Chris Van Hollen

John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025

This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.

A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if, during the previous 25 years:

• 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state; or

• 10 or more violations occurred, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself.

A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years.

States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as redistricting.

States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices.

The bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights.

The bill outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the extent of any history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision.

The bill also includes certain protections for election workers, polling places, and election infrastructure.

College Transparency Act

This bill requires the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to establish a secure and privacy-protected data system that contains information about postsecondary students.

Specifically, the data system must

• evaluate student enrollment patterns, progression, completion, and postcollegiate outcomes, and higher education costs and financial aid;

• provide complete and customizable information for students and families making decisions about postsecondary education;

• reduce the requirements for reporting by institutions of higher education; and

• periodically match with other federal systems of data.

The bill also establishes a postsecondary student data system advisory committee.

The Department of Education (ED) and NCES must (1) provide dedicated and adequate staffing at ED to implement the bill's requirements, and (2) report to Congress on a quarterly basis regarding the progress of implementing the bill's requirements.

Research for Healthy Soils Act

This bill includes research on the agricultural impacts of microplastics in land-applied biosolids on farmland as a Department of Agriculture (USDA) high-priority research and extension area and reauthorizes other research and extension activities. Microplastic is a plastic or plastic-coated particle that is less than 5 millimeters in size.

The bill specifically allows grants for carrying out or enhancing research on microplastics (e.g., through the development or analysis of wastewater treatment techniques to filter out or biodegrade microplastics from biosolids intended to be used for agricultural purposes).

Further, the bill reauthorizes USDA grants to support competitive specialized research and extension activities, including high-priority areas, through FY2031. The bill also specifically reauthorizes through FY2031

• the Pulse Crop Health Initiative;

• the Comprehensive Food Safety Training Network;

• pollinator protection research and extension grants;

• increased USDA capacity and infrastructure to address and conduct research on colony collapse disorder and other pollinator issues; and

• a USDA-conducted nationwide honey bee pest, pathogen, health, and population status surveillance program.

Safe Operations of Shared Airspace Act of 2025

This bill addresses aviation safety, such as through increasing requirements for aircraft tracking, communication, and coordination with the military. The bill also addresses Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workforce issues.

For example, the bill revises and increases requirements for using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment, which transmits information (e.g., location and weather information) between aircraft and air traffic control.

Under the bill, aircraft must generally operate with ADS-B In (receiving) equipment. The FAA must issue performance requirements for the equipment to provide safety-enhancing capabilities (e.g., facilitating aircraft collision avoidance) for flight crews.

Further, current FAA regulations allow aircraft performing a sensitive government mission to be excepted from requirements for using ADS-B Out (broadcasting) equipment. This bill limits which flights may be considered sensitive government missions (e.g., not training flights).

The FAA must also (1) establish an office to coordinate airspace usage of military aircraft, (2) review the safety of certain flight operations and routes around airports, and (3) enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing.

The FAA must conduct a Transport Airplane Risk Assessment Methodology analysis for any transport airplane accidents in the United States that result in a fatality.

The bill also addresses FAA workforce issues, such as by

• excluding the FAA workforce from a federal hiring freeze, deferred resignation program, voluntary furlough, or reduction in force;

• supporting the recruitment and training of air traffic controllers; and

• requiring strict adherence to federal conflict of interest requirements.

This resolution urges the Senate to give its advice and consent to the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The resolution affirms that it is in the national interest for the United States to become a formal signatory of the convention, and it recommends that this ratification remain a top federal priority.

Spending Aviation Fees for Equipment, Guaranteeing Upgraded and Advanced Risk Detection and Safety Act of 2025 or the SAFEGUARDS Act of 2025

This bill allocates additional funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for aviation security, including checked baggage explosives detection equipment and security checkpoint technology.

As background, TSA collects passenger civil aviation security service fees (often referred to as the 9/11 security fee or passenger security fee) on air carrier passengers originating at airports in the United States. In general, these fees are deposited into the Department of the Treasury general fund and applied towards debt reduction. A portion of these fees are allocated to TSA for aviation security.

The bill requires that the first $500 million collected in each fiscal year from passenger security fees be deposited into the Aviation Security Capital Fund. This is an increase from the currently required $250 million. This fund provides for the costs associated with acquiring and installing in-line baggage screening systems (i.e., systems that use a conveyor belt infrastructure to automatically screen, sort, and track baggage) to accommodate checked baggage explosives detection equipment and for certain other airport security improvements.

The bill also requires that the next $250 million collected in each fiscal year from passenger security fees be deposited into a new Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund for the costs associated with acquiring, deploying, and sustaining aviation security checkpoint and exit lane technology. TSA may use these funds retroactively for projects implemented on or after January 1, 2023.