Michael Bennet

Increased TSP Access Act of 2025

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to modify the certification process for Technical Service Providers (TSPs) at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) by establishing an approval process for nonfederal certifying entities and a streamlined certification process for TSPs that hold certain specialty certifications.

As background, TSPs are third-party service providers, such as private businesses, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations, that work on behalf of customers to offer planning, design, and implementation services that meet NRCS criteria.

The bill specifies that USDA must ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, third-party providers with expertise in the technical aspects of conservation practice design, implementation, and evaluation are eligible to become approved TSPs.

USDA must provide a streamlined certification process for TSPs who hold appropriate specialty certifications (e.g., certified crop advisors).

In determining the eligibility of a nonfederal certifying entity, USDA must consider the ability, experience, expertise, and history of the entity. USDA must decide whether to approve an application submitted by a nonfederal certifying entity to certify TSPs within a specified time period.

USDA must also review a TSP's certification by a nonfederal certifying entity within a specified time period. If the certification is satisfactory, USDA must include the TSP on a USDA-maintained registry of certified TSPs.

The bill also specifies that TSPs must be paid at rates equivalent to technical assistance provided by USDA.

Further, USDA must provide accessible public information on TSPs, including information on funding and certification results.

Driver Reimbursement Increase for Veteran Equity Act of 2025 or the DRIVE Act of 2025

This bill increases the mileage reimbursement rate available to beneficiaries for travel to or from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities in connection with vocational rehabilitation, required counseling, or for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care. Specifically, the bill makes the reimbursement rate for such travel equal to or greater than the mileage reimbursement rate for government employees using private vehicles when no government vehicle is available.

The bill also requires the VA to ensure that an allowance based on mileage is paid not later than 90 days after the request is properly submitted to the VA.

Love Lives On Act of 2025

This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans.

The bill provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation or special pension benefits to such spouse.

Additionally, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries.

The bill also expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.

Making Access To Cleanup Happen Act of 2025 or the MATCH Act of 2025

This bill modifies the Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program to allow sponsors (i.e., states, local governments, and Indian tribes) to undertake certain emergency watershed protection measures prior to entering into a project agreement with USDA and count the costs as part of the sponsor's share of the project cost once an agreement with USDA is in place.

As background, USDA's EWP Program offers assistance to sponsors to carry out projects that help safeguard people and property from floods, drought, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters that impair a watershed.

This bill requires USDA to identify a list of emergency watershed protection measures that a sponsor may incur costs for prior to entering into a project agreement with USDA under the EWP Program. USDA must develop a procedure, to be implemented at the state level, through which these entities may request additional emergency watershed protection measures. The cost of undertaking these additional measures may be incurred by a sponsor prior to entering into an agreement with USDA.

Further, USDA must consider pre-agreement costs incurred by a sponsor for undertaking the emergency watershed protection measures as meeting part of a sponsor's contribution towards the project costs.

Foreign Investment Guardrails to Help Thwart China Act of 2025 or FIGHT China Act of 2025

This bill authorizes sanctions on certain foreign persons (individuals and entities) that are involved with China's defense or surveillance technology sectors. The bill also requires U.S. persons to notify the Department of the Treasury about their investments with certain foreign persons in various technologies, and (2) authorizes Treasury to prohibit U.S. persons from making investments with such foreign persons in some of these technologies.

Specifically, the President is authorized to impose property-blocking sanctions on certain foreign persons (including members of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, Chinese businesses, Chinese governmental entities, and businesses with equity securities primarily traded on Chinese stock exchanges) that Treasury determines to be knowingly engaged in significant operations in China's defense, defense-related material, or surveillance technology sectors.

Additionally, the bill authorizes Treasury to bar U.S. persons from knowingly engaging in certain transactions (such as acquiring an equity interest, providing a loan, or entering into a joint venture) with most of these categories of foreign persons if they involve a prohibited technology. Prohibited technologies include those that

• develop a quantum computer;

• develop, design, or produce materials, components, or systems for hypersonic systems; or

• develop, design, or produce artificial intelligence models for use by the Chinese government.

Treasury must require U.S. persons to notify Treasury if they engage in such transactions involving a range of technologies, including the prohibited technologies.

Major Richard Star Act

This bill allows a veteran with a combat-related disability to receive retirement pay, without reduction, concurrently with their disability compensation. This includes veterans with a combat-related disability and fewer than 20 years of creditable service. (Currently, veterans who receive combat-related special compensation and retirement pay are subject to an offset in retirement pay for concurrent receipt of such benefits.)

Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act

This bill authorizes actions to facilitate trade in medical goods (i.e., medical devices, pharmaceutical goods, or inputs for such devices or goods).

Specifically, the bill authorizes the President to (1) negotiate, enter into, and enforce a trusted trade partner agreement with a country or countries with respect to medical goods; and (2) proclaim a modification of any existing duty, a continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or additional duties to carry out the trade agreement. These actions may only be taken if the President determines, based on specified considerations, that the reciprocal elimination of existing duties or other import restrictions with respect to medical goods would contribute to U.S. national security and public health.

