tax) of a safe firearm storage device. The tax credit is allowed only on the first retail sale of a safe firearm storage device for a use other than resale or long-term lease.The bill defines safe firearm storage device as a device that is (1) designed and marketed to deny unauthorized access to a firearm or ammunition or render such items inoperable; and (2) is secured by a combination lock, key lock, or lock based on biometric information.
USPS Subpoena Authority ActThis bill expands the administrative subpoena authority of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).Specifically, the bill authorizes subpoenas to investigate additional violations of law that involve the mail, including violations related to controlled substances and hazardous materials.The bill also expands the senior USPS officials to whom subpoena approval authority may be delegated to include the Chief Postal Inspector.
Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent ActThis bill directs the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Transportation to conduct an audit of public transportation spending under certain laws (including specified coronavirus relief laws) and report to Congress.
Defund Heroin Injection Centers Act of 2025This bill prohibits federal funds from being made available to a state, local, tribal, or private entity that operates or controls an injection center (i.e., a medically supervised injection site) in violation of the federal statute commonly known as the Crack House Statute. The statute generally prohibits making facilities available for the purpose of unlawfully using a controlled substance.
Consequences for Social Security Fraud ActThis bill adds additional criminal offences to the grounds upon which a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) may be barred from admission into the United States or deported. Specifically, an individual who has been convicted of, or admits to committing, Social Security fraud, identification document fraud, or fraud related to COVID-19 financial assistance programs is inadmissible or deportable under the bill.
Deport Alien Gang Members ActThis bill makes non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) associated with criminal gangs inadmissible for entry into the United States and deportable. The bill also establishes procedures to designate groups as criminal gangs.An individual shall be inadmissible if certain officers or agencies know or have reason to believe that the individual is or was a criminal gang member or has participated or aided such a group's illegal activities. An individual who is or was a member of such a gang, has participated or aided such a group's illegal activities, or seeks to enter or has entered the United States in furtherance of such activity shall be deportable.Such individuals must be subject to mandatory detention. Furthermore, such individuals shall not be eligible for (1) asylum; (2) temporary protected status; (3) special immigrant juvenile visas; or (4) parole, unless they are assisting the government in a law enforcement matter.The bill defines a criminal gang as a group of five or more persons (1) where one of its primary purposes is committing specified criminal offenses and its members have engaged in a continuing series of such offenses within the past five years, or (2) that has been designated as a criminal gang by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).The bill also establishes procedures for DHS to designate a group as a criminal gang, including notifying Congress, publishing a notice in the Federal Register, and providing an opportunity for the group to petition for review of the designation.
No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists ActThis bill imposes immigration-related penalties on certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who are involved with terrorism or attacks against Israel.Under this bill, members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad or Hamas or individuals who participated in or otherwise facilitated the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel may not be admitted into the United States.The bill also expands an existing admissions bar against officers, representatives, and spokespersons of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Under this bill, all PLO members are barred from admission into the United States.The bill also prohibits any non-U.S. national who participated in or otherwise facilitated the October 7, 2023, attacks from seeking any immigration-related relief or protections, including (1) protection from being deported to a country where the individual's life or freedom would be threatened, or (2) asylum in the United States.The Department of Homeland Security must annually report to Congress the number of individuals found to be inadmissible or deportable due to their participation in or facilitation of the attacks.
Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness ActThis bill modifies the Raker Act, which allowed San Francisco to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley within Yosemite National Park, to (1) increase the annual rent San Francisco pays to the National Park Service (NPS), and (2) direct the NPS to expand public access to the reservoir and lake created by the dam.Specifically, the bill increases rent paid by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for the use of the park from $30,000 to $2 million per year. That amount must be adjusted annually to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The commission may not recoup such sums from wholesale water or power customers. The bill allows collected rent to be used by the Department of the Interior for wildfire mitigation activities in the park and other national parks in California.The bill also requires the NPS to administer the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas for public recreation, benefit, and use in a manner that will preserve scenic, historic, scientific, or otherwise important features.
This bill sets out requirements for wildfire suppression and management activities carried out by the Forest Service.These requirements apply to Forest Service land that (1) has a severe, extreme, or exceptional drought intensity rating; (2) has a National Wildland Fire Preparedness level of 5 (i.e., the highest level of wildland fire activity); or (3) is located in a fireshed ranked in the top 10% of wildfire exposure.Within 24 hours of detecting a wildfire on such Forest Service land, the service must use all available resources to extinguish the wildfire. Additionally, the service may not inhibit the firefighting activities of state and local agencies that are authorized to respond to wildfires on the Forest Service land.Further, the service may only initiate a backfire or burnout as part of a fire suppression strategy if it is ordered by the responsible incident commander or is necessary to protect the health and safety of firefighting personnel. The service must use all available resources to control any initiated fire until it is extinguished.The bill also limits the service's use of prescribed fires (i.e., the controlled application of fire by a team of experts under specified weather conditions to restore health to ecosystems that depend on fire). When using prescribed fires as a fire resource management tool, the service must comply with applicable laws and regulations and immediately suppress any prescribed fire that exceeds its prescription.