Legislation

The Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act aims to update and simplify the Social Security lump sum death payment. This bill establishes a fixed payment amount of \$2,900 for eligible survivors, replacing the current formula for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2025.

The HELP Copays Act requires that financial assistance provided by non-profit organizations and drug manufacturers must count toward a patient's deductible, copayments, and out-of-pocket maximums for prescription drugs. This change ensures that patient assistance dollars directly reduce the amount a patient must pay before their coverage fully kicks in. The legislation specifically applies to specialty drugs and those subject to utilization management. These provisions will take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The New Essential Education Discoveries Act of 2025 establishes a National Center for Advanced Development in Education to research and promote breakthrough solutions in teaching and learning based on the science of learning. The bill also authorizes competitive grants for states to design, develop, and improve comprehensive statewide longitudinal data systems linking education and workforce data. These provisions aim to accelerate educational innovation and enhance data-driven decision-making to improve student outcomes.

The Puerto Rico Postal Equity Act of 2025 mandates the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to rapidly improve address accuracy in Puerto Rico by updating its systems to properly recognize local conventions, including diacritical marks. This action aims to resolve persistent mail delivery failures and ensure equitable access to federal services. The Postmaster General must consult with local entities and report annually to Congress on the progress made.

The Right to Read Act of 2025 amends federal education law to establish a comprehensive "right to read" for all students, ensuring access to evidence-based instruction, effective school libraries, and diverse reading materials. The bill defines key terms like "effective school library" and mandates that states and local agencies detail plans to support these resources and protect students' First Amendment rights regarding information access. Furthermore, it authorizes significant new funding to improve literacy programs, support school librarians, and mandates national data collection on school library resources.

The Border Patrol Supervisors Retention Act aims to improve retention by establishing higher rates of regularly scheduled overtime pay for certain U.S. Border Patrol agents. This legislation expands eligibility for these enhanced overtime rates beyond GS-12 agents to include those at grades GS-12, GS-13, GS-14, and GS-15.

The Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act establishes a new grant program to expand digital workplace skills training across the nation. This initiative aims to build digital competency for workers in high-demand industries and foster digitally resilient education and workforce systems. Funds will be distributed to states via formula grants, which must then be used to award subgrants to local entities, alongside direct competitive grants from the Department of Labor. The overall goal is to help individuals access better jobs by closing digital skill gaps.

The Access to New Community Health Opportunities and Recovery Act of 2025 (ANCHOR Act) establishes an option for states to provide Medicaid coverage to uninsured individuals with serious mental illness or substance use disorders whose income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty line. This initial one-year coverage requires states to ensure enrollees receive a care plan and report on specific behavioral health quality measures. States may choose to extend coverage annually after redetermining eligibility.

The Employee Profit-Sharing Encouragement Act of 2025 denies businesses a tax deduction for executive compensation unless the company makes qualified profit-sharing distributions to its employees. These required distributions must equal at least 5% of the company's net income, calculated based on a written plan. This measure aims to incentivize companies to share profits more broadly with their workforce.

The ROBINHOOD Act establishes a new 20 percent excise tax on certain secured business loans and lines of credit exceeding $400,000 in adjusted gross income. This tax applies when the loan is secured by capital assets, excluding residential mortgages and farmland loans. The borrower is responsible for paying this annual tax to the Treasury.

The CARE Act of 2025 amends federal law to prohibit refugee resettlement in any state or locality that formally disapproves of such resettlement through action by its governor, legislature, or local governing body. This measure grants state and local entities the authority to veto refugee placements within their jurisdictions.

The Independence Investment Fund Act establishes a $\$5$ billion Treasury-managed fund to make equity and debt investments in U.S. companies developing critical and emerging technologies. This initiative aims to strengthen national security by countering adversarial foreign investments, particularly in sectors like biotechnology. The Fund will operate for 10 years under the oversight of an independent managing entity and requires regular reporting to Congress on its performance and objectives.

The Native American Seeds Act of 2025 directs the Secretary of the Interior to collaborate with Indian Tribes to identify and protect seeds of traditional or cultural significance. This includes supporting Tribal efforts in seed banking and traditional agriculture systems. The Act also establishes strict confidentiality protections for sensitive information shared by Tribes regarding these seeds.

The Atlantic Coast Shipping Safety Act mandates the establishment of federal shipping safety fairways along the Atlantic Coast. This legislation requires the Coast Guard to issue final regulations, based on their 2024 proposal, establishing minimum fairway widths by December 31, 2026. These safety measures aim to enhance maritime safety in nearshore and offshore areas.

The Emergency Savings Enhancement Act of 2025 aims to improve retirement savings flexibility by increasing the mandatory cash-out limit for retirement plans from \$2,500 to \$5,000. It also raises the annual contribution limit for Roth contributions to employer plans from \$2,500 to \$5,000. These changes are designed to enhance participant options regarding smaller vested balances and Roth savings.

The Transportation Megaprojects Accountability and Oversight Act establishes new requirements for federally funded transportation projects costing \$2.5 billion or more, defined as "megaprojects." This legislation mandates comprehensive risk management plans, the establishment of independent peer review groups, and increased public transparency for these major infrastructure initiatives. The bill also directs the creation of a committee to study best practices and recommend improvements to federal oversight of megaprojects.

The ROTOR Act aims to enhance aviation safety and transparency, primarily by narrowing exceptions for disabling ADS-B tracking on government aircraft and mandating that aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out must also install ADS-B In technology. The bill further requires the FAA to conduct comprehensive safety reviews of military and civilian operations in complex airspace, such as around Reagan National Airport. Finally, it mandates formal agreements for the FAA and the Department of the Army to share critical aviation safety data.

The MACA Act mandates the addition of a new question to the decennial census starting in 2030. This question will require respondents to disclose whether they or any household member hold dual citizenship with the United States and another country, and to specify that country. This aims to collect specific data on dual citizenship status during the population count.

This resolution designates December 8, 2025, as "Jimmy Lai Day" to honor his advocacy for press freedom, religious freedom, and democracy in Hong Kong. It condemns the actions of the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong authorities for suppressing fundamental freedoms and calls for the immediate release of Jimmy Lai and all unjustly imprisoned pro-democracy advocates.

The Veteran Education Empowerment Act establishes a grant program to help colleges and universities create and operate dedicated Student Veteran Centers. These centers will serve as centralized hubs to coordinate academic support, transition services, and community building for student veterans. The bill authorizes funding for these grants, which can be used for establishing and operating the centers, with specific reporting requirements to track effectiveness.