Legislative Activity

The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 enhances efforts to combat human trafficking both within the United States and internationally. The act focuses on prevention education, survivor support, and international cooperation, while increasing funding authorizations for key anti-trafficking programs. It prioritizes resources for areas with high trafficking rates, improves data collection, and ensures that foreign assistance aligns with counter-trafficking goals. This legislation aims to protect vulnerable populations, empower survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable.

The EACH Act of 2025 aims to ensure equal access to abortion coverage by requiring all federally funded health programs and facilities to cover abortion services. This legislation prohibits federal interference with state or private insurance coverage of abortion and repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate financial and insurance barriers to abortion care, particularly for low-income individuals relying on programs like Medicaid.

The BRAVE Burma Act extends existing accountability measures and strengthens U.S. efforts against the Burmese military regime. It mandates annual reviews of sanctions targeting Burmese state-owned businesses and the jet fuel industry. Crucially, the bill establishes a Senate-confirmed U.S. Special Envoy for Burma to coordinate policy, push for international sanctions, and advocate for a return to civilian-led democracy. The Act also directs the Treasury to oppose increases in Burma's shareholding at the IMF while the military junta is in power.

The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025 mandates that employers protect workers from dangerous heat stress by establishing comprehensive safety standards. This Act requires the Secretary of Labor to create evidence-based rules covering engineering controls, administrative procedures, required training, and paid rest breaks to prevent heat-related illness. Furthermore, the law establishes strict enforcement mechanisms, whistleblower protections, and specific timelines for the implementation of these new federal heat protection standards.

The Toxic-Free Beauty Act of 2025 establishes new federal standards for cosmetic safety by banning the intentional addition of specific harmful chemicals, such as formaldehyde and certain parabens, in products sold in the U.S. It also sets maximum allowable limits for certain contaminants like 1,4 dioxane and lead. Importantly, this federal legislation does not preempt stricter state laws regarding cosmetic ingredients. These new requirements will take effect for products shipped interstate starting January 1, 2027.

The Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right to Know Act of 2025 significantly updates cosmetic regulation by mandating comprehensive ingredient disclosure, especially for fragrances and flavors, on both product labels and brand owner websites. This law requires detailed, machine-readable online ingredient lists and specific hazard warnings on packaging if certain harmful chemicals are present. Importantly, this federal act preserves the authority of states to enact stricter ingredient bans or transparency requirements.

The Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act of 2025 enhances cosmetic regulation by requiring detailed ingredient and supply chain information sharing between brand owners and suppliers. This law mandates the FDA to create a public list of harmful, nonfunctional chemical traces that suppliers must eventually test for and certify. Importantly, this federal legislation preserves the right of states to enact stricter ingredient or transparency rules than those established here.

The Cosmetic Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act of 2025 aims to enhance cosmetic safety through targeted research into health disparities affecting communities of color and salon workers. The bill mandates improved access to safety data sheets in multiple languages for professional products and establishes two new National Resource Centers to empower these communities and workers. Finally, it brings synthetic hair braids under FDA cosmetic regulation, requiring new safety standards and labeling.

This bill, titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act, mandates the Attorney General to release nearly all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days of enactment. The legislation strictly limits the justifications for withholding or redacting documents, prohibiting secrecy based on political sensitivity or potential embarrassment. The only permissible redactions involve victim privacy, child sexual abuse material, or narrowly defined threats to active investigations or national security classifications. Upon completion, the Attorney General must submit a detailed report to Congress listing all released and withheld materials, including an unredacted list of all named government officials.

This resolution officially commends Petty Officer 3d Class Scott Ruskan for his heroic actions during the devastating central Texas floods of July 2025. It specifically recognizes him for personally rescuing 165 individuals and coordinating triage efforts under hazardous conditions. Furthermore, the bill extends deep gratitude to all federal, state, and volunteer responders who risked their lives during this major natural disaster.

This bill reauthorizes key programs under the Kay Hagan Tick Act to combat vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease through 2030. It extends funding for the national strategy and regional centers focused on these illnesses. Additionally, the legislation continues enhanced support for local health departments to improve disease surveillance and response capabilities.

The Anti-Rigging Act of 2025 asserts Congress's constitutional authority to regulate the process by which states redraw congressional districts following the decennial census. This law generally prohibits states from making mid-cycle changes to their congressional maps after the initial post-apportionment redistricting. Any required changes before the next census can only occur if mandated by a court ruling concerning constitutional or Voting Rights Act violations. This legislation specifically does not affect the administration of state or local elections.

This bill establishes a new Special Envoy for Humanitarian Aid Workers within the State Department to investigate serious incidents involving U.S.-supported aid workers abroad. It mandates the suspension of security assistance to foreign countries that unlawfully kill or injure aid workers and refuse to cooperate with investigations. Furthermore, the bill creates an interagency group, led by the Envoy, to conduct detailed inquiries into every death or detention of an aid worker during an active mission.

The Expanding Access to Mental Health Services in Schools Act of 2025 establishes a new federal grant program to increase the number of mental health professionals in high-need school districts. This funding is specifically designed to help eligible agencies recruit, hire, and retain school counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Grantees must demonstrate a plan to improve student-to-provider ratios and report annually on staffing improvements and provider retention.

This resolution formally recognizes the history, achievements, and ongoing struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community in the United States. It serves as a declaration by Congress affirming that LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights and encouraging the celebration of Pride Month. The bill highlights key historical milestones, legal victories, and acknowledges the persistent challenges and violence faced by the community. Ultimately, it commits the U.S. to continuing the pursuit of full equality for all citizens.

The Saving Hazardous And Declining Environments (SHADE) Act establishes a new, federally funded grant program to support tree planting initiatives. Administered by HUD and the Forest Service, this program prioritizes projects in historically redlined or urban heat island areas. Applicants must submit detailed 5-year plans that include community involvement and strategies to prevent resident displacement. The program is authorized to receive $50 million annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2036.

The PRIDE Act of 2025 aims to update the Internal Revenue Code to ensure equal treatment and inclusive language for all married couples. It extends the deadline for certain legally married couples to file amended joint tax returns following past recognition changes. Furthermore, the bill systematically replaces gendered terms like "husband," "wife," and "his" with gender-neutral language such as "spouse" and "individual" across numerous tax provisions. These changes ensure consistent, equitable application of tax law regardless of gender identity.

The Safe Storage Saves Lives Act expands federal requirements to ensure a compatible gun lock is provided with the sale of **every** firearm, not just handguns. It clarifies the definition of secure storage devices and mandates that sellers must have a compatible safety device available for every firearm offered for sale. Finally, the bill suggests that fines collected from violations should fund programs to distribute free or low-cost gun safety devices or public awareness campaigns.

The Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act modernizes the Internal Revenue Code by replacing gendered language with gender-neutral terms for all legally married couples. This sweeping update ensures consistency across tax rules regarding filing status, deductions, and credits, regardless of the spouses' genders. The bill clarifies that married couples are often treated as a single entity for specific tax purposes. Ultimately, this legislation updates terminology to reflect equal dignity for all married taxpayers.

This resolution formally recognizes the constitutional right to peaceful protest while strongly condemning violence and illegal acts committed during demonstrations. It criticizes the federal government's deployment of military forces during recent events, arguing the actions were an overreach that bypassed proper legal and state authority. Ultimately, the bill asserts the importance of transparency in law enforcement and denounces rhetoric that escalates community tensions.