This bill allows state and federal correctional facilities (like jails and prisons) to operate cellphone jamming systems to block wireless signals used for contraband devices or by incarcerated individuals. It restricts the FCC from preventing this use, but requires jamming systems to be limited to housing areas within the facility. Facilities must fund the systems entirely themselves (if state-run), consult local law enforcement before implementation, and notify the Bureau of Prisons about operations. The law specifically targets blocking signals to/from contraband devices or inmates, not general cellphone use.
S 1138 requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deploy up to 50 additional scanning systems and hire 100 new agents focused on inspecting vehicles and people traveling *from the U.S. to Mexico*. It mandates that by March 2027, at least 10% of southbound conveyances must undergo inspection, using methods like scanning or physical checks. The bill also requires quarterly reports on seized currency, firearms, and ammunition from outbound inspections, along with annual reports detailing resource use and inspection rates. These provisions apply specifically to the U.S.-Mexico border and expire after five years.
Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act This bill expands the E-Verify program by requiring all employers to use it and permanently reauthorizes the program. Currently, E-Verify use is voluntary for most employers, although some states mandate its use. All employers must use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all recruited, referred, or hired individuals, including current employees who were never verified under the program. Failure to use E-Verify shall create a rebuttable presumption that the employer is violating immigration law. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must generate weekly reports about individuals who have received a final nonconfirmation of employment eligibility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must use the report to enforce immigration laws. The bill increases civil and criminal penalties for hiring non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who are not authorized to work. DHS must bar repeat offenders and those criminally convicted from holding federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. The Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, and DHS must jointly establish a program to share information to help identify non-U.S. nationals who are not authorized to work. The bill establishes the Employer Compliance Inspection Center within Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center's duties include processing I-9 employment eligibility verification forms and ensuring compliance with employment eligibility laws. DHS must report to Congress on ways to simplify procedures relating to I-9 forms and on whether the I-9 process should be eliminated.
The Working Families Flexibility Act of 2025 allows private sector employees to earn time off instead of cash for overtime hours, at a rate of 1.5 hours of time off for every hour of overtime worked. To qualify, employees must have worked at least 1,000 hours for their employer in the prior 12 months, and agreements for time off must be voluntary, in writing, and not tied to employment conditions. Employers must pay cash for unused time off by January 31 each year (or another agreed 12-month period), with a cap of 160 hours of accrued time. The bill excludes public employees, includes enforcement provisions for violations, and expires 5 years after enactment.
HR 2367, the College Employment Accountability Act, requires colleges and universities receiving federal student aid or institutional funds to comply with immigration laws or risk losing that funding. Specifically, it prohibits institutions from receiving federal aid if they hire individuals without legal work authorization (violating Section 274A of immigration law) and mandates participation in the E-Verify employment verification program. The Department of Homeland Security must monitor compliance every six months and notify the Education Secretary within 10 days if an institution violates immigration rules or fails to use E-Verify. This directly affects all higher education institutions seeking federal financial assistance under the Higher Education Act.
HR 2381, the SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2025, reauthorizes and updates the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). It directly affects low-income, uninsured, or underinsured women across all 50 states, territories, and tribal communities by expanding access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, diagnostic services, and patient navigation support. Key provisions include updating program language to emphasize prevention alongside detection and control, adding specific strategies to reduce disparities, and appropriating $235 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2030. The bill also requires a GAO study by 2027 to assess program eligibility, service trends, and barriers to screening access.
The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025 allows state and federal correctional facilities to operate jamming systems that block cell signals from entering or leaving the facility, specifically targeting contraband devices used by inmates. It directly affects prisons and jails by enabling them to disrupt unauthorized wireless communications without FCC approval, provided the jamming is limited to housing areas within the facility. Key requirements include state facilities covering all costs themselves, consulting with local law enforcement before implementation, and notifying the Bureau of Prisons. The law aims to address security risks from smuggled phones while restricting jamming to only necessary areas and requiring transparency.
The Safer Skies Act of 2025 requires specific smaller airlines to adopt enhanced security screening protocols currently used by larger carriers. It mandates that "covered air carrier operations" - defined as airlines operating under certain FAA rules, offering individual seats with public schedules, using planes with more than nine passenger seats, and not using TSA checkpoints - to follow the Aircraft Operator Standard Security Program (49 CFR §1544.101(a)) within 360 days of the bill's enactment. The Transportation Security Administration must revise its rules to enforce this requirement. This directly affects regional and private charter airlines that currently skip TSA checkpoint screening but serve the public with scheduled passenger flights.
HR 2360 permanently exempts school bus drivers from the engine compartment inspection requirement during their commercial driver's license skills test, which was previously granted as a temporary measure in a 2024 federal notice. This affects school bus drivers in states that choose to participate in the exemption program. For six years after the bill's enactment, participating states must submit annual reports to the Transportation Secretary detailing how many drivers use this exemption. The exemption maintains the specific conditions established in the 2024 notice.
HR 2374, the American Students First Act, restricts federal funding for public universities that charge non-citizens not lawfully present in the U.S. lower tuition rates than in-state residents or provide them with state financial aid. The bill amends existing law to require public institutions of higher education to charge undocumented immigrants the same tuition rates as in-state citizens and not offer state-based aid to them. If a university violates these rules, it loses all federal financial assistance for the following fiscal year, as determined by the Secretary of Education. This directly affects public colleges in states with such tuition or aid policies for undocumented students.
The Vessel Tracking for Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2025 (S 1103) establishes a 4-year pilot program to use big data analytics in identifying vessels that may be evading U.S. sanctions or export controls by disabling or manipulating their Automatic Identification System (AIS). The program, run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the National Targeting Center, analyzes vessel data like cargo type, ownership, destination, and AIS manipulation patterns to flag high-risk shipments. It requires coordination with Commerce, Treasury, and intelligence agencies, and mandates a report to Congress assessing the pilot's effectiveness and making future recommendations. The bill does not authorize new funding and focuses solely on testing this data-driven approach to detect sanctions evasion.
The SHARE Act of 2025 updates federal rules for sharing criminal background check data used in professional licensing. It requires the FBI to provide criminal history record information to state licensing authorities for background checks when states are part of an interstate compact. States must use this data solely for licensing decisions and cannot share the full records with other states, commissions, or the public. Instead, they may only share a binary result (e.g., "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory") regarding the background check. This directly affects state licensing boards and professionals seeking licenses across participating states.
