Eugene Vindman

Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions Act or the CURD Act

This bill establishes a statutory definition for natural cheese. Under the bill, natural cheese is defined as cheese (ripened or unripened soft, semi-soft, or hard) that is produced from animal milk or certain dairy ingredients and is produced in accordance with established cheese-making standards. The definition excludes pasteurized process cheeses, cheese foods, and cheese spreads.

A food that does not meet this definition is deemed misbranded and may not be sold if its label includes the term natural cheese as a factual descriptor of a category of cheese.

Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act

This bill allows state Medicaid programs to establish health homes to provide coordinated care for individuals with sickle-cell disease. (Under current law, state Medicaid programs may establish health homes to provide coordinated care for individuals with specified chronic conditions.) States must ensure that such care includes dental and vision services.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must issue best practices for states on how to design and implement such health homes.

Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025

This bill extends by 25 years the reservation of certain public lands for military use and the withdrawal of such lands from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws (e.g., mining laws). Specifically, the bill extends the withdrawal and reservation of the Fort Greely and Fort Wainwright Training Ranges in Alaska and the McGregor Range at Fort Bliss in New Mexico until November 6, 2051. It also extends the withdrawal and reservation of Fort Irwin military land in California until December 31, 2051.

The bill also makes technical changes to the land descriptions of the McGregor Range and Fort Irwin lands.

Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act of 2025 or the FEMA Act of 2025

This bill reestablishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (currently within the Department of Homeland Security) as an independent, cabinet-level agency. It also makes broad changes to FEMA’s disaster and hazard mitigation assistance programs.

The bill generally transfers FEMA’s current functions and authorities to the independent FEMA, except for certain security-related programs.

The bill makes various changes to the Public Assistance program, including by

• establishing new grants for expedited funding to repair or replace disaster-damaged facilities,

• establishing block grants that recipients may choose instead of Public Assistance for smaller disasters,

• expediting and expanding uses of funding for emergency response and debris removal, and

• allowing use of excess administrative funds for increasing recipients’ disaster management capacity.

The bill makes various changes to the Individual Assistance program, including by

• expanding eligibility for housing assistance,

• expanding mitigation and direct (non-financial) assistance for residences,

• reducing certain restrictions on funds duplicating program benefits, and

• establishing a unified disaster application system.

The bill makes various changes to FEMA’s mitigation programs, including by

• establishing mitigation plans with preapproved projects,

• authorizing an entire Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grant to be provided before costs are incurred,

• changing pre-disaster mitigation assistance to noncompetitive formula grants, and

• allowing recipients to combine mitigation project funds from multiple federal programs.

Additionally, federal entities must publish various information relating to disaster assistance and conduct various studies on related topics (e.g., preliminary damage assessments, fast-moving disasters, and government emergency alerting systems).

Bipartisan American Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2025

This bill provides a new refundable tax credit for first-time homebuyers and a new tax credit to home builders for the construction of starter homes, both subject to limitations.

First-time homebuyers may claim a tax credit equal to the amount of the down payment up to $50,000, subject to income limitations. The tax credit begins to phase out when a homebuyer’s income exceeds $300,000 for joint filers or surviving spouses, $225,000 for head of household filers, and $150,000 for single filers. The amounts are adjusted annually for inflation after 2025.

The bill requires homebuyers to add the amount received as a tax credit to taxable income if, within five years from the purchase, the house is sold, leased, or is no longer used as the principal place of residence. (Some exceptions apply.)

The bill also provides a tax credit for home builders of up to 15% of construction costs (materials and labor) incurred to build a home that is no larger than 1,200 square feet and is sold for an amount that does not exceed 80% of the median home prices for the area. The amount of the tax credit increases to 30% if the home is sold to a first-time home buyer.

Finally, under the bill, each state receives an annual allocation for the tax credit for the construction of starter homes, for allocation by the state’s housing finance agency to builders (similar to the administration of the low-income housing tax credit).

Head start Education And Development Workforce Advancement and Yield Act or the HEADWAY Act

This bill allows some teachers in Early Head Start programs to teach while in the process of earning their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and completing training.

