HR 2639, the Telehealth Access for Tribal Communities Act of 2025, permanently expands Medicare telehealth coverage for services provided by Indian health programs and urban Indian organizations. It allows these services to be delivered from any location within the U.S. (including patients' homes) starting April 1, 2025, and includes audio-only telehealth as a covered option. This directly affects tribal communities by removing location restrictions and expanding access to remote healthcare through their existing Indian health programs. The bill modifies Medicare rules to make these telehealth flexibilities permanent, ensuring continued coverage for eligible tribal patients.
HR 1188 establishes a federal grant program to help state and local law enforcement agencies purchase body-worn cameras and implement camera programs. To qualify for funding, agencies must adopt public policies on camera use, secure data storage, privacy protections, and strict limits on facial recognition technology (requiring judicial authorization for its use). The bill mandates collecting and reporting demographic data on use-of-force incidents (by race, gender, etc.) and prohibits sharing footage without legal justification. It allocates $30 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2028, with requirements for public policy access, data security, and annual reporting to the federal government.
HR 1681 creates an interagency strike force to speed up reviews of broadband infrastructure permits on federal lands. The strike force, made up of officials from Commerce, Agriculture, and Interior departments, will set goals and monitor agencies like the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service to prioritize these reviews. It directly affects telecom companies seeking permits to install equipment and federal land agencies managing public lands and National Forest System areas. The bill aims to reduce delays in broadband deployment by making the approval process more efficient, without changing land use rules.
The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025 reauthorizes federal funding for nursing education programs through 2030, increasing annual appropriations to support nurse training and workforce development. It expands grant eligibility to include nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery, nurse anesthesia, and clinical nurse specialist programs, while requiring funds to cover clinical education costs like preceptor fees. The bill directs grants toward technology such as simulation labs, telehealth, and virtual training to modernize nursing education, and mandates partnerships with healthcare facilities to create clinical training opportunities. Additionally, it updates program requirements to include support for survivors of sexual assault and focuses on increasing nursing faculty and student enrollment to address nationwide nursing shortages.
HR 2092, the SPEAK Act of 2025, requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to create guidance for healthcare entities within one year of enactment. This guidance focuses on improving telehealth access for people with limited English proficiency, directly affecting health IT companies, hospitals, insurers, language service providers, and interpreters. Key provisions include best practices for using interpreters during video appointments, providing multilingual patient materials (like appointment reminders and prescriptions), and making digital health portals accessible. The bill aims to standardize language access in telehealth services without changing existing laws.
The Fair Repair Act requires electronics manufacturers to provide independent repair shops and device owners with necessary repair parts, tools, and documentation on fair terms. It prohibits manufacturers from using tactics like "parts pairing" to block third-party repairs, reduce device functionality, or create deceptive alerts about non-OEM parts. The law applies to digital electronics (like smartphones and computers) but excludes motor vehicles, medical devices, and safety communications equipment. It takes effect 60 days after enactment, enabling more affordable and accessible repairs for consumers and small repair businesses.
This bill establishes a voluntary DHS cybersecurity training program for current Department of Homeland Security employees not yet in cybersecurity roles. It requires the DHS Director to create a curriculum using existing frameworks (like the Federal Cyber Defense Skilling Academy), offer training through various methods (online, in-person, on-the-job), and set participation criteria. The program mandates annual reports to Congress for seven years, tracking participants, positions filled after training, and success metrics. The Under Secretary for Management must also report on cybersecurity vacancies, support recruitment into the program, and connect graduates with cybersecurity job opportunities within DHS.
S 2117, the Preventing Deep Fake Scams Act, establishes a federal Task Force to study deep fake threats in financial services. The Task Force, made up of key financial regulators (Treasury, Federal Reserve, FDIC, CFPB, and others), will report to Congress within one year on how banks and credit unions protect consumers from AI-driven fraud, define AI terms, identify risks, and recommend best practices and regulations. It does not create new laws but requires a detailed study of deep fake scams targeting voice banking and consumer data. The bill directly affects financial institutions, consumers, and regulators by mandating a formal review of AI security risks and solutions.
The App Store Accountability Act requires major app stores (those with over 5 million U.S. users) to verify the age of new users and obtain parental consent for minors before they can download apps or make in-app purchases. App stores must clearly display age ratings, protect age verification data, and notify parents of significant changes to apps used by minors. App developers must verify user age through the app store's system, cannot enforce contracts against minors without parental consent, and must display age ratings in plain language. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce these requirements, with states also having authority to take action in certain cases.
HR 6292, the Don’t Sell Kids’ Data Act of 2025, prohibits data brokers from collecting, using, selling, or sharing the personal information of children (under 13) and teens (13-18). It requires data brokers to delete such data upon request from the teen, parent, or guardian and establish a clear process for these requests within 10 days. The law empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce the ban as a deceptive practice, allows states to sue on behalf of residents, and lets individuals file lawsuits for violations - awarding at least $1,000 per violation. The bill directly affects data brokers and aims to protect minors’ privacy by restricting how their personal information is handled online.
