[Pages S2565-S2568]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. Hoeven):
S. 1413. A bill to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin
River Restoration Settlement Act; to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to
authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration
Settlement Act.
This crucial piece of legislation would simply increase the
authorization of funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program,
SJRRP, which supports one of the most productive agricultural regions
in the United States while also creating a healthy, living river for
Chinook salmon. Increasing the cap for the program will enable the
Bureau of Reclamation, the State of California, and key partners to
advance projects necessary to the continued success of the program. Our
bill retains a provision in the original legislation from 2009 that
authorized the SJRRP and set forth a one-for-one match from non-Federal
sources for any Federal appropriated dollars. The bill would also
increase the authorization of appropriations to help restore canal
capacity for the Friant-Kern and Madera Canals to address subsidence.
A fully implemented SJRRP is crucial for managing the San Joaquin
River system, restoring fish populations, and ensuring reliable water
supplies for farmers. Without an increased funding cap, Federal support
will likely fall short, threatening both water reliability and
ecosystem restoration and undermining decades of collaboration and
progress.
That is why our bill is supported by a broad range of agricultural
water users, the State of California, and key local partner, because
the SJRRP's success benefits both farmers and the environment. This
type of collaboration demonstrates how we can manage our limited water
resources to provide water supply reliability while also benefiting our
ecosystems.
While we were able to pass this bill through the Senate by unanimous
consent at the end of 2024, it did not pass the House of
Representatives in time to be signed into law. I look forward to
working with my colleagues in both Chambers to advance this
commonsense, straightforward legislation on the floor as soon as
possible. And I thank Senator Hoeven for his support for my
legislation.
______

By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Gallego, Mrs.
Britt, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Crapo, and Ms. Hirono):
S. 1415. A bill to amend section 3(b)(4) of the United States Housing
Act of 1937 to exclude certain disability benefits from income for the
purposes of determining eligibility for the supported housing program
under section 8(o)(19), and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the
bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act, which I introduced
today.
Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation for veterans and
members of our Armed Forces who have answered the call of duty and
sacrificed for our Nation. I firmly believe that those who serve our
country with honor, courage, and distinction deserve our Nation's
enduring gratitude. That

[[Page S2566]]

is why I have always been committed to supporting all those who have
fought for our Nation's freedom.
Currently, many disabled veterans are unable to access housing
programs for veterans because of how income is defined. The more severe
a disability is, the more disability benefits a veteran receives. Yet,
because of the way total income has historically been determined, this
means that veterans receiving the highest amount of disability benefits
often cannot access the housing assistance they need.
Congress must ensure that every veteran has access to stable housing.
While progress has been made in reducing veteran homelessness, there is
still more that we must do. Addressing these challenges requires a
coordinated effort between Federal, State, and local agencies and
strong partnerships with nonprofit veteran service organizations and
community leaders. We must do our part to remove redtape and make it
easier for veterans to be housed.
I remain committed to supporting policies that expand and increase
access to VA homelessness programs for veterans in need. I want to
thank Senators Gallego, McCormick, and Britt for introducing this
bipartisan bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in
supporting solutions that ensure no veteran is left without a safe
place to call home.
______

By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley,
Mrs. Murray, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Markey, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schiff,
and Mr. Whitehouse):
S. 1432. A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to
permanently prohibit oil and gas exploration, development, and
production on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California,
Oregon, and Washington; to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the West Coast
Ocean Protection Act of 2025. This crucial piece of legislation would
amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1978 to permanently
prohibit offshore drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast
of California, Oregon, and Washington.
It has been over 50 years since a major oilspill occurred off the
coast of Santa Barbara, which inspired the first Earth Day and the
modern environmental movement that we see today. Despite this
catastrophic incident, California has still a experienced subsequent
oilspills, which is unacceptable since these environmental incidents
are preventable. I hope my colleagues can join me in understanding that
the tradeoff between oil production and environmental harm is simply
not one we should be making any longer.
The oil spills in California have had drastic impacts, including oil
seeping into environmentally sensitive wetlands, endangering birds and
other wildlife, and forcing the closure of beaches that are the
economic engines of entire communities.
We must end our reliance on dirty and dangerous fossil fuels and work
towards a clean energy future, because even when oil isn't leaking from
pipelines, it is fueling the crisis of global warming, poisoning local
communities, and causing billions of dollars of harm each year.
Fossil fuels are endangering Californian families and fueling raging
wildfires and extreme drought--as well as toxic oilspills. I want to
recognize the late Senator Feinstein for spearheading this bill year
after year during her time in Congress, and I urge my colleagues to
join me in supporting this bill to improve our coastal safety and
protect our communities.
______

By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Ms. Cortez Masto):
S. 1443. A bill to limit the authority of States to tax certain
income of employees for employment duties performed in other States; to
the Committee on Finance.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:

S. 1443

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Mobile Workforce State
Income Tax Simplification Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS ON STATE WITHHOLDING AND TAXATION OF
EMPLOYEE INCOME.

