Legislative Activity

The "Build Housing with Care Act of 2025" establishes a grant program to encourage the co-location of affordable housing and child care services. The program, managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will award competitive grants to eligible entities for projects that design, plan, construct, or renovate co-location facilities. The bill prioritizes entities operating in childcare deserts or serving low-income families and requires a report to Congress on the program's implementation. Additionally, the bill directs the Comptroller General to study child care access for public housing residents and provide recommendations for improvement.

The "Public Lands in Public Hands Act" restricts the federal government from transferring ownership of publicly accessible federal land to non-federal entities. Exceptions exist for transfers under 300 acres (or 5 acres if accessible by waterway) and those authorized by specific existing laws or land exchanges. This act aims to maintain public access to federal lands and prevent the government from subdividing land to circumvent these restrictions.

The Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. It mandates the inclusion of data pertaining to animal abuse within the national clearinghouse, which is a repository for information related to child abuse and neglect. This inclusion aims to recognize and address the correlation between animal abuse and child abuse, facilitating more comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies.

The "Assuring Medicare's Promise Act of 2025" aims to bolster the solvency of Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund by expanding the application of the net investment income tax. It directs revenue from the net investment income tax to the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and broadens the base of the tax to include trade or business income for high-income individuals, with certain income thresholds and phase-in provisions. This act amends both the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code to ensure the financial stability of Medicare.

The Close the Medigap Act of 2025 aims to strengthen consumer protections and improve transparency in the Medicare supplemental insurance market. It ensures guaranteed issue of Medigap policies regardless of health status, sets minimum medical loss ratios, and prohibits age-based pricing discrimination. The Act also enhances the Medicare plan finder website to provide clearer information about Medigap options and requires transparency in payments to brokers. Finally, the Act restores access to first-dollar Medigap coverage.

The Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act permanently withdraws approximately 225,504 acres of federal land and waters in Minnesota's Rainy River Watershed from mining and mineral leasing activities to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park. It allows for the removal of certain materials like sand and gravel if it does not harm the environment. The Act aims to preserve water quality, air quality, and the ecological integrity of the Rainy River Watershed.

The Muhammad Ali Congressional Gold Medal Act authorizes the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Muhammad Ali posthumously, in recognition of his achievements as an athlete, civil rights champion, and humanitarian. Following the presentation, the medal will be given to his wife, Lonnie Ali. The Act also permits the creation and sale of bronze duplicates of the gold medal to cover production costs, with proceeds deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

The Food Deserts Act establishes a grant program providing funds to states to create revolving loan funds for grocery stores in underserved communities. These funds will offer loans to establish new grocery stores or support existing ones, emphasizing the availability of healthful foods at affordable prices. States will prioritize entities that hire locally, offer nutritional education, and source food from local farms. The Act allocates $150 million for fiscal year 2026 to carry out these provisions.

The FAIR Act mandates a 3.3% increase in basic pay for federal employees under statutory pay systems and prevailing rate employees in 2026. Additionally, it increases locality pay for federal employees by 1% in 2026.

The "Rosie the Riveter Commemorative Coin Act" directs the Department of Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar coins in 2028 to honor the women who contributed to the World War II Home Front. The coin designs will represent the legacy of these women, with input from the Rosie the Riveter Trust, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Surcharges from the coin sales will go to the Rosie the Riveter Trust to support the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and educational programs. This act ensures that the coin minting incurs no net cost to the government and recognizes the invaluable contributions of women during WWII.

This bill designates January as "Tamil Language and Heritage Month" to celebrate the history, language, and culture of Tamil people in the United States. It recognizes the contributions of Tamil Americans to the country's diversity and acknowledges the significance of Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival. The bill encourages all Americans to learn more about Tamil American heritage.

The Goldie's Act seeks to strengthen the USDA's enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by mandating annual inspections, requiring humane treatment of suffering animals, and imposing significant penalties for violations. It ensures transparency through mandated sharing of violation records and sets firm guidelines for determining penalties based on the severity and frequency of violations. The Act also enables legal action to recover unpaid penalties and penalizes the disobedience of "cease and desist" orders.

This bill designates January 13th of each year as Korean American Day. It recognizes the important influence, contributions, and sacrifices of Korean Americans in the United States, and celebrates the 122nd anniversary of the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the U.S. The bill encourages all Americans to acknowledge and celebrate the integral role of Korean Americans in strengthening the ties between the United States and the Republic of Korea.

The "Health Care Affordability Act of 2025" expands eligibility for health insurance tax credits by removing the income cap, allowing more individuals and families to qualify for financial assistance. The bill adjusts the premium tax credit calculation, providing a sliding scale based on income to ensure affordability. These changes will apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The GLRI Act of 2025 reauthorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which aims to protect and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem. The act allocates $500 million annually from 2027 through 2031 to support this initiative.

This bill honors the life, achievements, and legacy of Jimmy Carter, recognizing his service as a naval officer, farmer, state senator, Governor, and President. It also acknowledges his post-presidency work promoting peace, democracy, and human rights through the Carter Center, as well as his dedication to Habitat for Humanity. The bill expresses condolences to his family upon his passing and celebrates his lasting impact as a leader and statesman.

The "Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act of 2025" directs the Comptroller General to study and report on the menopause care services provided to veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The report will assess various aspects of VA's menopause care, including access, quality, training, and research. Following the report, the VA Secretary must submit a strategic plan to Congress detailing how the VA will implement the report's recommendations to improve menopause care for veterans.

The Veterans Infertility Treatment Act of 2025 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide infertility treatments, including up to three IVF cycles resulting in a live birth or 10 attempted cycles, to eligible veterans and their partners. It permits the use of donated gametes or embryos with proper consent and covers travel expenses for partners. The Act also defines key terms and requires the VA to issue regulations for implementation within one year, while expanding services to include partners of veterans, regardless of marital status, and the use of donated gametes or embryos in the interim.

The Dental Care for Veterans Act aims to improve veterans' access to dental care by integrating it more closely with other medical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This bill removes specific limitations and updates existing code to allow the Secretary to provide comprehensive dental care, including dentures and appliances. The implementation of these expanded benefits will be phased in over four years, prioritizing veterans based on existing eligibility criteria. Additionally, the bill makes necessary clerical updates to reflect these changes in the U.S. Code.

The "Rural 340B Access Act of 2025" expands the 340B drug discount program to include rural emergency hospitals. To qualify, these hospitals must be owned/operated by a government entity or a non-profit with governmental powers, or have a contract to provide healthcare to low-income individuals ineligible for Medicare/Medicaid. This expansion aims to improve access to affordable medications in rural communities.