Thomas Suozzi

Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025

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.

Ukraine Support Act

This bill addresses the war between Russia and Ukraine by (1) providing assistance to Ukraine and certain European countries, and (2) establishing penalties for Russia and certain foreign persons (individuals and entities).

Assistance provided under the bill includes

• establishing a reconstruction trust fund for Ukraine,

• requiring the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to prioritize support for Ukraine,

• reviving the President’s authority to lend or lease defense articles to Ukraine or Eastern European countries affected by the war through FY2028,

• extending through 2027 the Department of Defense’s authority to provide security assistance and intelligence support to Ukrainian forces, and

• requiring the Department of State to take certain actions to build the capacity of the militaries and border forces of Baltic countries.

Additionally, the President must periodically determine if the Russian government or any proxy is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, refusing to sincerely negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine, or acting in violation of a negotiated peace agreement with Ukraine. If the President makes such a determination, the President must impose certain penalties including

• property- and visa-blocking sanctions on certain Russian officials;

• property-blocking sanctions on Russian companies in the oil and mining sectors, Rosatom (Russia's state-owned nuclear enterprise) and its subsidiaries, and certain Russian financial institutions; and

• increasing 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.

Closing the De Minimis Loophole Act

This bill immediately terminates de minimis treatment for goods originating in China and phases out such treatment for goods originating from all other countries. (Current law allows for U.S. imports under a de minimis threshold of $800 per shipment to enter free of tariffs, fees, and taxes.)

Specifically, de minimis treatment ends (1) with respect to goods from China, beginning on the bill's enactment date (with an exception for goods already loaded onto a vessel or in transit during the three-day period that ends on the enactment date); and (2) with respect to goods from any other country, 120 days after the bill's enactment.

During the 120-day period beginning on the date of the bill's enactment, the Department of the Treasury must carry out a rulemaking process. Among other elements, the rulemaking process must ensure that data requirements and entry procedures for informal modes of entry are sufficient to ensure the effective enforcement of U.S. laws and the efficient and accurate collection of duties, fees, and taxes.

The bill directs Treasury, in the case of shipments sent through the international postal network, to determine appropriate fees and procedures to ensure consistency between the treatment of shipments by the U.S. Postal Service and other shipments.

This bill directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to permanently allow states to exempt school bus drivers from the “under-the-hood” testing requirement for a commercial driver's license (CDL).

As background, on December 2, 2024, the FMCSA renewed an exemption through November 28, 2026, that allows states to exempt all school bus driver applicants for a CDL from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement, commonly referred to as the under-the-hood testing requirement. States must meet certain terms and conditions for the exemption.

Under the bill, the FMCSA must make permanent the December 2, 2024, exemption, thus permanently allowing states to exempt school bus drivers from the under-the-hood testing requirement. States must meet the additional terms and conditions for an exemption, which include (1) restricting school bus drivers who are issued a CDL based on the exemption to the intrastate operation of school buses, and (2) requiring states to conduct the remaining pre-trip vehicle inspection components of the skills test.

Further, the FMCSA must require any state participating in the exemption to submit an annual report describing the number of drivers that obtain a CDL under the exemption.

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.

Veterans Employment Readiness Yield Act of 2025 or the VERY Act of 2025

This bill revises terminology used under the Veteran Readiness and Employment program, specifically by replacing the use of employment handicap with employment barrier.

Taxpayer Data Protection Act

This bill restricts access to any public money receipt or payment system belonging to the Department of the Treasury.

Specifically, access is limited to authorized Treasury officers, employees, or contractors meeting certain performance standards who have held a qualified position for at least a year, or who hold other qualifications as provided by the bill. The bill specifically prohibits special government employees (i.e., temporary appointees hired to perform specific tasks) from having access to such systems. The bill also provides that an individual accessing such systems shall be treated as an executive branch employee for purposes of federal criminal conflict of interest laws.

Treasury's Office of Inspector General must investigate and report on each instance of unauthorized use or other access of such payment systems.

Boosting Long-term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific Act or the BLUE Pacific Act

This bill requires or authorizes activities to strengthen U.S. relations with Pacific Islands countries, which include the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.

The bill authorizes various activities in the Pacific Islands, including to

• assist in improving public health outcomes and build public health capacity;

• assist in promoting the dissemination of free and accurate information;

• promote educational and professional development for young adult leaders and professionals;

• provide assistance to promote sustainable and quality basic education;

• assist with workforce development;

• build the capacity of local civilian and national security institutions;

• expand trade and promote regional development;

• enhance preparedness for and resilience to natural disasters and other emergencies;

• support sustainable fisheries policies and marine biodiversity conservation;

• support expanded access to broadband and telecommunications infrastructure; and

• support cybersecurity, including by assisting with development and implementation of incident response plans.

The bill also requires (1) the Department of State to help Pacific Island countries access development support from international organizations, (2) the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to prioritize efforts to enter into investment incentive agreements with Pacific Islands countries, and (3) the Department of Commerce to expand the presence of the U.S. Commercial Service and increase the number foreign commercial service officers in the Pacific Islands.