(a) In General.--No part of the wages or other remuneration
earned by an employee who performs employment duties in more
than one State shall be subject to income tax in any State
other than--
(1) the State of the employee's residence; and
(2) the State within which the employee is present and
performing employment duties for more than 30 days during the
calendar year in which the wages or other remuneration is
earned.
(b) Wages or Other Remuneration.--Wages or other
remuneration earned in any calendar year shall not be subject
to State income tax withholding and reporting requirements
unless the employee is subject to income tax in such State
under subsection (a). Income tax withholding and reporting
requirements under subsection (a)(2) shall apply to wages or
other remuneration earned as of the commencement date of
employment duties in the State during the calendar year.
(c) Operating Rules.--For purposes of determining penalties
related to an employer's State income tax withholding and
reporting requirements--
(1) an employer may rely on an employee's annual
determination of the time expected to be spent by such
employee in the States in which the employee will perform
duties absent--
(A) the employer's actual knowledge of fraud by the
employee in making the determination; or
(B) collusion between the employer and the employee to
evade tax;
(2) except as provided in paragraph (3), if records are
maintained by an employer in the regular course of business
that record the location of an employee, such records shall
not preclude an employer's ability to rely on an employee's
determination under paragraph (1); and
(3) notwithstanding paragraph (2), if an employer, at its
sole discretion, maintains a time and attendance system that
tracks where the employee performs duties on a daily basis,
data from the time and attendance system shall be used
instead of the employee's determination under paragraph (1).
(d) Definitions and Special Rules.--For purposes of this
Act:
(1) Day.--
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), an employee is
considered present and performing employment duties within a
State for a day if the employee performs more of the
employee's employment duties within such State than in any
other State during a day.
(B) If an employee performs employment duties in a resident
State and in only one nonresident State during one day, such
employee shall be considered to have performed more of the
employee's employment duties in the nonresident State than in
the resident State for such day.
(C) For purposes of this paragraph, the portion of the day
during which the employee is in transit shall not be
considered in determining the location of an employee's
performance of employment duties.
(2) Employee.--The term ``employee'' has the same meaning
given to it by the State in which the employment duties are
performed, except that the term ``employee'' shall not
include a professional athlete, professional entertainer,
qualified production employee, or certain public figures.
(3) Professional athlete.--The term ``professional
athlete'' means a person who performs services in a
professional athletic event, provided that the wages or other
remuneration are paid to such person for performing services
in his or her capacity as a professional athlete.
(4) Professional entertainer.--The term ``professional
entertainer'' means a person of prominence who performs
services in the professional performing arts for wages or
other remuneration on a per-event basis, provided that the
wages or other remuneration are paid to such person for
performing services in his or her capacity as a professional
entertainer.
(5) Qualified production employee.--The term ``qualified
production employee'' means a person who performs production
services of any nature directly in connection with a State
qualified, certified or approved film, television or other
commercial video production for wages or other remuneration,
provided that the wages or other remuneration paid to such
person are qualified production costs or expenditures under
such State's qualified, certified or approved film incentive
program, and that such wages or other remuneration must be
subject to withholding under such film incentive program as a
condition to treating such wages or other remuneration as a
qualified production cost or expenditure.
(6) Certain public figures.--The term ``certain public
figures'' means persons of prominence who perform services
for wages or other remuneration on a per-event basis,
provided that the wages or other remuneration are paid to
such person for services provided at a discrete event, in the
nature of a speech, public appearance, or similar event.
(7) Employer.--The term ``employer'' has the meaning given
such term in section

[[Page S2567]]

3401(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, unless such
term is defined by the State in which the employee's
employment duties are performed, in which case the State's
definition shall prevail.
(8) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the several
States.
(9) Time and attendance system.--The term ``time and
attendance system'' means a system in which--
(A) the employee is required on a contemporaneous basis to
record his work location for every day worked outside of the
State in which the employee's employment duties are primarily
performed; and
(B) the system is designed to allow the employer to
allocate the employee's wages for income tax purposes among
all States in which the employee performs employment duties
for such employer.
(10) Wages or other remuneration.--The term ``wages or
other remuneration'' may be limited by the State in which the
employment duties are performed.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICABILITY.

(a) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect on January
1 of the second calendar year that begins after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(b) Applicability.--This Act shall not apply to any tax
obligation that accrues before the effective date of this
Act.
______

By Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Cassidy, Mr.
Welch, Mr. Tillis, and Mrs. Blackburn):
S. 1460. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to
extend incentive payments for participation in eligible alternative
payment models under the Medicare program; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:

S. 1460

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Preserving Patient Access to
Accountable Care Act''.

