Legislative Activity

The Protect Our Hospitals Act aims to restore previous regulations concerning Medicaid provider taxes by repealing a specific section of Public Law 11921. This action effectively nullifies recent changes, returning the rules governing how states tax Medicaid providers to their original status.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals an outdated ban that prevented Medicaid from making payments to certain healthcare providers. This legislation ensures that these previously prohibited entities will now be reimbursed for medical services rendered between the enactment of the original ban and the passage of this Act. In short, it restores payment eligibility and retroactively covers past services.

The Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2025 authorizes $50 million annually for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct or support research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. This dedicated funding is authorized for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2031. This new allocation is separate from and in addition to any existing CDC research funding.

The Protected Time Off Act establishes a federal minimum standard for earned paid annual leave, requiring employers to grant employees at least one hour of paid time off for every 25 hours worked, up to 80 hours annually. This law specifies how leave is accrued, used, and rolled over, while protecting employees from retaliation for exercising these rights. It also ensures that existing state laws or agreements that provide more generous leave benefits remain in effect. Enforcement mechanisms are established, largely mirroring those under the Fair Labor Standards Act, allowing both government investigation and direct employee lawsuits.

This resolution officially supports the designation of the third annual "National Community Health Worker Awareness Week" to recognize the vital role of Community Health Workers (CHWs). It highlights how CHWs serve as trusted cultural bridges connecting diverse communities to essential health and social services. The bill emphasizes the need for sustainable funding to support this proven workforce, which improves health outcomes nationwide.

The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 establishes a structured process for distributing up to 2,000 additional, federally funded residency positions annually between fiscal years 2026 and 2032. This distribution prioritizes hospitals serving in underserved areas, those already training above their limit, and those committed to primary care and general surgery training. The bill also mandates a study and report by the Comptroller General on effective strategies to increase diversity within the health professional workforce.

The Keep Kids Covered Act aims to ensure children maintain continuous health coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for longer periods. This legislation extends continuous eligibility for children under age 19, significantly increasing the duration they remain covered without needing to re-enroll. Furthermore, it grants former foster youth continuous Medicaid eligibility until they turn 26.

The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act prohibits pharmaceutical companies from advertising prescription drugs directly to consumers. This ban applies to any direct-to-consumer advertising conducted within the preceding 30 days for that specific drug. The goal is to immediately stop the promotion of prescription medications to the general public upon the law's enactment.

This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to explicitly clarify that time taken off for an employee's own organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition. This ensures both private and federal sector workers receive FMLA protection for recovery from organ donation. The legislation also specifies how federal employees must substitute existing paid leave when taking FMLA time for this purpose.

This proposed constitutional amendment would eliminate immunity from criminal prosecution for federal officials, including the President, based on their official duties. It also explicitly prohibits the President from issuing a self-pardon for any federal crimes. If ratified, these changes would take effect immediately.

The EACH Act of 2025 aims to ensure equal access to abortion coverage by requiring all federally funded health programs and facilities to cover abortion services. This legislation prohibits federal interference with state or private insurance coverage of abortion and repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate financial and insurance barriers to abortion care, particularly for low-income individuals relying on programs like Medicaid.

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying coverage or increasing premiums solely because an individual is a living organ donor. This legislation ensures that living donors are not financially penalized for their altruistic act. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of HHS to update educational materials to accurately reflect the insurance protections afforded to living donors.

The Innovate to Save Lives Act creates a new 10% tax credit for small businesses conducting qualified research aimed at mitigating threats from specified drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine. This incentive targets research focused on preventing the use of or treating the effects of these dangerous substances. The provision is designed to encourage private sector innovation in combating the ongoing drug crisis.

The Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act establishes strict limitations on the deployment of federal law enforcement and military personnel for domestic crowd control. This bill mandates that all federal personnel involved in such situations must clearly display identifying information, such as their name and agency. Furthermore, it generally restricts their operations to federal property unless specific state and local requests are made or the Insurrection Act is invoked. Agencies must also publicly report details of any deployment within 24 hours.

The Stop NOAA Closures Act places a temporary moratorium on the closure or restriction of access to any National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facilities. This freeze remains in effect until 180 days after key officials submit a required report to Congress detailing the criteria and process for any future facility changes. After the moratorium lifts, any major facility action will still require a 30-day advance notice and justification report to Congress, except in cases of immediate emergency threatening staff safety.

The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025 mandates that employers protect workers from dangerous heat stress by establishing comprehensive safety standards. This Act requires the Secretary of Labor to create evidence-based rules covering engineering controls, administrative procedures, required training, and paid rest breaks to prevent heat-related illness. Furthermore, the law establishes strict enforcement mechanisms, whistleblower protections, and specific timelines for the implementation of these new federal heat protection standards.

The Stop ICE from Kidnapping U.S. Citizens Act strictly prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using any federal funds for civil immigration enforcement activities involving U.S. citizens. Specifically, this bill bans ICE from spending money to detain or transport any citizen of the United States. This measure ensures federal funds are not used to wrongfully target or remove American citizens.

This resolution declares a health and safety emergency disproportionately affecting children due to prior administration directives that promoted fossil fuels and suppressed climate science. Congress asserts that these actions harm children's fundamental rights to life and a stable environment by worsening climate change impacts. The bill demands the current administration cease policies that increase greenhouse gases and restore access to suppressed climate research. Ultimately, it calls for aligning all energy and climate laws with the duty to protect the rights and future of young people.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that extreme weather poses unique and severe threats to the health and well-being of children. It urges that solutions to address these escalating dangers must be rapidly and equitably developed and deployed with children's specific vulnerabilities in mind. The bill calls for prioritizing the physical and mental health needs of children in all future climate adaptation and air quality planning efforts.

This bill, titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act, mandates the Attorney General to release nearly all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days of enactment. The legislation strictly limits the justifications for withholding or redacting documents, prohibiting secrecy based on political sensitivity or potential embarrassment. The only permissible redactions involve victim privacy, child sexual abuse material, or narrowly defined threats to active investigations or national security classifications. Upon completion, the Attorney General must submit a detailed report to Congress listing all released and withheld materials, including an unredacted list of all named government officials.