Legislative Activity

The Equality Act comprehensively amends federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across key areas of American life. This legislation expands existing protections in public accommodations, employment, housing, credit access, and jury service. Its purpose is to ensure consistent and clear nationwide enforcement of non-discrimination principles for LGBTQ individuals and women.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 comprehensively reforms the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program by updating state allocation formulas based on population and inflation, and by modifying tenant eligibility rules to protect vulnerable residents. The bill also introduces significant changes for property owners regarding casualty loss, acquisition costs, and incentives for serving extremely low-income households. Finally, it directs efforts toward increasing program transparency and encouraging local governments to reform restrictive housing policies.

This resolution officially designates the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week." It recognizes the historical significance and vital mission of the National Park Service in preserving America's natural and cultural treasures. The bill encourages the public to visit, experience, and support these cherished sites during this designated week.

The PROOF Act mandates that digital exchanges and custodians establish strict rules for safeguarding customer assets, ensuring they are held separately and accounted for properly. It requires these entities to undergo monthly independent attestations, verified through cryptographic proof, to confirm they possess the reserves they claim. The bill outlines specific civil penalties for non-compliance and establishes a process for developing industry-wide auditing standards.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of Clela Rorex, the Boulder County Clerk who courageously issued the first marriage license to a same-sex couple in the United States in 1975. It recognizes her pioneering action as a significant advancement for civil rights, despite facing intense backlash. The resolution also officially designates March 26, 2025, as Clela Rorex Day to commemorate her enduring advocacy.

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Improvement Act of 2025 updates the rules for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to offer greater flexibility in annual payment calculations. This bill establishes new payment formulas for agreements involving the retirement of water rights or the use of dryland farming practices. Furthermore, it exempts rental payments received under these specific CREP agreements from standard federal payment limitations.

The Tax Cut for Workers Act of 2025 significantly expands and makes permanent the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for workers without qualifying children by lowering the minimum age, substantially increasing the credit amount, and raising income thresholds. It also allows taxpayers to elect to use higher prior-year earned income to calculate their current EITC benefit. Furthermore, the bill permanently extends current EITC application rules for U.S. territories like Puerto Rico.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees across the nation. It tasks the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) with reviewing state laws to ensure they substantially provide these minimum rights, taking over administration where state laws fall short. The Act explicitly protects existing labor agreements while prohibiting strikes or lockouts that would endanger public safety services. Finally, it ensures that existing state or local laws providing equal or greater protections are not preempted by this federal minimum standard.

This resolution formally honors the life and extensive public service of the late Honorable John Bennett Johnston, Jr., former U.S. Senator for Louisiana. It details his career, highlighting his significant tenure on key Senate committees, particularly his leadership on energy policy. The resolution recognizes his legislative achievements benefiting Louisiana, including flood control and conservation efforts. Finally, the Senate adjourns immediately in his memory as a final tribute to his service.

The Increasing Transparency in Generic Drug Applications Act requires the FDA to confirm whether a generic drug's inactive ingredients match the brand-name version upon request. If differences exist, the FDA must specify which ingredients and amounts deviate from the original drug. This measure aims to streamline the generic drug approval process by providing clarity on formulation equivalence.

The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2025 aims to improve efficiency and fairness in immigration courts by significantly increasing access to legal representation for unaccompanied children. This bill mandates the government to provide counsel for these children at no cost through all stages of removal proceedings. Furthermore, it ensures noncitizens receive their case files promptly and establishes new standards for lawyer access to detention facilities and required annual reporting on legal representation outcomes.

The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 aims to significantly expand access to telehealth services under Medicare by permanently removing outdated geographic restrictions and broadening provider eligibility. The bill also enhances program integrity by dedicating new funding to oversight and establishing educational outreach for providers with unusual billing patterns. Finally, it mandates new resources, training, and public data reporting to ensure the quality and accessibility of virtual care for all beneficiaries.

This bill amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to adjust the cost-sharing requirements for conservation projects undertaken by qualified youth or conservation corps. Specifically, it increases the federal government's share of project costs from 75% to 90%. This change reduces the required non-federal contribution for these conservation efforts from 25% down to 10%.

The Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act (ABC Act) mandates a comprehensive review of Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security programs to significantly simplify application processes, forms, and communications. This effort aims to reduce the burden on family caregivers by eliminating redundant information requests across agencies. The responsible officials must report their simplification plans and progress to Congress within two years of enactment.

This bill establishes the private, nonprofit Foundation for Standards and Metrology to support the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in advancing measurement science and technical standards. The Foundation will accelerate the commercialization of research by partnering with industry, academia, and other groups. It will be governed by an independent Board of Directors and must develop a plan for financial self-sustainability within five years.

This resolution officially designates March 27, 2025, as "National Women in Agriculture Day." It recognizes the vital and substantial contributions of the over 1.2 million female agricultural producers to the U.S. economy and global food supply. The measure encourages citizens to acknowledge the leadership, mentorship, and economic impact women have across the entire agricultural sector.

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 mandates sweeping economic penalties against the Russian Federation and its affiliates for actions against Ukraine. This legislation requires the President and Treasury Secretary to impose escalating sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions, and energy sector entities. Furthermore, the Act prohibits U.S. persons from investing in Russian debt, bans the trading of Russian securities on U.S. exchanges, and imposes a massive 500% import duty on Russian goods. Sanctions can only be terminated if Russia agrees to a verifiable peace deal with Ukraine.

This Act mandates the Department of Labor to establish comprehensive, enforceable standards for preventing workplace violence in healthcare and social service settings. It requires covered employers to develop and implement written prevention plans, conduct risk assessments, provide thorough training, and maintain detailed incident logs. The legislation also amends the Social Security Act to ensure facilities receiving Medicare funds comply with these new federal workplace safety requirements.

The Hot Foods Act of 2025 amends the rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to generally allow beneficiaries to purchase hot, ready-to-eat foods. This legislation removes the previous general ban on buying such items with SNAP benefits. However, retailers participating in SNAP will now face a limit, as hot, ready-to-eat food sales cannot exceed 50% of their total gross sales.

The Increasing Access to Dental Insurance Act ensures individuals can purchase standalone dental insurance plans directly through the official health insurance marketplaces. This legislation removes any requirement to also enroll in a comprehensive medical plan to secure dental coverage via the Exchange. The goal is to simplify the process for people seeking only dental benefits through the established marketplace system.