Currently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must ensure that all teachers providing direct services to children and families in Early Head Start centers (1) have a minimum of a CDA credential and have been trained in early childhood development, and (2) have been trained in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development.

The bill revises this requirement by requiring at least one teacher per classroom (instead of all teachers) to have a CDA credential and training. In particular, the bill requires HHS to ensure that (1) each additional teacher providing direct services to children and families is in the process of earning a CDA credential and completing training, and (2) the Early Head Start agency provides a mentor to oversee the progress and guide the work of a teacher who is in the process of earning a CDA credential and completing training.

Comprehensive Alternative Response for Emergencies Act of 2025 or the CARE Act of 2025

This bill requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test a five-year model that provides for Medicare payment for ground ambulance services that do not result in the transport of the patient.

Under the model, Medicare payment may be furnished for ground ambulance services when an ambulance is dispatched in response to an emergency medical call but the ambulance does not end up transporting the patient. Payment rates under the model must generally align with the payment rates that apply when there is an actual transport.

The Government Accountability Office must report on the general access of Medicare beneficiaries to emergency medical services, including the impact of the model on beneficiary access and outcomes.

Ensuring Access to Specialty care Everywhere Act of 2025 or the EASE Act of 2025

This bill requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test a model that uses a network of providers to remotely furnish specialty health care to Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries in rural areas.

To conduct the model, the CMMI must select at least one provider network that is a nonprofit entity and that consists of at least 50 federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, or rural emergency hospitals. At least half of the providers in the network must be located in rural areas. Providers must use digital methods (e.g., telehealth technology) to provide specialty care and must coordinate with beneficiaries' primary care providers.

Brake for Kids Act of 2025

This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to produce and distribute a national public safety campaign on the dangers of illegally passing stopped school buses. Specifically, the campaign must increase awareness and education about the issue through a variety of media, including television, radio, and social media advertising.

DOT must use Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to produce and distribute the campaign.

Rebuild America’s Health Care Schools Act of 2025

This bill allows hospitals to receive reimbursement under Medicare for certain costs associated with training nursing and allied health students in settings other than the hospital itself.

Currently, hospitals may receive reimbursement under Medicare for the reasonable costs associated with training nursing and allied health students if certain conditions are met; the criteria vary depending on whether the students are enrolled in an educational program that is operated by the hospital or another entity. If the students are part of a program that is operated by another entity, the training must occur at the hospital itself or in areas immediately surrounding the hospital in order to qualify for reimbursement (among other requirements). The bill allows hospitals to receive reimbursement for these costs if the training is conducted at an entity that is related to the hospital (i.e., common ownership or control).

The bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to update regulations to reflect these changes. Additionally, the CMS may not recoup or reduce payments to hospitals with respect to costs that are allowed under the bill and must refund any such recoupments or reductions that occurred during the six-year period prior to the bill's enactment.

Grown in America Act of 2025

This bill establishes a new tax credit (as part of the general business tax credit) for domestically produced agriculture.

Specifically, the bill allows a tax credit for the lesser of (1) 25% of domestically produced agricultural commodity expenses multiplied by the ratio of such expenses to total agricultural commodity expenses (excluding expenses for agricultural commodities that cannot feasibly be produced domestically), or (1) $100 million. (Conditions apply).

To qualify for the tax credit, a business’s average expenses (over three years) for domestically produced agricultural commodities must exceed a certain percentage of total agricultural commodity expenses (excluding expenses for agricultural commodities that cannot feasibly be produced domestically). The required percentage is 50% for 2026 and increases by 5% each year until it reaches 85% for tax years beginning after 2033.

Under the bill, agricultural commodities include

• horticultural, viticultural, and dairy products;

• livestock and livestock products (excluding live animals);

• poultry and bee raising products; and

• farm-raised fish products.

In addition, the general business tax credit limit based on a business’s tax liability is calculated separately for the domestically produced agriculture tax credit, and the credit is generally limited to 50% of a business’s net regular tax liability.

Finally, domestically produced agriculture tax credit amounts in excess of such limitation may be carried forward for 10 years (rather than the 20 years allowed for other business tax credits).