Brian Babin

Energy Choice Act

This bill prohibits a state or local government from banning or limiting the connection, reconnection, modification, installation, transportation, distribution, expansion, or access to an energy service based on the type or source of energy (e.g., natural gas) that is sold.

Land And Social Security Optimization Act or the LASSO Act

This bill requires 10% of revenue generated by public lands, including submerged lands on the Outer Continental Shelf, under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to be deposited into the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, which is used to pay Social Security benefits to retirees and their families and to survivors of deceased workers.

Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025

This bill adds a new source of revenue for the Crime Victims Fund (CVF). Specifically, the bill requires certain civil monetary penalties collected from settlements and judgments in cases involving fraud and false claims against the federal government to be deposited into the CVF through FY2029.

The CVF supports federal, state, and local programs and activities to compensate and assist victims of crimes. Currently, the CVF is funded by deposits from a variety of sources, including federal criminal fines, penalties, and assessments; forfeited bail bonds; and certain other gifts, donations, and bequests.

Pay Our Troops Act of 2026

This bill provides continuing appropriations for military pay for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2026 are not in effect (i.e., a government shutdown).

Specifically, the bill provides FY2026 continuing appropriations for the pay and allowances of (1) members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components, who perform active service during the period; and (2) civilian personnel and contractors of the Department of Defense (and the Department of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard) who are providing support to such members of the Armed Forces.

If a government shutdown occurs, the bill provides the continuing appropriations until the earlier of (1) the enactment into law of specified appropriations legislation, or (2) January 1, 2027.

Fighting Trade Cheats Act of 2025

This bill increases penalties for, and establishes additional enforcement mechanisms related to, fraudulent and grossly negligent violations of U.S. customs laws.

Specifically, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a fraudulent violation to three times the domestic value of the merchandise. (Currently, the maximum penalty is the domestic value of the merchandise.) It prohibits a person who commits a fraudulent violation from importing merchandise into the United States for a five-year period.

Additionally, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a grossly negligent violation to the lesser of (1) 3 times the domestic value of the merchandise; or (2) 10 times the lawful duties, taxes, and fees. (Currently, the maximum penalty is the lesser of the domestic value of the merchandise or four times the lawful duties, taxes, and fees.) It prohibits a person who commits a grossly negligent violation from importing merchandise into the United States for a two-year period.

Further, the bill applies these importation bans to an affiliated person (e.g., a family member or employee) of the person who committed the fraudulent or grossly negligent violation.

The bill establishes a private right of action for an interested party (e.g., a manufacturer) affected by customs fraud or grossly negligent violations.

The bill prohibits any person (or an affiliated person) who commits a fraudulent or grossly negligent violation from participating in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Importer of Record program, and further requires revocation of their importer of record numbers.

Alpha-gal Allergen Inclusion Act

This bill expands the definition of major food allergen to include galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (commonly known as alpha-gal). Under current law, food labels generally must identify each major food allergen found in labeled food products.

(Certain tick bites cause an allergic condition known as alpha-gal syndrome that can result in an allergy to the alpha-gal molecule, which is found in red meat and other products made from mammals.)

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that prohibits Members of Congress from receiving compensation for any period during which a government shutdown is in effect. Under the amendment, a government shutdown is considered to be in effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or a continuing resolution.

This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives mourns the loss of the victims of the flooding in central Texas on July 4, 2025, honors the individuals who responded, and supports rebuilding infrastructure and providing assistance for those affected by the flooding.

Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act

This bill addresses unfair trade practices by making various changes to U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws. Antidumping laws provide relief to U.S industries and workers that are materially injured or threatened with injury due to imports of like products sold in the U.S. market at less than fair value, while countervailing duty laws provide such relief from imports of products subsidized by a foreign government or public entity.

Specifically, the bill establishes a process for successive antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. Successive investigations may be concurrent (an ongoing investigation of the same product) or recently completed (not more than two years before the date of the initiation of the successive investigation). Further, the bill establishes a timeline for the Department of Commerce to issue determinations in successive investigations.

Among other provisions, the bill authorizes Commerce to

• apply countervailing duty law to subsidies provided by a foreign government or public entity to a company operating in a different country,

• use another method for calculating the cost of production in specific circumstances, and

• require importers to certify that the imported merchandise is not subject to an antidumping or countervailing duty order.

Additionally, the bill statutorily establishes procedures for Commerce to conduct circumvention inquiries, including by specifying the deadlines for preliminary and final determinations.

The bill also provides statutory authority for Commerce to investigate currency undervaluation as a countervailable subsidy.

Words Matter Act of 2025

This bill removes outdated terminology in specified statutes by replacing references to mentally retarded and mental retardation with intellectual disability.

This resolution (1) condemns the assassination of Charles "Charlie" James Kirk and all forms of political violence; and (2) honors the life, leadership, and legacy of Charlie Kirk.

Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act

This bill allows, beginning in 2028, for Medicare coverage and payment for multi-cancer early detection screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that are used to screen for cancer across many cancer types, if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determines such coverage is appropriate. Coverage is limited to those under a certain age (age 68 in 2028, increased by one year every year thereafter) and to one test every 11 months.

This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, and related pilot programs.

The SBIR and STTR programs are administered by various federal agencies and provide competitive awards for domestic small businesses to conduct research and development projects that have the potential for commercialization.

Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2025 or the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes, revises, and establishes several programs related to weather forecasting, monitoring, and research.

For example, the bill reauthorizes through FY2030 programs that are administered by the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the U.S. Weather Research Program. It also provides statutory authority for NOAA's Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (known as VORTEX-USA).

The bill also requires NOAA to establish programs that support weather forecasting technology, including improvements to radar accuracy, weather forecasting in underserved areas, and coastal flooding forecasting. NOAA must also acquire weather-related data from the private sector and establish a pilot program to test the compatibility of this data with NOAA infrastructure.

In addition, NOAA must improve weather-related communication systems, including those related to hazardous weather events, through system upgrades that use more modern technology (e.g., cloud-based services) and that allow for expanded coverage (e.g., in rural areas).

Finally, NOAA must administer programs that support weather forecasting for agricultural and water management, including pilot programs to improve precipitation forecasts in the western and central states and a soil moisture monitoring network.