The Feral Swine Eradication Act makes a federal program for controlling feral swine permanent, replacing a previous pilot initiative. It allocates $75 million for fiscal years 2025-2030 to fund eradication efforts in areas where feral swine threaten agriculture, ecosystems, or human/animal health (as determined by the Secretary). The bill requires one year of post-eradication monitoring in affected areas and mandates two reports to Congress detailing program activities, funding use, and success in reducing swine-related damage to crops, wildlife, and public safety.
This bill amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to expand exemptions for small-scale meat processing. It allows owners (including partial owners) of animals to slaughter, prepare, or transport meat from those animals exclusively for their household, nonpaying guests, or employees without federal inspection. The exemption now explicitly covers individuals who own animals "in whole or in part," broadening the previous scope limited to "animals of his own raising." If an owner uses an agent for these activities, they must maintain custody and specific identification of the meat as determined by the Secretary.
HR 2485, the Arts Education for All Act, requires states and school districts to integrate arts education into K-12 curricula and report on its availability. It mandates states to describe how they will support arts courses, increase certified arts educators (especially in high-need schools), and use arts to enhance teaching in core subjects like math and science (Section 202). Schools must track and report on arts course offerings, teacher qualifications, and student access - including disaggregated data by school poverty levels (Section 203). The bill also expands arts access in juvenile justice programs (Section 301) and funds research on effective arts education methods (Section 401). It directly affects public schools, arts educators, and youth in after-school and correctional settings.
This bill establishes a federal grant program to fund mental health crisis response training for law enforcement and corrections officers. It provides up to $10 million annually for state, local, and tribal agencies to cover training costs, including travel and lodging, for officers responding to mental health crises. The training must be evidence-based, developed with healthcare professionals and people with lived mental health experience, and cover de-escalation, empathy, community resources, and safety protocols. Agencies applying must demonstrate current training gaps, officer safety records, and how the training will reduce injuries to officers and the public during mental health emergencies. The grants are supplemental to existing funding and require annual reporting on training participation and outcomes.
HR 2527, the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act of 2025, provides federal grants to states, territories, tribes, and urban Indian organizations to establish statewide vision screening and intervention programs for children. The bill requires grantees to implement vision screenings in medical, home, educational, and early learning settings, develop data systems for tracking outcomes, and improve access to care for underserved children in rural and low-income communities. It also authorizes technical assistance grants through the CDC to help develop screening systems, share best practices, and conduct research on vision care programs. The bill allocates $5 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2030 to fund these activities, targeting early detection to prevent vision-related learning and developmental challenges.
HR 2509, the COMPLETE Care Act, creates Medicare payment incentives for primary care providers who integrate specific behavioral health services into their practice. It directly affects Medicare providers offering services identified by HCPCS codes 99484, 99492, 99493, 99494, G2214, and G0323 (covering models like Collaborative Care and Primary Care Behavioral Health) during 2027-2029. The bill increases Medicare payments for these services to 125-175% of standard rates (phasing down from 175% in 2027 to 125% in 2029) and waives budget neutrality rules to fund these higher payments. Additionally, it requires the HHS Secretary to provide technical assistance to primary care practices adopting these models by 2026, with dedicated funding for 2025-2029.
HR 1906, the Rural Wellness Act, extends a deadline for rural development funding to 2029 and requires that 17% of funds prioritize projects offering behavioral and mental health services like prevention, treatment, and recovery. It directs grant administrators to give preference to rural community facilities providing these services and employing staff trained in mental health care. The law applies to programs under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and the Rural Development Act of 1972. This affects rural communities seeking health facility grants and changes how funding is allocated to address mental health needs.
This bill establishes an Agriculture Climate Scientific Research Advisory Committee to develop national research priorities for climate-smart agriculture and standardize data collection protocols, and creates a Rural Climate Alliance Network to connect agricultural producers, researchers, and technical assistance providers. The committee will identify research gaps, develop biennial research agendas, and recommend annual budget priorities for climate research. The network will facilitate sharing of climate data, improve communication about climate risks, and support implementation of climate-resilient practices across the agriculture sector. These changes aim to strengthen coordination of climate-related research, data systems, and technical assistance to better address climate change impacts on farming and rural communities.
This bill establishes special base pay rates for wildland firefighters employed by the Forest Service or Department of the Interior, increasing their base pay by specific percentages (from 1.5% to 42%) based on their grade. It creates "incident response premium pay" at 450% of hourly rate for firefighters deployed to respond to qualifying wildfire incidents, with a yearly maximum of $9,000. The bill also provides for paid rest and recuperation leave following wildfire incident response. These provisions replace temporary pay increases that were previously authorized under other legislation and directly affect wildland firefighters who perform duties related to wildland fires.
The CALL Act (HR 1853) requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a comprehensive study on barriers to conservation practice adoption on leased agricultural land. It examines factors like lease agreements, landowner awareness, and regional differences affecting farmers (who operate leased land but don’t own it) and landowners. The study will analyze existing data, including the TOTAL Survey, and assess how lease structures influence conservation efforts, with special focus on Black, Indigenous, and beginning farmers. The USDA must submit a final report by December 2026 with recommendations for improving conservation participation on leased land. This is a research-focused bill with no immediate policy changes, aiming to inform future USDA actions.
Climate Agricultural Conservation Practices Act This bill requires the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to consider climate benefits in reviews or revisions of its conservation practice standards. Climate benefits include a reduction in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, an increase in carbon sequestration, or mitigation against (or adaptation to) increased weather volatility. As background, NRCS administers most of the Department of Agriculture conservation programs, which assist producers and landowners who wish to practice conservation on agricultural lands. The NRCS conservation practice standards provide guidance and set out minimum quality criteria for implementing federally funded conservation practices.
Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States Act or the A–PLUS Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revise its regulations to allow certain packers to hold an ownership interest in, finance, or participate in the management or operation of a market agency selling livestock on a commission basis. The bill applies to packers that have a cumulative slaughter capacity of (1) less than 2,000 animals per day or 700,000 animals per year with respect to cattle or sheep, and (2) less than 10,000 animals per day or 3 million animals per year with respect to hogs. In addition, USDA must revise its regulations to include a disclosure requirement for a market agency that has an ownership interest in, finances, or participates in the management or operation of a packer. Specifically, the market agency must disclose the existence of such ownership interest, financial relationship, or participation.
