Legislative Activity

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees across the nation. It tasks the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) with reviewing state laws to ensure they substantially provide these minimum rights, taking over administration where state laws fall short. The Act explicitly protects existing labor agreements while prohibiting strikes or lockouts that would endanger public safety services. Finally, it ensures that existing state or local laws providing equal or greater protections are not preempted by this federal minimum standard.

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 Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act of 2025 significantly updates the program that helps low-income households improve energy efficiency. This bill establishes a new fund to cover essential pre-weatherization repairs that currently block necessary upgrades. Furthermore, it substantially raises the maximum financial assistance allowed per home, increasing the general cap from $6,500 to $15,000 to better reflect current market costs. The Secretary is also granted flexibility to further adjust these limits based on economic conditions.

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 Agility in Manufacturing Preparedness Act of 2025 requires the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to integrate advanced manufacturing technologies and platforms into its strategic planning for public health threats. This legislation specifically authorizes BARDA to collaborate with the Manufacturing USA institutes to develop and test innovative production capabilities. The goal is to enhance the nation's readiness and response speed to future health emergencies through improved manufacturing agility.

The Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2025 directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a comprehensive study of the pharmaceutical supply chain, focusing heavily on the practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). This investigation will examine issues like pricing fairness, patient steering, data misuse, and formulary manipulation. The FTC must deliver a final report to Congress detailing its findings, planned enforcement actions, and legislative recommendations to increase transparency and competition in the drug market.

The Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025 aims to enhance collaboration and streamline processes between federal agencies involved in the patent system. This legislation seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of patent coordination across the government.

The Trade Review Act of 2025 establishes a mandatory 60-day congressional review period for any new or increased import duties imposed by the President. The President must notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing such duties, detailing the justification and impact. Unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval within 60 days, the new or increased duty automatically expires.

The Religious Workforce Protection Act aims to support religious workers facing long delays in obtaining lawful permanent residence. It extends nonimmigrant status for those stuck in green card backlogs, even past the normal five-year limit for R-1 visas. Furthermore, the bill modifies job flexibility rules for certain long-waiting religious workers and exempts those who left the U.S. due to the R-1 visa time limit from the usual one-year foreign residence requirement before reapplying.

The IDEA Full Funding Act mandates specific federal funding levels for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs, excluding preschool services, starting in fiscal year 2026 through 2035 and beyond. This legislation establishes a formula that requires the government to allocate the greater of a set dollar amount or a percentage of a calculated amount based on the number of students served and average per-pupil spending. The goal is to significantly increase and stabilize federal contributions to special education services over the next decade.

The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2025 aims to improve efficiency and fairness in immigration courts by significantly increasing access to legal representation for unaccompanied children. This bill mandates the government to provide counsel for these children at no cost through all stages of removal proceedings. Furthermore, it ensures noncitizens receive their case files promptly and establishes new standards for lawyer access to detention facilities and required annual reporting on legal representation outcomes.

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.

This joint resolution officially terminates the national emergency declared by the President on February 1, 2025, regarding duties on articles imported from Canada. By doing so, it ends the special powers and rules activated under that specific declaration. This action effectively cancels the emergency order.

This Senate resolution urges the United States government to officially recognize the 1994 mass killings in Rwanda specifically as "the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda." It calls for the Secretary of State to consistently use this precise terminology to align with international consensus. The resolution also ensures that the historical record acknowledges the violence committed against Hutus and the Twa community during that period.

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 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.

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.

This Act mandates the Department of Labor to establish comprehensive, enforceable standards for preventing workplace violence in healthcare and social service settings. It requires covered employers to develop and implement written prevention plans, conduct risk assessments, provide thorough training, and maintain detailed incident logs. The legislation also amends the Social Security Act to ensure facilities receiving Medicare funds comply with these new federal workplace safety requirements.

The Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 expands access to credit from Farm Credit Banks and Production Credit Associations. This legislation specifically allows these institutions to provide loans and financial services to businesses that furnish essential operating services to aquatic product producers and harvesters. The goal is to strengthen the financial support network for the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries.

The Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act prohibits knowingly distributing materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media related to a federal election campaign to influence the outcome. This ban specifically targets content that would cause a reasonable person to fundamentally misunderstand what a candidate said or did, or falsely depicts their appearance. Exceptions are made for legitimate news reporting, satire, and parody, provided clear disclaimers are included where applicable. Candidates affected by illegal distribution can seek immediate court injunctions to stop the content and sue for damages.