Legislative Activity

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of September 20 through September 27, 2025, as "National Estuaries Week." It highlights the critical economic and environmental value of estuaries, which support millions of jobs and provide vital natural protection for coastal communities. The bill aims to raise public awareness about the need to protect and restore these essential ecosystems.

The Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill focused on improving pediatric drug development, FDA oversight, and healthcare infrastructure. It revises requirements for pediatric cancer drug research, extends incentives for developing rare pediatric disease treatments, and enhances transparency in generic drug applications. Additionally, the Act establishes an FDA office to coordinate with Abraham Accords countries and makes technical adjustments to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

The Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends crucial grant programs designed to bolster rural healthcare infrastructure through 2030. This legislation mandates that recipients of rural health outreach and network development grants must actively involve underserved residents in the planning and execution of their projects. The bill ensures continued federal support for improving access to quality care in America's rural communities.

This resolution expresses strong support for and officially designates **September 17, 2025, as "Constitution Day."** It recognizes the profound historical importance of the U.S. Constitution as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. The measure encourages all Americans to observe the day with suitable ceremonies reflecting on the freedoms and responsibilities the document grants.

The Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act increases the federal share of grant funding for certain public safety activities from 50% to 60%. This change aims to reduce the financial burden on states for purchasing essential equipment. Additionally, the Act authorizes $60 million annually for this program from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

The FAMILY Act establishes a national Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This program provides monthly benefits to eligible individuals who take time off for qualified caregiving reasons, including serious health conditions or victims of violence. The Act also sets forth detailed eligibility requirements, benefit calculation formulas, and job protection guarantees for employees utilizing the leave. Finally, it creates a funding mechanism to support existing state-level paid leave programs that meet federal standards.

The Water Resources Technical Assistance Review Act directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive review of the technical assistance the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides for clean water infrastructure projects. This review will examine what assistance is available, how partners are selected, and whether the aid effectively meets community needs without duplication. Following the report, the EPA Administrator must submit annual plans to Congress detailing steps taken to implement the GAO's recommendations.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to increase police accountability and transparency nationwide through federal mandates and funding incentives. It reforms standards for prosecuting civil rights violations, eliminates qualified immunity, and establishes national registries for police misconduct and use-of-force data. Furthermore, the Act bans specific dangerous police tactics like chokeholds and restricts the transfer of military equipment to local departments.

The Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2025 establishes a new pilot loan program to address the unique upfront capital needs of new farmers and ranchers. This program offers specialized development loans, up to $100,000, with flexible repayment terms (3-10 years) for long-term business investments. Borrowers must also receive mandatory training in farm and ranch management.

The Affordable Inhalers and Nebulizers Act of 2025 aims to significantly reduce patient out-of-pocket costs for essential prescription inhalers and nebulizers used to treat conditions like asthma and COPD. This bill caps patient cost-sharing for these products at a maximum of \$15 per 30-day supply for most private insurance and Medicare beneficiaries, effective in 2026. Additionally, it establishes a new program to provide similar cost relief for uninsured individuals. The legislation ensures that payments made toward these caps count toward deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.

This resolution officially recognizes suicide as a serious public health crisis in the United States, highlighting the urgent need for prevention efforts across all demographics. It expresses strong support for designating September as "National Suicide Prevention Month" and September 10th as "World Suicide Prevention Day" to raise awareness. The measure calls for prioritizing comprehensive, tailored strategies to improve access to mental health and suicide prevention services nationwide.

The Personnel Oversight and Shift Tracking Act of 2025 (POST Act) mandates significant improvements to how federal agencies monitor contract security guards protecting federal buildings. This legislation requires standardized covert testing, mandatory retraining after failures, and modernization of personnel shift tracking systems. The goal is to enhance accountability, improve guard performance, and ensure transparent communication regarding security staffing levels to building tenants.

The Rural Health Clinic Location Modernization Act of 2025 updates the criteria for clinics to qualify as Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) under Medicare. This legislation revises the definition of an "urban area," setting a new population threshold of 50,000 people to determine eligibility. These changes to the location standards will take effect starting January 1, 2027.

The Rural Behavioral Health Improvement Act of 2025 aims to enhance behavioral healthcare access in rural areas by modifying Medicare coverage rules. This bill specifically removes the existing exclusion that prevents Medicare payment for services provided in facilities primarily focused on treating mental diseases. This significant change is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act enables states to establish specialized Medicaid health homes focused exclusively on individuals with sickle cell disease starting in 2026. If a state adopts this program, it must provide mandatory dental and vision coverage to enrolled patients, regardless of standard state Medicaid policies. States implementing these health homes will also be required to report on patient outcomes, access to care, and expenditures.

This resolution formally recognizes suicide as a serious public health crisis in the United States and expresses strong support for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It highlights the critical role of the 988 service in providing immediate, life-saving support to those in mental health distress. Furthermore, the resolution supports the designation of September 8th as "988 Day" to promote awareness of this essential resource.

The Modernizing Rural Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Utilization Act of 2025 updates Medicare payment requirements for facilities not directly directed by a physician. It mandates that these facilities must have formal arrangements with Physician Assistants (PAs) or Nurse Practitioners (NPs) whose practice adheres to state laws and regulations. These changes are set to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act mandates that essential HIV prevention services, including FDA-approved medications like PrEP and PEP, must be covered at no cost to the patient across private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. This law eliminates financial barriers such as deductibles, copays, and prior authorization requirements for these preventive treatments and necessary related care. The goal is to ensure universal, barrier-free access to critical HIV prevention tools.

The HIV Prevention Now Act secures **\$2.165 billion** in dedicated funding for the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention for Fiscal Year 2026. This appropriation is specifically earmarked to support the center's prevention programs and activities. This funding is supplemental to, and cannot be transferred from, other existing appropriations.