Legislative Activity

The Global Respect Act aims to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI individuals worldwide. It mandates the President to identify and report foreign persons responsible for human rights violations against LGBTQI people, leading to their inadmissibility to the United States. Furthermore, the Act requires enhanced tracking and reporting of violence and discrimination targeting individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics in the annual human rights reports.

The PRECISE Act aims to promote conservation and efficiency in agriculture by expanding access to conservation loans and rural assistance for adopting precision agriculture practices and technology. It updates definitions and increases potential payments under existing conservation programs like EQIP and CSP to incentivize the use of precision methods. Furthermore, the bill directs emphasis toward using third-party providers for technical assistance related to soil health and precision agriculture planning.

The Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to regularly publish evidence-based physical activity recommendations for the public. These reports must include specific guidance for various population subgroups and be updated at least every ten years. The legislation ensures federal health programs consider these national guidelines while protecting existing research authority and preventing the establishment of binding federal fitness standards.

The Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act of 2025 (ASAP Act) amends Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias starting in 2028. This coverage applies to FDA-cleared tests, including genomic sequencing and other equivalent diagnostic methods, designed to detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. The bill ensures these screenings are added to the list of covered medical services under Medicare.

The Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act establishes grant programs to build pipelines that train and place more mental health providers in low-income schools. It also creates a student loan repayment program for providers who commit to working in these underserved districts for five years. The bill aims to improve student support ratios by increasing the number of school counselors, psychologists, and social workers in high-need areas. Finally, it mandates a study to develop future criteria for identifying areas with mental health provider shortages.

The Strengthening Resources for our Schools (SROS) Act aims to encourage qualified retirees to serve as school resource officers. This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude certain retirement income received by eligible former members of the Armed Forces or law enforcement officers from gross income while they are employed as school resource officers. The exclusion may become a lifetime exemption if the individual serves in the role for at least 10 years.

The Water Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2025 updates federal water pollution control grants to prioritize and fund "intelligent water infrastructure technology." This technology utilizes real-time monitoring, AI, and advanced sensors to improve the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of water and wastewater systems. The bill modifies grant uses to specifically cover the implementation of these smart technologies and increases the authorization of appropriations.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a prior reconciliation act. This action effectively revives the original laws that were previously amended by the repealed provisions. The bill seeks to revert existing agricultural and food-related statutes to their pre-amendment status.

The Health ACCESS Act amends federal law to create an exception to prohibitions against offering remuneration to influence healthcare decisions. This change specifically allows providers to pay information service platforms for participation, provided the platform adheres to strict guidelines ensuring unbiased consumer choice. These guidelines prohibit steering patients, targeted marketing, and sharing consumer contact information outside of a confirmed selection. Ultimately, this bill aims to facilitate easier consumer access to healthcare providers through regulated self-scheduling platforms.

The HEAL-AI Act establishes a competitive grant program, administered by HRSA, to fund the education and training of medical students, residents, and faculty in the use of artificial intelligence in medicine. These grants will support curriculum development focused on AI diagnostics, treatment recommendations, and ethical considerations. Institutions receiving funding must share educational materials publicly and prioritize serving medically underserved communities.

The Fairness to Kids with Cancer Act of 2025 mandates that a specific, population-based percentage of total Federal cancer research funds must be dedicated to pediatric cancer research each fiscal year starting in 2026. This required percentage will be calculated annually based on the ratio of the U.S. population under age 18 to the total U.S. population. This ensures federal research funding reflects the proportion of children affected by cancer.

This resolution expresses strong Congressional support for the Republic of Kazakhstan's accession to the Abraham Accords, marking it as the first Central Asian nation to join. The bill highlights the strategic and economic benefits for participating nations, including investment, technology, and tourism. It encourages both Israel and Kazakhstan to deepen their bilateral ties and urges other nations to normalize relations with Israel. Ultimately, this measure supports the expansion of the Accords to promote regional peace and prosperity.

This bill, the International Human Rights Defense Act of 2025, establishes a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Peoples within the Department of State. It codifies U.S. policy to actively combat international criminalization, violence, and discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals worldwide. The legislation also mandates enhanced reporting on these abuses in annual human rights reports and authorizes assistance to support related protection efforts abroad.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress recognizing the strategic value of the long-standing partnership between the United States and India, founded on shared democratic values and mutual interests. It highlights the deep cooperation across defense, technology, counterterrorism, and economic ties. The bill encourages the expansion of this relationship to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act establishes new grant programs to coordinate federal, nonprofit, and private investments in rural areas. It creates the Rural Partnership Program to fund comprehensive development projects and a separate Technical Assistance Grant program to help rural organizations manage grants and plan development. Furthermore, the Act reforms the existing Rural Partners Network to streamline federal assistance and reduce administrative burdens for rural communities.

The VA Work-Study Improvement Act expands approved work-study locations to include state/local government agencies and nonprofits that benefit veterans. It establishes a clear standard for the minimum hourly wage paid to participants and mandates the use of electronic timesheets. Furthermore, the bill requires the VA to annually publish detailed data regarding the work-study program's activities and participants.

This resolution honors the service and sacrifice of America's veterans on Veterans Day, 2025, recognizing the history of the observance from Armistice Day. It affirms the nation's deep commitment to supporting the over 15 million veterans and their families. The resolution calls upon the public to observe Veterans Day and ensure veterans continue to receive the services they deserve.

The Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 ensures that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) continue to operate without interruption in fiscal year 2026 if standard appropriations are delayed. If funding lapses, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to use funds from the Treasury to provide benefits and reimburse state agencies. This special funding remains in effect until full appropriations are enacted or until September 30, 2026.

The Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act establishes a five-year pilot program to expand eligibility for the VA work-study allowance to veterans pursuing certain educational or training programs at a half-time enrollment level. This allows more student veterans to benefit from work-study opportunities without meeting the current three-quarter-time enrollment requirement. Additionally, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to submit annual reports detailing participation and outcomes for veterans in the work-study program.

The Community Investment and Prosperity Act aims to boost community welfare by increasing existing investment limits for financial institutions. Specifically, this legislation raises the statutory investment cap from 15% to 20% within relevant sections of the Revised Statutes and the Federal Reserve Act. This adjustment is intended to encourage greater investment activity.