Legislative Activity

This resolution affirms that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental American values necessary to address persistent discrimination. It highlights widespread disparities across housing, employment, education, and healthcare affecting marginalized groups. The bill encourages all sectors of society to adopt policies that promote DEIA to ensure equal opportunity and strengthen the nation.

The SMART Prices Act aims to strengthen Medicare by significantly accelerating and expanding the number of drugs eligible for price negotiation. This bill lowers the time requirements for certain single-source drugs to qualify for negotiation and adjusts the maximum fair price ceilings for negotiated drugs starting in 2028. Overall, the legislation seeks to increase price competition and lower costs within the Medicare drug program.

This resolution strongly condemns the Russian Federation for the abduction, forced transfer, and illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. It asserts that the return of all abducted children must be a prerequisite before finalizing any peace agreement to end the war. The bill highlights Russia's intent to erase Ukrainian identity through forced adoption and citizenship changes, actions deemed violations of international law and potential war crimes.

The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2025 establishes a formal, publicly accessible code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices and creates a judicial investigation panel to handle related ethics complaints. The bill also mandates stricter disclosure requirements for gifts and income received by Justices, and significantly expands the circumstances under which a federal judge must recuse themselves due to financial ties or lobbying influence. Finally, it institutes new disclosure rules for parties and *amici curiae* in cases before the Court, alongside studies to monitor judicial compliance.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to modernize and increase transparency in the prior authorization process for Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and requires plans to publicly report detailed data on their approval, denial, and appeal rates. Furthermore, it establishes new standards to protect enrollees and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timelines for care requests.

The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025 establishes a presumption that certain cancers leading to death or disability in public safety officers were caused by on-duty exposure to recognized carcinogens. This law defines specific exposure-related cancers and sets conditions, such as five years of service, for the presumption to apply. It also updates review processes for adding new cancers to the list and grants retroactive application and filing extensions for eligible past and present claims.

The Ending Unemployment Payments to Jobless Millionaires Act of 2025 prohibits the use of federal funds to pay unemployment benefits to individuals whose base period wages exceeded $1,000,000. States must certify and verify that claimants meet this income threshold before receiving benefits under any covered federal unemployment program. The bill also mandates that states recover any improperly paid benefits to high earners.

The Kids Online Safety Act establishes a comprehensive "duty of care" requiring online platforms to design features that mitigate specific harms to minors, such as those related to mental health and exploitation. It mandates that platforms provide minors with default, restrictive safety settings and robust parental controls over data sharing and recommendations. Furthermore, the legislation demands significant transparency regarding algorithmic ranking systems and grants the FTC enforcement authority.

This resolution officially designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as "National Police Week." It serves to honor the valor and integrity of law enforcement officers across the nation. The resolution specifically remembers the officers killed in the line of duty during 2024 and encourages the public to observe this week to show appreciation for law enforcement personnel.

This Senate resolution expresses the sense of the Senate to officially commend public servants for their dedication and continued service to the United States. It specifically designates the week of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as Public Service Recognition Week. The resolution honors federal, state, and local government employees, as well as members of the uniformed services, for their vital contributions to the nation.

The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act mandates that health plans cover medically necessary diagnosis and treatment for congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This coverage must apply to outpatient and inpatient care, including necessary dental and orthodontic support, unless the procedure is purely cosmetic. These new requirements take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The VA Employee Fairness Act of 2025 modifies the rules governing collective bargaining for employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This legislation repeals outdated subsections detailing specific collective bargaining procedures for VHA staff. Crucially, this change preserves the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' existing authority regarding incentive pay and expedited hiring processes.

The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2025 bans the practice of paid conversion therapy aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, deeming it ineffective and harmful. This Act treats the provision or advertisement of such therapy as an unfair or deceptive business practice under the FTC Act. Enforcement authority is granted to the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Attorney General, and State Attorneys General. The law includes a severability clause ensuring that the invalidation of one provision does not void the entire Act.

The SHIELD Against CCP Act establishes a new Working Group within the Department of Homeland Security dedicated to countering threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This group will investigate CCP exploitation across immigration, economic misconduct, drug trafficking, and financial crimes. The Act mandates annual reporting to Congress on these threats and requires the group to coordinate efforts and identify gaps in current DHS security measures.

The Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 2025 aims to combat rising food insecurity by eliminating the work requirement for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This legislation recognizes the critical role SNAP plays in supporting vulnerable populations, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. By removing bureaucratic barriers, the Act intends to ensure consistent access to vital food assistance. All provisions of the Act will take effect 180 days after becoming law.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as National Small Business Week. It aims to celebrate the vital contributions of the over 34.5 million small businesses that support tens of millions of jobs nationwide. The bill honors the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners in every community.

The Small Business Liberation Act exempts qualifying small business concerns from certain import duties or requirements imposed by the President under a national emergency declaration. This provision ensures that small businesses are shielded from specific trade restrictions enacted during national emergencies.

The Building Ships in America Act of 2025 introduces significant tax incentives to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry, including a new investment tax credit for building qualifying vessels in American shipyards. The bill also establishes a 25% credit for constructing shipyard facilities and provides tax exemptions for certain maritime security payments and student incentive agreements. Furthermore, it treats designated "maritime prosperity zones" as Opportunity Zones to encourage related economic development.

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 comprehensively defines and bans the manufacture, sale, and transfer of specific semiautomatic assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. It grandfathers existing possessions but requires background checks for all future private transfers of these previously owned weapons. The bill also permits the use of federal Byrne grant funds for state-run buy-back programs targeting these banned items.

The Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security for America Act of 2025 establishes a comprehensive framework to revitalize the U.S. maritime industry, shipbuilding capacity, and merchant marine workforce. It centralizes national maritime oversight, creates a dedicated Maritime Security Trust Fund financed partly by penalties on foreign-linked vessels, and mandates increased use of U.S.-flagged ships for government and certain commercial cargo. Ultimately, the bill aims to secure critical sealift capabilities and boost domestic maritime economic competitiveness against foreign rivals.