Legislation

This resolution urges the people of the United States to observe October 2025 as Italian and Italian American Heritage Month. It seeks to honor the profound and diverse contributions made by Italian Americans throughout U.S. history and culture. The measure encourages appropriate ceremonies and activities to celebrate this rich heritage.

The Federal Worker Childcare Protection Act of 2025 aims to reimburse federal employees for childcare expenses incurred during periods of government shutdown or lapse in funding. Eligible employees who were furloughed or unpaid due to a funding lapse can receive reimbursement by submitting proof of payment to the GSA. This provision is contingent upon Congress appropriating the necessary funds.

The Protect Our Judiciary Act of 2025 strengthens federal law by explicitly prohibiting intentional picketing or parading near the residences or workplaces of judges, jurors, witnesses, or court officers while they are actively using those locations. This measure updates existing statutes to provide clearer penalties, including fines and potential imprisonment, for demonstrations that target court personnel.

The Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025 aims to significantly boost federal support for organic agriculture. It establishes a new Initiative to coordinate and expand USDA organic research efforts while increasing funding for the existing Organic Research and Extension Initiative through 2030. The bill also creates dedicated funding for research focused on the transition to organic farming and mandates a comprehensive economic impact study of the organic sector.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of October 24–31, 2025, as "Bat Week." It recognizes the vital ecological and economic roles bats play, such as pest control and pollination. Furthermore, the bill highlights the ongoing, collaborative efforts to combat the devastating impact of white-nose syndrome on bat populations.

This resolution officially designates the week beginning October 12, 2025, as "National Wildlife Refuge Week" to honor the importance of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It recognizes the system's critical role in protecting over 850 million acres of habitat, supporting threatened species, and providing vital economic and recreational benefits nationwide. The bill also highlights the system's commitment to urban access and collaboration with Tribal and Native Hawaiian communities.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress in support of recognizing October 2025 as National Dyslexia Awareness Month. It highlights dyslexia as the most common learning disability, often affecting smart individuals who struggle with reading due to sound processing issues. The bill emphasizes the critical need for early screening and diagnosis to ensure affected individuals receive the necessary support for academic success.

This resolution formally recognizes the significant contributions of the Indian American diaspora to the United States across various sectors. It also strongly condemns the recent rise in racism, hate incidents, and discrimination targeting Indian Americans and the broader South Asian community. Furthermore, the bill emphasizes the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and India.

This resolution officially supports the designation of October 16, 2025, and October 16, 2026, as "World Food Day." It highlights the severe and worsening global hunger crisis and reaffirms the U.S. commitment to combating food insecurity worldwide. The bill encourages the American public to participate in activities marking this important international observance.

The Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025 expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) headstones and markers by removing a key date restriction for certain individuals. It also updates benefits for families choosing an urn or plaque instead of a traditional marker, effective for veterans who died on or after January 5, 2021. Finally, the bill extends the expiration date for certain existing limits on VA pension payments.

The Shutdown Fairness Act ensures that essential government employees, military personnel, and supporting contractors who must work during a lapse in appropriations receive their guaranteed pay. This bill automatically sets aside necessary funds from the Treasury to cover the salaries and benefits of these "excepted employees" for the duration of the shutdown. These special appropriations remain available until a full-year budget is enacted, at which point the payments are reconciled against the new funding law.

The SHUTDOWN Act imposes a new daily tax on all members of Congress during any lapse in government appropriations. This tax is calculated proportionally based on the number of days a member serves while the government is unfunded. The goal is to hold lawmakers financially accountable for government shutdowns.

The Water Preservation and Affordability Act of 2025 mandates the prioritization of "resource preservation techniques"—such as water reuse and rainwater management—in all federally funded water infrastructure projects. This legislation updates grant agreements and loan fund requirements to ensure these environmentally innovative methods are adopted for repairs, replacements, and expansions. Furthermore, the bill increases funding authorizations for both the Wastewater Efficiency Grant Pilot Program and the Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Program through 2031.

The BOPEN Act of 2025 ensures the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) can continue paying its essential staff salaries and operating costs if Congress fails to pass the regular budget for fiscal years 2026 or 2027. This automatic funding mechanism draws directly from the Treasury to maintain operations during funding gaps. However, this provision explicitly excludes high-level BOP officers requiring Presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.

This resolution officially commends and congratulates the Summerlin South Little League baseball team for winning the 2025 Little League World Series United States Championship. The bill recognizes the team's historic achievement as the first from Summerlin South to reach the World Series and only the second from Nevada to win the U.S. title. It also honors the dedication of the players, coaches, parents, and league staff who supported their success.

The BLOOD Centers Act establishes an expedited approval process through the FDA for licensed blood centers seeking to add new apheresis collection devices at existing locations. This fast-track system mandates a 30-day decision window for supplemental Biologics License Application (BLA) supplements, ensuring quicker deployment of new equipment. The goal is to streamline operations for established blood centers that meet high safety and quality standards.

This resolution commemorates the 40th anniversary of the inaugural flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis and formally recognizes the enduring economic, educational, and cultural contributions of the Kennedy Space Center. It celebrates the legacy of the Space Shuttle Program, which was central to major achievements like building the International Space Station. The resolution highlights how the Center continues to drive significant economic activity and inspire future generations in Florida and the United States.

The Campus Accountability and Safety Act significantly overhauls the Clery Act by mandating more detailed, transparent crime reporting, especially concerning student-involved sex crimes. It establishes new requirements for colleges to appoint trauma-informed specialists to support survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence. Furthermore, the bill requires the Department of Education to create a public website tracking campus safety enforcement actions and enhances federal grant programs to explicitly include sexual harassment as a covered crime.

The INFANT Act of 2025 aims to improve how states procure infant formula for the WIC program by clarifying the competitive bidding process. This legislation mandates that states select the two lowest-priced manufacturers from sealed bids to serve as primary and secondary suppliers. The bill also updates terminology within WIC regulations to reflect the designation of two contract awardees.

The Federal Employees Civil Relief Act temporarily halts certain legal and administrative actions that could negatively affect the civil rights of federal employees and contractors during a government shutdown. This protection includes pausing evictions, foreclosures, lien enforcement, and providing relief for student loan and income tax obligations. The law also ensures that seeking these protections will not negatively impact an employee's credit or future financial standing.