Legislative Activity

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.

The Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act mandates that essential health benefits under the ACA must comprehensively cover prenatal, childbirth, neonatal, perinatal, and postpartum care. This legislation explicitly bans all cost-sharing, such as deductibles or copayments, for these critical maternal and newborn health services. The coverage requirements are expanded to include screenings like ultrasounds and services related to pregnancy loss. Furthermore, non-birth parents are entitled to related behavioral health services for one year following the child's birth.

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.

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 SNAP Next Step Act of 2025 aims to connect SNAP recipients with job training opportunities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It defines specific criteria for SNAP participants to qualify as "covered individuals" eligible for these training programs. Additionally, the bill allows states to develop a public employment calculator to help SNAP recipients easily determine the financial impact of accepting new employment on their total benefits.

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 Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act prohibits covered entities from denying an organ transplant or related services solely because an individual has a disability. The bill mandates reasonable modifications to policies and requires consideration of an individual's support network when assessing their ability to comply with post-transplant requirements. This ensures that qualified individuals receive equal access to the entire organ transplant process, from evaluation through aftercare.

The COUNTER Act grants the Department of Defense (DoD) expanded authority to neutralize threats from unmanned aircraft systems (drones) operating outside of the United States. This legislation delegates response authority, clarifies mitigation methods like remote identification, and exempts security details regarding these operations from public disclosure. Furthermore, it limits the application of certain criminal and security laws to authorized DoD and Coast Guard activities aimed at countering these aerial threats overseas.

The Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act aims to provide financial relief by modifying tax rules for personal losses. This bill removes previous limitations on deducting personal casualty losses for disasters occurring after 2017. Additionally, it extends the deadline for taxpayers to file for refunds related to these previously suspended casualty loss deductions.

The Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act of 2025 permanently establishes a 7-year recovery period for the depreciation of motorsports entertainment complexes. This legislation allows owners and operators of these facilities to continue writing off building costs significantly faster than standard commercial property. By removing the previous expiration date, the bill ensures long-term tax predictability for the motorsports industry.

This resolution calls for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to address the severe crisis facing civilians in Gaza, highlighting widespread hunger and the collapse of essential services due to blocked aid. It urges the Administration to immediately use all diplomatic tools to secure the release of hostages, lift the blockade on aid, and work toward a lasting end to the fighting.

The Healthy Dog Importation Act establishes new federal requirements for bringing live dogs into the United States, mandating electronic health documentation, vaccinations, and permanent ID for most imports. It defines key roles like "importer" and "compensation" while outlining specific exceptions for returning pets or working dogs. The law requires the Secretary to create detailed regulations within 18 months, including establishing a central tracking database and the authority to charge necessary fees for verification.

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.

The Vision Lab Choice Act of 2025 aims to improve health care coverage under vision plans by setting limits on contract lengths between vision plans and optometrists. This bill also prevents vision plans from mandating which labs or suppliers optometrists must use for patient care. Furthermore, it clarifies state authority to enforce these new federal standards regarding vision benefit plans.

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 Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2025 extends critical Medicare payment provisions for ambulance services. This bill delays the expiration of special payment rules for "super rural" areas until January 1, 2028, while also implementing temporary payment increases for both super rural and standard ground ambulance services during that transition period. The goal is to ensure continued financial stability and access to essential ground ambulance care.

The Vieques Recovery and Redevelopment Act establishes a settlement process for residents who suffered health issues due to decades of U.S. military training on the island. It authorizes compensation payments to individuals based on qualifying illnesses linked to contamination and mandates the creation of a comprehensive trauma and cancer center for the municipality. This legislation aims to address the humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Hurricane Maria by providing financial relief and essential long-term healthcare infrastructure.

The End Crypto Corruption Act of 2025 prohibits high-ranking government officials and their immediate families from issuing, sponsoring, or endorsing specific digital assets while in office and for one year after leaving. This legislation establishes both civil penalties, including fines based on financial gain, and criminal penalties, including imprisonment, for knowing violations involving digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs. The Act specifically targets conflicts of interest by treating these prohibited financial transactions as unofficial acts, removing official immunity protections.

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.