Legislative Activity

The End Diaper Need Act of 2025 aims to combat diaper insecurity by significantly increasing federal funding through the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program to support low-income families, medically complex children, and adults needing incontinence supplies. Additionally, the bill expands tax-advantaged healthcare accounts, such as HSAs and FSAs, to explicitly cover the cost of medically necessary diapers and related supplies. This legislation mandates states to partner with local organizations to distribute these essential items and requires program evaluations to track impact.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to modernize and increase transparency in the prior authorization process for Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and requires plans to publicly report detailed data on their approval, denial, and appeal rates. Furthermore, it establishes new standards to protect enrollees and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timelines for care requests.

The No Tax on Tips Act creates a new federal income tax deduction for qualified tips received by workers, capped at \$25,000 annually. This deduction can be claimed regardless of whether the taxpayer itemizes or takes the standard deduction. Additionally, the bill expands an existing tax credit for employers to include beauty service establishments that pay Social Security taxes on employee tips. These provisions are set to take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

This resolution congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of public charter schools for their ongoing contributions to American education. It highlights the growth, academic achievements, and parental choice offered by these tuition-free public schools. The measure officially recognizes and supports the goals of the 26th Annual National Charter Schools Week, scheduled for May 11–17, 2025.

The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025 establishes a presumption that certain cancers leading to death or disability in public safety officers were caused by on-duty exposure to recognized carcinogens. This law defines specific exposure-related cancers and sets conditions, such as five years of service, for the presumption to apply. It also updates review processes for adding new cancers to the list and grants retroactive application and filing extensions for eligible past and present claims.

The LOCOMOTIVES Act clarifies federal authority under the Clean Air Act regarding emissions standards for certain existing locomotives and engines used in construction or farm equipment. This legislation ensures that federal standards, rather than varying state standards, apply to these specific engines, particularly those under 175 horsepower and locomotives engaged in commerce. Essentially, it centralizes regulatory power over these emissions sources at the federal level.

The Protecting Minors in Federal Health Plans Act amends the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program to prohibit coverage for gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 18. This restriction defines gender-affirming care broadly to include hormones and surgeries related to gender transition. The bill includes several specific medical exceptions to this prohibition, such as for disorders of sexual development or life-saving procedures. Any existing hormone therapy for minors must be phased out within one year of the Act's effective date.

This resolution officially recognizes the vital roles and significant contributions of teachers across the United States in strengthening the nation's civic, cultural, and economic well-being. It specifically designates National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5–9, 2025, to raise public awareness and encourage greater respect for the teaching profession. Ultimately, this measure serves as a formal expression of gratitude from Congress to educators nationwide.

The Kids Online Safety Act establishes a comprehensive "duty of care" requiring online platforms to design features that mitigate specific harms to minors, such as those related to mental health and exploitation. It mandates that platforms provide minors with default, restrictive safety settings and robust parental controls over data sharing and recommendations. Furthermore, the legislation demands significant transparency regarding algorithmic ranking systems and grants the FTC enforcement authority.

The Conscience Protection Act of 2025 aims to strengthen protections for healthcare entities and individuals who object to participating in specific medical procedures, such as abortion, based on moral or religious beliefs. It prohibits discrimination against providers who refuse such services and significantly bolsters enforcement mechanisms within the Department of Health and Human Services. Furthermore, the Act explicitly grants individuals and affected parties the right to file private lawsuits seeking damages when these conscience protections are violated.

This resolution officially designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as "National Police Week." It serves to honor the valor and integrity of law enforcement officers across the nation. The resolution specifically remembers the officers killed in the line of duty during 2024 and encourages the public to observe this week to show appreciation for law enforcement personnel.

The Justice for Angel Families Act expands crime victim compensation funds to support immediate family members of individuals murdered by unlawfully present aliens or international drug cartel members. It also establishes a new Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office within DHS to proactively assist victims of crimes committed by non-citizens. This new office will provide support services, information regarding immigration proceedings, and custody updates to victims and their families. The Director must also submit annual reports to Congress detailing the impact on these crime victims.

The Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act prohibits payment card networks and processors from requiring firearms retailers to use a unique Merchant Category Code (MCC) that singles them out. This ensures that credit and debit card transactions for firearms and ammunition are treated the same as general retail purchases. The Attorney General is tasked with enforcing this prohibition and reporting annually to Congress on compliance efforts.

This joint resolution expresses Congress's disapproval of the recent rule finalized by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) concerning overdraft lending practices at very large financial institutions. By passing this resolution, Congress is effectively vetoing and preventing the enforcement of that specific BCFP regulation.

The FARMER Act of 2025 modifies federal crop insurance by increasing premium support for certain whole-farm revenue or yield protection plans. It also raises the government subsidy percentage for the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and adjusts its coverage level calculations. Finally, the bill mandates a study on expanding the SCO to cover areas larger than 1,400 square miles.

The DRIVE Act prohibits the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from issuing any new rules that would mandate speed limiting devices on commercial motor vehicles. This legislation prevents the federal government from setting a maximum speed cap for eighteen-wheelers through future regulations.

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act establishes a new federal tax credit designed to close the financing gap for building and rehabilitating homes in distressed, low-income communities. This credit incentivizes developers to construct or substantially rehabilitate qualified residences in "qualified census tracts" and sell them affordably to low-to-moderate-income homeowners. State agencies will oversee allocations, ensure affordability standards are met, and enforce repayment rules if the home is sold too quickly.

The INDEX Act mandates that investment advisers managing passively managed funds must ensure actual investors have a say in proxy voting by adhering to proportional voting instructions. If instructions are not received for non-routine matters, advisers generally cannot vote those shares unless specific exceptions apply. This legislation aims to enhance investor democracy by clarifying proxy voting responsibilities for funds tracking market indexes.

The Defense Workforce Integration Act of 2025 establishes new pathways for service members medically disqualified from service to transition directly into civilian roles within the Department of Defense. The bill also mandates the creation of a program to connect individuals ineligible for military service with opportunities in the defense industrial base. Finally, it requires the Navy to inform separating personnel about career opportunities specifically within the Military Sealift Command.

The Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025 aims to stabilize and lower consumer broadband costs by reforming the Universal Service Fund (USF). This bill mandates the FCC to require major content and service providers ("Edge providers") to contribute financially to the USF alongside traditional broadband companies. Additionally, it establishes a new, targeted funding mechanism to ensure support reaches carriers serving high-cost, rural areas.