Legislative Activity

The "Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025" aims to provide students with clear and standardized information about college costs and financial aid. It mandates the Department of Education to develop a standard "Financial Aid Offer" form with consistent terminology, ensuring that colleges present cost information, grants, scholarships, net price, and loan details in a transparent format. Colleges receiving federal aid must use this standard form and terminology in all financial aid communications. This act seeks to empower students and families to make informed decisions about financing higher education.

The Net Price Calculator Improvement Act aims to make college costs more transparent for students and families. It sets new minimum standards for college net price calculators, ensuring they are user-friendly, provide comprehensive cost breakdowns, and protect student data. The bill also directs the Department of Education to develop a universal net price calculator, allowing students to estimate costs across multiple institutions with a single tool. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Education to increase awareness of net price calculators, especially among middle school, high school, and low-income students.

The "Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act of 2025" aims to ensure students are fully informed about their loan obligations by enhancing pre-loan counseling with personalized debt and income estimates, and requiring students to confirm the exact loan amount they need. It also mandates quarterly statements during periods of non-payment, detailing loan balances, interest rates, and the benefits of making payments to reduce accruing interest. These changes are designed to promote responsible borrowing and minimize repayment difficulties.

This resolution designates April 21-25, 2025, as "National Home Visiting Week" to recognize the importance of early childhood development and the positive impact of home visiting programs. These programs served over 139,000 parents and children in 2023. The resolution supports the goals of National Home Visiting Week.

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 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 "Combating Organized Retail Crime Act" aims to reduce organized retail theft by amending Title 18 of the United States Code to include theft from interstate shipments, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and sale or receipt of stolen goods. It also establishes an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center to align federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal efforts to combat organized retail crime and organized supply chain crime. The center will coordinate law enforcement, share information, assist in investigations, track crime trends, and support training and technical assistance. This act seeks to provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to combat organized retail crime and enhance the coordination between different levels of government and the private sector.

The "Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act" aims to enhance the safety and well-being of law enforcement officers through comprehensive data collection and analysis. It mandates the Attorney General to submit reports to Congress on attacks against officers, unreported aggressive actions, and the mental health challenges they face. These reports will include recommendations for improving responses to attacks, enhancing training programs, and providing better mental health resources. Ultimately, the Act seeks to provide law enforcement with the resources and support they need to protect themselves and serve their communities effectively.

The "Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2025" directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and report to Congress on the practices of pharmacy benefit managers and other intermediaries in the pharmaceutical supply chain, including their impact on drug prices and competition. The FTC is required to identify any legal or regulatory barriers hindering antitrust enforcement in the pharmaceutical industry and suggest improvements for transparency and competition. Additionally, the FTC must report on complaints of anticompetitive behavior by sole-source drug manufacturers and recommend policies to enhance enforcement.

The Judicial Relief Clarification Act of 2025 limits the scope of court-ordered relief, such as injunctions and declaratory judgements, to only the parties directly involved in a case. It modifies the rules for temporary restraining orders and clarifies the scope of judicial review. The act ensures that courts cannot grant relief to non-parties unless those parties are represented.

The SEC Whistleblower Reform Act of 2025 enhances protections for whistleblowers by expanding the definition of "whistleblower" to include those who report internally, ensuring they cannot be forced to waive their rights, and mandating quicker decisions on award claims. It also grants whistleblowers the right to a jury trial in retaliation cases. This act aims to encourage more individuals to report potential securities violations by strengthening their safeguards against retaliation and ensuring a more efficient award process.

The "Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2025" permits federal appellate and district court judges to allow media coverage of court proceedings, with certain protections for witnesses and jurors. It requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to issue mandatory guidelines protecting vulnerable witnesses. This authority for district courts to allow media coverage will end 3 years after the enactment of this law. The law aims to increase transparency in the judicial system while safeguarding due process and individual privacy.

The "Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act" mandates and expands the use of E-Verify for all employers in the United States, phasing in requirements for federal agencies, contractors, and critical infrastructure employers first. It increases penalties for employers who fail to comply with E-Verify or who hire unauthorized workers, and it protects employers from liability if they act in good faith based on E-Verify information. The act also includes provisions for information sharing between agencies, improvements to the E-Verify system, measures to combat identity theft, and the establishment of an Employer Compliance Inspection Center. Additionally, the bill requires reverification of employees' work authorization and simplifies the Form I-9 process.

This resolution supports "Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Awareness Month" to increase public awareness of these conditions, which affect many people in the U.S. annually. It recognizes that DVT and PE are often preventable, especially among at-risk groups such as cancer patients and pregnant women. The resolution aims to promote awareness and prevention of DVT and PE.

This bill streamlines the process for Baltic states (Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia) to transfer U.S.-provided defense articles and services among themselves, removing the need for U.S. approval. It also mandates the establishment of a common coalition key to facilitate the sharing of HIMARS ammunition between these nations for training and operational purposes.

The Foreign Agents Transparency Act amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to clarify and strengthen the obligations of agents representing foreign principals. It modifies registration requirements, allows for enforcement actions even after an individual ceases to act as a foreign agent, and mandates annual reports from the Attorney General to Congress on FARA enforcement activities. These changes apply retroactively to individuals who have acted as agents of foreign principals within the five years before the bill's enactment.

The Justice for Murder Victims Act amends Title 18 of the United States Code to allow prosecution for homicide regardless of the time between the act/omission and the victim's death, while maintaining the standard statute of limitations. It prohibits the death penalty if the death occurs more than 1 year and 1 day after the act/omission, and specifies that first-degree murder in such cases will be punishable by imprisonment for any term of years or for life. This amendment applies to acts or omissions occurring after the enactment of this law.

This bill amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, requiring lobbyists to disclose any foreign government or political party that directs, plans, supervises, or controls their lobbying activities. This disclosure is required even if the foreign entity is not the lobbyist's direct client. The bill is named the "Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act."

The "Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2025" directs the Attorney General to develop and report on a program within the Department of Justice to provide modern treatments or preventative care for job-related PTSD and acute stress disorder to public safety officers and telecommunicators. The program should include access to trauma-informed care, peer support, counseling, and family support via in-person and telehealth services. The report must include draft grant conditions to ensure the confidentiality of public safety officers seeking care, methods for efficient program administration at all levels, draft legislative language to authorize each program, and estimated annual appropriations needed for each program. The Attorney General must consult with relevant agencies at all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations.

The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act aims to reduce contraband in prisons by increasing penalties for providing or attempting to provide a phone to an inmate. It mandates the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to review and update policies regarding inmates who make, possess, or try to obtain prohibited items to improve safety.