Tim Walberg

Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act or the SCORE Act

This bill provides a framework for the compensation of student athletes for the use of their name, image, or likeness (NIL). This includes addressing certain elements of the court approved agreement to settle the In re College Athlete NIL Litigation (i.e., House settlement).

Specifically, the bill statutorily prohibits institutions, conferences, or interstate intercollegiate athletic associations (e.g., the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)) from restricting the ability of a student athlete to enter an NIL agreement.

The bill also requires institutions of higher education that generate $20 million or more in annual revenue from the institution's intercollegiate athletics activities to (1) provide counseling and medical benefits to student athletes, and (2) establish and maintain at least 16 varsity sports teams.

Further, the bill authorizes interstate intercollegiate athletic associations to establish rules with respect to athletic eligibility, transfers, recruitment, and the disclosure of NIL agreements.

Under the bill, student athletes may not be considered employees of an institution, conference, or interstate intercollegiate athletic association.

The bill also preempts state laws with respect to compensation, payments, benefits, employment status, eligibility, and academic standards applicable to student athletes.

Compliance with the provisions of this bill is considered lawful under federal and state antitrust laws.

This bill increases the annual limit on the tax credit for qualified railroad track maintenance expenses (also referred to as the short line railroad tax credit) and expands eligibility for claiming the credit.

Under current law, the tax credit is limited each tax year to $3,500 multiplied by the sum of the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the taxpayer (miles owned or leased) and the number of railroad track miles assigned to the taxpayer by a Class II or III railroad (miles assigned). This bill increases the annual limit to $6,100 multiplied by the sum of miles owned or leased and miles assigned. The $6,100 amount used in the calculation of the tax credit limit is adjusted for inflation for tax years beginning after 2025.

The bill also expands eligibility for the tax credit to include gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2024. Under current law, the tax credit is limited to gross expenses for maintaining railroad tracks owned or leased as of January 1, 2015.

Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act of 2025

This bill affirms federal recognition of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan.

Specifically, the bill makes the tribe and its members eligible for services and benefits provided to federally recognized tribes, without regard to the existence of a reservation for the tribe or the location of the residence of any member on or near a reservation. The service area of the tribe shall be Newaygo, Oceana, Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa Counties in Michigan.

Further, the tribe must submit a membership roll to the Department of the Interior as a condition of receiving recognition, services, and benefits. The tribe must maintain the membership roll.

The bill directs Interior to (1) acquire, for the benefit of the tribe, trust title to land within Muskegon, Newaygo, or Oceana Counties; and (2) accept into trust any real property located in those counties for the benefit of the tribe if the property is conveyed to Interior and, at the time of such acceptance, there are no adverse legal claims on such property (e.g., outstanding liens, mortgages, or taxes owed).

Additionally, the bill allows Interior to (1) acquire additional land for the benefit of the tribe, and (2) take into trust land in specified counties for the benefit of the tribe.

Any land taken into trust for the benefit of the tribe shall, upon request of the tribe, be considered part of the tribe's reservation.

This resolution expresses support for police officers and other law enforcement personnel.

The resolution further recognizes

• law enforcement officers across the United States in the pursuit of preserving safe and secure communities;

• the need to ensure that such officers have the equipment, training, and resources necessary to protect their health and safety while they are protecting the public; and

• the law enforcement community for acts of sacrifice and heroism.

The resolution expresses condolences and appreciation to the loved ones of each law enforcement officer who has made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

This concurrent resolution recognizes and appreciates local law enforcement officers, extends gratitude to local law enforcement officers and their families, honors local law enforcement officers who have fallen in the line of duty, and encourages continued collaboration between local law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.

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.)

Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhanced Networks Act or the FUTURE Networks Act

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a 6G Task Force to report on industry-led efforts to set standards for sixth-generation wireless technology and the possible uses and limitations of such technology, among other topics. The task force must publish and solicit public comment on a draft of the report, and must take such comments into consideration in preparing the final report.

Members of the task force must include, to the extent practicable, representatives of companies in the communications industry; public interest organizations or academic institutions; and federal, state, tribal, and local governments (with at least one member representing each level of government). Members are to be selected by the chair of the FCC, and generally may not include representatives of entities owned or controlled by, or subject to the influence of, a foreign adversary, or otherwise deemed to pose a threat to U.S. national security.

Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2025

This bill expands Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to include all services provided by chiropractors, rather than only subluxation corrections through manual manipulation of the spine.

Fair Access to Banking Act

This bill places restrictions on certain banks, credit unions, and payment card networks if they refuse to do business with a person who complies with the law. Restrictions include prohibiting the use of electronic funds transfer systems and lending programs, termination of an institution's depository insurance, and specified civil penalties.

Banks and other specified financial institutions are allowed to deny financial services to a person only if the denial is justified by a documented failure of that person to meet quantitative, impartial, risk-based standards established in advance by the institution. This justification may not be based upon reputational risks to the institution.

The bill establishes the right for a person to bring a civil action for a violation of this bill.

ESA Amendments Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Endangered Species Act and generally narrows protections provided under the act.

The bill directs the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to submit a National Listing Work Plan that establishes a five-year schedule and plan for addressing listing of endangered or threatened species and designation of critical habitats for such species. Under the plan, the bill gives the Services flexibility on the timing of acting on listing petitions and eliminates the requirement for the Services to act within 12 months on listing petitions.

The bill limits what land may be designated as critical habitat for an endangered or threatened species.

It also limits protections provided to threatened species and allows a state to regulate the recovery of such species if the Services determine the state's proposed recovery strategy would conserve the species.

The bill provides statutory authority for Conservation Benefit Agreements, which allow private landowners to voluntarily enter agreements to reduce threats to candidate species in exchange for being allowed to continue their operations if the species is later listed.

The bill also modifies the permitting process for certain other voluntary conservation agreements, including by exempting incidental take permits (e.g., permits to harm or kill a species) from environmental review requirements.

The bill also makes a variety of other changes to the act, including limiting consultation requirements, judicial review, and awards for attorneys’ fees in certain cases.

This resolution honors Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan, on its 108th anniversary, commends the thousands of men and women who have worked and trained at the base, and reinforces the commitment of the Armed Forces to the base as a facility that is key to national security. The resolution also encourages continued cooperation and dialogue with the Department of Defense in support of the base and acknowledges Michigan's ongoing investments in its defense assets and workforce.

Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025

This bill provides statutory authority for a program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for the mass marking of hatchery-produced fish in the Great Lakes basin. Mass marking is the practice of tagging large numbers of hatchery-produced fish in order to distinguish them from the wild fish population. The FWS initiated the program in 2010 on a limited scale. Under the existing program, the FWS (1) tags hatchery-produced fish stocked in the Great Lakes, and (2) produces data used by state and tribal fish management agencies to make management decisions regarding Great Lakes fisheries.

This bill allows the FWS, in carrying out the program, to (1) purchase items to support and carry out tagging and tag recovery operations on a greater scale, and (2) hire additional personnel.

The FWS must make the data collected under the program available to applicable federal, state, and tribal fish management agencies to

• increase the understanding of the outcomes of management action;

• assist in meeting the restoration objectives of the Great Lakes;

• assist in balancing predators and prey;

• support and improve the economic status of tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries; and

• assist in evaluating the effectiveness of habitat restoration efforts in the Great Lakes.

Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2025

This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to encourage companies and other relevant stakeholders to participate in organizations that set standards for wireless communications networks and equipment. NTIA must also offer technical assistance to facilitate such participation.

NTIA may not encourage or facilitate participation by companies and stakeholders determined to pose a threat to U.S. national security.

Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination Act or the FIND Act

This bill prohibits the federal government from entering into contracts with an entity that discriminates against firearm trade associations or businesses that deal in firearms, ammunition, or related products.

Specifically, the bill requires a federal agency to include in each contract for the procurement of goods or services awarded by the agency a clause requiring the prime contractor to certify that it (1) has no policy, practice, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association; and (2) will not adopt a policy, practice, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association during the term of the contract.

The bill establishes (1) a similar requirement with respect to subcontracts, and (2) penalties for violations.

The bill makes such prohibition inapplicable to a contract for the procurement of goods or services that is a sole-source contract.