Legislative Activity

The Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to regularly publish evidence-based physical activity recommendations for the public. These reports must include specific guidance for various population subgroups and be updated at least every ten years. The legislation ensures federal health programs consider these national guidelines while protecting existing research authority and preventing the establishment of binding federal fitness standards.

The Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act establishes grant programs to build pipelines that train and place more mental health providers in low-income schools. It also creates a student loan repayment program for providers who commit to working in these underserved districts for five years. The bill aims to improve student support ratios by increasing the number of school counselors, psychologists, and social workers in high-need areas. Finally, it mandates a study to develop future criteria for identifying areas with mental health provider shortages.

The Newborns Essentials Support Toolkit (NEST) Act establishes a program to purchase and distribute essential supply kits to mothers recovering from childbirth and their newborn infants. These kits will contain necessary supplies, educational materials on maternal health resources, and information on federal support programs. The legislation reserves federal funds from 2026 through 2030 to award grants to nonprofit entities for the nationwide distribution of these kits, prioritizing areas of greatest need.

The LAB Personnel Act of 2025 aims to stabilize the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) laboratory workforce by prohibiting workforce reductions or hiring freezes within their forensic and related positions. This measure ensures continuity in critical laboratory functions, such as forensic chemistry and digital examination. However, the Act preserves the Attorney General's authority to manage personnel based on misconduct or performance issues.

The Agricultural Cooperative Energy Savings Act of 2025 expands eligibility for certain USDA programs by including agricultural cooperatives with fewer than 2,500 employees. This amendment modifies the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to broaden access to these federal resources for a wider range of agricultural cooperatives.

This resolution expresses strong Congressional support for the Republic of Kazakhstan's accession to the Abraham Accords, marking it as the first Central Asian nation to join. The bill highlights the strategic and economic benefits for participating nations, including investment, technology, and tourism. It encourages both Israel and Kazakhstan to deepen their bilateral ties and urges other nations to normalize relations with Israel. Ultimately, this measure supports the expansion of the Accords to promote regional peace and prosperity.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress recognizing the strategic value of the long-standing partnership between the United States and India, founded on shared democratic values and mutual interests. It highlights the deep cooperation across defense, technology, counterterrorism, and economic ties. The bill encourages the expansion of this relationship to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.

This bill mandates an annual increase in compensation rates for veterans with service-connected disabilities and for the survivors of certain disabled veterans. Effective December 1st each year, these rates will automatically rise by the same percentage as the Social Security Act benefit increase. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to publish these adjusted compensation and dependency/indemnity rates annually.

The Headstones for Honor Act expands VA eligibility for official headstones, markers, or medallions to include graves of certain enslaved individuals who accompanied service members and those who performed military functions despite being legally barred from service due to discrimination. This legislation ensures recognition for these historically overlooked contributors to military efforts. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to establish regulations for implementation within one year of enactment.

This bill temporarily extends and modifies the enhanced premium tax credit for health insurance through 2027. It also introduces significant changes to Medicare Advantage risk adjustment by requiring the use of two years of diagnostic data starting in 2026. Finally, the legislation aims to reduce fraudulent enrollment in health plans by increasing civil and criminal penalties for agents and brokers and establishing new consumer protection and oversight processes.

The Justice Involved Veterans Support Act aims to better identify and support veterans within the criminal justice system. It establishes a pilot program managed by the Attorney General and the VA to provide grants to state prisons and local jails for improving veteran documentation. This effort is intended to connect incarcerated veterans with necessary benefits and increase referrals to veterans treatment courts.

The USS Frank E. Evans Act mandates the Secretary of Defense to add the names of the 74 crew members lost when the USS Frank E. Evans sank on June 3, 1969, to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. This action must be completed within one year of the Act becoming law. The Secretary is required to consult with relevant authorities regarding space on the Memorial Wall for these additions.

The Save Our Ships Act establishes the Historic Naval Ship Preservation Grant Program within the Department of the Interior. This program will provide competitive grants to support the physical preservation of historic military vessels for public education. The grants can also fund workforce development programs related to maritime careers. The legislation authorizes $5 million annually for the program starting in fiscal year 2026.

The Territorial De Minimis Exemption Act establishes an $800 duty-free import limit for articles originating from covered U.S. territories, including the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. It also expands the existing bona fide gift exemption to include the Northern Mariana Islands. Furthermore, the bill requires the President to consult with relevant Secretaries to avoid negatively impacting territory commerce when making broad trade policy changes.

The Total Force Family Education Act expands eligibility for Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools to dependents of certain reserve component members. This provision applies when the service member is on active duty orders for an accompanied permanent change of station. Eligible dependents will be automatically enrolled if space is available at the school located at the member's permanent installation.

This resolution expresses support for National Adoption Day and Month by promoting national awareness of adoption and the children awaiting permanent families. It highlights the significant number of children in foster care waiting for adoption and encourages all Americans to consider providing a safe, permanent, and well-being-focused home for these children. The resolution supports various avenues for achieving permanency, including reunification, kinship care, and adoption.

The Safer Supervision Act of 2025 aims to reform federal supervised release by requiring individualized assessments for imposing supervision and establishing a presumption for early termination when defendants meet certain compliance and public safety criteria. The bill also addresses workload concerns by mandating a proposal for law enforcement availability pay for probation officers and allowing prisoners without imposed supervision to apply earned time credits for early release. Finally, it directs the GAO to study the federal supervision and reentry system.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating October 2025 as "Crime Prevention Month." It recognizes the high costs of crime and commends the efforts of law enforcement, community organizers, and others working to prevent it. The bill encourages federal, state, and local entities to invest in evidence-based prevention strategies and calls upon all citizens to participate in related public safety activities.

This resolution officially supports the designation of October 26, 2025, as the "Day of the Deployed." It recognizes the profound service and sacrifice of military members deployed overseas since September 11, 2001, and acknowledges the support of their families. Congress encourages the nation to observe this day to show appreciation for those currently serving and those who have served.

This bill mandates the Secretary of State to designate the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism if Russia fails to ensure the safe return and reintegration of Ukrainian children abducted since the 2022 invasion. The designation triggers existing sanctions unless the Secretary can certify that all forcibly deported children are safely reunited with their families. Removal of this designation requires Russia to cease terrorism support and meet strict criteria regarding the return of all displaced children.