Burgess Owens

Love Lives On Act of 2025

This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans.

The bill provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation or special pension benefits to such spouse.

Additionally, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries.

The bill also expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.

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.

Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act

This bill provides for Medicare coverage of medical devices that are approved under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Devices Program. (Under the program, manufacturers work with the FDA to expedite the review and approval of certain medical devices that provide for more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating human diseases or conditions.)

The bill allows designated medical breakthrough devices to be temporarily covered under Medicare during a four-year transitional period. Manufacturers must apply to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to receive this designation. Qualifying devices must (1) have received priority review from the FDA, (2) received premarket approval (if applicable) based on clinical data that includes data from Medicare beneficiaries, (3) already generally qualify for Medicare coverage, and (4) not present an undue risk of harm that outweighs potential clinical benefits for Medicare beneficiaries.

The CMS must approve or deny applications within six months of receipt and must provide an explanation in the case of a denial. In addition, the CMS must make permanent coverage decisions before the end of the transitional period upon a timely request to do so, as specified.

The bill provides funds through FY2030 for the CMS to implement the bill.

Fair Access In Residency Act of 2025 or the FAIR Act of 2025

This bill requires hospitals that receive graduate medical education (GME) payments under Medicare to report certain information about the composition of their medical residency training programs.

Specifically, hospitals must provide to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (1) the number of applicants for residencies who are from osteopathic medical schools and from allopathic medical schools, (2) the number of applicants who are accepted from each of these types of medical schools, and (3) an affirmation that the hospital considers applicants from each of these types of medical schools and accepts specified related examination results, as appropriate. Hospitals that do not provide this information are subject to a 2% reduction in their GME payments.

The CMS must post the information it receives on a public website.

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.

Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025

This bill provides continuing appropriations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) if (1) an appropriations bill for the FAA has not been enacted before a fiscal year begins, or (2) a joint resolution making continuing appropriations for the FAA is not in effect.

Specifically, the bill provides appropriations from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund at the rate of operations that was provided for the prior fiscal year to continue programs, projects, and activities that were funded in the preceding fiscal year.

The bill provides the appropriations until the earlier of (1) the date on which the applicable regular appropriations bill for the fiscal year or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations becomes law, or (2) the date that is 30 days after the first day of a lapse in appropriations.

Dentist and Optometric Care Access Act of 2025 or the DOC Access Act of 2025

This bill prohibits private health insurance plans from setting rates for items and services, except for dental cleanings, provided by a doctor of optometry, of dental surgery, or of dental medicine (or an employer of such a doctor) for which the plan does not pay a substantial amount.

Additionally, an agreement between a plan and such a doctor for limited scope dental or vision benefits may last longer than two years only with the prior acceptance of the doctor for each term extension. Plans also may not restrict such a doctor's choice of laboratories or suppliers.

Such doctors may elect to waive the application of the payment amount and choice of laboratories provisions of this bill.

The bill does not supersede state laws regarding health insurers and dental or vision benefit plans.

Drug Shortage Compounding Patient Access Act of 2025

This bill relaxes certain requirements for the compounding of drugs facing shortages.

Currently, subject to certain requirements, compounded drugs (i.e., drugs altered to meet patient needs) do not require Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. There are two general categories of compounding: (1) pharmacy compounding, wherein a licensed pharmacist or physician not registered with the FDA compounds in limited quantities for identified patients; and (2) bulk compounding, wherein an FDA-registered outsourcing facility compounds in bulk for use in medical facilities.

The bill permits pharmacy compounding in limited quantities for an urgent medical need not involving a specific patient if, among other requirements, the drug appeared on the FDA’s drug shortage list within a specified period. The bill also formally waives limits on pharmacy compounding of drugs that are essentially copies of commercially available drugs if the drug appeared on the shortage list within a specified period.

Separately, the bill extends the period during which an outsourcing facility may compound a drug that appeared on the shortage list to 180 days after the drug’s removal from the list.

The bill also requires the FDA to publish annual updates on its evaluation of substances for inclusion on the list of bulk drug substances (i.e., active pharmaceutical ingredients) that may be used in bulk compounding of drugs not on the shortage list.

Finally, manufacturers of certain drugs, including life-supporting and life-sustaining drugs, must report to the FDA certain surges in demand for such drugs.

Resident Education Deferred Interest Act or the REDI Act

This bill allows borrowers in medical or dental internships or residency programs to defer student loan payments until the completion of their programs.

This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution establishing term limits for individuals serving in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The proposed amendment makes an individual who has served two terms in the Senate ineligible for appointment or election to the Senate and an individual who has served three terms as a Member of the House of Representatives ineligible for election to the House of Representatives.

The joint resolution provides that the amendment shall be valid when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification.

Under Article V of the Constitution, both chambers of Congress may propose an amendment by a vote of two-thirds of all Members present for such vote. A proposed amendment must be ratified by the states as prescribed in Article V and as specified by Congress.

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.

Transportation Freedom Act

This bill reduces taxes on auto companies and repeals specified environmental regulations on cars and trucks.

The bill establishes a new tax deduction equal to 200% of eligible wages paid or incurred by domestic producers of automobiles or automobile components, subject to limitations. It also allows an entity to reduce (and adjust) its financial statement income (for purposes of calculating liability for the alternative minimum tax) by the amount of eligible wages it elects to deduct.

The bill nullifies the 2024 rules of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding (1) the finalization of specified greenhouse gas (GHG) programs and the reduction of emissions from certain light-duty and medium-duty vehicles (e.g., cars and trucks that are under a certain weight) starting with model year 2027, and (2) phase three of GHG emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles (e.g., school buses and tractor-trailer trucks).

It also repeals the 2024 rules of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for certain cars, trucks, and vans.

Additionally, the bill eliminates (1) the option given to California to set standards for car emissions that are more stringent than those set under the Clean Air Act, and (2) the option for other states to adopt California's standards.

NHTSA and the EPA must establish new CAFE and GHG standards, respectively, for vehicles that are economically practicable and technologically feasible. The GHG standards may not require the production or sale of electric vehicles.

This resolution condemns the assassination of Charlie Kirk, extends condolences and sympathies to his family, and honors his commitment to civil discussion and debate.

Direct Seller and Real Estate Agent Harmonization Act

This bill excludes a real estate agent or a direct seller of consumer products from the definition of an employee for the purpose of applying the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). Workers who are considered employees under the FLSA must be paid the minimum wage and are generally eligible to receive overtime compensation for hours worked in excess of a 40-hour workweek.

Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net Act or the SCREEN Act

This bill establishes age-verification requirements for commercial interactive computer services (e.g., websites) that make available content that is harmful to minors (e.g., content that appeals to the prurient interest in nudity or sex, is obscene, or is child pornography).

Specifically, the bill requires such services to adopt and utilize technology verification measures to ensure that (1) users of the service are not minors, and (2) minors are prevented from accessing any content on the service that is harmful to minors.

Additionally, such services must (1) use the technology to verify a user's age; (2) publish the verification process that the service uses; and (3) subject users' Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, including known virtual proxy network (VPN) IP addresses, to the technology verification measures, unless the service determines a user is not located within the United States.

Covered services also must implement data security measures to protect information about individuals collected through the verification process.

The Federal Trade Commission must conduct regular audits of such services, issue guidance, and otherwise enforce the requirements of this bill.

This resolution celebrates the historical and ongoing contributions of Hindus and Hinduism to the United States and condemns anti-Hindu sentiment.