Sarah Elfreth

This resolution requests that the President submit certain information to Congress regarding a reduction in force or the withholding of pay due to the lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown) that began on October 1, 2025. Specifically, the resolution requests that the President submit to Congress any and all documents and communications related to * any proposed reduction in force at a federal agency related to the lapse in appropriations, * efforts to create a legal determination at the Office of Management and Budget finding or suggesting that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 does not create a self-executing requirement that furloughed federal employees must receive pay for the period in which they were furloughed during a lapse in appropriations immediately after the lapse in appropriations ends, and * efforts or plans to withhold pay for the period of the lapse of appropriations for excepted or furloughed federal or District of Columbia employees. The resolution also requests that the President submit to Congress any documents or communications between the President's office, the Vice President's office, the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Special Counsel, and the Merit System Protection Board regarding these topics.

**Reducing Accidents In Locomotives Act or the RAIL Act** This bill addresses safety requirements for rail carriers and trains transporting hazardous materials. Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must issue safety regulations for trains carrying hazardous materials to require that rail carriers (1) provide state emergency response commissioners with advance notice and information about the hazardous materials; (2) reduce blocked rail crossings; and (3) comply with certain requirements regarding train length and weight specifications, track standards, speed restrictions, and response plans. DOT must also establish requirements for wayside defect detectors. These are used by railway systems alongside the tracks to detect defects and failures (e.g., wheel bearing failures). Current federal regulations do not require their use, but federal guidance does address their placement and use. Under the bill, DOT must issue regulations establishing requirements for the installation, repair, testing, maintenance, and operation of wayside defect detectors for each rail carrier operating a train carrying hazardous materials. Further, DOT must update rail car inspection regulations and audit related inspection programs. This includes prohibiting a railroad from limiting the time required for an employee to complete a railcar, locomotive, or brake safety inspection. The bill also * increases the maximum fines DOT may impose on rail carriers for violating safety regulations; * establishes a statutory requirement for freight trains to have at least two crew members, with exceptions; * phases out certain railroad tank cars by May 1, 2030; * expands training for local first responders; and * imposes a new fee on certain rail carriers.

**Railway Safety Act of 2025** This bill addresses safety requirements for rail carriers and trains transporting hazardous materials. Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must issue safety regulations for trains carrying hazardous materials to require that rail carriers or shippers (1) provide state emergency response commissioners with advance notice and information about the hazardous materials; (2) reduce blocked rail crossings; and (3) comply with certain requirements regarding train length and weight specifications, track standards, speed restrictions, and response plans. DOT must also establish requirements for wayside defect detectors. These are used by railway systems alongside the tracks to detect defects and failures (e.g., wheel bearing failures). Current federal regulations do not require their use, but federal guidance does address their placement and use. Under the bill, DOT must issue regulations establishing requirements for the installation, repair, testing, maintenance, and operation of wayside defect detectors for each rail carrier operating a train carrying hazardous materials. The bill also * increases the maximum fines DOT may impose on rail carriers for violating safety regulations; * requires DOT to update rail car inspection regulations and audit the federal inspection programs; * establishes a statutory requirement for freight trains to have at least two crew members, with exceptions; * phases out certain railroad tank cars by May 1, 2027; * expands training for local first responders; * imposes a new fee on certain rail carriers; and * authorizes grants to improve railway safety.

**Keep Our Promise to America's Children and Teachers Act or the Keep Our PACT Act** This bill provides funding through FY2035 for grant programs operated by local educational agencies to provide supplementary educational and related services to low-achieving students and other students who attend elementary and secondary schools with relatively high concentrations of students from low-income families. Additionally, the bill permanently reauthorizes the grant program to assist states and outlying areas in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities. The amounts provided by the bill are designated as an emergency requirement for the purposes of Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rules and other budget enforcement procedures.