Suzanne Bonamici

Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act of 2025 or the 911 SAVES Act

This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to categorize public safety telecommunicators as a protective service occupation under the Standard Occupational Classification system no later than 30 days after the enactment of this bill. (The Standard Occupational Classification system is a federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data.)

Savings Opportunity and Affordable Repayment Act

This bill creates a new income-driven repayment plan for student loans called the Savings Opportunity and Affordable Repayment (SOAR) plan. The SOAR plan has similar provisions to, but further expands on, the Department of Education's (ED's) final rule published on July 10, 2023, that created the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. The SAVE plan was blocked by federal courts.

The bill directs ED to carry out a SOAR plan program that complies with specified requirements. The bill allows all federal student loan types to be eligible for repayment under the SOAR plan, including Parent PLUS Loans and Federal Family Education Loans.

Under the SOAR plan, a federal student loan borrower whose income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL) has $0 monthly payments. A borrower whose income is over 250% of the FPL pays 5% of their discretionary income on loans obtained for undergraduate study and 10% of their discretionary income for all other outstanding loans (e.g., loans obtained for graduate study).

Additionally, under the SOAR plan, holders of eligible federal student loans (e.g., ED or private lenders) must apply 50% of the borrower's monthly payment toward outstanding principal. The other 50% must be applied in the following order: (1) accrued charges and collection costs on the loan, (2) outstanding interest, and (3) outstanding principal.

ED must forgive any loan balance that remains outstanding after a specified maximum repayment period (e.g., 10 years or 15 years).

Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act

This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a grant program to support operating projects for public transportation and related service improvements, particularly in underserved communities and areas of persistent poverty.

Specifically, the bill requires DOT to allocate funding under the program for urbanized areas, states, and Indian tribes that are recipients of funds under either the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA's) Urbanized Area Formula Funding program or Formula Grants for Rural Areas program. Eligible recipients may use funding for operating costs associated with projects that improve public transportation service for transit-dependent populations and support increased transit ridership (e.g., service expansion, information technology enhancements, and workforce development). DOT must apportion the funding so that recipients receive funds that are proportional to their share of operating costs.

The bill also provides for an increased federal cost share for operating assistance for projects or programs carried out in areas of persistent poverty or underserved communities.

DOT must set up a multimodal access measurement interface for public agencies to aid transit agencies in determining and reporting on access to jobs and essential services.

A grant recipient must (1) report specific information to the FTA for inclusion in the National Transit Database, and (2) survey transit riders and non-riding residents regarding transit service improvements.

Further, the bill expands the purposes of the public transportation programs to include supporting public transportation's role in combating climate change through growing/retaining transit ridership.

Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings Act of 2026 or the SWIMS Act of 2026

This bill establishes prohibitions on capturing, importing, exporting, or breeding of orcas, beluga whales, false killer whales, or pilot whales for the purpose of public display.

Specifically, the bill prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from issuing any permit under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 that authorizes the taking (e.g., capturing) or importation of such orcas or whales for the purpose of public display. The bill further revises the act to make it unlawful to export such orcas or whales, unless they are being transported to marine mammal sanctuaries or for release into the wild.

Further, the bill makes it unlawful under the Animal Welfare Act for any person to breed or artificially inseminate such marine mammals for purposes of using their progeny for public display.