Legislative Activity

The Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act extends 12-month continuous enrollment protections under Medicaid and CHIP to all eligible individuals, removing previous age restrictions. This ensures greater stability in health coverage by preventing premature disenrollment. These changes are scheduled to take effect starting in the first fiscal quarter after December 31, 2026.

The Insurrection Act of 2025 completely rewrites the rules governing the President's authority to deploy the U.S. Armed Forces domestically, establishing military intervention as a strict last resort. It mandates specific, severe conditions—such as overwhelming insurrection or widespread denial of constitutional rights—and requires the President to issue a detailed proclamation and consult with Congress before deployment. Any initial deployment automatically expires after seven days unless Congress passes a resolution of approval.

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 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.

The My Body, My Data Act of 2025 establishes strict rules for how businesses (regulated entities) can collect, use, and share sensitive reproductive and sexual health information. This Act grants individuals the rights to access, correct, and delete their personal health data held by these entities. Furthermore, it mandates transparent privacy policies and explicitly prohibits entities from retaliating against individuals who exercise their new privacy rights.

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 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 Choose Medicare Act establishes a new "Medicare Part E Public Health Plan" offering comprehensive, gold-level coverage that mandates the inclusion of reproductive health services, overriding state restrictions. It also caps annual out-of-pocket costs for traditional Medicare Part A and B services starting in 2027. Furthermore, the bill enhances ACA premium subsidies by using gold plans as the benchmark for calculation and removes the income cap for eligibility. Finally, it requires certain employers to refer uninsured full-time employees to ACA navigators for coverage assistance.

The Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025 aims to provide lasting protection for inventoried roadless areas within our National Forests. This legislation mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture must adhere to the existing "Roadless Rule," prohibiting the construction of new roads, the reconstruction of old roads, and timber harvesting within these designated areas. The Act seeks to preserve critical watersheds, support wildlife, and maintain areas for traditional recreation without imposing new restrictions outside of these roadless zones.

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.

The Protecting Community Television Act revises the definition of a "franchise fee" under the Communications Act of 1934. This change modifies the language from "includes" to "means" and adds "other monetary assessment" to clarify what payments local governments can charge cable operators. Ultimately, this bill refines how franchise fees are calculated and assessed.

The Susan Muffley Act of 2025 mandates that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) recalculate guaranteed pension benefits for participants in specific, named pension plans. This recalculation ensures beneficiaries receive their full vested plan benefit, ignoring standard federal guarantee limits. The PBGC must issue catch-up lump-sum payments with interest to those previously underpaid. Funding for these increased benefits will be provided through a newly established Treasury trust fund.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify how federal excise taxes collected on distilled spirits shipped from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are transferred back to those territories. It removes previous limitations on these tax transfers. Additionally, the bill establishes a new requirement mandating that Puerto Rico dedicate a portion of these transferred funds to its Conservation Trust Fund.

The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act repeals key liability protections for gun manufacturers found in the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). This legislation also mandates that records from the federal Firearms Trace System database must be discoverable and admissible as evidence in civil proceedings. The bill aims to allow victims of gun violence greater access to information for civil lawsuits.

The No Place for LGBTQ Hate Act immediately repeals specific Executive Orders that targeted LGBTQI individuals, preventing any federal funds from being used to enforce them. This legislation specifically cancels orders known for mandating discrimination in areas like employment and healthcare. The bill also includes a provision to ensure it does not infringe upon the President's existing constitutional authority.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 allows schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to offer organic or non-organic whole milk as part of their required fluid milk options. This legislation also expands the authority to determine a student's milk choice from physicians to include parents or legal guardians. Finally, it clarifies that the fat content from the offered milk will not count toward a meal's saturated fat limits for compliance purposes.

This resolution serves as a formal tribute honoring the life, achievements, and enduring legacy of former United States Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond of Missouri. It recognizes his decades of public service, including his terms as Missouri Governor and U.S. Senator, where he championed infrastructure, agriculture, and conservative values. The Senate expresses deep sadness over his passing and directs that official copies of this tribute be sent to his family.

The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025 updates federal grant programs to strengthen the nursing pipeline. It expands eligibility for advanced nursing education grants to cover more specialized roles and updates funding for modernizing nursing school resources like simulation labs. The bill also increases the authorized funding levels for these critical nursing workforce programs through Fiscal Year 2030.

This resolution officially designates May 2025 as "Older Americans Month" to recognize the vital contributions of senior citizens to the nation. It highlights the growing senior population and their continued involvement in the workforce and volunteering. The bill encourages communities nationwide to celebrate older Americans and create opportunities for them to share their wisdom and remain active participants in society.

The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the ability of victims and heirs to sue for the recovery of art and property stolen by the Nazis. This update explicitly blocks time-based and non-merits defenses, such as laches or the act of state doctrine, ensuring claims are decided on their facts. The law also expands the scope of recoverable property and clarifies that these provisions apply immediately to pending and future cases.