Legislative Activity

The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 2025 seeks to permanently safeguard vast public lands across five Western states by designating new wilderness areas, establishing critical wildlife corridors, and protecting numerous rivers as Wild and Scenic. The bill also mandates extensive ecological restoration in designated recovery zones and establishes rigorous scientific monitoring for the entire region. Furthermore, it explicitly protects existing Tribal rights and ensures that federal water claims remain unaffected by these new conservation mandates.

The **SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2025** seeks to reauthorize and update the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). This legislation expands the program's focus to include cancer prevention and aims to reduce health disparities in screening access. The bill authorizes $235 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and mandates a GAO study on program eligibility and service trends.

The Food Secure Strikers Act of 2025 aims to clarify and simplify eligibility rules for striking workers seeking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This legislation removes outdated restrictions and clarifies the precise conditions under which participation in a labor strike affects a worker's SNAP eligibility. The goal is to streamline the existing law regarding striker access to food assistance.

The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2025 establishes a dedicated Office of Children's Health Protection within the EPA to specifically address environmental and safety hazards disproportionately affecting children. This Act also mandates the continuation of a permanent Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee to advise the EPA Administrator on related programs and rules. The goal is to ensure federal actions actively protect infants, children, and adolescents from environmental dangers.

The Fair Access In Residency (FAIR) Act of 2025 aims to ensure equitable treatment of osteopathic (D.O.) and allopathic (M.D.) medical school graduates in residency applications. It requires hospitals receiving Medicare funds to report detailed data on D.O. and M.D. applicants and acceptances for each residency program. Hospitals failing to submit this required data will face a 2% reduction in their Medicare payments. This collected data will also be made publicly available to promote transparency in the residency recruitment process.

The Paycheck Fairness Act significantly strengthens federal equal pay protections by broadening definitions of sex discrimination, tightening employer defenses against pay disparities, and increasing penalties for violations. It also prohibits employers from using salary history in hiring decisions and mandates new data collection by the EEOC to better enforce anti-discrimination laws. Furthermore, the bill establishes new training and outreach programs to combat systemic wage bias.

This bill, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney Retention and Backlog Reduction Act, aims to improve attorney retention at the Board of Veterans' Appeals. It specifically allows non-supervisory attorneys at the Board to be promoted up to the GS-15 pay grade. This change is intended to enhance career opportunities for these essential legal professionals.

This bill officially ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment, declaring it a valid part of the U.S. Constitution. It specifically removes any previously imposed deadlines for state ratification. If three-fourths of the states have approved the amendment, this law confirms its official status regardless of past time constraints.

The Puppy Protection Act of 2025 significantly increases humane treatment standards for dog dealers under the Animal Welfare Act. This legislation mandates specific minimum space requirements, daily exercise access, and mandatory socialization for housed dogs. Furthermore, it establishes strict limits on female dog breeding frequency and age, alongside enhanced veterinary care protocols.

This bill affirms the House of Representatives' belief that every person has the right to emergency health care, including abortion care. It argues that abortion restrictions endanger lives, force doctors to make impossible choices, and disproportionately harm people of color, low-income individuals, and LGBTQI individuals. The bill emphasizes that delays in emergency care due to abortion bans can lead to life-threatening situations and that everyone, including pregnant individuals, should have access to necessary medical care without discrimination.

The Service-Connected Suicide Compensation Act ensures that survivors of veterans who died by suicide receive dependency and indemnity compensation. This benefit is automatically provided if the veteran had a service-connected mental disorder. The Act establishes a direct link between service-connected mental health issues and eligibility for survivor benefits following a veteran's suicide.

The Feed Hungry Veterans Act of 2025 expands eligibility for certain food assistance benefits for veterans. It updates the criteria for veterans based on service-connected disability ratings and adds specific categories of disabled or pensioned veterans who will now qualify. These changes are scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2030.

The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act aims to prevent private health insurance plans from discriminating against patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). This legislation clarifies that plans cannot offer worse benefits or unfairly limit coverage for dialysis treatments compared to other medical services. Furthermore, it stops these plans from shifting the primary financial responsibility for ESRD care onto Medicare. The bill maintains existing rules ensuring fair treatment while preserving a health plan's ability to select its network of dialysis providers.

The Tar Sands Tax Loophole Elimination Act clarifies that materials like those found in tar sands are explicitly included in the definition of "crude oil" for federal excise tax purposes. This ensures these substances are subject to the same taxes as traditional crude oil. The bill also grants the Treasury Secretary authority to classify other fuel products as crude oil if they pose a significant environmental hazard when transported commercially.

The Postal Police Reform Act of 2025 officially designates Postal Service police officers as federal law enforcement agents under Title 18 of the U.S. Code. This legislation grants the Postmaster General the authority to establish and enforce rules for protecting Postal Service property. Violations of these new rules may result in federal fines or imprisonment up to 30 days.

The Expanding Medical Education Act establishes new federal grants to help medical and osteopathic schools establish, upgrade, or expand programs, prioritizing those in medically underserved areas. These funds are intended to support the recruitment and training of diverse students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and develop curricula focused on culturally competent care. The Secretary of HHS must report regularly to Congress on the impact of these grants on the healthcare workforce in underserved communities.

The Radiation Oncology Case Rate Value Based Program Act of 2025 establishes a new Medicare payment system that pays providers a single, set rate for an entire episode of radiation therapy care, rather than paying for individual services. This program aims to incentivize high-quality, efficient care while achieving cost savings for Medicare. It also includes specific provisions to support patient access, such as a health equity bonus for addressing transportation insecurity. Finally, the bill exempts the savings generated by this new payment structure from standard Medicare budget neutrality adjustments.

The Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act aims to support family caregivers as they transition out of their roles. This bill extends medical care coverage for 180 days post-designation and mandates job assistance, including fee reimbursement and access to training resources. Furthermore, it requires the VA to study the feasibility of establishing retirement savings options and creating "returnship" programs for former caregivers.

This bill expresses support for designating March 14, 2025, as "National Pi Day" to recognize the importance of Pi and promote mathematics and science education in the United States. It encourages schools and educators to celebrate the day with engaging activities. The bill also acknowledges the importance of the National Science Foundation's math and science education programs.

The Protect Postal Performance Act establishes stricter public review periods and new protections before the Postal Service can close or consolidate local post offices. It also imposes significant limitations on the USPS's ability to change mail processing centers and transportation schedules. These changes require advisory opinions from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and prohibit facility closures in areas with poor recent on-time delivery performance.