Legislative Activity

This resolution serves as a formal tribute honoring the life, achievements, and enduring legacy of former United States Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond of Missouri. It recognizes his decades of public service, including his terms as Missouri Governor and U.S. Senator, where he championed infrastructure, agriculture, and conservative values. The Senate expresses deep sadness over his passing and directs that official copies of this tribute be sent to his family.

The No Tax on Tips Act creates a new federal income tax deduction for qualified tips received by workers, capped at \$25,000 annually. This deduction can be claimed regardless of whether the taxpayer itemizes or takes the standard deduction. Additionally, the bill expands an existing tax credit for employers to include beauty service establishments that pay Social Security taxes on employee tips. These provisions are set to take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The Access to Small Business Investor Capital Act modifies how certain investment companies report their fees to the SEC. Specifically, it allows registered investment companies to exclude indirect fees and expenses paid through investments in business development companies from their "acquired fund fees and expenses" disclosure. This change aims to streamline the reporting process for funds investing in these specific entities.

This bill, the Tackling Predatory Litigation Funding Act, establishes a new, high federal tax on the profits earned by third-party investors in lawsuits, known as litigation financing. The tax is applied at the highest individual income tax rate plus an additional 3.8 percentage points on "qualified litigation proceeds." To ensure compliance, the law mandates that parties or their attorneys withhold 50% of this tax from payments made to the funder. Importantly, while taxing the funder, the bill explicitly excludes the actual settlement proceeds received by the winning party from their gross income.

This resolution officially designates May 17, 2025, as "Kids to Parks Day." The goal is to encourage children and families to engage in healthy outdoor activities by visiting local, state, and national parks. It recognizes the importance of nature for youth health and education while promoting the preservation of public lands.

The Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act prohibits covered entities from denying an organ transplant or related services solely because an individual has a disability. The bill mandates reasonable modifications to policies and requires consideration of an individual's support network when assessing their ability to comply with post-transplant requirements. This ensures that qualified individuals receive equal access to the entire organ transplant process, from evaluation through aftercare.

The LOCOMOTIVES Act clarifies federal authority under the Clean Air Act regarding emissions standards for certain existing locomotives and engines used in construction or farm equipment. This legislation ensures that federal standards, rather than varying state standards, apply to these specific engines, particularly those under 175 horsepower and locomotives engaged in commerce. Essentially, it centralizes regulatory power over these emissions sources at the federal level.

The Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act of 2025 aims to revitalize Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs) as residential training facilities for underserved youth. This legislation mandates the creation of specialized training programs, particularly in areas like wildland firefighting, to support the needs of the Department of the Interior and Agriculture. Furthermore, the bill establishes hiring goals and provides enhanced hiring authorities to ensure covered graduates secure employment in federal conservation and firefighting roles. It also includes provisions for improving agency housing stock using student labor.

The Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act mandates the TSA to develop and update strict hygiene guidelines for screening breast milk, formula, and other essential baby drinks at airport security checkpoints. These rules, created in consultation with maternal health groups, aim to minimize contamination risks during any necessary additional screening. Furthermore, the Inspector General will audit compliance with these new handling standards within one year of the Act's enactment.

The Conscience Protection Act of 2025 aims to strengthen protections for healthcare entities and individuals who object to participating in specific medical procedures, such as abortion, based on moral or religious beliefs. It prohibits discrimination against providers who refuse such services and significantly bolsters enforcement mechanisms within the Department of Health and Human Services. Furthermore, the Act explicitly grants individuals and affected parties the right to file private lawsuits seeking damages when these conscience protections are violated.

The Kids Online Safety Act establishes a comprehensive "duty of care" requiring online platforms to design features that mitigate specific harms to minors, such as those related to mental health and exploitation. It mandates that platforms provide minors with default, restrictive safety settings and robust parental controls over data sharing and recommendations. Furthermore, the legislation demands significant transparency regarding algorithmic ranking systems and grants the FTC enforcement authority.

This resolution officially designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as "National Police Week." It serves to honor the valor and integrity of law enforcement officers across the nation. The resolution specifically remembers the officers killed in the line of duty during 2024 and encourages the public to observe this week to show appreciation for law enforcement personnel.

The Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act prohibits payment card networks and processors from requiring firearms retailers to use a unique Merchant Category Code (MCC) that singles them out. This ensures that credit and debit card transactions for firearms and ammunition are treated the same as general retail purchases. The Attorney General is tasked with enforcing this prohibition and reporting annually to Congress on compliance efforts.

This joint resolution expresses Congress's disapproval of the recent rule finalized by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) concerning overdraft lending practices at very large financial institutions. By passing this resolution, Congress is effectively vetoing and preventing the enforcement of that specific BCFP regulation.

The Justice for American Victims of Illegal Aliens Act introduces a new aggravating factor for federal death penalty consideration. This factor applies when an individual who is illegally present in the U.S. is convicted of killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a United States citizen. This measure aims to provide justice for victims of crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants.

The Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2025 streamlines firefighting operations by exempting the use of approved fire retardants during wildfire suppression from standard federal water pollution discharge permits. This change ensures that necessary aerial application of Forest Service-qualified products does not require an NPDES permit. The bill focuses on removing regulatory hurdles for essential wildfire control activities.

The Growing America’s Small Businesses and Manufacturing Act aims to support businesses through significant tax code changes. This bill permanently extends a specific method for calculating business interest expense limitations. Additionally, it substantially increases the immediate expensing limits (Section 179) for purchasing new depreciable business assets. These provisions are designed to encourage investment and growth for small businesses and manufacturers starting in tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act mandates that health plans cover medically necessary diagnosis and treatment for congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This coverage must apply to outpatient and inpatient care, including necessary dental and orthodontic support, unless the procedure is purely cosmetic. These new requirements take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025 strictly limits the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) use of facial recognition technology during airport security screening. This bill establishes a default ban on collecting or storing passenger biometric data, requiring explicit opt-in consent for general passengers and clear opt-out rights for Trusted Traveler members. Furthermore, it imposes strict data minimization and storage limits, and prohibits the use of this technology for surveillance outside of the screening process.

The INDEX Act mandates that investment advisers managing passively managed funds must ensure actual investors have a say in proxy voting by adhering to proportional voting instructions. If instructions are not received for non-routine matters, advisers generally cannot vote those shares unless specific exceptions apply. This legislation aims to enhance investor democracy by clarifying proxy voting responsibilities for funds tracking market indexes.