SEC. 2. EXTENDING INCENTIVE PAYMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN
ELIGIBLE ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT MODELS.

(a) In General.--Section 1833(z) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1395l(z)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(A)--
(A) by striking ``with 2026'' and inserting ``with 2027'';
and
(B) by inserting ``, or, with respect to 2027, 3.53
percent'' after ``1.88 percent'';
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) in the subsection heading, by striking ``2026'' and
inserting ``2027''; and
(ii) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking
``2026'' and inserting ``2027'';
(B) in subparagraph (C)--
(i) in the subparagraph heading, by striking ``2027'' and
inserting ``2028''; and
(ii) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking
``2027'' and inserting ``2028''; and
(C) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and 2026'' and
inserting ``2026, and 2027''; and
(3) in paragraph (4)(B), by inserting ``, or, with respect
to 2027, 3.53 percent'' after ``1.88 percent''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1848(q)(1)(C)(iii) of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(q)(1)(C)(iii)) is
amended--
(1) in subclause (II), by striking ``2026'' and inserting
``2027''; and
(2) in subclause (III), by striking ``2027'' and inserting
``2028''.
______

By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr.
Tillis, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Smith, Mrs. Britt,
Mr. Gallego, Mr. Ricketts, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Rounds, Mrs.
Capito, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Whitehouse,
Mr. Risch, Mr. King, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Fetterman, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Blumenthal,
Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Welch, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Peters, Mr.
Bennet, Mr. Markey, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Kelly, and
Mrs. Fischer):
S. 1467. A bill to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prevent
consumer reporting agencies from furnishing consumer reports under
certain circumstances, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Homebuyers
Privacy Protection Act with the Senator from Tennessee, Mr. Hagerty.
This bipartisan legislation restricts the use of so-called mortgage
``trigger leads'' and gives prospective home buyers control over their
personal credit information.
Trigger leads are essentially tips based on information the major
credit reporting bureaus sell to mortgage brokers and lenders when the
bureaus learn that a consumer has applied for a mortgage with another
lender. Each trigger lead they sell generates dozens of calls and
solicitations to the consumer from lenders, ostensibly to provide the
consumer with better offers. In fact, one home buyer reported to the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that they received over 100 calls
within 2 days of applying for a mortgage. Prospective home buyers who
are bombarded by these kinds of solicitations typically have no idea
their information was sold without their affirmative consent.
Buying a home is often the most consequential financial decision a
family will make. Getting spammed with additional offers after a family
has already shopped for a mortgage and chosen a lender makes this
already stressful process even more stressful. It can be very
difficult, if not impossible, for a family to sift through dozens of
offers over a few days and actually receive better credit. Consumers
who are subjected to a deluge of solicitations as the result of a
trigger lead are justified in feeling that their privacy has been
invaded.
Many reputable mortgage companies see it the same way. They support
curtailing trigger leads since prospective home buyers often blame
their lender for selling off their personal information even though it
is the credit bureaus that are providing this information.
Unrelenting, aggressive solicitations are more than just a nuisance.
Indeed, some companies that buy trigger leads may not use them
responsibly and may have poor track records of compliance. In 2018. the
Washington Post reported that some mortgage lenders had used trigger
leads to misrepresent themselves in calls by suggesting that they are
underwriters for the consumer's current lender or by implying that they
are calling from a government agency. According to reporting in the
Chicago Tribune, unsuspecting home buyers are at risk of inadvertently
handing over sensitive personal information, exposing themselves to
identity theft.
The current system leaves consumers without control of their personal
information when they apply for a mortgage. Our bill will fix the
current system by significantly restricting the circumstances in which
the credit bureaus can sell home buyers' personal information to
generate trigger leads. The credit bureaus would be permitted to sell
this information only in the limited circumstances when the consumer
already has a significant financial relationship with the lending
institution seeking the information or when the prospective home buyer
has provided affirmative consent to share this information broadly with
other lenders.
The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act will go a long way towards
securing consumers' personal information and will provide much needed
relief from the seemingly never-ending solicitations prospective home
buyers receive during an already stressful time.
Last Congress, the Senate acted unanimously to pass this legislation,
and I would like to thank my colleagues for their support. However,
this legislation was unfortunately not taken up in the House. I hope
that this Congress, we can work together--on a bicameral, bipartisan
basis--to address the abuse of trigger leads once and for all.
I thank the broad coalition of consumer advocacy groups and trade
associations for their support, including the Mortgage Bankers
Association, the National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low-
income clients, the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, the
Community Home Lenders of America, the Consumer Federation of America,
Americans for Financial Reform, the Broker Action Coalition, the
American Bankers Association, and the Independent Community Bankers of
America.
I urge my colleagues to join Senator Hagerty and me in supporting
this commonsense, bipartisan bill.
______

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mrs. Fischer):
S. 1469. A bill to amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to include
food allergy information in existing training

[[Page S2568]]

modules for local food service personnel; to the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:

S. 1469

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Children with
Food Allergies Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. INCLUDING FOOD ALLERGY INFORMATION IN EXISTING
TRAINING MODULES FOR LOCAL FOOD SERVICE
PERSONNEL.

