HR 3209, the App Store Freedom Act, would require major app store owners (like Apple and Google) with over 100 million US users to allow users to choose third-party app stores, install apps from outside their official stores, and hide pre-installed apps. The bill prohibits these companies from forcing developers to use their payment systems, restricting pricing options, or using nonpublic developer information to compete with their apps. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce these rules with civil penalties up to $1 million per violation, while states could also bring enforcement actions in certain cases. This legislation aims to increase competition in app distribution and development by preventing anti-competitive practices by dominant app store platforms.
HR 3213, the Restoring Court Authority Over Litigation Act of 2025, clarifies that state and federal courts - not federal agencies - have primary authority to regulate attorneys during legal proceedings. The bill prohibits federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from regulating attorneys' litigation activities (such as filing court documents or arguing cases) and bans private lawsuits against attorneys for conduct in court. It amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Consumer Financial Protection Act to explicitly exclude attorneys engaged in litigation from certain regulations. This directly affects attorneys, law firms, and courts by reducing federal regulatory overlap and reinforcing courts' traditional role in overseeing legal conduct.
HR 3206, the Protecting America's Property Rights Act, requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the "Enterprises") to use third-party insurance products regulated by state authorities for mortgage lien and title protection. It mandates that any mortgage purchased by these entities must involve products regulated by state insurance or financial authorities, as defined in existing federal law. To enforce this, the bill adds a 1.00% capital requirement on the unpaid principal balance of mortgages that don’t meet this standard. The Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency must issue implementing regulations within 180 days of the bill’s enactment.
HR 3184, the PFAS Alternatives Act, funds research to develop turnout gear (firefighter safety clothing) without harmful PFAS chemicals, directly affecting firefighters who wear this gear. It authorizes $25 million annually (2025-2029) for grants to eligible organizations to research and test PFAS-free gear, requiring partnerships with firefighting groups to translate findings into practice. The bill also allocates $2 million yearly (2027-2031) for training programs on safe gear use and decontamination. Its goal is to reduce firefighters' exposure to chemicals linked to occupational illnesses during operations.
HR 976, the "1071 Repeal to Protect Small Business Lending Act," would repeal data collection and reporting requirements for small business loans under Section 704B of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. This specifically removes the mandate for financial institutions - especially community banks and credit unions - to track and submit loan data by business characteristics like race or gender. The bill aims to reduce compliance costs for lenders, which its findings argue limit small business access to credit. The repeal would eliminate these reporting obligations and remove references to the requirement from related federal laws.
The ACES Act (HR 530) mandates a study by the National Academies to examine cancer rates and deaths among veterans who served as aircrew members (e.g., pilots, navigators) in fixed-wing military aircraft. The study will identify potential exposure risks (like chemicals) linked to 12 specific cancers (including brain, lung, prostate, and melanoma) and use VA, DoD, and CDC data to analyze prevalence and mortality. It does not change benefits or laws but requires a final report to the VA and congressional committees. The study directly affects veterans with the defined aircrew service history.
This bill provides a 3-year transition period for newly insured banks to meet federal capital requirements, easing compliance for institutions that recently became federally insured. It allows these banks to request temporary deviations from approved business plans, with regulators required to respond within 30 days (or the request is automatically approved). Small rural banks with less than $10 billion in assets located in rural areas receive a lower 8% leverage ratio requirement during this transition. Additionally, the bill expands lending authority for certain banks to include agricultural loans and requires a federal study on increasing new bank formations in underserved areas.
SRES 201 is a non-binding Senate resolution designating the week of May 4-10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week." It honors small businesses and entrepreneurs across all U.S. communities for their economic contributions, citing that small businesses support over 59 million jobs. The resolution recognizes their resilience and celebrates their role in strengthening local economies. This symbolic gesture, consistent with annual presidential proclamations since 1963, does not create new laws or affect any specific group through policy changes.
HR 3178, the Save Healthcare Workers Act, creates a new federal crime for assaulting hospital staff while they are performing their duties, with penalties including fines and up to 10 years in prison (up to 20 years for aggravated cases involving weapons or injuries). The bill directly affects hospital employees - including nurses, doctors, and support staff - across all covered facilities (such as emergency rooms, long-term care centers, and children’s hospitals) by criminalizing violence that disrupts patient care. It also establishes a $25 million annual grant program (2025-2034) to help hospitals implement safety measures like staff de-escalation training, security technology, and coordination with local law enforcement. These provisions aim to address workplace violence in healthcare settings, which the bill cites as a growing problem affecting service delivery and staff retention.
The Clean Slate Act of 2025 provides two pathways to seal certain criminal records. It automatically seals records of individuals arrested but not convicted for federal offenses after 180 days, and seals records of those convicted of specific marijuana offenses after completing their sentences. For other nonviolent offenses, individuals can petition courts for record sealing after completing sentences, with courts weighing rehabilitation against public safety concerns. Sealed records cannot be used in most background checks, though law enforcement and security positions may access them, and employers hiring individuals with sealed records are protected from liability for related misconduct.
HR 3135, titled the Regulation Advancement for Capital Enhancement Act of 2025 (not "RACE Act"), streamlines securities offerings for certain companies. It allows businesses with existing exempt securities (under Section 3(b)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933) to automatically qualify new "substantially similar" securities without separate SEC review, provided each new offering is under $5 million and total annual offerings across all similar classes stay within the original exemption limit. This directly affects small businesses and startups seeking to issue additional securities quickly without full SEC registration. The key mechanism is an automatic qualification process based on similarity and size limits, reducing regulatory burden for qualifying offerings.
Community Services Block Grant Improvement Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program through FY2032 and makes certain changes to the program and associated eligibility requirements. The CSBG program supports various antipoverty activities, primarily through formula-based allotments to states, tribes, and territories, the majority of which must be made available in grants to eligible local entities. Specifically, the bill permanently sets the measure of eligibility for services, assistance, or resources provided directly to individuals or families under the program at 200% of the poverty line. (Under current law, the eligibility measure is temporarily set at 200% of the poverty line, an increase from the previous measure of 125% of the poverty line.) The bill also makes certain changes to the permitted uses of funding, including by allowing CSBG funds to be used to facilitate low-income individuals’ and communities’ access to high-speed broadband, digital literacy training, technical support, and other services. States may also use certain funds allocated for training and technical assistance to assist eligible entities in responding to statewide and regional conditions that create economic insecurity, including emergency conditions. The bill also expands requirements for the plans that states must submit to the Department of Health and Human Services in order to receive CSBG funds (e.g., transparency assurances), and sets deadlines by which states must make funds available to eligible entities. Finally, the bill repeals a provision that allowed states to use CSBG funds to offset revenue losses associated with state charity tax credits.
