Legislative Activity

The Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill focused on improving pediatric drug development, FDA oversight, and healthcare infrastructure. It revises requirements for pediatric cancer drug research, extends incentives for developing rare pediatric disease treatments, and enhances transparency in generic drug applications. Additionally, the Act establishes an FDA office to coordinate with Abraham Accords countries and makes technical adjustments to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

The "AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025" requires the Department of Transportation to mandate that all new vehicles include AM radio receivers as standard equipment, ensuring continued access to AM broadcasts for drivers. The Act directs the Comptroller General to study the role of AM radio in emergency alerts and allows manufacturers producing fewer than 40,000 vehicles in 2022 at least four years to comply. The rule will sunset 10 years after the enactment of this Act.

The FAMILY Act establishes a national Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This program provides monthly benefits to eligible individuals who take time off for qualified caregiving reasons, including serious health conditions or victims of violence. The Act also sets forth detailed eligibility requirements, benefit calculation formulas, and job protection guarantees for employees utilizing the leave. Finally, it creates a funding mechanism to support existing state-level paid leave programs that meet federal standards.

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

This resolution formally honors the victims of Hurricane Helene one year after the storm devastated western North Carolina. It expresses deep condolences to the affected communities and recognizes the heroic efforts of first responders and volunteers. Furthermore, the resolution affirms Congress's commitment to supporting ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts in the region.

The Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2025 establishes a new pilot loan program to address the unique upfront capital needs of new farmers and ranchers. This program offers specialized development loans, up to $100,000, with flexible repayment terms (3-10 years) for long-term business investments. Borrowers must also receive mandatory training in farm and ranch management.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to increase police accountability and transparency nationwide through federal mandates and funding incentives. It reforms standards for prosecuting civil rights violations, eliminates qualified immunity, and establishes national registries for police misconduct and use-of-force data. Furthermore, the Act bans specific dangerous police tactics like chokeholds and restricts the transfer of military equipment to local departments.

This bill, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, posthumously awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the pioneering civil rights attorney and federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. The legislation recognizes her historic achievements, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education* and her service as the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike the medal, and provisions are made for selling bronze duplicates to cover production costs.

This resolution expresses strong support for making testing for Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) a standard part of routine prenatal screening. APS is an autoimmune condition that can cause serious pregnancy complications like blood clots and recurrent pregnancy loss. The bill urges medical organizations to update their guidelines to include this simple, treatable condition in standard prenatal care.

The Empowering Striking Workers Act of 2025 establishes a pathway for workers involved in a strike or lockout to receive unemployment insurance benefits after a mandatory 14-day waiting period. This legislation also exempts striking workers from the standard requirement to actively search for new employment while they are unable to work due to the labor dispute.

The Tipped Worker Protection Act aims to eliminate the lower minimum wage for tipped employees by phasing out the tip credit system, ensuring all workers eventually receive the standard federal minimum wage. The bill also establishes strict new rules regarding tip pooling, mandates employee voting to create or change pooling systems, and prohibits employers from keeping any portion of employee tips. Furthermore, it clarifies what constitutes a tip, including certain mandatory service charges, and updates penalties for illegal tip retention.

The Middle Mile for Rural America Act updates the timeline for expanding essential middle mile internet infrastructure into rural areas. This legislation shifts the designated period for these expansion projects under the Rural Electrification Act from 2018–2023 to the new timeframe of 2026 through 2031. This change ensures continued focus and potential funding for critical rural broadband development in the coming years.

This resolution terminates the President's August 11, 2025, declaration of a crime emergency in the District of Columbia. Congress asserts that the President lacks the legal authority under the D.C. Home Rule Act to take operational control of the Metropolitan Police Department. Furthermore, the bill notes that local violent crime rates have been declining significantly.

This resolution officially designates the week of August 3 through August 9, 2025, as "National Farmers Market Week." It recognizes the vital role farmers markets play in supporting local economies, increasing access to healthy food, and connecting communities. The designation aims to shine a spotlight on the significant contributions these markets make nationwide.

The Expanding the VOTE Act updates language assistance requirements under the Voting Rights Act by modernizing the definition of "voting materials" to include digital information. It also establishes new state responsibilities for providing language assistance and creates a grant program to incentivize voluntary language support beyond current mandates. Furthermore, the bill includes special provisions for unwritten American Indian and Alaska Native languages and mandates a study on lowering thresholds for language assistance coverage.

The EATS Act of 2025 significantly updates eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by removing previous restrictions that often disqualified students. This legislation explicitly includes bona fide students enrolled at least half-time in recognized educational programs as eligible participants for food assistance. These changes take effect on January 2, 2026.

The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act establishes a new program to support local food producers and strengthen regional food security. This initiative requires the Secretary of Agriculture to fund agreements that ensure nutritious, locally sourced food is purchased and distributed widely, prioritizing small and beginning farmers. Funds must be used to buy minimally processed local products and provide technical assistance to producers. The program is backed by mandatory funding starting in Fiscal Year 2026.

The Protected Time Off Act establishes a federal minimum standard for earned paid annual leave, requiring employers to grant employees at least one hour of paid time off for every 25 hours worked, up to 80 hours annually. This law specifies how leave is accrued, used, and rolled over, while protecting employees from retaliation for exercising these rights. It also ensures that existing state laws or agreements that provide more generous leave benefits remain in effect. Enforcement mechanisms are established, largely mirroring those under the Fair Labor Standards Act, allowing both government investigation and direct employee lawsuits.

This Act, the World War II Women's Memorial Location Act, designates specific areas where a commemorative work honoring women who served on the home front during World War II can be located. It temporarily waives standard federal regulations governing monument placement in Washington D.C. to allow the memorial to be built in either Area I or The Reserve.

The EACH Act of 2025 aims to ensure equal access to abortion coverage by requiring all federally funded health programs and facilities to cover abortion services. This legislation prohibits federal interference with state or private insurance coverage of abortion and repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate financial and insurance barriers to abortion care, particularly for low-income individuals relying on programs like Medicaid.