Legislative Activity

This resolution recognizes May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the significant contributions of these communities to the history and culture of the United States. It acknowledges key historical milestones and achievements, while also addressing past discrimination and ongoing challenges faced by these communities. The resolution aims to honor the diverse heritage and resilience of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, highlighting their importance in enriching and strengthening the nation.

This resolution recognizes escalating threats to press freedom and freedom of speech worldwide, reaffirming the vital role of a free and independent press in upholding democracy, fostering economic prosperity, and keeping the public informed. It condemns actions that suppress press freedom, demands the release of wrongfully detained journalists, and emphasizes the importance of press freedom in U.S. foreign policy. The resolution calls upon the President and Secretary of State to maintain U.S. leadership on press freedom, investigate attacks against journalists, and promote respect for press freedom globally. It serves as a commemoration of "World Press Freedom Day" on May 3, 2025.

This resolution recognizes April 2025 as "Community College Month" to celebrate the significant role of community colleges in providing accessible higher education, workforce training, and economic support across the United States. It acknowledges the affordability, diverse student population, and substantial economic contributions of these institutions, which serve millions of students and contribute billions to the national economy. The resolution highlights the importance of community colleges in meeting local and regional needs while driving economic prosperity.

The "Improving Police CARE Act" ensures that law enforcement agencies have access to standardized trauma kits. It sets performance standards for these kits, which must include essential items like tourniquets and bleeding control bandages. The Act also directs the Bureau of Justice Assistance to develop best practices for training officers and deploying these kits.

This resolution supports the designation of May 4-10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week". It recognizes the significant role of over 34.5 million small businesses in the U.S. that contribute to the economy and provide over 59 million jobs. The resolution celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit, achievements, and resilience of small business owners and their employees.

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits discrimination in life, disability, and long-term care insurance against living organ donors. It clarifies that organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act, ensuring job protection for donors. The Act also mandates updated educational materials from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the benefits, risks, and protections for living organ donors.

This resolution directs the Secretary of State to provide Congress with a report on El Salvador's human rights practices, focusing on alleged violations like torture, forced disappearances, and denial of due process. It asks for details on U.S. efforts to promote human rights in El Salvador and to ensure that U.S. security assistance does not support activities that violate human rights or lead to the wrongful detention of U.S. citizens or residents. The report should also assess conditions in El Salvador's Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) and actions taken to address allegations of human rights abuses against U.S. citizens/residents.

The PREVAIL Act aims to strengthen U.S. patent protections and promote innovation by reforming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) procedures, particularly inter partes reviews (IPR) and post-grant reviews. It seeks to prevent repetitive patent challenges, ensure fair processes, and align claim construction standards with district court practices. The Act also redirects USPTO fees to the "United States Patent and Trademark Office Innovation Promotion Fund" to be used solely for patent and trademark-related activities and makes patent and trademark information available online free of charge. Finally, the act requires a report on the impact of patent ownership by small businesses and civil actions against them related to patent infringement.

The "Retired Law Enforcement Officers Continuing Service Act" allows the Attorney General to award grants to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies to hire retired law enforcement personnel. These retired officers will train civilian employees and perform civilian law enforcement tasks such as assisting in investigations, reviewing footage, and providing computer expertise. The grants are subject to strict accountability requirements, including audits, to prevent fraud and waste, with priority given to entities with a clean audit history. The Attorney General must provide annual certifications and reports to Congress on audit completion, exclusions, and any duplicative grants awarded.

This resolution expresses support for designating April 1-30, 2025, as "Fair Chance Jobs Month" to promote the hiring of formerly incarcerated individuals. It aims to address the systemic barriers and stigmas that these individuals face when seeking employment, housing, healthcare, and nutrition. The resolution supports initiatives to remove obstacles to fair-chance hiring, expand job training programs, educate employers, and foster collaboration between various stakeholders to improve opportunities for returning citizens and communities affected by mass incarceration.

The "Women and Underrepresented Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2025" establishes a grant program through the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase the participation of women, underrepresented minorities, and people with disabilities in STEM fields. These grants will fund various activities, including workshops, mentoring, internships, and outreach programs, to boost recruitment and retention in STEM. The bill allocates \$15,000,000 annually from 2026 to 2030 to support this initiative. It also defines key terms such as "minority" and "underrepresented in science and engineering".

This resolution designates April 2025 as "Financial Literacy Month" to highlight the critical role of personal financial education and the repercussions of financial illiteracy. It acknowledges the significant number of unbanked and underbanked households, the struggles faced by people with disabilities, and the growing household debt in the U.S. The resolution encourages the government, schools, organizations, and individuals to promote financial literacy through various programs and activities during this month. It also emphasizes the positive impact of financial education on credit scores, retirement planning, and overall financial well-being.

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2025 designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System. This act amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, providing increased protection to this area.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury service. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act aims to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ individuals and women across various aspects of life.

This resolution designates April 2025 as "Second Chance Month" to raise awareness about the challenges faced by individuals with criminal records. It recognizes the importance of redemption and removing barriers to employment, housing, and education for those re-entering society. The resolution encourages communities and organizations to support second chances and facilitate the successful reintegration of individuals with criminal records into their communities.

This resolution designates the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week" to recognize the importance of national parks for recreation, education, and economic contributions. It encourages people to visit and support these parks while acknowledging the role of the National Park Service in protecting these resources for future generations.

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 modifies the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by increasing the amount of expenses that can be claimed, adjusting the income phase-out ranges, and making the credit refundable. The bill increases the dollar limit on creditable expenses to $8,000 for one qualifying individual and $16,000 for two or more. It also adjusts the income level at which the credit begins to phase out and indexes it to inflation.

The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act of 2025 (SAVES Act) directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a pilot program that awards grants to nonprofit organizations providing service dogs to veterans. These grants, up to $2,000,000 each, will support programs that offer service dogs to veterans with physical or mental health conditions, ensuring the dogs are provided at no cost to the veteran. The VA will also provide veterinary insurance for these service dogs and oversee the grant program's implementation. $10,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for each of the five fiscal years following the establishment of the pilot program.

The "Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025" establishes an Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence, composed of federal department heads, victims of gun violence, and victim assistance professionals. The council will survey victims and professionals to identify needs, review existing programs, assess compensation fund administration, and promote resources and best practices. It will also provide resources to help victims of gun violence with medical, financial, mental health, and legal needs, and will submit reports to Congress and the public with recommendations for additional support. No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.

This resolution expresses support for library staff and the essential services that libraries provide to communities, while also recognizing the need for adequate funding and the protection of library staff's civil rights. It emphasizes the importance of free access to information, condemns censorship and book bans, and supports the right of library workers to organize and collectively bargain. The resolution also designates April 6-12, 2025, as National Library Week, reaffirming the critical role of libraries in the United States.