Legislative Activity

The EXPERTS Act of 2025 aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the federal rulemaking process. It introduces new disclosure requirements for studies submitted during public comment periods and mandates greater public awareness of agency actions. Furthermore, the bill establishes the Office of the Public Advocate to improve public involvement and explicitly requires agencies to consider social equity in their cost-benefit analyses. Finally, it streamlines the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) review timeline and clarifies judicial review standards for agency interpretations.

The Global Respect Act aims to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI individuals worldwide. It mandates the President to identify and report foreign persons responsible for human rights violations against LGBTQI people, leading to their inadmissibility to the United States. Furthermore, the Act requires enhanced tracking and reporting of violence and discrimination targeting individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics in the annual human rights reports.

The End Rent Fixing Act of 2025 prohibits rental property owners from hiring coordinators or engaging in activities that involve collecting, analyzing, or recommending rental prices or terms across multiple properties. This coordinated activity is deemed an unlawful restraint of trade under existing antitrust laws. The bill grants enforcement power to the FTC, the Attorney General, and State Attorneys General, while also allowing injured persons to sue for treble damages. Furthermore, it lowers the pleading standard for civil lawsuits brought under this Act and related antitrust claims.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a prior reconciliation act. This action effectively revives the original laws that were previously amended by the repealed provisions. The bill seeks to revert existing agricultural and food-related statutes to their pre-amendment status.

The Stop Ballroom Bribery Act establishes strict new rules governing donations made for projects related to the White House, Vice President's residence, or related federal monuments. It prohibits accepting donations from individuals or entities currently involved in litigation, seeking federal contracts, or engaging in lobbying activities targeting the executive branch. Furthermore, the bill mandates transparency by requiring disclosure of meetings with high-ranking officials following a donation and imposes significant civil and criminal penalties for violations.

This bill, the International Human Rights Defense Act of 2025, establishes a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Peoples within the Department of State. It codifies U.S. policy to actively combat international criminalization, violence, and discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals worldwide. The legislation also mandates enhanced reporting on these abuses in annual human rights reports and authorizes assistance to support related protection efforts abroad.

The No Payola Act repeals existing Senate notification requirements concerning legal processes related to the disclosure of Senate data. Furthermore, it mandates that any Senator who received funds through a private right of action under the repealed law must return those awarded funds to the Treasury.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the United States officially recognizes the State of Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. It details extensive evidence supporting this finding, including mass casualties, systematic destruction of infrastructure, and severe humanitarian crisis. Consequently, the bill calls for the immediate halt of all U.S. military and financial assistance to Israel until compliance with international court orders is verified. Furthermore, it demands the U.S. use its leverage to support international investigations and ensure robust funding for humanitarian aid through UNRWA.

This resolution designates October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month to highlight the widespread and devastating impact of intimate partner violence across all demographics. It recognizes the urgent need to eliminate domestic violence and supports increased funding for intervention and prevention programs. The resolution underscores the severe physical, emotional, and economic toll this abuse takes on individuals, families, and communities.

This resolution expresses the House's support for recognizing October 26th as Intersex Awareness Day and affirms the goals of the observance. It highlights the reality of natural variations in sex characteristics and strongly condemns nonconsensual, irreversible medical procedures performed on intersex infants and children. The bill encourages federal, state, and local entities to promote awareness, ensure culturally sensitive healthcare, and prioritize the bodily autonomy and human rights of intersex individuals.

This resolution is an official request from the House of Representatives demanding the President promptly transmit specific documents related to government communications during a funding lapse. Congress seeks records detailing directives from the OMB and messaging used by agencies like HUD and Education that explicitly blamed political opponents for a potential shutdown. The inquiry also requires information on whether these communications potentially violated federal rules regarding political activity by government employees.

The FALCON Act of 2025 mandates that federal employees, contractors, and grant recipients must cooperate with requests from an agency's Inspector General (IG) within 60 days. Failure to comply can result in administrative discipline for employees or adverse actions for contractors, as determined by the agency head. The IG must report any non-compliance to Congress and the relevant agency head within 30 days of determination. This legislation strengthens oversight by ensuring timely access to information for internal watchdogs.

The BALL Act, or White House Building Activities Locked-out in Lapse Act, prohibits the use of federal funds for any construction or renovation projects at the White House or its grounds during a government shutdown caused by a lapse in appropriations. This spending ban remains in effect until new funding is enacted. The only exception allows for work deemed immediately necessary for health or safety reasons.

The Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act of 2025 aims to solidify the foundational support for the Head Start program, recognizing its vital role in early childhood development. This bill permanently establishes the structure and staffing levels of the Office of Head Start, including its 12 regional offices, as they existed before January 20, 2025. The legislation strictly limits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from altering this established structure or reducing staff without specific Congressional notification procedures. Ultimately, the Act ensures the consistent delivery of essential educational and support services to eligible children and families nationwide.

This bill, the White House NOT FOR SALE Act, prohibits placing any individual's or organization's name on permanent or semi-permanent displays within the White House or its grounds without express approval from both the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House. This approval process requires consultation with the White House Curator and the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. However, displays that qualify as "commemorative works" are governed by existing federal law instead.

This bill mandates that the House of Representatives must convene daily during a government shutdown, limiting their ability to adjourn. It requires recorded quorum calls on session days, imposing escalating fines on members who fail to check in electronically for two consecutive days. These fines must be paid by the member personally, with procedures established for appeals and automatic salary deduction for non-payment.

This resolution expresses deep concern over the growing trend of book banning and threats to freedom of expression in U.S. schools and libraries. It asserts that such censorship undermines democratic values and harms students by restricting access to diverse ideas and histories. The bill urges local entities to follow best practices for book challenges and calls for the immediate reinstatement of books removed from Department of Defense schools. Ultimately, it reaffirms the nation's commitment to First Amendment rights and the freedom to read.

The National Gun Violence Research Act of 2025 aims to significantly increase federal research into the causes, consequences, and prevention of gun violence. This bill repeals previous restrictions that limited data collection and research by agencies like the ATF, CDC, and NIH. It establishes a new National Gun Violence Research Program to coordinate efforts, fund grants through agencies like the NSF and HHS, and develop voluntary safety standards through NIST.

The Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 ensures that employees of federal contractors are compensated for losses incurred due to government funding lapses or shutdowns. It requires federal agencies to adjust existing contracts to cover reasonable costs associated with furloughs, pay cuts, or mandatory leave taken by contractor employees. The bill appropriates necessary funds to cover these contract price adjustments and mandates public reporting on the compensation provided.

The Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2025 establishes a new federal program to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed mental health services and supports in schools through grants and contracts. These funds will support partnerships to implement awareness campaigns, staff training on trauma and suicide risk, and direct student and family treatment. The Secretary must ensure equitable distribution of funding, which is capped at \$2 million per award, with Congress authorized to appropriate \$300 million annually for the initial years.