Legislative Activity

This resolution designates May 4-10, 2025, as Public Service Recognition Week, honoring public servants at the federal, state, and local levels, including uniformed service members, for their dedication and contributions to the United States. It recognizes the wide range of crucial services they provide and expresses gratitude for their commitment to the nation's welfare, security, and ideals. The resolution also encourages promoting public service careers and remembering those who died in service.

This resolution recognizes May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the significant contributions of these communities to the history and culture of the United States. It acknowledges key historical milestones and achievements, while also addressing past discrimination and ongoing challenges faced by these communities. The resolution aims to honor the diverse heritage and resilience of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, highlighting their importance in enriching and strengthening the nation.

This resolution supports the designation of May 4-10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week". It recognizes the significant role of over 34.5 million small businesses in the U.S. that contribute to the economy and provide over 59 million jobs. The resolution celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit, achievements, and resilience of small business owners and their employees.

The "Building Ships in America Act of 2025" introduces several tax incentives and modifications to support the U.S. maritime industry. It establishes a "United States Vessel Investment Credit" for investments in U.S.-built vessels, excludes certain maritime security payments from gross income, and eliminates restrictions on domestic operations for qualifying vessels. The act also provides tax credits for shipyard facility construction, modifies incentives for merchant marine capital construction funds, and exempts student incentive payments from gross income. Additionally, it extends fuel tax exemptions and treats maritime prosperity zones as opportunity zones to further stimulate investment in the sector.

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 service. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits. 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 aims to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ individuals and women across various aspects of life.

This resolution supports National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2025 and aims to increase awareness of the dangers of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, particularly among young people. It acknowledges the alarming rise in fentanyl-related deaths and supports efforts to combat the spread of these deadly pills. The resolution designates April 29, 2025, as National Fentanyl Awareness Day.

This resolution designates the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week" to recognize the importance of national parks for recreation, education, and economic contributions. It encourages people to visit and support these parks while acknowledging the role of the National Park Service in protecting these resources for future generations.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to limit consumer reporting agencies from providing consumer reports to other entities for credit transactions involving residential mortgage loans. Exceptions are made for firm offers of credit or insurance, authorized access, or if the entity currently originates or services the consumer's mortgage, or is an insured depository institution or credit union holding a current account for the consumer. The act will take effect 180 days after enactment.

The Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act of 2025 makes the adoption tax credit refundable, allowing more families to benefit from it regardless of their tax liability. It also streamlines the process for verifying legal adoptions through standardized affidavits. These changes apply to taxable years after December 31, 2024, with provisions to carry forward any excess credit from the previous year.

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 modifies the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by increasing the amount of expenses that can be claimed, adjusting the income phase-out ranges, and making the credit refundable. The bill increases the dollar limit on creditable expenses to $8,000 for one qualifying individual and $16,000 for two or more. It also adjusts the income level at which the credit begins to phase out and indexes it to inflation.

The Trade Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2025 retroactively reauthorizes trade adjustment assistance programs for workers, firms, and farmers that expired on June 30, 2021, through December 31, 2031. It directs the Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Commerce to reconsider and certify certain groups of workers and firms who were previously denied certification between July 1, 2021 and the enactment date, if they meet the eligibility requirements as of the enactment date. The bill also outlines eligibility for benefits and extends funding for training and reemployment programs.

The Clean Cloud Act of 2025 amends the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from large data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities ("covered facilities") by collecting data on their energy consumption and sources, establishing emissions performance standards based on regional grid baselines, and assessing fees for exceeding those baselines. Revenue from these fees will fund program administration, grants to lower residential electricity costs, and incentives for zero-carbon electricity generation and energy storage. The Act mandates public disclosure of facility-specific energy and emissions data while protecting confidential business information.

The "Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025" establishes an Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence, composed of federal department heads, victims of gun violence, and victim assistance professionals. The council will survey victims and professionals to identify needs, review existing programs, assess compensation fund administration, and promote resources and best practices. It will also provide resources to help victims of gun violence with medical, financial, mental health, and legal needs, and will submit reports to Congress and the public with recommendations for additional support. No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.

This resolution recognizes April 2025 as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, reaffirming the Senate's commitment to preventing sexual violence, supporting survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable. It highlights the prevalence and impact of sexual assault, referencing statistics on its widespread occurrence and the challenges faced by survivors, while also acknowledging the critical role of various organizations and professionals in addressing this issue. The resolution encourages education, prevention, improved treatment, and increased prosecution to combat sexual violence.

The American Family Act establishes a new, fully refundable monthly child tax credit, providing monthly allowances to eligible families with children. It creates a system for monthly advance payments of the child tax credit, administered by the Secretary, and includes income limitations and eligibility criteria. The Act also provides a credit for certain other dependents and terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024. This aims to provide regular financial support to families with children, reducing child poverty and enhancing economic stability.

The "Expanding Access to Family Planning Act" aims to increase investment in family planning clinics by establishing the Title X Clinic Fund, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. The fund will provide significant annual appropriations for grants, contracts, and infrastructure improvements for Title X clinics from 2026 through 2035. The act ensures that all pregnancy counseling is nondirective, offering patients comprehensive information on all options, including prenatal care, adoption, and pregnancy termination.

The "Tax Cut for Workers Act of 2025" expands the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for individuals without qualifying children by lowering the minimum age, eliminating the maximum age, and increasing credit and phaseout percentages. It also makes permanent the application of the EITC to U.S. possessions and allows taxpayers to elect to use prior year earned income when calculating the EITC if it results in a larger credit. These changes aim to provide additional tax relief to low- and moderate-income workers.

The Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, receipt, or possession of devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into machine guns. It requires individuals who legally owned modified firearms before the enactment of the BUMP Act to register them. The act amends both title 18 of the U.S. Code and the Internal Revenue Code to include these devices under the regulatory scope of machine guns.

The Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act amends Title 18 to restrict the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, receipt, or possession of specific gas-operated semi-automatic firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices (over 10 rounds), with exceptions for governmental agencies, Atomic Energy Act licensees, firearms legally owned prior to enactment, and transfers to immediate family members. The bill also allows Byrne grants to be used for buy-back programs for gas-operated semi-automatic firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices. It also directs the Attorney General to publish a list of prohibited firearms, establishes an application and appeals process for manufacturers, creates a Firearm Safety Trust Fund, and sets penalties for violations.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees and supervisory employees. It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine if each state's laws substantially provide these rights; if not, the Authority will administer collective bargaining rights in that state. The Act outlines the rights of public employees and employers, including the right to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities, and prohibits lockouts and strikes that would disrupt emergency or public safety services. This law does not invalidate existing collective bargaining agreements and certifications and includes exceptions for certain state laws and political subdivisions.