Legislative Activity

The American Family Act fundamentally overhauls the Child Tax Credit by replacing the annual lump sum with a system of advance, refundable monthly payments delivered directly to families. These monthly allowances vary based on the child's age, with higher amounts provided for younger children. The bill also establishes a separate, smaller credit for other dependents and outlines procedures for annual renewal and reconciliation of advance payments when filing taxes.

The Paycheck Fairness Act significantly strengthens federal equal pay protections by broadening definitions of sex discrimination, tightening employer defenses against pay disparities, and increasing penalties for violations. It also prohibits employers from using salary history in hiring decisions and mandates new data collection by the EEOC to better enforce anti-discrimination laws. Furthermore, the bill establishes new training and outreach programs to combat systemic wage bias.

The Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2025 extends government funding and several critical healthcare programs through April 11, 2025, preventing disruptions in services such as community health centers, Medicare provisions, and telehealth. It also addresses budgetary considerations to ensure the Act is not subject to certain spending constraints. Additionally, the Act extends protections for facilities against drone threats, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission whistleblower program, and the authorization for the National Cybersecurity Protection System. Finally, the bill allocates additional funding to the Department of Defense, FEMA, and the Office of Navajo and Hopi Relocation.

The American Apprenticeship Act aims to expand apprenticeship opportunities by providing grants to states for pre-apprenticeship programs and related instruction. It requires states to develop strategic plans that promote collaboration between industry, education, and labor, with a focus on expanding opportunities in non-traditional sectors and for underrepresented groups. The Act also directs the Secretary of Labor to identify in-demand occupations suitable for apprenticeship programs and report findings to Congress. Finally, it authorizes $15 million in appropriations annually from 2026 to 2031 to support these initiatives.

Ethan's Law establishes federal requirements for the secure storage of firearms to prevent unauthorized access by minors and prohibited persons, making improper storage a civil violation with escalating penalties if injury or death results. The bill also creates a federal grant program to incentivize states and Tribes to adopt matching safe storage laws. Furthermore, Congress declares that failing to comply with these storage requirements constitutes negligence and may be considered the direct cause of resulting firearm injuries.

The "Responsibility in Drug Advertising Act of 2025" amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to regulate direct-to-consumer drug advertising, including a 3-year ban on advertising for newly approved drugs, with a waiver option for public health benefits. It also allows the Secretary to prohibit advertising if significant adverse health effects are identified and requires revised advertising regulations within one year.

The "Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2025" allows the Secretary to request access to concentrated animal feeding operations for microbial sampling when investigating foodborne illness outbreaks or addressing public health needs. These operations must provide reasonable access for sampling of plants, animals, water, and the environment. The collected data will be shared with relevant agencies to help prevent foodborne illnesses. Refusal to provide reasonable access for microbial sampling is now a prohibited act under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.