Legislative Activity

The Youth Workforce Readiness Act of 2025 establishes a competitive grant program to fund national organizations in developing comprehensive, out-of-school workforce readiness programs for youth aged 6 to 18. This Act aims to boost employment opportunities by connecting youth education and training with employer needs through community partnerships. Furthermore, it strengthens youth voices by mandating the reestablishment and integration of Youth Councils within local workforce boards to advise on training and readiness initiatives.

The You Earned It, You Keep It Act eliminates federal income tax on Social Security benefits while ensuring trust funds remain whole through Treasury appropriations. Starting in 2026, the bill significantly alters the Social Security payroll tax cap for high earners, introducing a new $\$250,000$ threshold for both wage taxation and benefit calculation. Furthermore, it adjusts the benefit formula for future retirees by adding a small bonus based on earnings above $\$250,000$, while protecting access to needs-based programs like SSI and Medicaid.

The Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act aims to strengthen federal nutrition programs for children by clarifying eligibility rules for for-profit childcare centers and mandating a comprehensive review of serious deficiency processes to ensure fairness and reduce unnecessary state-level burdens. The bill also adjusts meal reimbursement limits, updates inflation tracking for program costs, and establishes an advisory committee to drastically reduce paperwork and modernize administrative requirements for providers. These changes seek to streamline operations, improve consistency, and better support child care providers participating in federal meal programs.

The Defend American Manufacturing Act ensures the continued operation of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) beyond 2024 by mandating the Secretary of Commerce to renew and award grants to MEP centers annually. This legislation also amends the NIST Act to convert a previously optional action for NIST into a mandatory requirement. Overall, the bill strengthens support for domestic manufacturing infrastructure.

This resolution supports the designation of April 10th as "Dolores Huerta Day" to honor her legacy as a trailblazing labor and civil rights leader. It recognizes her foundational work co-founding the United Farm Workers and her lifelong fight for economic justice, workers' rights, and equality. The bill formally celebrates her accomplishments without creating new laws or programs.

The Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2025 significantly enhances federal protections for election records, papers, and voting equipment by mandating their preservation and establishing new security standards developed by CISA. The bill also strengthens penalties for officials who recklessly disregard these preservation rules and creates a new mechanism for judicial review to swiftly enforce compliance. Furthermore, it criminalizes the intimidation or harassment of election workers during the critical processes of vote tabulation, canvassing, and certification.

The Expanding Access to Family Planning Act establishes a dedicated Title X Clinic Fund managed by HHS to ensure stable, increased national funding for family planning services. This legislation allocates \$512 million annually for ten years toward services and an additional \$50 million yearly for facility improvements. Furthermore, the bill mandates that any clinic receiving this funding must provide neutral, non-directive counseling on all pregnancy options—prenatal care, infant care/adoption, and termination—if the patient requests information.

The American Family Act fundamentally overhauls the Child Tax Credit by replacing the annual lump sum with a system of advance, refundable monthly payments delivered directly to families. These monthly allowances vary based on the child's age, with higher amounts provided for younger children. The bill also establishes a separate, smaller credit for other dependents and outlines procedures for annual renewal and reconciliation of advance payments when filing taxes.

The Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act of 2025 prevents Congress from using the budget reconciliation process to cut funding or eligibility for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This protection establishes a significant procedural roadblock against reducing benefits for these essential social programs. However, this restriction is temporary and is set to expire on January 20, 2029.

The PEER Support Act aims to formally recognize and strengthen the profession of peer support specialists who use their lived experience to help others in recovery. The bill establishes a new Office of Recovery within SAMHSA, led by an individual with lived recovery experience. Furthermore, it mandates the official classification of peer support specialist roles in the federal job system and directs a review of state criminal background check processes for these specialists.

The Pecos Watershed Protection Act withdraws specific federal lands in New Mexico from future mining and leasing to protect the watershed. It also officially designates approximately 11,599 acres of Forest Service land as the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area, managed under the Wilderness Act. Existing valid rights, including pre-existing grazing, are preserved within both the withdrawn area and the new wilderness.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 updates federal housing tax credit allocations to reflect current economic realities and boosts minimum state allotments. It reforms tenant eligibility rules to stabilize tenancy and enhance protections for vulnerable residents, including victims of abuse. The bill also provides disaster relief for property owners, increases incentives for housing the extremely low-income, and directs greater resources toward Native American and rural housing needs. Finally, it streamlines administrative processes and signals a future focus on data transparency and discouraging restrictive local zoning.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 establishes a phased increase of the federal minimum wage, culminating in a \$17.00 per hour rate five years after enactment, followed by automatic annual adjustments tied to median wage growth. This bill also phases out the lower minimum wage for tipped employees and workers under 20, ensuring they eventually earn the standard federal minimum wage. Furthermore, it sets a schedule to eliminate subminimum wages for individuals with disabilities and prohibits the issuance of new special certificates allowing for lower pay.

The Tax Fairness for Workers Act restores key federal tax deductions for employees, effective after 2024. This legislation makes union dues fully deductible "above the line," meaning they reduce Adjusted Gross Income without itemizing. Additionally, it allows itemizers to deduct certain other job-related business expenses that were previously limited.

The IDEA Full Funding Act establishes mandatory, increasing funding levels for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs through fiscal year 2035. This legislation sets specific appropriation targets based on student counts and national average spending to ensure greater financial support for special education services. Furthermore, the bill requires that these new IDEA appropriations adhere to "cut-as-you-go" budget offset rules.

The Youth Mental Health Research Act establishes a new, coordinated research initiative led by the NIMH Director to improve understanding and treatment of youth mental health. This effort will focus on building resilience, improving early identification, and enhancing the accessibility of mental health care in community settings. The Act authorizes $100 million in funding annually through fiscal year 2030 to support this vital research.

This resolution officially recognizes and supports the goals of Social Work Month and World Social Work Day, honoring the vital contributions of social workers nationwide. It highlights their essential role in promoting health, social justice, and community well-being across various critical sectors. While not creating new law, the document emphasizes the immense value and growing need for these professionals in addressing national challenges. Ultimately, Congress is expressing gratitude and encouraging public awareness of the social work profession.

The Arts Education for All Act aims to elevate the status and accessibility of arts education across the entire educational spectrum. It mandates evidence-based training for early childhood providers, requires states to integrate arts education into core academic planning and public reporting, and authorizes the use of the arts in juvenile and adult offender reentry programs. Furthermore, the bill directs federal research agencies to study the impact of the arts and restores arts assessment to the national testing schedule.

The Transgender Health Care Access Act aims to improve access to gender-affirming care by addressing critical gaps in medical education and provider capacity. The bill establishes grant programs to develop and implement comprehensive training curricula for medical professionals across various settings, including rural areas. Furthermore, it provides funding to expand the ability of community health centers to deliver culturally competent and necessary care to transgender individuals. Ultimately, this legislation seeks to ensure that healthcare providers are adequately trained and equipped to meet the medical needs of the transgender population.

The Abortion Care Awareness Act of 2025 mandates the creation of a national public health campaign by the Secretary of HHS to educate the public on accessing abortion and related health services legally and safely. This campaign must provide medically accurate information on care options, including telehealth and medication abortion, while also teaching people how to recognize disinformation and protect their health data. The effort must be culturally competent and accessible to underserved communities, explicitly prohibiting the promotion of misinformation or abstinence-only programs.