Legislative Activity

This bill designates May 5-9, 2025, as "Teacher Appreciation Week," recognizing the contributions of public school teachers and their support for various educational initiatives. It acknowledges teachers' dedication to improving education through innovative methods and emphasizes the importance of their involvement in shaping education policies. The bill encourages leaders to engage with teachers, ensuring their insights are included in classroom policies.

This bill expresses support for Wildfire Preparedness Week, a national event focused on educating the public on fire safety and preparedness. It highlights the significant impact of wildfires in the United States, including the acres burned and the need for preventative measures. The bill supports resources and educational programs that teach communities to prevent wildfires through early warning systems, reducing human-caused ignitions, and safe evacuation practices for people and animals. It also commits to providing financial support to communities affected by catastrophic firestorms.

The "Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act" modifies Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, broadening the definition of "covered individual" to include more employees and modifying the definition of "publicly held corporation." This change prevents companies from deducting excessive employee remuneration, applying to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024. The Secretary is authorized to issue regulations and guidance to implement these changes and prevent companies from avoiding the rules.

The Reduction in Force Review Act requires federal agencies to provide detailed justifications to Congress for any planned workforce reductions. These justifications must include the reasons for the reduction, its impact on employees and operations (including veterans), considered alternatives, and summaries of consultations with employees. The bill also broadens the definition of "rule" to include significant agency actions like workforce restructuring or office closures that affect employees.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury selection. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act seeks to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals and women across various sectors.

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.

This bill recognizes April 2025 as "Community College Month" to celebrate the significant role of community colleges in providing accessible higher education, workforce training, and economic support across the United States. It acknowledges the extensive contributions of over 1,000 community colleges, which serve millions of students and contribute significantly to the national GDP. The resolution highlights the importance of these institutions in fostering economic prosperity and community vitality.

The "Maritime Fuel Tax Parity Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend an excise tax exemption to certain vessels engaged in trade between Atlantic or Pacific ports of the United States. This exemption applies to alternative fuels used by these vessels, promoting fair fuel tax treatment across different trade routes. The change is effective for sales after December 31, 2023.

The Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2025 amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to increase meal and supplement reimbursement rates by 10 cents for eligible child care facilities. It also updates language regarding consultation and modifies reimbursement calculations for family or group day care home sponsoring organizations.

The California Clean Coast Act of 2025 permanently prohibits any new oil and gas leasing activities in federal waters off the coast of California. This amendment to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act aims to protect California's coastal environment and economy. Existing leases issued before the enactment of this law are not affected.

The "Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025" outlaws devices that accelerate a semi-automatic firearm's firing rate or simulate machine guns. It redefines "semi-automatic firearm" and requires current owners of affected devices to register them. There are exceptions for governmental entities, and lawful transfers of registered devices are permitted.

The American Family Act establishes a refundable child tax credit with monthly advance payments, providing up to $300 per month per child, and creates a $500 tax credit for other dependents. The amount of the credit is reduced based on the taxpayer's income, with initial reductions starting at $150,000 for joint returns. The IRS will make monthly advance payments and establish an online portal for taxpayers to manage their payments and provide necessary information. This act terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024 and aims to provide regular financial support to families.

The "Raise the Wage Act of 2025" aims to increase the federal minimum wage to $17.00 per hour over five years, after which it will be annually adjusted based on the median hourly wage of all employees. The bill also gradually raises the minimum wage for tipped employees until it matches the standard minimum wage, while ensuring they retain all tips. Additionally, it increases and then eliminates the subminimum wage for newly hired employees under 20 and individuals with disabilities, promoting fair wages for all workers.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees and supervisory employees. It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine if state laws substantially provide these rights; if not, the Authority will administer collective bargaining procedures in those states. The act outlines specific rights and procedures, including the right to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities, while also addressing enforcement and exceptions. This law aims to ensure that public service workers have the ability to negotiate for fair wages, hours, and working conditions.

The "Save Our Sequoias Act" aims to protect giant sequoia groves from wildfires, insects, and drought by streamlining environmental review processes for emergency response projects, establishing a collaborative coalition, and creating a reforestation strategy. This act directs the Secretary to create agreements, assessments, and strike teams to address threats to giant sequoias on both public and National Forest System lands. It also establishes grant programs and amends existing laws to support these efforts, including stewardship contracting and good neighbor agreements. Finally, the act authorizes appropriations for these protection and restoration activities.

The "No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act" aims to eliminate tax deductions for employer expenses used to influence employees' decisions regarding unionizing and collective bargaining. It defines "labor organization activity" broadly, encompassing elections, disputes, and collective actions. The bill mandates detailed reporting of such activities, with significant penalties for non-compliance, and directs the Treasury Secretary to issue implementing guidance. This would apply to expenses incurred more than 240 days after the bill's enactment.

The "Tax Fairness for Workers Act" permits employees to deduct union dues and other employee business expenses above-the-line, bypassing previous deduction limitations. This change is achieved by amending sections of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, specifically 62(a)(1) and 67(g). These amendments will be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The American Innovation Act allocates significant funding to key federal agencies to boost innovation. It increases funding for the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and NASA's Science Mission Directorate, with yearly budget increases based on the Consumer Price Index. These funds are protected from budget sequestration and will not affect PAYGO scorecards.

The "Defending American Diplomacy Act" requires congressional approval for any Department of State reorganization and mandates the Secretary of State to submit detailed plans assessing the impact of such changes. It ensures transparency and accountability by requiring a thorough analysis of potential risks, effects on foreign policy, and workforce implications. The Act also restricts federal funds for the Department of Government Efficiency and official travel by politically appointed officials if reorganizations are implemented without proper authorization.

The Secure Our Ports Act of 2025 prohibits maritime facilities from contracting with companies owned or operated by China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. This includes any foreign entity with partial ownership by these countries. The goal of this act is to protect U.S. ports from potential security threats posed by these nations.