Michael Bennet

Livestock Indemnity Program Improvement Act of 2025

This bill requires the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to update the market value for livestock on a quarterly basis for the purposes of determining Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) payment rates. The FSA must determine the market value in coordination with the Agricultural Marketing Service and use other appropriate resources.

As background, LIP is an FSA program that provides indemnity payments to eligible livestock owners and contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality or reduced sales prices due to specified events (e.g., adverse weather, disease, or animal attack). In general, the rate of payment is 75% of the market value of the affected livestock.

Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act

This bill limits the circumstances in which credit reporting agencies may provide consumer credit reports to third parties in connection with residential mortgage transactions.

Specifically, the bill prohibits a credit reporting agency from providing a consumer's credit report to a third party in connection with a residential mortgage transaction unless the transaction consists of a firm offer of credit or insurance and (1) the third party provides documentation certifying that it has the consumer's consent; or (2) the third party has originated a mortgage on behalf of the consumer, is a current mortgage loan servicer to the consumer, or has a current specified banking relationship with the consumer.

These provisions take effect 180 days after the bill's enactment.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Improvement Act of 2025

This bill revises the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which is a component of the Farm Service Agency's (FSA's) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CREP is a public-private partnership program which allows states, tribal governments, and nonprofit and private entities to partner with FSA to implement CRP practices. CRP is a land conservation program that provides an annual rental payment to farmers in exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species that will improve environmental health and quality.

The bill specifies that dryland agricultural uses and grazing are included as appropriate practices under CREP.

The bill also allows a land owner or operator to elect to determine the annual payment amount allocated for each year of a CREP agreement, instead of a fixed payment per year for the contract period.

For drought and water conservation agreements that include the permanent retirement of water rights, annual payment rates must be equal to the irrigated acre payment rates determined by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). In the case of an agreement that permits dryland agricultural uses, the annual payment rates must be equal to the difference between the irrigated acre payment rates and the dryland acre payment rates determined by USDA. The payment formula is retroactive for certain existing drought and water conservation agreements.

Further, the bill exempts CREP payments from the $50,000 annual payment limitation under CRP.

Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts Act or the BUMP Act

This bill generally prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, receipt, or possession of

• a device that is primarily designed, or redesigned, to increase the rate of fire when attached to a semiautomatic firearm;

• a device, part, or combination of parts that is designed and functions to increase the rate of fire of a firearm; or

• a semiautomatic firearm that has been modified to materially increase the rate of fire or to approximate the action or rate of fire of a machine gun.

Additionally, the bill adds to the list of firearms subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act semiautomatic firearms that have been modified to materially increase the rate of fire or approximate the action or rate of fire of a machine gun.

Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion Act or the GOSAFE Act

This bill establishes a framework to regulate gas-operated semiautomatic firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices under federal firearms laws.

First, the bill generally prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, receipt, or possession of

• a firearm that is or is modified to operate as a prohibited gas-operated semiautomatic firearm;

• a combination of parts that modify or can be assembled into a prohibited gas-operated semiautomatic firearm, or that produce an unlawful gas-operated semiautomatic cycling action;

• a device or combination of parts designed to materially increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm; or

• a firearm that is modified to materially increase the rate of fire.

Second, the bill generally prohibits (1) the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or receipt of a large capacity ammunition feeding device; or (2) the possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device manufactured after the date of enactment.

A violation is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 12 months, or both, for each violation.

In addition, an individual who possesses a prohibited gas-operated semiautomatic firearm during a federal felony offense is subject to additional penalties—a fine, a mandatory minimum prison term of two years, or both.

Finally, the bill allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender gas-operated semiautomatic firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices under a buy-back program.

Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2025

This bill provides legal protections for a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) who is detained or subject to immigration-related proceedings.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in a case involving an unaccompanied child, may appoint or provide counsel at the government's expense to non-U.S. nationals in removal proceedings and related appeals.

An unaccompanied child must be represented by counsel paid for and appointed by the government at every stage of such proceedings unless the child has obtained counsel at their own expense. If HHS fails to provide counsel to an unaccompanied child, the child's deadline for filing a motion to reopen a removal proceeding shall not apply, and the filing of such a motion shall stay the child's removal from the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must provide a complete copy of a non-U.S. national's immigration file to the non-U.S. national (or the non-U.S. national's counsel) within seven days of a notice to appear for an immigration proceeding, and failure to provide the file shall result in a delay in the proceeding.

DHS must provide access to counsel for all detained non-U.S. nationals.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement must develop model guidelines for representing non-U.S. national children in immigration proceedings.

HHS must annually report on the extent to which it has provided counsel for unaccompanied children under this bill.

Trade Review Act of 2025

This bill requires congressional notification and review of new or increased duties (i.e., tariffs) imposed by the President on articles imported into the United States.

Specifically, the President must notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing or increasing a duty on articles imported into the United States. This notification must include (1) the rationale for imposing or increasing the duty, and (2) an assessment of the duty's potential impact on U.S. businesses and consumers. The bill limits the duration of a duty to 60 days, unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law.

A duty shall cease to have force or effect if a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted into law.

This resolution designates March 27, 2025, as National Women in Agriculture Day. It also recognizes the important role of women in agriculture as producers, educators, leaders, mentors, and more.

This resolution designates April 2025 as Preserving and Protecting Local News Month.

Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025

This bill imposes penalties on certain persons (individuals and entities) if the President determines that the Russian government or a person acting at Russia's direction is involved with (1) refusing to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine; (2) violating a negotiated peace agreement; (3) initiating another invasion of Ukraine; or (4) overthrowing, dismantling, or seeking to subvert the Ukrainian government.

If the President makes such a determination, the bill requires certain actions including

• the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on specified persons such as the Russian president, certain Russian military commanders, and any foreign person that knowingly provides defense items to the Russian armed forces;

• the President must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported from Russia into the United States to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services;

• the President must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported into the United States from countries that knowingly engage in the exchange of Russian-origin uranium and petroleum products to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services;

• the Department of the Treasury must impose property-blocking sanctions on any financial institution organized under Russian law and owned wholly or partly by Russia, and any financial institution that engages in transactions with those entities; and

• the Department of Commerce must prohibit the export, reexport, or in-country transfer to or in Russia of any U.S.-produced energy or energy product.

Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act

This bill prohibits the distribution of materially deceptive audio or visual media that is generated by artificial intelligence (AI) relating to federal candidates.

The bill generally prohibits individuals, political committees, and other entities from knowingly distributing materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media in carrying out a federal election activity or of a federal candidate for the purpose of (1) influencing an election, or (2) soliciting funds. This prohibition does not apply to certain entities, such as radio or television broadcasting stations that broadcast such media with disclosures as part of a bona fide newscast.

The bill also permits a federal candidate whose voice or likeness appears in such materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media to bring a civil action for injunctive relief or damages.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections.

The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.

This resolution designates May 29, 2025, as Mental Health Awareness in Agriculture Day to raise awareness around mental health in the agricultural industry and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

This resolution celebrates the successes of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and the contributions they have made in the United States. The resolution also recognizes the importance of providing for the safety and upholding the interests of these women.