Legislative Activity

The Teachers Are Leaders Act of 2025 updates the Teacher Leader Development Program to enhance the training and focus of teacher leaders in high-need schools. This legislation mandates intensive, credential-earning professional development for selected educators who will focus on improving student achievement and instructional practices. The bill also establishes clear criteria for teacher leader selection and outlines how grant funds can support their multi-year development and ongoing mentorship.

The Transit Funding Flexibility Act amends federal law to allow Urbanized Area Formula grant funds to be used more flexibly for public transportation operating costs. It removes specific population-based restrictions on grant eligibility. Crucially, recipients must now annually certify they will maintain their local spending effort for federally funded equipment and facilities, or face a mandatory 13% reduction in future federal funding.

The American Decade of Sports Act establishes a "Mega-Decade Sports Diplomacy Strategy" to leverage major international sporting events hosted in the U.S. between 2024 and 2034 to enhance America's global standing. This requires the State Department to create comprehensive 5-year plans detailing diplomatic goals, partnerships, and visa facilitation efforts. Furthermore, the Act mandates the creation of a dedicated Office of Sports Diplomacy to coordinate and execute these strategy objectives across government and private sectors. The Secretary of State must provide annual progress reports to Congress on the implementation of these goals until the end of 2034.

The Greyhound Protection Act of 2025 seeks to end commercial greyhound racing and related cruel training practices nationwide by October 1, 2027. This legislation bans all forms of wagering on greyhound races and prohibits the use of live animals for training or coursing events. Violators face significant fines and potential imprisonment under the strengthened Animal Welfare Act. The bill reflects concerns over widespread animal injuries, drug use, and inhumane confinement within the declining industry.

The Safe Air on Airplanes Act mandates the phase-out of "bleed air systems" in new aircraft designs to improve cabin air quality. This legislation requires the FAA to ban these systems in future aircraft designs within six months. For existing aircraft designs still in production, the bill requires the installation of specialized filters within seven years, followed by a 30-year timeline for completely eliminating bleed air systems from newly manufactured planes.

The Enduring Welcome Act of 2025 establishes a permanent Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts within the State Department to streamline and support the resettlement of Afghan allies. This Act mandates the creation of a secure, centralized database to track all applicants, beneficiaries, and relocation progress, ensuring accountability to Congress. The Coordinator will manage interagency efforts, resolve family reunification roadblocks, and provide integration support for covered persons. This entire framework is set to automatically expire five years after enactment unless otherwise specified.

The Violent Antisemitism Threat Assessment Act mandates the Secretary of Defense to produce a comprehensive report by March 20, 2026. This report must detail the threat posed by violent antisemitism when integrated within transnational extremist movements. It will specifically analyze antisemitic ideology, related violence, propaganda, and the resulting danger to U.S. persons and interests globally.

The Connected Maternal Online Monitoring (Connected MOM) Act aims to improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women on Medicaid by examining and addressing barriers to state coverage for remote physiologic monitoring devices. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must report to Congress on current state coverage rules and suggest improvements for utilizing these monitoring tools. Following the report, federal resources provided to states must be updated to reflect the recommended best practices for covering remote maternal health monitoring.

The Tick Identification Pilot Program Act of 2025 establishes a pilot program to provide grants to states for creating electronic tick identification services. These state programs will allow residents to submit photos of ticks for review by qualified biologists within 72 hours. The goal is to rapidly inform the public about the tick species, potential disease risk, and necessary next steps to combat tick-borne illnesses.

The Battling Infections Transmitted by Ticks and Exposure (BITE) Act establishes a comprehensive national system to prevent vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease. This system will utilize AI-driven early warning alerts, expert identification services, and real-time monitoring of insurance claims and symptoms. A key goal of the Act is to support efforts to reduce Lyme disease cases by 25% by 2035.

The Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act directs the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special semipostal stamp to raise funds for Lyme disease research. All proceeds from the sale of this stamp will be directed to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This measure aims to support research into tick-borne illnesses, acknowledging the significant public health and financial burden of Lyme disease in the United States.

The Apprenticeships for Small Businesses Act of 2025 establishes a new Career and Technical Education Credit to support small businesses. This credit allows eligible employers to claim up to $10,000 annually based on 50% of qualified wages and workers' compensation costs for employees under 21 or those in approved training programs. The goal is to incentivize small businesses to invest in the training and development of young or newly skilled workers.

The Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 aims to incentivize keeping customer service jobs in the U.S. by penalizing companies that move call centers overseas with loss of federal grants and contracts. The bill also mandates transparency, requiring businesses to disclose an agent's physical location or the use of AI during customer service communications. Furthermore, it ensures that all call center work performed under a federal contract must be completed within the United States.

The Public Utility Remediation and Enhancement for Water Act establishes a new federal grant program administered by the EPA to help public wastewater treatment plants upgrade facilities. These grants specifically target the planning, design, and construction needed to treat or eliminate emerging contaminants like PFAS chemicals. The federal government will cover at least 75% of eligible project costs to improve water quality.

The BIS IT Modernization Act mandates a comprehensive overhaul of the Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) technology systems through fiscal year 2030. This modernization aims to leverage advanced tools like AI and data analysis to speed up export licensing and enhance supply chain tracking. The goal is to improve national security by better identifying and tracking entities involved in illicit trade, particularly concerning adversaries like China and Russia. Ultimately, the Act requires a unified, secure IT environment to boost efficiency and data sharing capabilities across government and industry partners.

The Growing Opportunities in Agriculture Act (GO Ag Act) establishes a new competitive grant program to fund the creation of innovative, high-quality agricultural education programs in high schools. These grants, limited to $100,000 per entity, are intended to develop new curricula, support work-based learning, and fund leadership training. Recipients must report annually on program performance, with a total authorization of $5 million through FY 2028.

The Quantum Encryption Readiness and Resilience Act mandates a comprehensive review of the cybersecurity and national security risks posed by advanced quantum computers. It requires the establishment of a detailed risk mitigation plan focusing on the adoption of post-quantum cryptography across federal agencies and critical economic sectors. The bill also directs regular follow-up reports to Congress tracking the progress of these essential security upgrades.

The Providing for Unhoused People and Pets Act of 2025 (PUPP Act) establishes a grant program to fund the creation and upgrading of interim and permanent housing that accommodates unhoused individuals along with their pets. Managed jointly by the Secretaries of Agriculture and HUD, these grants support construction, renovation, and essential pet-related operating costs. Grantees must ensure housing provides necessary supportive services for occupants and basic veterinary care for their companion animals.

The Plastic Health Research Act aims to significantly increase federal research into the health effects of plastic exposure, including microplastics and nanoplastics. It mandates the expansion of existing research programs and the establishment of specialized Centers of Excellence to develop standardized testing methods and assess health risks. The bill requires annual reporting to Congress on research progress and authorizes dedicated funding through fiscal year 2030 for these initiatives.

The Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act mandates that Members of Congress and their immediate families divest from or place specific stock holdings into qualified blind trusts to prevent conflicts of interest. The bill also establishes new civil penalties for failing to comply with existing stock trading disclosure laws (the STOCK Act). Furthermore, it requires that congressional financial disclosure forms be made publicly available online in a searchable, machine-readable format.