Legislative Activity

The My Body, My Data Act of 2025 establishes strict federal protections for personal reproductive and sexual health information held by regulated entities. This law limits data collection and sharing to only what is strictly necessary for providing requested services. It grants individuals the rights to access, correct, and delete this sensitive data, and requires clear public privacy policies detailing data handling practices. Finally, the Act prohibits retaliation against individuals who exercise these new privacy rights and grants enforcement authority to the FTC while allowing individuals to sue violators.

The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2025 aims to strengthen existing federal background check systems to prevent prohibited persons from acquiring firearms. This bill primarily mandates that most private firearm transfers must be facilitated through a licensed dealer who will conduct a background check. The legislation includes specific exceptions for family gifts, law enforcement, and temporary transfers under emergency circumstances.

The Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2025 reforms federal firearm background check procedures, establishing a formal petition process for buyers when the system delays a decision beyond 10 business days. This bill removes the previous 10-day time limit on background checks under the Brady Act while mandating extensive reporting from the GAO and FBI on the effectiveness and outcomes of these delayed transfers. Furthermore, the Attorney General must report on the law's impact on domestic violence victims within 150 days of enactment.

The Elder Pride Protection Act of 2025 establishes the ELDER Task Force within the Department of Justice to combat abuse targeting older LGBTQI+ individuals. This group is charged with studying the causes of this abuse, developing national best practices, and creating training materials for law enforcement. The Task Force must report its findings and progress to Congress within one year of the Act's enactment.

The TRACE Act mandates that all newly manufactured firearms include a second, hidden serial number, either internally or visible only under infrared light. It also extends the retention period for instant criminal background check records to 180 days and requires licensed dealers to conduct regular physical inventories of their firearms. Finally, the bill removes several past budgetary limitations placed on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The Pride In Mental Health Act of 2025 establishes a new grant program to improve mental health and substance abuse outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth through culturally competent care and resource development. These grants strictly prohibit funding for conversion therapy practices. The bill also mandates federal data collection on LGBTQ+ youth mental health and requires a report on the needs of those in foster care.

The Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Act aims to reform employment-based immigration by eliminating certain numerical caps for specific visa categories. This legislation amends existing law to adjust how preference statuses are allocated for these immigrant visas. The overall goal is to streamline the process for certain employment-based immigrants.

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 for one full year. This legislation explicitly bans all cost-sharing, including copays and deductibles, for these essential maternity and newborn health services. The bill ensures robust coverage, including specific requirements like mandatory ultrasounds and mental health services for new parents.

The Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act of 2025 establishes a new grant program administered by the SBA to fund Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These grants, starting at a minimum of $250,000 per institution, are intended to create or expand programs that provide technical assistance and startup capital to minority student entrepreneurs. The Act also creates a specialized, exempt Advisory Board to recommend best practices for supporting minority business development through these educational institutions.

The Supporting American Allies Act exempts articles imported from Israel and Ukraine from reciprocal tariffs previously imposed by an Executive Order aimed at addressing trade deficits. This legislation provides specific trade relief by removing these extra import duties for goods originating from the two allied nations.

The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025 repeals key provisions of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. This legislation allows federal gun trace information to be discoverable and admissible as evidence in civil lawsuits and administrative hearings. The bill aims to provide victims of gun violence with greater access to relevant data in legal proceedings.

The POST GRAD Act reinstates the government's authority to issue Federal Direct Stafford Loans to graduate and professional students through June 30, 2025. This legislation amends existing law to extend the availability of these federal loans. Furthermore, the Act allows these changes to take effect immediately by exempting them from standard federal rulemaking and public comment requirements.

The MEALS Act of 2025 aims to significantly strengthen security measures for the Summer EBT program to combat fraud, specifically targeting theft like card skimming and cloning. It mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to establish industry-standard security guidance and formal rules requiring participants to adopt these measures. Furthermore, the bill ensures that stolen benefits resulting from skimming or cloning will be replaced, provided states and tribes submit approved operational plans for handling theft claims. The Act also requires comprehensive reporting to Congress and an independent review by the GAO on payment system security risks.

The Family Vaccine Protection Act formally establishes the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) into law, requiring all its vaccine recommendations to be based on the preponderance of the best available, peer-reviewed scientific evidence. This legislation mandates strict procedures for the CDC Director to adopt or reject ACIP advice, including notifying Congress if a recommendation is rejected. Furthermore, the Act requires that any changes to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program's injury table must also be supported by strong scientific evidence.

The FBI Animal Cruelty Taskforce Act of 2025 establishes a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes Taskforce within the FBI to investigate and enforce federal laws against severe animal cruelty, such as dogfighting and crush videos. This Taskforce is also responsible for developing training materials for local law enforcement. Furthermore, it must coordinate with other federal agencies and submit annual reports to Congress detailing enforcement statistics, including charges filed and convictions secured.

The No Corporate Crooks Act prohibits individuals convicted of specific financial and white-collar crimes (such as fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion) while serving as a CEO from being appointed to positions within the executive branch. This legislation aims to prevent corporate executives convicted of serious offenses from holding government roles. Any individual found in violation of this restriction must be immediately removed from their executive branch service.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating June 6, 2025, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2025 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." It highlights the devastating scale of gun violence in the U.S., recognizing the thousands of annual deaths and injuries across all demographics. The bill encourages Americans to wear orange on the designated day to honor victims and promote increased awareness and community action regarding gun safety.

The Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2025 aims to eliminate period poverty by ensuring access to free menstrual products across various sectors of society. This comprehensive bill mandates the availability of these essential supplies in K-12 schools, colleges, correctional facilities, federal buildings, and workplaces with over 100 employees. Furthermore, it expands coverage under Medicaid, allocates specific funding through social service block grants and TANF programs, and prohibits states from taxing menstrual products.

The STAR Plus Scholarship Act establishes a new federal program to award scholarships to students entering the substance use disorder and mental health treatment workforce. Recipients must agree to serve in designated mental health professional shortage areas for a period equal to the time they received funding. This initiative aims to increase the number of qualified professionals serving in critical shortage areas, with priority given to those likely to remain long-term and those from underrepresented backgrounds. The bill also creates a replacement fund to help facilities cover costs when service obligations are breached.

The Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act mandates that colleges and universities must prominently display essential mental health and suicide prevention contact information on student ID cards or official websites. This includes the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, and the campus mental health center. These requirements take effect one year after the Act is signed into law.