(a) Food Allergy Training Module.--Section 7(g)(2)(B)(iii)
of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C.
1776(g)(2)(B)(iii)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subclauses (II) and (III) as
subclauses (III) and (IV), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subclause (I) the following:

``(II) food allergies, including information on the best
practices to prevent, recognize, and respond to food-related
allergic reactions;''.

(b) Certification.--Section 7(g)(2)(B)(ii)(II) of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1776(g)(B)(ii)(II)) is
amended by striking ``clause (i)'' and inserting ``clauses
(i) and (iii)''.
______

By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Heinrich, Ms.
Hirono, Mr. Markey, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Wyden, and Mr.
Lujan):
S. 1477. A bill to address the homelessness and housing crises, to
move toward the goal of providing for a home for all Americans, and for
other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Housing
for All Act of 2025, which I introduced today.
Our Nation's homelessness and affordable housing crises have reached
a breaking point. As of January, 2024, over 771,480 individuals in the
U.S.--disproportionately people of color--experienced homelessness. The
rate of homelessness has increased by 18 percent since 2023.
The lack of adequate Federal investments in affordable housing and
housing assistance programs are exacerbating these crises. There is
currently a shortage of 7.1 million affordable and available rental
homes in the U.S. According to a recent National Low Income Housing
Coalition report, no State or county exists where a person working 40
hours a week and earning the State or local minimum wage can afford to
rent a modest two-bedroom apartment. Furthermore, over 21 million
renters nationwide spend more than 30 percent of their income on just
housing costs alone.
The affordable housing and homelessness crises are not just a blue
State issue or an urban problem; every State is impacted. From our
metropolitan areas to our rural heartlands, our constituents everywhere
feel the real impact of housing unaffordability. It is time for the
Federal Government to step up, partner with our State and local
governments alongside service providers on the ground and other
stakeholders, and invest in solving these problems at a rate
commensurate with the need.
I am proud to re-introduce this bill, which represents a
comprehensive approach to tackling housing and homelessness. If
enacted, it would invest in and align Federal resources to support
people experiencing housing instability. To address the affordable
housing and homelessness crises, we must invest in proven policies that
support strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and ensure quality,
affordable homes for all.
Specifically, this bill would address the affordable housing shortage
by investing in the housing trust fund, the Section 202 Supportive
Housing for the Elderly Program, Section 811 Supportive Housing for
Persons with Disabilities Program, and the HOME Program. It establishes
a commission to focus on racial equity in housing and homelessness.
The bill would address homelessness by investing in Housing Choice
Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, emergency solutions grants,
and continuums of care. It also builds on locally developed and driven
approaches by creating new grant programs to strengthen mobile crisis
intervention teams; to support hotel and motel conversions to permanent
supportive housing with services; to aid libraries in supporting
persons experiencing homelessness; to provide people living in vehicles
with a safe place to park overnight and facilitate a transition to
stable housing; and to coordinate behavioral health care with
homelessness services. And it commissions a report on the connection
between evictions and emergency rental assistance during the pandemic,
so we can make smarter policies moving forward.
When I have traveled around California--from Los Angeles County and
the Inland Empire--to the Central Valley, San Diego, and San
Francisco--to better understand the needs for housing in different
communities, some key elements stood out. On the production side, there
is a need for more dedicated funding for affordable housing from the
Federal Government. There is also missing middle-income housing for
families, especially people of color. And there is not enough housing
near transit. That is why my bill focuses on supporting inclusive,
transit-oriented development. When I talked to researchers about
keeping families housed, one main point they made was that we don't
have enough data on renters and evictions, and that is why the bill
includes a section on data, so we can make evidence-based policies.
Right now, the cost to build low-income housing in California is very
high in part because of land and material costs and the fragmented way
funding is distributed in California. This is a common problem across
the Nation--not just in California. That is why the bill includes a
section to provide technical assistance for localities navigating
Federal and State housing funding sources.
Affordable housing is essential infrastructure. Every person deserves
dignity, security, and a space of their own. At a time when the current
aministration is gutting and dismantling key Housing and Urban
Development Department programs and reducing protections for the most
vulnerable among us, this bill has never been more important. Congress
must step up so that our Nation's housing and homelessness crises are
dealt with in a comprehensive and holistic way to ensure that every
person and family in America has a place to call home.
I want to thank Representatives Ted Lieu and Salud Carbajal for
introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us
in supporting this comprehensive solution to our nationwide affordable
housing and homelessness crises.

____________________