James Risch

1071 Repeal to Protect Small Business Lending Act

This bill repeals the statute that requires financial institutions to collect data regarding applications for women-owned, minority-owned, or small business loans. Currently, financial institutions must collect and report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau information on (1) how many applications were received; (2) the disposition of each application; (3) the type of loan; (4) the amount applied for; (5) the amount approved; and (6) each applicant’s census tract, revenue, race, sex, and ethnicity.

Conscience Protection Act of 2025

This bill explicitly prohibits penalizing health care entities (e.g., health care providers, insurers) for declining to participate in or facilitate abortion services. It also allows individuals to bring civil actions for violations of certain federal conscience laws, and it specifically authorizes Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rulemaking and enforcement relating to such laws. (In general, the existing federal conscience laws referenced in the bill prohibit entities that receive federal funds from requiring providers or patients to participate in health care services they find religiously or morally objectionable.)

Specifically, the bill prohibits the federal government and entities receiving federal health-related funding (e.g., states) from penalizing health care entities that decline to provide, refer for, provide insurance coverage for, or facilitate abortions. The bill does not (1) affect federal requirements for providing emergency stabilizing treatment for pregnant women or unborn children, or (2) prevent health care entities from voluntarily participating in or providing coverage for abortions where not prohibited by law.

Also, the bill authorizes individuals or entities adversely affected by a violation of a federal conscience law to bring a civil action for relief, including against state governmental entities.

Additionally, the bill provides broad statutory authority for HHS to induce compliance with federal conscience laws by terminating HHS funding or referring violations to the Department of Justice for civil actions. It also explicitly authorizes HHS to issue regulations and resolve complaints under such laws. (HHS' Office for Civil Rights currently handles such complaints.)

Healthy Dog Importation Act

This bill expands Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements for the importation of live dogs.

Prior to a dog's arrival into the United States, USDA must receive electronic documentation about the dog's health. The documentation must demonstrate that the dog (1) is in good health; (2) has received all necessary vaccinations and parasite treatments and demonstrated negative test results as evidenced by a certificate from a licensed veterinarian; and (3) is officially identified by a permanent method approved by USDA. Additionally, a dog entering the United States for transfer (e.g., for sale, adoption, exchange, or donation) must be at least six months old and accompanied by a USDA permit.

USDA must promulgate regulations to, among other things, deny entry of any dog in violation of the new requirements, require USDA to maintain a centralized database of imported dogs, and establish fees for verifying required documentation and issuing transfer permits.

USDA must provide an exception to any requirements under the bill for dogs that are transferred

• as a personal pet of U.S. origin returning to the United States;

• as a U.S. military working dog;

• for research purposes;

• for veterinary treatment under certain conditions, including appropriate quarantining; or

• for lawful importation into the state of Hawaii (from the British Isles, Australia, Guam, or New Zealand) if the dog is less than six months old and is not transported out of Hawaii for transfer at less than six months old.

USDA also has enforcement authority under the bill.

Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-wheelers Act or the DRIVE Act

This bill prohibits the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from issuing any rule or regulation to require a commercial motor vehicle to be equipped with a speed limiting device set to a maximum speed. The FMCSA issued an advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking on this subject on May 4, 2022.

A commercial motor vehicle includes a vehicle operating in interstate commerce that (1) has a gross vehicle weight of 10,001 pounds or more, (2) is designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers for compensation, (3) is designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers and is not used to transport passengers for compensation, or (4) is used to transport certain quantities of hazardous materials.

This bill increases the annual limit on the tax credit for qualified railroad track maintenance expenses (also referred to as the short line railroad tax credit) and expands eligibility for claiming the credit.

Under current law, the tax credit is limited each tax year to $3,500 multiplied by the sum of the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the taxpayer (miles owned or leased) and the number of railroad track miles assigned to the taxpayer by a Class II or III railroad (miles assigned). This bill increases the annual limit to $6,100 multiplied by the sum of miles owned or leased and miles assigned. The $6,100 amount used in the calculation of the tax credit limit is adjusted for inflation for tax years beginning after 2025.

The bill also expands eligibility for the tax credit to include gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2024. Under current law, the tax credit is limited to gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2015.

This resolution expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week.

This resolution honors the contributions of small businesses in the United States and supports the designation of National Small Business Week.

Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025

This bill expands and modifies Air Traffic Control (ATC) workforce training and programs.

The bill provides statutory authority for the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program. As background, standard AT-CTI institutions of higher education offer nonengineering aviation degrees that teach basic courses in ATC and aviation administration, and graduates complete training at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Academy. Students at Enhanced AT-CTI schools are provided with equivalent FAA Academy ATC training and may be placed directly into an ATC facility.

The bill establishes a grant program for schools participating in the Enhanced AT-CTI program and provides for a faculty annuity supplement for ATC instructors at participating institution of higher education.

The FAA must convene an aviation rulemaking committee to review and provide recommendations on the (1) curricula of the FAA Academy, AT-CTI program, and Enhanced AT-CTI program; and (2) Air Traffic Skills Assessment exam. Based on the committee's recommendations, the FAA must initiate a rulemaking or make policy and guidance updates, with an exception.

The bill authorizes funding through FY2031 for the procurement and placement at ATC facilities of Tower Simulator Systems, which are used to train air traffic controllers on airport tower operations.

The bill also requires

• DOT to establish ATC recruitment and retention incentive programs,

• the FAA to support the development of mental health services training related to conditions for ATCs, and

• the FAA to submit a report to Congress on the status of the Airspace Non-cooperative Surveillance Radar program.