Legislative Activity

The Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 2025 is a legislative update designed to modernize the Internal Revenue Code by ensuring gender-neutral language is used when referencing married taxpayers and their spouses. This bill systematically replaces outdated gendered terms like "husband and wife" or "his" with inclusive terms such as "married couple" and "spouse." The changes are purely linguistic, ensuring consistency across tax rules without altering any existing tax liabilities or deductions.

This resolution expresses the Senate's support for the rights and freedoms of LGBTQI+ individuals across the United States. It recognizes key Supreme Court victories that advanced equality while acknowledging the ongoing need for federal legislation to combat discrimination. The bill specifically supports designating June 26th as "LGBTQI+ Equality Day" to commemorate these legal milestones.

The Refund Equality Act of 2025 extends the deadline for certain legally married couples to amend past tax returns filed separately before September 16, 2013, based on Revenue Ruling 2013-17. This allows these couples to now file jointly for those years, extending the statute of limitations for filing the joint return and claiming related refunds or credits. These extensions are strictly limited to changes resulting from recognizing their marital status for federal tax purposes.

The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025 establishes a federal right to access abortion services without facing state-imposed restrictions that are not medically necessary for comparable procedures. This Act prohibits states from enacting targeted regulations that create hurdles for abortion access, protects the right to travel out of state for care, and allows individuals and the Attorney General to sue to enforce these protections. Ultimately, the bill aims to ensure equitable access to reproductive healthcare decisions based on a provider's good-faith medical judgment.

This resolution formally condemns the recent surge in antisemitic attacks across the United States, citing specific tragedies in Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado. It acknowledges the widespread celebration of this violence online and highlights alarming statistics showing the dramatic increase in religiously motivated hate crimes against Jewish Americans. Ultimately, the Senate reaffirms its commitment to fighting antisemitism as a threat to American democracy.

The Wall Street Tax Act of 2025 establishes a new federal tax on covered financial trading transactions involving securities and derivatives. This transaction tax rate will gradually increase from 0.02 percent in 2026 to 0.1 percent by 2030. The responsibility for paying the tax falls on exchanges, brokers, or the involved parties, depending on how the trade is executed. The bill also includes specific rules for foreign corporations and provides detailed definitions and exceptions for what constitutes a taxable security or derivative.

This concurrent resolution expresses Congress's strong support and deep appreciation for America's law enforcement professionals. It recognizes the increasing dangers, high trauma exposure, and current staffing shortages facing officers nationwide. The resolution calls for enhanced safety measures, better resources, increased penalties for assaulting officers, and improved mental health support for law enforcement personnel. Ultimately, it urges all levels of government to provide the necessary support for officers to effectively protect their communities.

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025 secures dedicated funding for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative through fiscal year 2029 and beyond. This bill authorizes the Secretary to allocate increasing amounts, starting at \$25 million in 2025 and stabilizing at \$50 million annually from 2029 onward. The funding will be sourced from the Commodity Credit Corporation.

This resolution reaffirms the United States' commitment to the safety and well-being of refugees and displaced persons globally, recognizing the severity of the current worldwide displacement crisis. It strongly advocates for upholding U.S. legal and moral obligations by restoring and strengthening the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and full asylum protections. The measure specifically calls on federal leaders to reverse recent restrictive policies that have suspended refugee admissions and limited access to protection. Ultimately, this statement urges the U.S. to resume its leadership role in humanitarian aid and international refugee resettlement efforts.

This Senate resolution formally condemns the recent rise in ideologically motivated attacks against Jewish individuals and institutions across the United States, specifically citing the violent assault in Boulder, Colorado. It reaffirms the Senate's commitment to combating antisemitism and all forms of politically motivated violence. The resolution calls for thorough investigation and prosecution of such acts, upholding the right of all citizens to live without fear of religious or political intimidation.

The Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency Savings (MORE Savings) Act aims to increase access to evidence-based opioid treatments by testing the elimination of Medicare cost-sharing for these services in select states. It also mandates that private health plans eliminate cost-sharing for essential opioid medications, behavioral health services, and recovery support. Finally, the bill enhances federal Medicaid matching funds for medication-assisted treatment and allows states to cover related recovery support services.

The HCBS Relief Act of 2025 significantly increases federal Medicaid funding for states that commit to improving their Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) programs. This temporary boost requires states to use the extra funds to raise provider reimbursement rates, increase worker compensation, and expand access to services for eligible individuals. States must ensure this new federal money supplements, rather than replaces, existing state spending on HCBS.

This Act mandates the relocation of the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the end of 2026. The Secretary of Energy must complete this move despite any conflicting federal regulations regarding office locations. Furthermore, the Secretary is required to report to Congress one year after the move detailing employee attrition related to the relocation and its impact on labor negotiations.

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act of 2025 establishes a competitive grant program managed by the Secretary of HUD to revitalize severely distressed neighborhoods marked by extreme poverty. Grantees must submit comprehensive transformation plans focused on improving housing, fostering economic self-sufficiency, and coordinating community services. A core requirement of the Act is the one-for-one replacement of any public or assisted housing units demolished as part of the revitalization effort. The law also mandates robust resident involvement and guarantees displaced residents the right to return to the newly developed housing.

The Medicare and Medicaid Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025 expands essential healthcare coverage under both programs. This bill mandates that Medicare begin covering routine dental, vision, and hearing services, including hearing aids, through a phased-in payment schedule reaching 80% coverage by the eighth year. Additionally, it increases the federal matching rate to 90% for states covering these specific dental, vision, and hearing services for certain adults under Medicaid. These comprehensive changes aim to integrate crucial preventative and restorative care into federal health programs.

The Disaster Relief Medicaid Act establishes a temporary, simplified Medicaid pathway for survivors of federally declared disasters, effective January 1, 2027. This pathway provides two years of coverage with relaxed income verification rules, ensuring immediate access to necessary healthcare. The bill also mandates 100% federal funding for these services and supports state efforts to rapidly deploy medical assistance and home care teams following a disaster. Finally, it adjusts Medicare enrollment rules to prevent penalties for survivors delayed by the disaster period.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act restricts how consumer reporting agencies can share your credit report when you are seeking a residential mortgage loan. Specifically, it limits the sharing of these reports unless they are connected to a firm offer of credit or are being sent to parties directly involved in your current mortgage, such as the originator or servicer. This ensures that your sensitive financial information is only accessed by relevant parties during the home loan process.

The Protect IVF Act establishes a federal right to access fertility treatments, such as IVF, based on widely accepted medical standards. It prohibits states from enacting or enforcing rules that create unnecessary roadblocks or conflict with these established medical practices. The law empowers individuals, providers, and insurers to sue to strike down restrictive state laws that interfere with evidence-based fertility care. Ultimately, this Act ensures that decisions regarding fertility treatment remain between patients and their doctors, overriding conflicting state regulations.

The Court Legal Access and Student Support Act of 2025 (CLASS Act) prohibits institutions of higher education receiving federal aid from forcing students into mandatory arbitration or waiving their right to sue the school in court. This legislation exempts student enrollment agreements from federal arbitration requirements, ensuring students retain the ability to pursue legal claims against their institutions. These new provisions will take effect one year after the bill is enacted into law.

The Fit to Serve Act prohibits the Department of Defense from discriminating against service members or recruits based on their gender identity. This means military standards, involuntary separation, and access to medically necessary healthcare cannot be based on an individual's gender identity. The bill ensures that a service member's gender identity cannot be used to deny entry, continued service, or force them to serve under the sex assigned at birth.