James Risch

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025

This bill extends death and disability benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) to certain public safety officers who suffer from exposure-related cancer while on duty and their survivors. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty and their survivors.

The bill specifies that exposure to a carcinogen shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury in the line of duty if

• the exposure occurred while the officer was in the line of duty;

• the officer began serving as an officer not fewer than 5 years before the date of the diagnosis of an exposure-related cancer and the diagnosis occurred not more than 15 years after the last date of active service; and

• the exposure-related cancer directly and proximately resulted in the death or permanent and total disability of the officer.

The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance must periodically review the definition of exposure-related cancer and update the definition if appropriate based on medical evidence and in accordance with the requirements of a petition process.

Judicial Reorganization Act of 2025

This bill establishes a new U.S. Court of Appeals.

Specifically, the bill divides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit into two judicial circuits: (1) the Ninth Circuit, and (2) a new Twelfth Circuit.

The Ninth Circuit is composed of California, Guam, and Hawaii. The new Twelfth Circuit is composed of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2025

This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to complete an audit of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks not later than 12 months after enactment. In addition, the bill allows the GAO to audit the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks with respect to (1) international financial transactions; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; and (4) discussions or communications among Federal Reserve officers, board members, and employees regarding any of these matters.

American Voices in Federal Lands Act

This bill directs the Bureau of Land Management to modify its public comment system by (1) only considering public comments from U.S. citizens; and (2) deterring attempts at public involvement via artificial intelligence (AI), such as AI bots, by establishing and implementing a Completely Automated Public Turing Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA test).

Investing in Main Street Act of 2025

This bill authorizes certain banking entities to invest up to 15% of their capital and surplus in one or more small business investment companies (SBICs) or in any entity established to invest solely in SBICs. The current limit is 5%.

Conflict-free Leaving Employment and Activity Restrictions Path Act or the CLEAR Path Act

This bill bans former presidential appointees in the executive branch from knowingly representing, aiding, or advising a foreign country of concern (e.g., China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia) with the intent to influence a decision of U.S. government officials.

Under the bill, the ban applies to former presidential appointees who served (1) as head or deputy head of an executive branch department or agency, or (2) in any other Senate-confirmed position in an executive branch department or agency.

The ban applies to those who are appointed to their positions on or after the date of this bill's enactment. The ban expires five years after the date of this bill's enactment.

The bill also establishes a process that authorizes the Department of State to propose and Congress to enact changes to the list of foreign countries of concern.

This resolution designates June 6, 2025, as National Naloxone Awareness Day. Naloxone is a medication that temporarily reverses opioid overdoses.

Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act

This bill expands the definition of crime of violence for the purposes of determining whether a defendant is subject to an enhanced criminal penalty for using or carrying a firearm in the crime of violence. The bill also expands applicable criminal penalties for bank robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping offenses, as well as certain drug offenses.

Under current law, an individual who uses or carries a firearm in a crime of violence is subject to an enhanced mandatory minimum prison term in addition and consecutive to any other prison term imposed for the underlying crime of violence. The term crime of violence includes a felony that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force. This bill expands crime of violence to include a conspiracy or an attempt to commit a felony that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force.

This bill expands applicable penalties for federal criminal offenses involving bank robbery, carjacking, or kidnapping, including by specifying the offenses that include as an element force or threat, or intimidation, and therefore qualify as a crime of violence under the existing definition.

Additionally, a conspiracy or attempt to commit a federal bank robbery, carjacking or kidnapping offense qualifies as a crime of violence under the expanded definition.

Finally, the bill establishes additional criminal penalties for certain federal drug offenses involving the manufacture or distribution of candy-flavored controlled substances or similar products for minors.