Ted Cruz

Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2025

This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to complete an audit of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks not later than 12 months after enactment. In addition, the bill allows the GAO to audit the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks with respect to (1) international financial transactions; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; and (4) discussions or communications among Federal Reserve officers, board members, and employees regarding any of these matters.

This resolution designates June 2025 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and June 27, 2025, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day. The resolution also supports the efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DOD), and the medical community to educate people about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress. Additionally, it supports efforts by the VA and DOD to foster cultural change around post-traumatic stress.

Veterans' Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act of 2025

This bill addresses the administration of the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care matters.

Among other provisions regarding the VCCP, the bill

• establishes in statute access standards that determine when a veteran is eligible to receive non-VA care through the VCCP,

• requires the VA to notify veterans regarding their eligibility for care within two business days after the VA is aware the veteran is seeking care, and

• extends the deadline for the submittal of claims under the VCCP by health care entities and providers.

The VA must address its mental health treatment programs by

• establishing a standardized screening process to determine whether a veteran satisfies criteria for priority or routine admission to a mental health residential rehabilitation treatment program or a program for residential care for mental health and substance abuse disorders,

• tracking the performance of medical facilities and Veterans Integrated Service Networks in meeting the requirements for mental health treatment screenings and timely admission to treatment programs under such screenings, and

• establishing an appeal process for when a veteran is denied admission to a covered treatment program or is accepted into a program but not offered bed placement in a timely manner.

Additionally, the VA must establish an online self-service module for veterans to request and manage appointments, track referrals, and appeal and track decisions related to requests for care.

Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act

This bill reauthorizes Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until April 30, 2029, and expands protections related to surveillance under Section 702 of FISA. It also prohibits a Federal Reserve bank from offering financial products or services directly to an individual, maintaining an account on behalf of an individual, or issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC).

Section 702 of FISA concerns acquiring communications of non-U.S. persons believed to be outside the United States to obtain foreign intelligence information. Information about U.S. persons may incidentally be acquired by this type of surveillance and subsequently queried (searched) under certain circumstances.

Changes to Section 702 include requiring monthly reviews by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for each U.S. person query conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). ODNI must refer queries that do not comply with established standards, as well as possible abuses of civil liberties or privacy, to the Office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General.

The bill institutes criminal penalties for (1) those who knowingly and willingly falsify or materially misrepresent complying with querying procedures, and (2) FBI personnel who knowingly and willingly violate procedures related to U.S. person queries.

FBI supervisors may no longer approve U.S. person queries; only certain FBI attorneys may do so.

The Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors may not use a CBDC to implement monetary policy or test, study, create, or implement a CBDC, with certain exceptions.

Tanning Tax Repeal Act of 2025

This bill repeals the 10% excise tax imposed on the amount paid for indoor tanning services.

Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act

This bill increases federal criminal penalties for providing or attempting to provide a cell phone to an individual who is incarcerated at a prison.

Drone Espionage Act

This bill makes it a federal crime under the Espionage Act to engage in certain activities related to obtaining, receiving, or transmitting video of national defense information. The term national defense information means information or other material that is related to national defense.

The Espionage Act prohibits certain activities related to obtaining, receiving, or transmitting national defense information that could harm the United States or aid a foreign nation. Under current law, the prohibitions only apply if national defense information is obtained, received, or transmitted by certain means, such as a sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, document, writing, or note. Under current law, a violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.

This bill makes the criminal prohibitions under the Espionage Act applicable if national defense information is obtained, received, or transmitted by means of video. Under this bill, a violator is subject to the same penalties as under existing law—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.

Finding Opportunities for Resource Exploration Act or the Finding ORE Act

This bill allows the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to partner with a foreign country in mapping the country's reserves of critical minerals and rare earth elements.

A critical mineral is any mineral, element, substance, or material designated as critical by USGS because it is essential to U.S. economic and national security, has a vulnerable supply chain, and serves an essential function in manufacturing a product. Rare earth elements have catalytic, magnetic, electrical, and luminescent properties vital for civilian and defense purposes.

In negotiating a MOU, USGS must seek to increase the security and resilience of international supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth elements by

• committing to assisting the partner foreign country through cooperative activities that help it map reserves;

• ensuring that private companies headquartered in the United States or an allied foreign country are offered the right of first refusal in the further development of critical minerals and rare earth elements in the partner foreign country;

• facilitating private-sector investment in the exploration and development of critical minerals and rare earth elements; and

• ensuring that the mapping data is protected against unauthorized access by, or disclosure to, governmental or private entities based in non-allied countries.

USGS must obtain the concurrence of the Department of State in

• prioritizing and selecting partner foreign countries,

• negotiating or implementing a MOU, and

• notifying and reporting to Congress about issues related to a MOU.

Black Vulture Relief Act of 2025

This bill allows livestock producers and their employees to take certain actions against black vultures to protect livestock. (Black vultures are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.)

Specifically, livestock producers and their employees may (1) take (i.e., capture, kill, or disperse, or transport the carcass of) a black vulture that they reasonably believe will cause death, injury, or destruction to livestock; or (2) in the course of taking or attempting to take the black vulture, cause injury to the bird. However, they may not take or attempt to take a black vulture through the use of poison.

Livestock producers and their employees must submit an annual report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on black vultures taken under this bill. The FWS must develop a reporting form and make this reporting form available on its website.

Currently, the FWS has a permit process under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the taking of black vultures.