A trusted trade partner agreement may include certain provisions, such as those to (1) reduce or eliminate duties, quotas, or other trade barriers; (2) diversify and expand supplier networks to secure a reliable supply of medical goods; and (3) harmonize regulatory procedures.

Not later than 60 days before initiating negotiations with a trusted trade partner, the President must submit written notice to Congress. The bill requires congressional consultation and review of these trade agreements. A trade agreement shall not take effect if, during the required review period, Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative must monitor compliance by a trusted trade partner with the trade agreement's commitments and obligations. Further, the President may take certain actions in response to a failure to comply.

Safe Schools Improvement Act

This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Sex includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (including intersex traits).

Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level.

The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.

Security and Oversight for International Landholdings Act of 2025 or the SOIL Act of 2025

This bill establishes and expands requirements for reviewing and disclosing transactions regarding foreign investments in agricultural land.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) must review certain investments in agricultural land held by a person (i.e., individual or entity) that is a national of, or subject to the jurisdiction of, a country (1) designated as a nonmarket economy, or (2) identified as posing a risk to the national security of the United States. Under current law, CFIUS reviews the national security implications of certain foreign investments in U.S. businesses or real estate, including critical infrastructure or technologies.

CFIUS must also review certain real estate acquisitions or transfers of an interest, other than a security, for nonresidential properties that are located within 50 miles of a military installation.

The bill also prohibits federal assistance, including subsidies, from being provided to a person for an agricultural real estate holding which is owned by any of the foreign persons specified above.

The bill requires any foreign person who enters into a leasing agreement for agricultural land that is longer than five years to report the lease to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Current requirements only apply to agriculture land acquired or transferred.

Further, USDA must prepare and make publicly available an annual report describing agricultural land holdings by foreign persons, including specific information related to foreign persons from China and Russia.

Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025

This bill establishes a Space National Guard as the reserve component of the U.S. Space Force, specifically in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Ohio. The Space National Guard consists of specified units of the Air National Guard and must use existing facilities, infrastructure, and installations.

Tariff Transparency Act of 2025

This bill requires the U.S. International Trade Commission to investigate and report to Congress on the impact of additional tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. (President Donald J. Trump issued executive orders on February 1, 2025, to impose an additional 25% tariff on most imports from Canada and Mexico. These tariffs applied to all imports, except for Canadian energy or energy resources, which have an additional 10% tariff.)

Specifically, the report must assess (1) the impact of these tariffs on consumer prices; (2) the impact of any retaliation (e.g., retaliatory tariffs and export restrictions) imposed by Canada and Mexico on U.S. consumers, small businesses, farmers, and ranchers; and (3) the impact of the threat of tariffs and associated uncertainty with respect to the trade relationship between the United States, Canada, and Mexico on U.S. businesses.

Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025

This bill authorizes certain targeted clinical trials involving combinations of drugs to treat pediatric cancer, and renews the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) authority to award priority review vouchers (PRVs) to sponsors of new products for rare pediatric diseases.

Specifically, the bill modifies requirements relating to molecularly targeted pediatric cancer investigations to permit research on new drugs used in combination with active ingredients that have already been approved and that (1) have been determined to be part of the standard of care for treating a pediatric cancer, or (2) have been approved to treat an adult cancer and are directed at molecular targets for pediatric cancer.

The FDA must issue guidance on the implementation of these provisions and report to Congress on its efforts to ensure implementation. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must report on the effectiveness of the bill's changes with respect to the development of pediatric cancer drugs.

The bill also renews the FDA’s authority to issue PRVs to sponsors of new products intended to treat rare pediatric diseases through September 30, 2029. This is known as the Rare Pediatric Disease PRV program. The program expired in December 2024.

GAO must report on the effectiveness of the Rare Pediatric Disease PRV program, including to what extent PRVs were successful in promoting drug development and expediting patient access to drugs for the treatment or prevention of rare pediatric diseases.

Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act

This bill excludes from gross income (for federal tax purposes) certain subsidies for the purchase or installation of measures to conserve water or manage stormwater or wastewater.

Under current law, subsidies received from public utilities for the purchase or installation of measures to reduce electricity or natural gas consumption or improve the management of energy demand in a dwelling are not included in gross income and, therefore, not subject to federal income tax.

Under the bill, the exclusion from gross income for such subsidies is expanded to include subsidies provided (directly or indirectly) after 2021

• by a public utility to a customer or by a state or local government to a resident for the purchase or installation of measures that evaluate water use, reduce water consumption, or improve water management in one or more dwelling units;

• by a stormwater management company to a customer or by a state or local government to a resident for the purchase or installation of measures to reduce or manage stormwater, including measures to improve or reduce the impact of flooding caused by stormwater, for one or more dwelling units; or

• by a state or local government to a resident for the purchase or installation of measures that manage wastewater, including septic tanks and cesspools, with respect to a principal residence.

Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2025

This bill extends through FY2035 the special duty-free rules for various apparel products imported from Haiti, including the duty-free treatment provided for a limited amount (referred to as tariff preference levels) of certain apparel products assembled in and imported from Haiti.

The bill directs the President to proclaim such modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) that may be necessary to restore preferential treatment to articles that became ineligible for such treatment due to prior revisions to the HTS.