Legislative Activity

The Cool Corridors Act of 2025 aims to combat extreme heat and improve transportation safety by funding the installation of green infrastructure, like trees, along walking, biking, and transit routes. This legislation reauthorizes and updates the Healthy Streets program to prioritize these cooling projects in the most vulnerable and underserved communities. The Act defines "cool corridors" and establishes clear criteria for demonstration projects focused on heat mitigation and long-term maintenance.

The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2025 aims to significantly increase federal research, public education, and provider awareness regarding uterine fibroids. The bill mandates expanded research coordination across federal agencies and authorizes funding to study the condition, which disproportionately affects minority women. It also requires the creation of public awareness campaigns detailing non-hysterectomy treatment options and mandates data collection on Medicaid/CHIP spending for fibroid treatments.

The White Oak Resilience Act establishes a multi-agency effort to restore and conserve white oak populations across the United States. It creates the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition to coordinate federal, state, and private restoration efforts and recommend policy changes. The bill also mandates pilot projects by the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior, alongside a national plan to address tree nursery shortages and boost white oak research.

The YALI Act of 2025 formally establishes and expands the Young African Leaders Initiative to invest in emerging African leaders across sub-Saharan Africa. This legislation mandates the creation of professional development, training, and networking opportunities focused on business, civic engagement, and public administration. The bill specifically supports the Mandela Washington Fellowship and requires the establishment of regional leadership centers and online networks to foster ongoing engagement and U.S.-Africa ties.

This resolution formally recognizes the significant and persistent wage disparity faced by Black women in the United States. It highlights that despite existing equal pay laws, Black women earn substantially less than their male counterparts, leading to massive lifetime earnings losses. Congress uses this measure to emphasize the urgent need to address both racial and gender discrimination to achieve true pay equity.

The Head Start for Our Future Act updates the Higher Education Act of 1965 by replacing the term "literacy training" with "child development and early learning" when describing eligible community services. This change explicitly ensures that Head Start and Early Head Start programs are recognized under this section of the law. The bill aims to better reflect the comprehensive nature of early childhood education services.

The Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2025 aims to reform the management of wild horses and burros on federal lands by phasing out the use of helicopters in roundups over two years. This legislation mandates increased transparency through camera requirements on any remaining aircraft used during this transition. Furthermore, it directs the GAO to report on humane, non-aircraft population management alternatives and their economic impacts.

The GLOBE Act of 2025 establishes a comprehensive U.S. strategy to champion and protect the human rights of LGBTQI people globally through diplomacy, targeted sanctions, and foreign assistance reforms. The bill mandates enhanced reporting on violence and discrimination while creating new interagency roles and funds to support international advocacy and development efforts. Furthermore, it reforms immigration law to better protect LGBTQI asylum seekers and ensures inclusive implementation of U.S. global health programs like PEPFAR.

This bill, the Prohibition of Medicaid Funding for Conversion Therapy Act, prohibits Medicaid plans from using federal funds to pay for conversion therapy services. Conversion therapy is defined as any paid practice aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. This legislation ensures that taxpayer dollars do not support efforts to alter a person's core identity.

This resolution serves as a formal tribute honoring the life, achievements, and enduring legacy of Frederick W. Smith, the visionary founder of FedEx. It officially recognizes his pioneering role in revolutionizing the global logistics industry and his deep commitment to the Memphis community. The bill does not enact any new laws but instead places his biography and contributions into the official Congressional record.

The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2025 aims to combat the growing obesity epidemic, particularly among older adults, by expanding access to intensive behavioral therapy under Medicare. This bill mandates that Medicare Part D plans begin covering FDA-approved medications for obesity and weight management in individuals with related health conditions. Finally, it requires the Secretary of HHS to report regularly to Congress on the implementation and coordination of these new obesity treatment strategies.

This bill significantly strengthens the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 by explicitly blocking time-based and procedural defenses that have previously prevented claims for Nazi-looted art from being heard on their merits. The changes ensure that courts must now focus on whether the art was actually stolen, regardless of when the claim is brought or the citizenship of the original owner. These improvements apply immediately to both pending and future lawsuits seeking the return of art expropriated during the Nazi era.

The Saving Hazardous And Declining Environments (SHADE) Act establishes a new, federally funded grant program to support tree planting initiatives. Administered by HUD and the Forest Service, this program prioritizes projects in historically redlined or urban heat island areas. Applicants must submit detailed 5-year plans that include community involvement and strategies to prevent resident displacement. The program is authorized to receive $50 million annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2036.

The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 significantly expands and permanently secures access to Medicare telehealth services by eliminating outdated geographic restrictions and allowing more practitioners to offer remote care. The bill also strengthens program integrity by dedicating funds for telehealth oversight while clarifying rules around providing necessary technology to patients. Finally, it mandates the creation of tailored educational resources and public reporting to improve quality measurement and transparency in remote care delivery.

Canyon's Law prohibits the use of M44 cyanide predator control devices on all public lands across the United States. This action is taken due to documented incidents where these highly toxic devices have harmed people, pets, and non-target wildlife. Any M44 devices currently deployed on public land must be removed within 30 days of this Act's enactment.

The No Secret Police Act of 2025 mandates that federal officers engaged in border security or immigration enforcement must clearly display identification, wear visible badges or uniforms, and refrain from wearing face coverings during detentions or arrests. This ensures accountability by requiring clear identification from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel. The bill also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to report on current tactical gear policies and research methods to improve officer visibility.

The Advancing Maternal Health Equity Under Medicaid Act aims to increase federal funding for states that expand Medicaid coverage for maternal health services. This bill provides a higher Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to cover 90% of a state's increased expenditures on qualifying prenatal, postpartum, and related support services. To qualify, states must use these funds to supplement existing spending and improve the quality and capacity of care delivered by designated maternity providers and perinatal health workers.

The Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025 makes technical corrections to the 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act to clarify standards for proving harm and venue for trials. This legislation sets specific caps on attorney fees and retroactively applies these changes to all existing and future claims filed under the original 2022 Act. The bill ensures that existing statutes of limitations for filing claims remain unchanged.

The Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act prohibits the possession or use of body-gripping traps, such as steel-jaw traps and snares, on lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System. This ban includes exceptions for federal agencies managing specific species, tribal subsistence use, and lands in Alaska. Violators face civil fines up to $500 per trap or use, potential jail time, and forfeiture of illegal traps and wildlife.

The Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act prohibits states from interfering with or retaliating against individuals who provide or receive abortion services that are legal in the state where the service occurs. This protection extends to interstate travel for legal abortion care and the movement of FDA-approved abortion-related drugs across state lines. Individuals harmed by violations can sue in federal court for damages and legal fees.