Frank D. Lucas

Main Street Depositor Protection Act

This bill would protect bank deposits for small businesses and individuals by expanding federal insurance coverage beyond the current $250,000 limit, helping ensure that Main Street businesses don't lose their savings if a bank fails. The measure aims to give small business owners and everyday depositors greater peace of mind about their money while potentially making it easier for community banks to compete with larger financial institutions. It would affect small business owners, workers with savings accounts, and community banks across the country.

Public Company Advisory Committee Act of 2026

Public Company Advisory Committee Act of 2026 This bill establishes the Public Company Advisory Committee within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The committee must advise the SEC on regulatory priorities, public reporting and corporate governance of public companies, shareholder meetings and the proxy process, and other topics. The committee must be comprised of individuals who are officers, directors, or senior officials of public companies; have senior managerial responsibility in associations that represent the interests of public companies; or provide professional advice and services to public companies.

PROTECT Taiwan Act

This bill would strengthen U.S. support for Taiwan by likely increasing military aid, deepening diplomatic ties, and potentially removing restrictions on official government-to-government interactions between the United States and Taiwan. The measure would affect U.S. foreign policy toward China and the Asia-Pacific region, with implications for defense contractors, military personnel, and diplomatic officials involved in these relationships. The bill reflects congressional intent to bolster Taiwan's security and international standing amid regional tensions.

Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2025 or the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes, revises, and establishes several programs related to weather forecasting, monitoring, and research. For example, the bill reauthorizes through FY2030 programs that are administered by the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the U.S. Weather Research Program. It also provides statutory authority for NOAA's Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (known as VORTEX-USA). The bill also requires NOAA to establish programs that support weather forecasting technology, including improvements to radar accuracy, weather forecasting in underserved areas, and coastal flooding forecasting. NOAA must also acquire weather-related data from the private sector and establish a pilot program to test the compatibility of this data with NOAA infrastructure. In addition, NOAA must improve weather-related communication systems, including those related to hazardous weather events, through system upgrades that use more modern technology (e.g., cloud-based services) and that allow for expanded coverage (e.g., in rural areas). Finally, NOAA must administer programs that support weather forecasting for agricultural and water management, including pilot programs to improve precipitation forecasts in the western and central states and a soil moisture monitoring network.

Agricultural Risk Review Act of 2025

Agricultural Risk Review Act of 2025 This bill makes changes to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), including by requiring CFIUS to determine whether a national security review is necessary for reportable agricultural land transactions that are referred by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). (CFIUS oversees the national security risks of certain foreign investment in the United States. CFIUS has the authority to review covered transactions, which include mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers that could result in foreign control of a U.S. business; certain investments in businesses involved in critical technologies, critical infrastructure, or sensitive personal data; and certain real estate transactions.) Specifically, the bill directs CFIUS to, after receiving notification from USDA, determine (1) whether a reportable agricultural land transaction is a covered transaction, and (2) whether CFIUS should initiate a national security review or take another action with respect to the transaction. Reportable agricultural land transaction means a transaction (1) that USDA has reason to believe is a covered transaction, based on information from or in cooperation with the intelligence community; (2) that involves the acquisition of an interest in agricultural land by a foreign person of China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran; and (3) with respect to which a foreign person is required to submit a report to USDA regarding their agricultural land transactions. The bill also expands CFIUS to include the Secretary of Agriculture for covered transactions that involve agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry (e.g., agricultural transportation, storage, and processing).

Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill would renew and update federal programs that monitor weather patterns, conduct climate research, and maintain weather forecasting systems across the United States. The legislation affects meteorologists, climate scientists, and the general public who rely on accurate weather predictions for safety and planning. The bill has been sent to multiple congressional committees to review different aspects, including its impact on public lands, energy policy, and international cooperation.

DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act

DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act This bill requires the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities through the establishment of an interagency agreement. The agencies are authorized to (1) carry out reimbursable agreements in order to maximize research and development effectiveness, and (2) collaborate with other federal agencies. Further, the interagency agreement must require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process, which considers applications from federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit institutions. Research and development activities may include collaborative research in a variety of focus areas such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, biofuels and biobased products, grid modernization and security, rural technology development, and wildfire risks and prevention; developing methods to accommodate large voluntary standardized and integrated data sets on agricultural, environmental, supply chain, and economic information; supporting research infrastructure and workforce development; and collaborative research and development on ways to improve agriculture operations and processing efficiencies, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.