Legislative Activity

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 Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act of 2025 revises the authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) regarding nonbank financial companies. It requires the FSOC to first determine that other actions are impractical or insufficient, in consultation with the company and its primary regulator, before voting to designate a nonbank firm as systemically important. This aims to ensure that designation is a measure of last resort for addressing significant financial threats.

The Merchant Banking Modernization Act amends the Bank Holding Company Act to significantly increase the minimum holding period for merchant banking investments. This legislation mandates that covered investments must be held for a minimum of 15 years. This new minimum applies to both future and existing merchant banking investments.

The Sovereign Enforcement Integrity Act of 2025 prohibits state and local law enforcement from enforcing warrants or orders issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). This Act asserts federal authority over foreign relations by barring local officials from cooperating with the ICC unless explicitly authorized by new federal law or a Presidential order tied to national security. It ensures that federal policy, not local action, governs U.S. interaction with the ICC.

The Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2025 allows registered investment companies to temporarily postpone the redemption of securities for "specified adults" if they reasonably suspect financial exploitation is occurring. This measure requires companies to collect emergency contact information for these accounts and establish internal procedures for handling potential exploitation cases. The Act mandates the SEC to report to Congress with recommendations for further legislative changes to protect vulnerable security holders.

This act establishes the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program to correct historical errors where Jewish service members killed in WWI and WWII were mistakenly buried under non-Jewish grave markers overseas. The American Battle Monuments Commission will contract with a nonprofit organization to identify these "covered members" and contact their survivors over a five-year period. The legislation also extends a deadline related to certain pension payments.

The Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordination Act establishes dedicated Regional Breast Cancer and Gynecologic Cancer Care Coordinators within the VA system to streamline care for eligible women veterans receiving community treatment for these cancers. These coordinators will link veterans with VA and community providers, monitor health outcomes, and ensure comprehensive support. Additionally, the bill extends the expiration date for certain limits on veterans' pension payments until September 30, 2032.

The NSF AI Education Act of 2025 significantly expands the National Science Foundation's role in bolstering the AI workforce through education and training. It establishes new scholarships and fellowships for students and professionals in AI-related fields, while also creating Centers of AI Excellence at community colleges and technical schools. Furthermore, the bill funds research awards to develop effective AI teaching methods and materials for K-12 education. Overall, this legislation aims to build a robust, skilled, and diverse AI talent pipeline across all educational levels.

The Ian Kalvinskas Pediatric Liver Cancer Early Detection and Screening Act aims to improve outcomes for children with liver disease by initiating studies on current federal efforts and waitlist mortality. It mandates the development of a public education program to raise awareness about early liver disease signs and living liver donation. Furthermore, the bill directs an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of adding direct bilirubin testing to newborn screening panels to catch conditions like biliary atresia earlier.

The Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act of 2025 mandates the President to review specific Azerbaijani government and military officials for potential U.S. sanctions. This review is prompted by Congressional findings detailing severe human rights abuses, including the forced displacement from Nagorno-Karabakh and the alleged war crimes committed by Azerbaijani forces. The President must report to Congress within 180 days on whether these individuals meet the criteria for sanctions under existing human rights and anti-corruption laws. This action aims to address ongoing abuses and the detention of political figures and prisoners of war.

The FAIR Act of 2025 invalidates pre-dispute arbitration agreements and class action waivers for employment, consumer, antitrust, and civil rights claims. This law restores the right for individuals to pursue these disputes in court or through collective legal action. The provisions apply to all covered disputes arising on or after the date the Act is enacted.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of September 15, 2025, as "National Latino Gastronomic Cuisine Week." It formally recognizes the significant cultural diversity and substantial economic impact of Latino culinary traditions across the United States. The bill encourages federal, local, and community groups to promote events that celebrate and raise awareness of this vital heritage.

The SEED Act of 2025 expands the existing educator expense tax deduction to include early childhood educators. This legislation amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow those working in early childhood education to deduct unreimbursed work expenses "above the line." This change applies to expenses paid for in tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

This bill extends the special rule allowing low emission and energy-efficient vehicles access to High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes until December 31, 2026. It also mandates a study by the Secretary of Transportation to evaluate the effectiveness of this provision on reducing traffic congestion.

The Liquid Cooling for AI Act of 2025 addresses the rapidly growing energy demands of AI data centers by mandating a comprehensive review of liquid cooling technologies. This review, conducted by the GAO, will assess the costs, benefits, and market readiness of systems like direct-to-chip and immersion cooling. Ultimately, the bill seeks to establish federal standards and recommendations to promote the efficient and secure deployment of advanced cooling solutions necessary for future high-performance computing.

This bill, the **September 11 Day of Remembrance Act**, officially designates September 11th as a legal public holiday. This amendment updates federal law to recognize September 11th as the "September 11 Day of Remembrance," observed annually. Consequently, federal employees will observe this day as a recognized federal holiday.

This bill, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, posthumously awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the pioneering civil rights attorney and federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. The legislation recognizes her historic achievements, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education* and her service as the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike the medal, and provisions are made for selling bronze duplicates to cover production costs.

The Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act of 2025 (RESULTS Act) aims to improve Medicare payment rates for clinical lab tests by mandating the collection of more accurate, real-world payment data directly from large, independent private insurance claims databases. This legislation updates definitions, collection timelines, and calculation methods to ensure Medicare payments for widely available tests reflect current market rates. It also establishes default payment rules if sufficient private payor data cannot be secured.

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 American Franchise Act aims to protect the traditional franchise business model by clarifying the definition of a "joint employer." This legislation establishes that a franchisor is only considered a joint employer if it exercises "substantial direct and immediate control" over the essential terms of employment for a franchisee's workers. This change specifically targets liability risks associated with maintaining brand standards, ensuring franchisors are not automatically held responsible for local labor practices. The new standard applies prospectively to future legal proceedings.