Legislative Activity

The Valve Safety Fairness Act of 2025 mandates that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) apply specific safety standards to Type A gas gathering lines. This action ensures these lines comply with the existing "Pipeline Safety: Requirement of Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection Standards" published in April 2022. In short, the bill extends crucial valve and rupture detection requirements to this category of gas pipelines.

The Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025 streamlines the process for electrical utilities to clear vegetation near power lines on National Forest and BLM lands. This allows utilities to remove trees under existing permits without requiring a separate timber sale permit for the cleared wood. Any revenue generated from selling the cleared material must be returned to the managing federal agency, minus transportation costs.

The Ocean Acidification Research Partnerships Act establishes new federal grants to fund collaborative research projects focused on ocean acidification. These grants require partnerships between the seafood industry and academic researchers to address critical adaptation and monitoring needs. The legislation aims to integrate real-world industry knowledge with scientific expertise to better understand and mitigate the impacts of ocean acidification.

The Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act of 2025 establishes a new federal program to help coastal states proactively address climate change impacts. This program provides financial assistance and technical support for states to develop and implement comprehensive adaptation and response plans. Grants will fund risk identification, land use strategies, ocean ecosystem planning, and the physical implementation of resilience projects like green infrastructure.

The California Clean Coast Act of 2025 permanently prohibits all new federal oil and gas leasing and related activities on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California. This measure ensures no future drilling permits can be issued in these sensitive waters. However, the Act explicitly preserves the rights of any existing oil and gas leases already in effect.

This resolution officially honors the life, accomplishments, and enduring legacy of labor leader César Estrada Chávez. It recognizes his pivotal role in advocating for farmworker rights, fair wages, and human dignity through nonviolent activism. The bill encourages all Americans to commemorate his work and remember his rallying cry, "Sí se puede!"

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 130 South Patterson Avenue in Santa Barbara, California, as the "Brigadier General Frederick R. Lopez Post Office Building." The legislation ensures that all federal records and documents will use this new official name for the location moving forward.

The Child Care Workforce Act aims to improve child care quality and affordability by establishing a pilot program that provides grants to states, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations to increase the wages of child care workers. These grants will be used to supplement the wages of eligible child care workers, with the goal of attracting and retaining qualified professionals, enhancing their well-being, and expanding access to affordable child care options. The program will be evaluated for its effectiveness, and a report will be submitted to Congress.

The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act aims to improve access to affordable child care by expanding employer-provided child care credits, increasing tax-free dependent care assistance, and creating a refundable household and dependent care tax credit. The employer provided child care credit is increased from 25% to 50% of qualified expenses, and the maximum credit amount is raised from $150,000 to $500,000. The amount of tax-free employer-provided dependent care assistance is increased from $5,000 to $7,500. A new tax credit is created for employment-related expenses paid for household and dependent care, with the applicable percentage starting at 50% and decreasing based on income, and the maximum creditable expenses are $5,000 for one qualifying individual and $8,000 for two or more.