Legislative Activity

This bill expresses support for the Iranian people's desire for a democratic, secular, and nonnuclear republic, while condemning the Iranian regime's human rights abuses, support for terrorism, and attempts to develop nuclear weapons. It affirms the right of the Iranian people to self-determination and supports continued sanctions against the current regime. The bill also calls for the protection of Iranian political refugees in Albania.

The CROWN Act of 2025 prohibits discrimination based on hair texture and hairstyle if that style is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. This protection extends to federally funded programs, housing, public accommodations, and employment. The act aims to ensure equal opportunity and prevent discrimination based on hair, addressing historical biases and stereotypes. It clarifies that existing civil rights laws should be interpreted to include protection against hair-based discrimination.

The "Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act" allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants to complete Medicare paperwork for covering therapeutic shoes for people with diabetes, increasing access to this benefit.

The "Protect and Serve Act of 2025" creates federal offenses for intentionally causing serious injury or death to law enforcement officers because of their status as officers. It sets penalties including imprisonment and fines, with increased penalties if death results or if kidnapping or attempted killing is involved. Federal prosecution requires certification from the Attorney General, based on a request from the state or if it is in the public interest to ensure substantial justice. The act defines "law enforcement officer" and "State" for the purposes of the new offenses.

The "New Era of Preventing End-Stage Kidney Disease Act" aims to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of rare kidney diseases through research, education, and increased public awareness. It establishes Centers of Excellence for Rare Kidney Disease Research, directs studies on testing and treatment approaches, and promotes provider education in nephrology. The Act prioritizes addressing disparities in affected populations and seeks to delay or eliminate the need for dialysis and transplant. It authorizes appropriations for these activities from 2026 through 2030.

The "Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2025" ensures that Coast Guard members receive equitable pay and benefits compared to other branches of the Armed Forces. During a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse, the bill guarantees continued pay for Coast Guard military members, qualified civilian and contract employees, death gratuities, funeral travel, and basic housing allowance for dependents of Coast Guard members who die on active duty. This funding continues as long as Department of Defense funding is available, up to two weeks after a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse begins. The bill affirms the Coast Guard as a military service and aims to provide financial security to its members during funding uncertainties.

The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act aims to strengthen U.S. trade laws by addressing unfair subsidies, currency undervaluation, duty evasion, and circumvention of trade remedies. It refines the process for handling successive trade investigations, ensuring that the International Trade Commission considers prior findings and assesses cumulative effects on domestic industries. The act also empowers authorities to counteract cost distortions in foreign countries and prevent importers from avoiding duties. Additionally, it includes provisions related to trade with Canada and Mexico and sets effective dates for new regulations.

The Federal Retirement Fairness Act amends title 5 of the United States Code, allowing civilian service in a temporary position after December 31, 1988, to be creditable under the Federal Employees Retirement System. This change applies to current employees and Members of the United States Postal Service, and requires the Office of Personnel Management to notify eligible individuals and issue implementing regulations.

The "DOC Access Act of 2025" aims to enhance health care coverage under vision and dental plans by ensuring fair payment practices, protecting doctors' choices in labs and suppliers, and respecting state laws. It allows optometrists and dentists to charge their standard rate for non-covered services if the plan's payment is unreasonable, while ensuring they can only charge the contracted rate for dental cleanings. The bill also gives doctors more control over agreement extensions with limited benefit plans and allows them to opt out of certain provisions. Ultimately, this act seeks to balance federal guidelines with state oversight in regulating health insurance issuers and dental or vision benefit plans.

Recognizes January 2025 as "National Mentoring Month" to highlight the importance of mentoring in improving outcomes for young people. Mentoring programs support academic achievement, social skills, and career exploration, especially for underserved youth. The resolution encourages the expansion of mentoring opportunities through collaboration between various sectors. Ultimately, this helps connect more young people with adult mentors to guide them toward success.

The "Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2025" ensures Medicare beneficiaries can continue receiving uninterrupted physical therapy services. It allows physical therapists to utilize temporary staffing arrangements, known as "locum tenens," when the regular therapist is temporarily unavailable. This ensures Medicare payments for services provided by qualified substitute physical therapists, maintaining consistent care for patients.

The "ALYSSA Act" amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require all elementary and secondary schools to install silent panic alarms for use during school security emergencies. To receive federal funding, local education agencies must equip each school with at least one panic alarm, defined as a silent security system for signaling life-threatening emergencies to law enforcement. This ensures schools have a direct and immediate way to alert law enforcement during critical situations.

The "Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act" modifies excise tax regulations by treating marketplace providers as the importer and seller for excise tax purposes on taxable sporting goods sold through their platform if the goods are shipped from outside the U.S. This applies when the marketplace provider lists the product, collects payments, and the manufacturer is not the marketplace provider. The regulations will be applied to sales in calendar quarters starting 60 days after the enactment of this Act.

The SWIM Act of 2025 amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers to deduct up to $500 ($1,000 for joint returns/heads of household) for expenses related to water competency and safety lessons for minors. This includes costs for basic swimming instruction and necessary equipment, with equipment expenses limited to $100 per item. The lessons must focus on water safety and competency, not competitive swimming. This change applies to taxable years starting after the Act's enactment.

The Postal Processing Protection Act amends title 39 of the United States Code to include any Postal Service owned or operated acceptance, processing, shipping, delivery, or distribution facility that supports one or more post offices. This change broadens the scope of facilities subject to specific requirements when the Postal Service considers closing or consolidating them.

The PLASMA Act, or the Preserving Life-saving Access to Specialty Medicines in America Act, introduces a phased-in approach for manufacturer discounts on plasma-derived products under Medicare Part D, starting in 2026. The discounted price will be a percentage of the negotiated price, with the percentage varying based on whether the beneficiary has met their annual out-of-pocket threshold. Certain beneficiaries and small manufacturers are exempt from these discount requirements.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to equalize the negotiation period for drug price negotiations under the Drug Price Negotiation Program. It changes the negotiation period for small-molecule drugs from 7 years to 11 years, matching the period already in place for biologic drugs. This adjustment aims to create parity in negotiation timelines between different types of medications, effective as if included in the original legislation.

This resolution clarifies that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 only addressed seating arrangements and does not validate the People's Republic of China's "One China Principle" regarding Taiwan's status. It asserts that the U.S. "One China Policy" is distinct from Beijing's claims and does not endorse PRC sovereignty over Taiwan. The bill strongly opposes PRC efforts to use the resolution to exclude Taiwan from international organizations and supports Taiwan's meaningful participation globally.

The SOS Act of 2025 amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to increase funding for school resource officers by $50 million per fiscal year from 2026 through 2035, allocating a minimum of $50,000,000 in grants to local governments or law enforcement agencies.

The Veterans Education and Technical Skills Opportunity Act of 2025 aims to improve educational benefits and support for service members and veterans. This bill revises the repayment process for voluntarily contributed Post-9/11 GI Bill funds, clarifies standards for independent study programs, and updates rules regarding educational absences due to service orders. Additionally, it modifies VA compliance survey notice periods and mandates timely notification to school officials regarding handbook updates.