Ted Cruz

Veterans Education and Technical Skills Opportunity Act of 2025 or the VETS Opportunity Act of 2025

This bill modifies which independent study programs are covered under veterans’ educational assistance benefits.

The bill requires independent study programs that lead to a certificate that reflects graduation from a course of study to include regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors.

The bill allows such independent study programs to be offered by any institutions of higher education, including for-profit institutions, that are approved to participate in the Department of Education’s financial assistance programs.

Recover Fraudulent COVID Funds Act

This bill extends the statute of limitations (i.e., time limit for bringing a legal action) to 10 years for criminal and civil violations involving specified COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, such as violations involving fraudulent activity. Under current law, the statute of limitations is generally five years for violations concerning these pandemic-era programs. The Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program currently have 10-year statutes of limitations relating to program fraud.

Advertising Middlemen Endangering Rigorous Internet Competition Accountability Act or the AMERICA Act

This bill limits certain large digital advertising companies from owning multiple types of advertising exchanges or brokerages and imposes certain duties with respect to the interests of the customers of such brokerages. Advertising exchanges and brokerages generally facilitate advertisers and publishers in buying and selling advertising inventory through an automated bidding process.

Specifically, companies with more than $20 billion in annual digital advertising revenue are prohibited from owning more than one type of service within the digital advertising marketplace. For example, a company, such as Google, may not own a digital advertising exchange and provide software that assists publishers of online advertisements in selling advertising space on their websites.

Additionally, companies with more than $5 billion in annual digital advertising revenue that provide brokerage services to buyers or sellers of digital advertisements must act in the best interest of their brokerage customers. The bill also establishes transparency and privacy requirements for such brokerages.

The bill provides for enforcement of these requirements by the Department of Justice, state attorneys general, and private right of action.

Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

This bill expands the E-Verify program by requiring all employers to use it and permanently reauthorizes the program. Currently, E-Verify use is voluntary for most employers, although some states mandate its use.

All employers must use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all recruited, referred, or hired individuals, including current employees who were never verified under the program. Failure to use E-Verify shall create a rebuttable presumption that the employer is violating immigration law.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must generate weekly reports about individuals who have received a final nonconfirmation of employment eligibility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must use the report to enforce immigration laws.

The bill increases civil and criminal penalties for hiring non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who are not authorized to work. DHS must bar repeat offenders and those criminally convicted from holding federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements.

The Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, and DHS must jointly establish a program to share information to help identify non-U.S. nationals who are not authorized to work.

The bill establishes the Employer Compliance Inspection Center within Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center's duties include processing I-9 employment eligibility verification forms and ensuring compliance with employment eligibility laws.

DHS must report to Congress on ways to simplify procedures relating to I-9 forms and on whether the I-9 process should be eliminated.

College Employment Accountability Act

This bill prohibits an institution of higher education (IHE) from receiving certain federal funds or participating in federal student aid programs if the IHE does not take certain actions to prohibit the employment at the IHE of non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who do not have work authorization.

Specifically, the bill prohibits an IHE from receiving federal funds for student assistance or institutional aid if the IHE employs unauthorized individuals in violation of a specified section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). (The section prohibits an employer from knowingly hiring, recruiting or referring for a fee, or continuing to employ a non-U.S. national who lacks work authorization.)

Additionally, the bill requires an IHE that participates in federal student aid programs to participate in the E-Verify system. (This system allows employers and recruiters to verify an individual's eligibility for employment. The system is largely voluntary; however, federal employers, including federal contractors, must use E-Verify. Some IHEs currently participate in the system.)

The bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to, every six months, monitor whether an IHE is participating in the E-Verify system. Further, DHS must notify the Department of Education within 10 days of finding that an IHE (1) employs unauthorized individuals in violation of the INA, or (2) is not participating in the E-Verify system.

Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics Act or the Stop STALLING Act

This bill makes it an unfair method of competition to submit an objectively baseless petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an attempt to interfere with a competitor's application for market approval of a drug.

The bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to sue an individual or entity that submits such a petition to the FDA. A party found liable in such a lawsuit is subject to civil penalties, such as a fine of up to $50,000 for each day that the FDA spent reviewing the baseless petition.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2026 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, military construction, and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). The bill also sets forth policies and authorities for the Department of State, the Coast Guard, and the Intelligence Community (IC).

Among other elements, the bill

• authorizes the procurement of various items, including aircraft, ships, and missiles;

• sets active duty and reserve component personnel strength levels;

• sets policy regarding various aspects of military health care and military compensation;

• sets policy regarding DOD acquisitions and acquisition management, including contracting authorities and domestic sourcing;

• sets policy for various matters related to DOD interactions with foreign nations, including matters concerning Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific;

• sets policy for various matters related to DOD cyber operations, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence;

• authorizes specified military construction projects and extends the authorization of certain projects from previous fiscal years;

• authorizes the National Nuclear Security Administration, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Naval Petroleum Reserves, and Maritime Administration;

• sets policy regarding the organization and workforce of the State Department;

• sets acquisition and personnel policy for the Coast Guard;

• sets policy for merchant mariner credentials, vessel safety, and oil pollution response; and

• sets policy for the IC regarding artificial intelligence and biotechnology.

For additional information on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) see

• In Focus IF10516, Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA, and

• In Focus IF10515, Defense Primer: The NDAA Process.

Pay Our Military Act of 2025

This bill provides continuing appropriations for military pay for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2025 are not in effect (i.e., a government shutdown).

Specifically, the bill provides FY2025 continuing appropriations for the pay and allowances of (1) members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components, who perform active service during the period; and (2) civilian personnel and contractors of the Department of Defense (and the Department of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard) who are providing support to such members of the Armed Forces.

If a government shutdown occurs, the bill provides the continuing appropriations until the earlier of (1) the enactment into law of specified appropriations legislation, or (2) January 1, 2026.

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.)

Safe and Secure Transportation of American Energy Act

This bill expands the types of activities that are subject to criminal penalties related to damaging or destroying an interstate gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facility.

Under current law, a person who knowingly and willfully damages or destroys a pipeline facility is subject to criminal penalties, including a fine, a prison term of up to 20 years, or both. If a death results from the offense, the person may be imprisoned for any term of years or life.

Under the bill, these criminal penalties also apply to a person who knowingly and willfully

• vandalizes,

• tampers with, or

• disrupts or prevents the operation or construction of the facility.

Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act of 2025

This bill modifies the waiver process under the Clean Air Act related to state emission control standards for new motor vehicles (or new motor vehicle engines).

Under current law, states are preempted from adopting or enforcing emission control standards for new motor vehicles (or new motor vehicle engines) unless the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a waiver authorizing a state to adopt such standards if certain requirements are met.

The bill provides that state standards that directly or indirectly limit the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines are not eligible for waivers. The bill also prohibits the EPA from determining that any state standards amended after the bill's enactment are within the scope of an existing waiver.

Additionally, the bill requires the EPA to revoke waivers granted between January 1, 2022, and the date of enactment of this bill if the standards directly or indirectly limit the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines.