Legislative Activity

The Journalist Protection Act establishes new federal crimes for intentionally assaulting journalists engaged in newsgathering activities. This legislation defines who qualifies as a journalist and sets specific penalties based on the severity of the injury inflicted. The law aims to protect reporters by penalizing those who attack them to stop or intimidate them from reporting.

This resolution officially commends and congratulates the University of Connecticut women's basketball team for winning the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship. The bill recognizes the team's historic twelfth title, which sets a new record for any NCAA Division I program. It also specifically honors the achievements of the coaches and standout players from the championship run. Finally, the Senate directs that official copies of this recognition be sent to the University President and the coaching staff.

The Veterans’ Transition to Trucking Act of 2025 authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to directly approve multi-state apprenticeship programs for veterans seeking to use their educational benefits in the trucking industry. This streamlines the approval process for interstate commerce carrier programs. Essentially, the VA can now act as the approving agency for these specific, multi-state training opportunities.

The Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by clarifying definitions and expanding inspection powers. It grants the Attorney General direct authority to sue violators, seek injunctions, and impose substantial daily civil penalties. Furthermore, the bill allows for the seizure of animals involved in violations and mandates that collected penalty funds be used to reimburse temporary animal care costs.

The Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act aims to strengthen federal meal programs for child care centers by clarifying eligibility rules and mandating annual reviews for certain providers. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review and update procedures for handling serious deficiencies, ensuring fairness and distinguishing between minor errors and systemic failures. Furthermore, the bill limits reimbursement caps for extra meals, changes the inflation metric used for funding adjustments, and establishes an advisory committee to significantly reduce administrative paperwork.

This resolution supports the goals of National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, highlighting the disproportionate impact of HIV on young people, particularly minority youth. It urges federal, state, and local entities to promote education, access to youth-friendly prevention and treatment services like PrEP, and the elimination of discriminatory laws. Ultimately, the bill advocates for comprehensive support systems and funding to reduce stigma and improve health outcomes for youth living with or at risk for HIV.

The Sovereign Wealth Fund Transparency Act aims to strengthen enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by closing loopholes for agents promoting foreign government interests. It grants the Attorney General temporary authority to issue Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to gather evidence related to potential FARA violations. Furthermore, the bill establishes significant new civil monetary penalties for failing to register, filing incomplete information, or knowingly ignoring deficiency notices under FARA.

The Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2025 increases federal support for meals served through the Child and Adult Care Food Program. This legislation mandates an immediate 10-cent increase for every meal or snack reimbursed under the program. The bill also simplifies the existing reimbursement calculation structure for sponsoring organizations supporting day care homes.

The Bolstering Research And Innovation Now (BRAIN) Act aims to significantly advance the fight against devastating brain tumors, which currently have low survival rates. This legislation focuses on boosting research by establishing new networks for glioblastoma treatment and supporting cellular immunotherapy studies. Furthermore, the Act mandates a national awareness campaign about clinical trials and biomarker testing, while also funding pilot programs to improve long-term care for survivors. Finally, it directs the FDA to issue guidance ensuring brain tumor patients have fair access to relevant clinical trials.

The Save Our Small Farms Act of 2025 modernizes the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) to better support small, diverse, and transitioning farms. It streamlines application processes and creates a voluntary "on-ramp" with significant premium discounts to help producers transition to Whole Farm Revenue Insurance. The bill also raises assistance payment limits and adjusts loss reporting rules to better accommodate specialty and hand-harvested crops.

The Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025 establishes clear pathways for federal employees, applicants, and contractors to seek redress when their rights are violated. Covered individuals can pursue administrative remedies through existing personnel practice procedures or escalate their case directly to federal court after a delay or final adverse decision. If successful in court, whistleblowers are eligible for significant relief, including double back pay, compensatory damages, and attorney fees.

The SAFE Bet Act establishes minimum federal standards for state-regulated sports betting, focusing on consumer protection, data integrity, and preventing criminal involvement. It requires states to gain federal approval for their regulatory programs and mandates strict rules on wagers, advertising, and affordability checks. Furthermore, the bill creates national mechanisms for addressing public health concerns, including a national self-exclusion list and mandated data collection on gambling-related harm. Finally, it clarifies the legal jurisdiction for digital bets and requires licensed operators to help combat illegal offshore gambling sites.

The Putting Veterans First Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to support military-affiliated federal employees by reversing past unfair employment actions and establishing new procedural safeguards against future disciplinary actions. It also imposes significant limitations, increased transparency, and accountability measures across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding personnel actions, office closures, and contracting. Furthermore, the Act strengthens protections, mental health support, and employment assistance for civil servants while mandating extensive public reporting on VA operations and staffing.

The Major Richard Star Act allows veterans with combat-related disabilities to receive both veteran's disability compensation and military retired pay concurrently, without reduction. This act amends Title 10 of the United States Code to ensure that disability retirees with combat-related disabilities are not subject to reductions in retired pay due to receiving veteran's disability compensation. These changes will take effect the first day of the month following the enactment of the Act.

This resolution recognizes and celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps on November 10, 2025. It honors the Marine Corps' history, values, and contributions to the nation, while also encouraging Americans to participate in commemorative events and recognize the service of Marines.

The Extreme Risk Protection Order Expansion Act of 2025 establishes a federal grant program to help states and tribes implement laws allowing for Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), which temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. The bill mandates specific due process protections for individuals subject to these orders and ensures that any issued ERPO is recognized and enforced across all states and tribes. Furthermore, it updates federal law to prohibit firearm possession by anyone subject to a qualifying court order and requires that these orders be entered into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

This resolution expresses gratitude for the U.S.'s support of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. It emphasizes the importance of continued U.S. leadership in defending democracy and maintaining relationships with allies, particularly for Ukraine's security and stability. The resolution also welcomes peace negotiations and stresses developing the strategic partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine.

The Public Health Funding Restoration Act aims to restore funding to the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which supports various public health programs. By amending the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the bill allocates $2,000,000,000 annually, starting in fiscal year 2026, to bolster initiatives focused on disease prevention, mental health, and immunization efforts. This restoration seeks to enhance public health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and improve the nation's ability to prevent and respond to future health crises.

Ethan's Law aims to reduce gun violence by promoting responsible firearm storage. It establishes a federal requirement for gun owners to securely store firearms, especially in homes with minors or individuals prohibited from owning firearms, with penalties for improper storage. The law also creates a grant program to assist states and Indian Tribes in implementing similar safe storage laws. Additionally, it expresses the sense of Congress that failing to securely store a firearm constitutes negligence and can establish legal causation for harm resulting from its discharge.

The "Caring for Survivors Act of 2025" increases dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses of veterans. It also modifies the requirements for survivors of veterans who were totally disabled at the time of death, reducing the required period of continuous disability rating before death from 10 to 5 years, and introduces proportional compensation for ratings less than 10 years.