Legislative Activity

This bill designates May 5-9, 2025, as "Teacher Appreciation Week," recognizing the contributions of public school teachers and their support for various educational initiatives. It acknowledges teachers' dedication to improving education through innovative methods and emphasizes the importance of their involvement in shaping education policies. The bill encourages leaders to engage with teachers, ensuring their insights are included in classroom policies.

The HAVEN Act aims to expand housing access and affordability by adjusting rental payment calculations, extending funding for key housing programs, and adding "lawful source of income" as a protected category under the Fair Housing Act. It establishes a housing navigation grant program to assist families in finding suitable housing and mandates the use of small area fair market rents for the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The act also expands the Housing Choice Voucher Program by allocating additional vouchers and ensuring eligible families are entitled to assistance. Finally, it directs HUD to factor in approval speed for families and landlords under the Section 8 Management Assessment Program.

The HEROES Act amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. It defines eligibility criteria for volunteer firefighters and EMTs based on service and requires the Secretary of Education to establish regulations, in consultation with public safety groups, to determine minimum volunteer hours and verification methods for loan forgiveness eligibility.

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to mandate that all covered immigration officers, including those from Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, display clear and visible identification on their uniforms during enforcement actions. The identification must include the agency name in a specified size and cannot be obscured by other uniform items. This aims to ensure transparency and accountability during immigration enforcement activities.

This resolution urges the Secretary of Health and Human Services to withdraw a notice that reduces public input on rulemaking. It expresses the House of Representatives' desire to maintain existing public notice and comment procedures. The resolution aims to ensure continued public participation in the regulatory process of the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury selection. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act seeks to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals and women across various sectors.

The "Mortgage Relief for Disaster Survivors Act" allows homeowners with federally backed mortgages who have property damage from a declared disaster to request a forbearance on their mortgage for up to 180 days, with a possible extension of another 180 days. During this forbearance period, no fees, penalties, or interest will accrue. Borrowers must submit a written request and documentation of damage to their loan servicer to qualify. This act aims to provide financial relief to disaster survivors by temporarily suspending mortgage payments.

The Housing for All Act of 2025 aims to combat homelessness and address the housing shortage through increased funding for affordable housing programs, rental assistance, and supportive services. The bill authorizes billions in funding for programs like the Housing Trust Fund, Section 202 (elderly), Section 811 (disabled), and HOME Investment Partnerships Program. It also invests in community-driven solutions like safe parking programs, eviction protection, and mobile crisis intervention teams. Additionally, the act establishes a commission to address racial equity in housing and mandates studies on eviction data to inform future policy.

The Deafblind DATA Act requires the Director of the Bureau of the Census to submit a report to Congress on the feasibility of publishing a table and expanding data collection on individuals with combined hearing and vision loss in the American Community Survey. Starting in 2026, the Director must publish a table annually summarizing American Community Survey respondents who identify as both deaf and blind, including demographic and socioeconomic data, sorted by state. The Director must ensure that no personally identifiable information is published.

The Disaster Relief Transparency Act requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to report to Congress on the allocation methods of Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery and mitigation funds. This report will detail how funds are distributed to States, Tribes, Territories, and local governments, explain variations in allocations, and recommend improvements for consistency and timeliness. The initial report, covering fiscal years 2024 and 2025, is due within 90 days of the Act's enactment, with subsequent annual reports due by the end of each fiscal year starting in 2026.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to limit consumer reporting agencies from sharing credit report information when a person requests a credit report for a residential mortgage loan. Consumer reporting agencies can only furnish this information if the entity has a firm offer of credit or insurance, has the consumer's authorization, or has an existing relationship with the consumer as a mortgage lender, servicer, or financial institution. This act aims to protect consumers' privacy during the home buying process by limiting the amount of entities that get access to their credit information. The changes will take effect 180 days after the Act is enacted.

The "Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act" aims to improve mental health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups by increasing funding for research, training, and outreach programs. It directs the National Institutes of Health to study mental health disparities, promotes culturally competent healthcare practices, and requires the development of a national outreach strategy to raise awareness and improve access to mental health services within these communities. The Act authorizes increased funding for various programs and research initiatives to address mental health disparities.

This bill extends the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) financing authority and program expiration date to December 31, 2026. It ensures the continuation of the NFIP, allowing it to continue providing flood insurance coverage to communities.

The SOAR Act of 2025 aims to improve access to supplemental oxygen therapy for Medicare beneficiaries by removing oxygen equipment from competitive bidding programs, establishing fair payment rates, and ensuring access to respiratory therapists. It mandates specific service standards for oxygen suppliers, requires electronic templates for documenting medical necessity to prevent fraud, and restores clinical inference in claim reviews. The act also establishes a series of beneficiary rights, including the right to choose suppliers, receive clear communication, and have faulty equipment repaired or replaced promptly. Finally, the Act requires annual and monthly notices to beneficiaries regarding their benefits and cost-sharing responsibilities.

The American Family Act establishes a refundable child tax credit with monthly advance payments, providing up to $300 per month per child, and creates a $500 tax credit for other dependents. The amount of the credit is reduced based on the taxpayer's income, with initial reductions starting at $150,000 for joint returns. The IRS will make monthly advance payments and establish an online portal for taxpayers to manage their payments and provide necessary information. This act terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024 and aims to provide regular financial support to families.

This bill recognizes the 159th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the first federal law defining citizenship and ensuring equal legal protection. It acknowledges the act's importance in counteracting discriminatory laws and its influence on subsequent constitutional amendments. The bill emphasizes the need to uphold the rule of law to protect the rights of all Americans.

The "CATCH Fentanyl Act" directs the Department of Homeland Security to launch pilot projects at land ports of entry to test new technologies, including AI, for detecting contraband, illegal drugs, weapons, and human smuggling in vehicles and cargo. It requires detailed reports to Congress on the technologies' effectiveness, costs, and impact on privacy and civil liberties, while also outlining plans for broader implementation and protecting personal data. The Act emphasizes using existing resources, prohibiting new funding appropriations for these activities.

The "Raise the Wage Act of 2025" aims to increase the federal minimum wage to $17.00 per hour over five years, after which it will be annually adjusted based on the median hourly wage of all employees. The bill also gradually raises the minimum wage for tipped employees until it matches the standard minimum wage, while ensuring they retain all tips. Additionally, it increases and then eliminates the subminimum wage for newly hired employees under 20 and individuals with disabilities, promoting fair wages for all workers.

The End Kidney Deaths Act introduces a $10,000 per year tax credit for five years, up to $50,000, for individuals who make a qualified non-directed living kidney donation, where the donor does not know the recipient. This credit aims to incentivize kidney donations and will not be considered valuable consideration in violation of organ purchase prohibitions. The Act applies to donations made after December 31, 2026, and before January 1, 2037.

The "Protect America's Workforce Act" nullifies a 2025 executive order that limited federal labor-management relations programs. It prevents the enforcement of the executive order and prohibits the use of federal funds for its implementation. Additionally, the bill ensures the validity of existing collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and labor organizations until their original expiration dates.