Legislative Activity

This bill officially renames the United States Postal Service facility located at 1300 East Northwest Highway in Palatine, Illinois. The building will henceforth be known as the "Bernie Bluestein Post Office Building." This designation must be used in all future official federal references to the location.

The Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion from Trauma Act establishes new federal grant programs to coordinate local efforts in preventing trauma and building community resilience. It also expands support and training for professionals working with children and youth affected by trauma, violence, or addiction. Key provisions include funding for hospital interventions to reduce repeat injuries and strengthening the national network for child traumatic stress. Overall, the bill aims to improve outcomes for trauma survivors through coordinated community programming and a better-prepared workforce.

The Medical Device Recall Improvement Act of 2025 aims to enhance patient and provider safety by standardizing and accelerating medical device recall communications. This legislation mandates the creation of a standard electronic format for recall notifications and requires manufacturers to submit these notices for timely FDA review. Furthermore, it establishes new requirements for notifying affected patients about high-risk device recalls and creates a public database of all recall information.

The Federal Food Administration Act of 2025 establishes a new, independent agency within the Department of Health and Human Services dedicated solely to ensuring the safety and security of the U.S. food supply. This Act transfers all food-related regulatory authority, functions, and personnel from the FDA to the new Federal Food Administration, headed by a Senate-confirmed Commissioner of Foods. The new Administration is mandated to implement a risk-based inspection schedule for food facilities and enhance collaboration across federal agencies on food safety science.

The Dream Act of 2025 establishes a pathway to conditional permanent resident status for eligible long-term residents who entered the U.S. as children. This status lasts for eight years and requires meeting specific criteria related to continuous presence, good moral character, and education or military service. After meeting further requirements, including education, military service, or employment benchmarks, individuals can apply to remove the conditional basis and obtain full lawful permanent resident status. The bill also mandates strong confidentiality protections for applicant information, prohibiting its use for general immigration enforcement.

This act requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to apply new environmental and equity standards when approving natural gas pipeline projects. FERC must evaluate a project's greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on environmental justice communities when determining "public convenience and necessity." The bill mandates that applicants propose mitigation for adverse effects, and FERC must weigh these environmental impacts against the project's benefits.

The Inspector General Access Act of 2025 amends existing law to streamline investigations of Department of Justice personnel. Specifically, this bill removes a previous exception regarding certain types of allegations from the general investigation procedures governing the Inspector General. This change ensures that the Inspector General has broader authority to investigate all relevant matters concerning DOJ personnel.

This act extends the existing 6% interest rate cap under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to cover new student loan consolidation or refinancing debts incurred by servicemembers *during* their active military service. This protection specifically applies when servicemembers refinance pre-service student loans. The reduced interest rate takes effect immediately upon the creation of the new refinancing loan.

The FSMA Fee Technical Corrections Act updates how the FDA calculates and uses certain food safety fees, including those for reinspections and the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP). It establishes a base fee amount for fiscal year 2026 and mandates fee reductions for qualifying small businesses. Furthermore, the bill clarifies how collected fees can be spent and increases the annual collection limits for specific fees.

This resolution honors Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy murdered in a hate crime in Illinois. It condemns all forms of hate-motivated violence based on ethnicity or religion and recognizes the contributions of the Palestinian community. Furthermore, the resolution affirms the right of all children to live free from discrimination and calls for officials and the media to avoid dehumanizing language.

The REDUCE Act mandates that regional transmission organizations must allow retail customer aggregators to bid into wholesale electricity markets, overriding any conflicting state laws. This ensures that demand flexibility from large utility customer bases can participate directly in organized power markets. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is tasked with creating rules to implement this requirement within one year.

This resolution formally recognizes the 2024 Venezuelan election results, affirming the opposition's victory and condemning the Maduro regime's refusal to step down. It specifically honors Nobel Laureate María Corina Machado for her courageous advocacy for democracy. Furthermore, the resolution demands the regime ensure Machado's safety and release all political prisoners.

The Shawnee National Forest Conservation Act of 2025 designates approximately 750 acres as the Camp Hutchins Wilderness and establishes three Special Management Areas—Camp Hutchins, Ripple Hollow, and Burke Branch—to protect ecological and scenic resources. The Act mandates specific management plans for these areas, prohibiting commercial timber harvesting while allowing necessary activities like prescribed fire and invasive species control. Furthermore, it withdraws the designated lands from mineral entry and disposal to ensure long-term conservation.

This resolution strongly condemns recent Russian incursions into the airspace of NATO member countries and reaffirms the United States' unwavering commitment to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. It explicitly denounces Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine and its pattern of intimidation against allies. The measure serves as a clear statement that the U.S. will defend every inch of NATO territory against attack.

The AI LEAD Act fundamentally reforms product liability law by establishing clear standards for when developers and deployers of "covered products" are legally responsible for harm caused by those products. It sets specific, often high, bars for proving developer liability related to design defects, failure to warn, and strict liability for dangerous conditions. Furthermore, the Act prohibits companies from using contracts to entirely waive their liability and establishes a federal right of action for individuals to enforce these new standards in court.

The Sparking Production of Urban and Rural Housing Act (SPUR Housing Act) establishes a new federal program to support emerging developers in affordable housing. This program will provide competitive grants to nonprofits and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). These recipients must use the funds to offer financing, technical training, and mentorship to new developers, particularly those working in distressed communities and high-opportunity areas. The Act authorizes $50 million annually for this initiative from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

The Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act of 2025 establishes minimum federal standards for concussion safety and management plans in public schools receiving federal education funding. This Act mandates comprehensive education, immediate removal from activity upon suspected concussion, and strict written clearance protocols for returning to both sports and academics. States failing to comply face escalating reductions in their Elementary and Secondary Education Act funding.

The Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2025 establishes a national cap of 36% on the total annual interest and fees for most consumer credit products. This legislation aims to eliminate predatory lending practices by ensuring all associated charges are included in the calculation of this maximum rate. Furthermore, the bill mandates clearer disclosure of credit costs for open-end plans, like credit cards, using a standardized "FAIR" format. Violations of this new federal rate cap carry severe civil and criminal penalties for creditors.

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act aims to address healthcare staffing shortages by recapturing unused employment-based immigrant visas from previous years. These recaptured visas are specifically reserved for professional nurses (25,000) and physicians (15,000) to expedite their entry into the U.S. The bill also mandates premium processing for these petitions without imposing extra fees and includes worker protection attestations to prevent displacement of U.S. workers.

The America's Clean Future Fund Act establishes a new Climate Change Finance Corporation (C2FC) to finance low-emission projects and prioritizes investments in disadvantaged communities. The bill simultaneously imposes a federal Carbon Fee starting at \$75 per ton in 2027, with escalating rates designed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Revenue generated funds the C2FC, provides carbon fee rebates to eligible individuals, supports agricultural transition payments, and offers transition assistance grants for fossil fuel-impacted communities.