Marsha Blackburn

Providing Real-World Education and Clinical Experience by Precepting Tomorrow's Nurses Act or the PRECEPT Nurses Act

This bill establishes a new, nonrefundable tax credit for eligible nurse preceptors, subject to limitations. The bill also requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to report to Congress certain information about the tax credit for nurse preceptors.

Under the bill, a nonrefundable tax credit of $2,000 is allowed for an eligible nurse preceptor through 2032. An eligible nurse preceptor is defined as an individual who provides at least 200 certified hours of supervision and personalized experiential learning, training, instruction, and mentoring in the clinical practice of nursing to a nursing student, advanced practice registered nursing student, or newly hired licensed nurse in a community designated as a health professional shortage area.

The bill also requires the IRS to report to Congress

• the number of taxpayers that claim the tax credit for nurse preceptors each year and the geographic distribution of such taxpayers,

• aggregated and averaged data on the preceptorships served by taxpayers as an eligible nurse preceptor, and

• the effectiveness of the tax credit in increasing the number of nurse preceptors in the United States.

Restore Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act of 2025 or the Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025

This bill modifies personnel action procedures regarding certain employees and executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The bill authorizes the VA to remove from civil service, demote, or suspend VA employees that are supervisors or managers if the VA determines by substantial evidence that the performance or misconduct of such individual warrants such action. This authority does not apply to certain appointees or individuals in their probationary or trial period.

Supervisors or managers who are subject to a removal, demotion, or suspension under this bill are entitled to (1) advance notice of the action and supporting evidence, (2) representation by an attorney or representative, and (3) grieve the action in accordance with an internal grievance process.

The bill also provides protections from removal, demotion, or suspension for supervisor or managers who are whistleblowers or are seeking corrective action for an alleged prohibited personnel practice such as discrimination.

The bill also modifies the procedures to remove, demote, or suspend VA employees or senior executives based on performance or misconduct, specifically by requiring the VA to determine by substantial evidence that the performance or misconduct of the individual warrants such removal, demotion, or suspension. Such procedures must apply retroactively, beginning on the date of enactment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 (June 23, 2017).

Qualified Immunity Act of 2025

This bill provides statutory authority for qualified immunity for law enforcement officers in civil cases involving constitutional violations.

Current law provides a statutory civil cause of action against state and local government actors (e.g., law enforcement officers) for violations of constitutional rights, also known as Section 1983 lawsuits. The Supreme Court has also found an implied cause of action against federal law enforcement officers in certain situations (e.g., Fourth Amendment violations), also known as Bivens lawsuits. However, under the judicial doctrine of qualified immunity, government officials performing discretionary duties are generally shielded from civil liability, unless their actions violate clearly established rights of which a reasonable person would have known.

The bill provides statutory authority for these principles with respect to law enforcement officers. Specifically, under the bill, law enforcement officers are entitled to qualified immunity if (1) at the time of the alleged violation, the constitutional right at issue was not clearly established or the state of the law was not sufficiently clear that any reasonable officer would have known that the conduct was unconstitutional; or (2) a court has held that the specific conduct at issue is constitutional.

The bill applies to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers. It also specifies that law enforcement agencies and local governments may not be held liable if their officers are entitled to qualified immunity.

Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots Act of 2025 or the AMERICANS Act

This bill prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from issuing any COVID-19 vaccine mandate as a replacement for the rescinded vaccine mandate of August 24, 2021, unless the mandate is expressly authorized by Congress. The bill also provides that DOD must establish an application process for remedies for members of the Armed Forces who were discharged or subject to adverse action under the rescinded mandate.

Any administrative discharge of a member on the sole basis of a failure to receive a COVID-19 vaccine must be categorized as an honorable discharge, and DOD is prohibited from taking any adverse action against such a member for that reason.

DOD must try to retain unvaccinated members and provide such members with professional development, promotion and leadership opportunities, and consideration equal to that of their peers.

Additionally, DOD may only consider the COVID-19 vaccination status of members in making certain decisions (e.g., deployments in countries where it is the law) and must establish a process to provide exemptions to certain members for such decisions.

Members who were separated from the Armed Forces for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are not required to repay any bonuses and must be reimbursed if they repaid any portion of a bonus prior to this bill's enactment.

This bill applies to all members of the Armed Forces, regardless of whether they sought an accommodation to any DOD COVID-19 vaccination policy.

Guarding and Administering Trespass Enforcement, Controlling Restricted Areas, and Stopping High-risk Encroachment Recidivism and Sabotage Act or the GATE CRASHERS Act

This bill establishes a new federal criminal offense for going onto Department of Defense property that is closed or restricted without authorization.

Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing Act

This bill requires the Department of Commerce to contract with the National Academy of Public Administration to study and report on the offices and bureaus of the department that are relevant to critical supply chain resilience and manufacturing and industrial innovation.

The report must evaluate the purpose, statutory authority, effectiveness, efficiency, and limitations of each such office and bureau and provide recommendations to improve their effectiveness, efficiency, and impact.

Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act

This bill requires the SelectUSA program to solicit comments from state economic development organizations regarding federal efforts to increase foreign direct investment in semiconductor-related manufacturing and production. SelectUSA must then report to Congress on such comments and the strategies that SelectUSA may employ to increase such investment and to secure the U.S. semiconductor supply chain.

SelectUSA is a Department of Commerce program established to coordinate federal efforts to attract and retain business investment in the United States.

Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill provides for the award of Congressional Gold Medals to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team in recognition of the team's achievement at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.

Sarah's Law

This bill requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) who is unlawfully present in the United States and has been charged with a crime that resulted in the death or serious bodily injury of another person.

ICE must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the identity of any victims of the crimes for which the detained individual was charged or convicted. ICE shall provide the victim, or a relative or guardian of a deceased victim, with information about the detained individual, including name, date of birth, nationality, immigration status, criminal history, and a description of any related removal efforts.

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion.

Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement.

A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.

An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder.

The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.

Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act

This bill repeals the Corporate Transparency Act. The act requires existing companies and newly created companies to report beneficial ownership information to the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for purposes of addressing the financing of terrorism and money laundering.

Defending American Sovereignty in Global Pandemics Act

This bill prohibits the United States from becoming a party to a World Health Organization (WHO) agreement related to strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response except pursuant to a treaty made under Article II, Section 2, clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution (which requires that two-thirds of Senators present concur with the treaty).

The bill also prohibits federal funding for WHO beginning on the effective date of such an agreement and ending on the date when the Senate ratifies the agreement.

No Budget, No Pay Act

This bill prohibits Members of Congress from being paid in a fiscal year until both chambers approve the budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills for that fiscal year. Retroactive pay is prohibited for such a period.

This bill takes effect on September 29, 2027.

Thin Blue Line Act

This bill expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.

This concurrent resolution affirms the commitments in the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family and applauds the signatory countries for their dedication to advancing women's health, protecting life at every stage while affirming that there is no international right to abortion, and upholding the importance of the family as foundational to society.

The resolution also states that Congress will work with the executive branch to ensure that the United States does not conduct or fund abortions, abortion lobbying, or coercive family planning in foreign countries.

Justice for Jocelyn Act

This bill limits Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE’s) Alternatives to Detention program, which supervises non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) subject to removal who are released from the custody of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Specifically, releases under this program are prohibited unless all detention beds are filled and DHS found no alternatives after exercising and exhausting all reasonable options.

The bill requires all individuals on ICE’s nondetained docket to be enrolled in the program and be subject to continuous GPS monitoring and curfew.

Further, the bill requires a non-U.S. national who was arrested and released to be removed in absentia if an immigration officer submits an affidavit to an immigration judge stating that the individual failed to comply with a condition of release.

Baby Changing on Board Act

This bill requires Amtrak passenger rail trains to have a baby changing table in at least one restroom in each car, including in an Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990-compliant restroom. The bill applies to passenger rail trains that are (1) owned and operated by Amtrak, and (2) solicited for purchase after the bill's enactment for use by Amtrak.

This bill requires the President to designate Ansarallah, the Iran-backed movement in Yemen also known as the Houthis, as a foreign terrorist organization. The President must also report to Congress a determination as to whether specified foreign persons are officials, agents, or affiliates of Ansarallah.

This resolution (1) mourns the passing of former President Jimmy Carter and extends sympathy to his family; and (2) honors his life, legacy, and contributions to the United States.

Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025

This bill allows a qualified individual to carry a concealed handgun into or possess a concealed handgun in another state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms.

A qualified individual must (1) be eligible to possess, transport, or receive a firearm under federal law; (2) carry a valid photo identification document; and (3) carry a valid state-issued concealed carry permit, or be eligible to carry a concealed firearm in his or her state of residence.

Advanced Border Coordination Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to establish at least two Joint Operations Centers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The centers shall provide centralized operations hubs for (1) coordinating operations between federal, state, local, and tribal agencies as needed; and (2) coordinating and supporting border operations, including detecting criminal activity, such as activity related to transnational criminal organizations and illegal border crossings.

Laken Riley Act

This act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, assault of a law enforcement officer, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person. The act also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.

Under this act, DHS must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of the above crimes.

The act also authorizes state governments to sue for injunctive relief over certain immigration-related decisions or alleged failures by the federal government if the decision or failure caused the state or its residents harm, including financial harm of more than $100. Specifically, the state government may sue the federal government over a

• decision to release a non-U.S. national from custody;

• failure to fulfill requirements relating to inspecting individuals seeking admission into the United States, including requirements related to asylum interviews;

• failure to fulfill a requirement to stop issuing visas to nationals of a country that unreasonably denies or delays acceptance of nationals of that country;

• violation of limitations on immigration parole, such as the requirement that parole be granted only on a case-by-case basis; or

• failure to detain an individual who has been ordered removed from the United States.

Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2025 or SOPRA

This bill modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo (i.e., without giving deference to the agency's interpretation) all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of (1) constitutional and statutory provisions, (2) rules made by agencies, (3) interpretative rules, (4) general statements of policy, and (5) all other agency guidance documents.

No law may exempt a civil action from the standard of review required by this bill except by specific reference to such provision.