Legislative Activity

The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act aims to overhaul immigration detention by establishing mandatory, high standards based on ABA guidelines and increasing transparency through rigorous, unannounced inspections. The bill prohibits the use of private, for-profit detention facilities within three years and ends the mandatory detention of most noncitizens, prioritizing release or community-based alternatives. Furthermore, it establishes new due process rights, including timely custody hearings, a presumption of release, and prohibitions on detaining children or using solitary confinement.

The Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act of 2025 seeks to reverse harmful provisions affecting unaccompanied children. This bill eliminates various immigration-related fees for current and former unaccompanied children, including those for asylum and employment authorization. It also prohibits physically intrusive medical examinations and restricts the sharing of sponsor information with immigration enforcement agencies. Furthermore, the Act mandates the refunding of previously paid fees.

The "Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act of 2025" amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to increase weatherization funding and program efficiency. It establishes a "Weatherization Readiness Program" to address structural and safety issues in low-income homes, preparing them for weatherization. The bill increases the average weatherization cost per dwelling to $12,000 and reauthorizes the weatherization assistance program through 2030. It allocates $50 million annually from 2026-2030 for the Weatherization Readiness Program.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act focuses primarily on improving pediatric drug development and ensuring patient access to necessary treatments. This legislation mandates new research requirements for molecularly targeted pediatric cancer drugs, strengthens FDA enforcement of pediatric study completion, and extends incentives for developing drugs for rare pediatric diseases. Additionally, the bill updates organ transplant network functions and establishes an Abraham Accords Office within the FDA to enhance international regulatory cooperation.

The Housing Supply Expansion Act of 2025 updates the federal definition of a manufactured home to include those built without a permanent chassis. It mandates new HUD safety standards and requires states to certify that their laws treat these homes equally to traditionally built manufactured homes. Failure to certify will result in a state prohibition on the sale or installation of these newly defined homes.

This act, the Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act, amends federal law to exempt specific less-than-lethal projectile devices from existing firearm restrictions. It clarifies that these devices, designed to avoid serious injury and firing projectiles below a certain velocity, are not classified as firearms under federal statute. This change aims to facilitate the adoption of non-lethal tools by law enforcement.

The PEARL Act establishes a three-year pilot program within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to enhance its Support Canine Program. This initiative requires CBP to adopt dogs from local animal shelters and train them to serve as support dogs.

The Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a comprehensive threat assessment of terrorist threats posed by individuals in Syria affiliated with designated terrorist organizations. This assessment must detail the individuals, their affiliations, and DHS's capabilities to track and mitigate these threats. The Secretary must submit the unclassified assessment, potentially with a classified annex, to relevant congressional committees within 60 days of the Act's enactment.

The Global Respect Act aims to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI individuals worldwide. It mandates the President to identify and report foreign persons responsible for human rights violations against LGBTQI people, leading to their inadmissibility to the United States. Furthermore, the Act requires enhanced tracking and reporting of violence and discrimination targeting individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics in the annual human rights reports.

The Housing Financial Literacy Act of 2025 incentivizes first-time homebuyers to complete financial literacy housing counseling programs. By completing the required counseling before applying for a loan or signing a sales agreement, eligible homebuyers will receive a 25 basis point discount on their mortgage insurance premium payments. This act aims to promote financial preparedness among new homeowners.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility at 28201 Franklin Parkway in Santa Clarita, California, as the "Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer Post Office Building." The legislation ensures that all future official references to this location will use the new name.

The EXPERTS Act of 2025 aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the federal rulemaking process. It introduces new disclosure requirements for studies submitted during public comment periods and mandates greater public awareness of agency actions. Furthermore, the bill establishes the Office of the Public Advocate to improve public involvement and explicitly requires agencies to consider social equity in their cost-benefit analyses. Finally, it streamlines the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) review timeline and clarifies judicial review standards for agency interpretations.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a prior reconciliation act. This action effectively revives the original laws that were previously amended by the repealed provisions. The bill seeks to revert existing agricultural and food-related statutes to their pre-amendment status.

This resolution supports designating November 15, 2025, as "America Recycles Day" to raise national awareness about the importance of recycling and composting. It recognizes the significant economic and environmental contributions of the American recycling sector. The bill encourages public participation and reaffirms the commitment to investing in circular economy solutions.

The American Energy Independence and Affordability Act is a comprehensive bill designed to lower energy costs by extending and adjusting key tax incentives across energy production, efficiency, and clean vehicle adoption. It stabilizes support for renewable energy manufacturing, extends deadlines for energy-efficient building credits, and ensures consumer incentives for electric vehicles remain available through 2032. Overall, the legislation aims to provide long-term certainty for energy investments and consumer adoption of cleaner technologies.

This resolution officially recognizes the annual celebration of Día de los Muertos in the United States, honoring its rich cultural significance and traditions of remembrance. It connects the spirit of honoring ancestors to the need for compassion and accountability regarding lives lost in immigration detention. The bill urges federal agencies to protect the dignity and rights of individuals in custody, especially during culturally significant times. Ultimately, it calls for honoring human dignity through remembrance and ensuring humane treatment for all.

This resolution officially designates October 8, 2025, as Latina Equal Pay Day to highlight the significant wage disparity faced by Latina workers. It recognizes that Latinas currently earn only about 58 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men, resulting in substantial lifetime earnings loss. The bill calls attention to systemic factors like workplace policies and harassment that contribute to this ongoing economic injustice. Ultimately, Congress reaffirms its commitment to achieving pay equity for all women.

The No Shame at School Act of 2025 mandates that schools must stop shaming students over unpaid meal debt by prohibiting overt identification or segregation of students who owe fees. This law requires local agencies to actively pursue free meal certification for students with outstanding balances and prevents schools from taking food away after it has been served. Furthermore, it establishes strict rules for debt collection, forbidding communication directed at the child and banning the use of third-party debt collectors.

The Pray Safe Act of 2025 establishes a Federal Clearinghouse within the Department of Homeland Security to publish evidence-based safety and security best practices for nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, and houses of worship. This Clearinghouse will centralize information on security recommendations and available federal grant programs to help these entities prevent and respond to threats. The Act also mandates a GAO report evaluating existing federal security grant programs for these organizations.

This resolution expresses strong support for recognizing September 2025 as "National Children's Emotional Wellness Month." It aims to increase public awareness regarding the critical importance of children's emotional health amidst rising rates of anxiety, depression, and mental health crises among youth. The bill acknowledges the vital work of mental health professionals and seeks to reduce barriers to care for children and families.