Legislative Activity

The School Food Modernization Act aims to improve school meal programs by providing financial assistance for facility upgrades and equipment purchases through loan guarantees and grants. It also establishes a new grant program to fund third-party training for school food service staff on nutrition standards and efficiency. Finally, the bill requires reports to Congress on program implementation and a study on how states use administrative funds for workforce training.

The Metropolitan Planning Enhancement Act mandates greater transparency and accountability in how metropolitan areas and states select transportation projects for funding. It requires using public, objective criteria to rank all potential projects based on alignment with national and state goals. Finally, priority funding lists must generally select projects from the highest-ranked category, requiring a public justification if a lower-ranked project is chosen instead.

The CEO Accountability and Responsibility Act ties a publicly traded corporation's federal income tax rate directly to the ratio between its CEO's compensation and its median worker's pay. Companies with higher executive-to-worker pay gaps will face higher tax rates, with additional penalties for shifting domestic jobs overseas or to contractors. Furthermore, federal agencies must grant contracting preferences to businesses whose executive pay ratio is less than 50-to-1.

The High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Exemption Reauthorization Act extends the federal regulations governing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) facilities. Specifically, this bill pushes back the expiration date for these existing HOV facility rules from September 30, 2025, to September 30, 2031. This ensures the current federal guidelines remain in effect for an additional six years.

The Advancing Gun Safety Technology Act establishes a pilot program to fund small businesses developing innovative technologies designed to prevent accidental or unauthorized firearm use. Through grants managed by the Attorney General, the program aims to accelerate the development and commercial readiness of safety features like smart guns and advanced locking mechanisms. Up to $10 million is authorized for this initiative in Fiscal Year 2026.

The Local Gun Violence Reduction Act establishes a national database, managed by the CDC, for tracking local gun violence prevention laws and their effectiveness. State and local governments must submit details on their enacted laws alongside data comparing gun violence rates before and after implementation. This system aims to share successful strategies by providing regular reports to Congress on participation and law effectiveness.

The Gun Safety Board and Research Act establishes a new federal Gun Safety Board within the Department of Health and Human Services. This Board is mandated to fund original research aimed at reducing gun violence and to educate the public on effective prevention methods. It will also publish annual policy recommendations based on scientific findings regarding various forms of gun violence.

The Workers’ Disability Benefits Parity Act of 2025 mandates equal treatment for disability benefits related to mental health and substance use disorders compared to physical health conditions across ERISA-governed plans, government employee plans, and insurance policies. It establishes strict parity requirements, prohibits discriminatory limitations, and clarifies enforcement authority for the Secretary of Labor and states. The bill also directs the Secretary of Labor to study the costs of these benefits and issue necessary regulations for implementation.

The Suicide Prevention Assistance Act establishes a new, limited grant program through the Department of Health and Human Services to fund primary care offices in providing crucial self-harm and suicide prevention services. Grantees must hire a clinical social worker to screen patients, offer short-term intervention, and refer high-risk individuals for long-term care. This pilot program will award a maximum of ten grants nationwide, each capped at $500,000 over two years, to evaluate effective prevention models in outpatient settings.

The "Housing Innovation Act" establishes an Office of Housing Innovation within HUD to promote innovative housing practices and coordinate federal resources. It authorizes grant programs for local governments to plan and reform regulations to increase housing supply and affordability, especially near transit and job centers. Additional grants will support research, pilot projects, educational activities, and community outreach programs related to housing and community development. The Act allocates \$100 million annually from 2026-2032 for these initiatives.