Legislative Activity

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as National Small Business Week. It aims to celebrate the vital contributions of the over 34.5 million small businesses that support tens of millions of jobs nationwide. The bill honors the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners in every community.

The Immigration Parole Reform Act of 2025 significantly overhauls the use of immigration parole, requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant it only on a strict case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. The bill narrowly defines these reasons and restricts parole from being used as a pathway to adjust status for most recipients. Furthermore, it establishes specific parole provisions for certain military family members and Cuban nationals, while also creating a mechanism for legal challenges against improper implementation.

The Stand with Israel Act prohibits the U.S. government from contributing funds to any United Nations entity that takes action to expel, suspend, or otherwise restrict Israel's full and equal participation. This measure ensures U.S. financial support is withheld from UN bodies that discriminate against Israel.

This resolution officially designates April 2025 as "Financial Literacy Month" to raise national awareness about the critical need for personal finance education. It highlights current financial struggles, such as high household debt and lack of banking access, while emphasizing that financial education leads to better economic outcomes. The resolution encourages federal, state, and local entities to observe the month with programs promoting essential skills like budgeting, saving, and debt management.

The Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act of 2025 amends federal law to classify the distribution of fentanyl that results in death as first-degree murder. This severe charge applies when an individual distributes at least two grams of a fentanyl mixture (or half a gram of an analogue) and that distribution is the cause of death. Convictions under this provision carry a penalty of either the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.

The Safe American Food Exports (SAFE) Act of 2025 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to negotiate specific trade agreements with foreign markets during domestic animal disease outbreaks. These agreements aim to maintain U.S. livestock and animal product exports by establishing measures like regionalization or zoning. This ensures trade continuity by using the latest scientific standards when negotiating with importing countries.

The Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act of 2025 ensures that if group or individual health insurance plans cover diagnostic or supplemental breast examinations, they cannot impose any cost-sharing requirements like deductibles or copayments for those services. This means patients will receive these specific, necessary breast health tests at no out-of-pocket cost. The provisions apply to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act aims to increase housing assistance eligibility for disabled veterans by excluding specific VA disability benefits from income calculations for certain housing programs. This ensures that compensation received for service-connected disabilities does not prevent veterans from qualifying for supportive housing assistance. However, these excluded benefits will still be considered when calculating the final adjusted rent amount.

The LOCAL Infrastructure Act reinstates the availability of advance refunding bonds, effectively undoing a change made by the 2017 tax law. This action immediately restores the previous rules regarding these bonds. By bringing back advance refunding, the bill aims to provide greater financial flexibility for infrastructure projects.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act aims to combat sophisticated criminal gangs engaged in large-scale retail and supply chain theft. This bill strengthens federal law by updating money laundering and stolen property statutes, including establishing a $5,000 aggregate value threshold for certain offenses. Crucially, it mandates the creation of a specialized federal Coordination Center within Homeland Security to unify efforts across all levels of law enforcement and private industry against these transnational criminal organizations.

The American Infrastructure Bonds Act of 2025 establishes a new federal tax credit for issuers of qualifying municipal bonds used for infrastructure projects. This credit reimburses the issuer for 28% of the interest paid on the bond. While the interest remains tax-exempt for the bondholder, it must be treated as taxable income for the issuer for federal purposes.

The Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2025 amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to allow credit reporting agencies to include positive payment histories for rent and utility bills. This change aims to help more consumers build a stronger credit history by recognizing on-time payments for essential services. The bill also provides specific protections for consumers with utility payment plans and mandates a government review of the impact of these new reporting standards.

The FIGHT Act of 2025 significantly strengthens federal prohibitions against animal fighting ventures, particularly those involving roosters, by expanding illegal activities to include attendance by minors and gambling. This bill enhances enforcement by tightening restrictions on interstate transport and advertising, while also empowering private citizens to file lawsuits to enjoin violations. Furthermore, the Act allows for the seizure of real property used to facilitate these illegal fighting activities.

This resolution formally honors the life and extensive public service of the late Honorable John Bennett Johnston, Jr., former U.S. Senator for Louisiana. It details his career, highlighting his significant tenure on key Senate committees, particularly his leadership on energy policy. The resolution recognizes his legislative achievements benefiting Louisiana, including flood control and conservation efforts. Finally, the Senate adjourns immediately in his memory as a final tribute to his service.

The Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 updates federal regulations to allow for the control of destructive double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities. This update expands the scope of the existing depredation order to include lake and pond managers in twelve additional states. The Secretary of the Interior must reissue these updated rules within one year of the Act's passage.

The Youth Mental Health Research Act establishes a new, collaborative initiative led by the NIH and NIMH to significantly boost research on youth mental health. This effort will focus on understanding social and behavioral factors that build resilience and improving the delivery of mental health treatments in community settings. Congress has authorized $100 million annually for this research through fiscal year 2030.

The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 aims to significantly expand access to telehealth services under Medicare by permanently removing outdated geographic restrictions and broadening provider eligibility. The bill also enhances program integrity by dedicating new funding to oversight and establishing educational outreach for providers with unusual billing patterns. Finally, it mandates new resources, training, and public data reporting to ensure the quality and accessibility of virtual care for all beneficiaries.

The Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act (ABC Act) mandates a comprehensive review of Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security programs to significantly simplify application processes, forms, and communications. This effort aims to reduce the burden on family caregivers by eliminating redundant information requests across agencies. The responsible officials must report their simplification plans and progress to Congress within two years of enactment.

This resolution officially designates March 27, 2025, as "National Women in Agriculture Day." It recognizes the vital and substantial contributions of the over 1.2 million female agricultural producers to the U.S. economy and global food supply. The measure encourages citizens to acknowledge the leadership, mentorship, and economic impact women have across the entire agricultural sector.

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 mandates sweeping economic penalties against the Russian Federation and its affiliates for actions against Ukraine. This legislation requires the President and Treasury Secretary to impose escalating sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions, and energy sector entities. Furthermore, the Act prohibits U.S. persons from investing in Russian debt, bans the trading of Russian securities on U.S. exchanges, and imposes a massive 500% import duty on Russian goods. Sanctions can only be terminated if Russia agrees to a verifiable peace deal with Ukraine.