The President may extend certain diplomatic privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the Pacific Islands Forum, an international organization of 18 countries in the Pacific.

Equal COLA Act

This bill applies a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for annuities paid under the Federal Employees Retirement System that is equal to the increase in inflation, regardless of the amount of the increase.

Specifically, for any year in which the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased over the previous year, the COLA amount shall be increased by the change in the CPI from the previous year.

Current law applies an adjustment equal to the change in CPI only if the change is 2% or less. If the change is between 2% and 3%, the adjustment is limited to 2%. If the change is more than 3%, the adjustment is limited to 1% less than the change.

Revoke Exemptions for Venezuelan Oil to Curb Autocratic Repression Act of 2025 or the REVOCAR Act of 2025

This bill prohibits U.S. investment in Venezuela's energy sector.

Specifically, the bill prohibits any transaction by a U.S. person (individual or entity) to invest, trade, or operate within Venezuela's energy sector and any transaction that attempts to evade such prohibition. This prohibition includes the provision of goods, services, or finance to (1) Venezuela's state-owned oil and natural gas company (Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.), its subsidiaries, representatives, or related companies; or (2) the regime of Nicolas Maduro or any nondemocratic successor government in Venezuela.

The prohibitions of this bill terminate on the earlier of December 31, 2027, or the date the President submits a determination to Congress that the Maduro regime has recognized the July 28, 2024, electoral victory of Edmundo Gonzalez and relinquished power to the democratically elected government.

The President may waive these prohibitions on a case-by-case basis for not more than 90 days after determining such a waiver is vital to U.S. national security interests and submitting a report to Congress. Such waivers may be renewed.

NATO Edge Act

This bill places additional restrictions on the President's ability to exit from the North Atlantic Treaty, the multilateral collective security agreement that established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Current law specifies that the President may not exit from this treaty or use federal funds to support such an exit except pursuant to an act of Congress or with the concurrence of two-thirds of the Senate.

The bill adds an additional exit restriction tied to the members of NATO that have not allocated at least 2% of their gross domestic product to annual defense spending. Under the bill, the President may only exit from the treaty or make federal funds available to support an exit if all such nations have not committed to achieving such spending level within five years from the fiscal year to which the President seeks to exit from the treaty.

The Senate or the House of Representatives may adopt a resolution authorizing the Senate Legal Counsel or the General Counsel of the House of Representatives to initiate or intervene in federal court proceedings to oppose any exit from the treaty that does not comply with the statutory requirements.

The bill specifies congressional procedures to follow for any resolution or joint resolution introduced related to exiting from the treaty.

The changes made by this bill expire on September 30, 2033.

Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025

This bill provides that the provision of an urn or commemorative plaque does not prohibit an individual from receiving a headstone or marker or other burial benefits (i.e., interment at a national cemetery) from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under current law, individuals who request an urn or plaque do so in lieu of being furnished a headstone or burial benefit.

Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to, upon receipt of an initial claim for benefits from a claimant that is not represented by an accredited person (i.e., a veterans service organization, attorney, or agent recognized by the VA), provide (1) notice that an accredited person may assist the claimant, (2) notice that a veterans service organization may represent the claimant for free, (3) information regarding a search tool to find an accredited person to assist in the filing of claims, and (4) information on how and where to report a person who is not accredited and charged a fee to assist with a claim.

In its web portal, the VA must provide a warning regarding fees an agent or attorney may charge for assistance in filing benefits claims. (Under current law, fees are generally prohibited for filing an initial claim.)

Election Day Act

This bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday.

Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025

This bill permanently authorizes certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care professionals to use telemedicine to deliver, distribute, or dispense controlled substances that are prescription drugs to patients who are eligible for VA health care, regardless of whether the health care professional has conducted an in-person medical examination. The health care professional must be (1) authorized to prescribe the basic class of such controlled substance under an active, current, full, and unrestricted license or certification; (2) acting in the usual course of professional practice; and (3) delivering, distributing, or dispensing the substance for a legitimate medical purpose.

No Official Giveaways Of Taxpayers’ Income to Oppressive Nations Act or the NO GOTION Act

This bill prohibits an entity that is created in, organized in, or controlled (in the aggregate) by China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea, or an entity controlled (in the aggregate) by one or more of such entities, from claiming multiple energy-related federal tax credits and incentives.

Specifically, the bill prohibits such entities from claiming the federal tax credits for

• alternative fuel vehicle refueling property,

• second-generation biofuel,

• biodiesel fuel,

• sustainable aviation fuel,

• renewable electricity production,

• carbon sequestration,

• zero-emission nuclear power production,

• clean hydrogen production,

• clean commercial vehicles,

• advanced manufacturing production,

• clean electricity production,

• clean fuel production,

• investments in energy property,

• advanced energy projects,

• clean electricity investment,

• biodiesel mixtures,

• alternative fuel, and

• alternative fuel mixtures.

Further, such entities are prohibited from claiming the federal tax deduction for energy efficient improvements to commercial buildings.

Finally, such entities are not entitled to a credit or refund of federal excise taxes paid on biodiesel, alternative fuel, or sustainable aviation fuel mixtures produced by the entities.