Legislative Activity

This resolution recognizes May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the significant contributions of these communities to the history and culture of the United States. It acknowledges key historical milestones and achievements, while also addressing past discrimination and ongoing challenges faced by these communities. The resolution aims to honor the diverse heritage and resilience of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, highlighting their importance in enriching and strengthening the nation.

This resolution supports the designation of May 4-10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week". It recognizes the significant role of over 34.5 million small businesses in the U.S. that contribute to the economy and provide over 59 million jobs. The resolution celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit, achievements, and resilience of small business owners and their employees.

This resolution 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 affordability, diverse student population, and substantial economic contributions of these institutions, which serve millions of students and contribute billions to the national economy. The resolution highlights the importance of community colleges in meeting local and regional needs while driving economic prosperity.

The "Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act of 2025" aims to ensure students are fully informed about their loan obligations by enhancing pre-loan counseling with personalized debt and income estimates, and requiring students to confirm the exact loan amount they need. It also mandates quarterly statements during periods of non-payment, detailing loan balances, interest rates, and the benefits of making payments to reduce accruing interest. These changes are designed to promote responsible borrowing and minimize repayment difficulties.

The "Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025" aims to provide students with clear and standardized information about college costs and financial aid. It mandates the Department of Education to develop a standard "Financial Aid Offer" form with consistent terminology, ensuring that colleges present cost information, grants, scholarships, net price, and loan details in a transparent format. Colleges receiving federal aid must use this standard form and terminology in all financial aid communications. This act seeks to empower students and families to make informed decisions about financing higher education.

The Net Price Calculator Improvement Act sets minimum standards for net price calculators at higher education institutions, requiring them to display clear and comprehensive cost and aid information. It mandates that calculators provide individualized net prices, total program costs, and breakdowns of financial aid, while also protecting user data. The Act also enables the Department of Education to develop a universal net price calculator, allowing students to easily compare costs across multiple institutions using a single tool. Finally, the Act requires consumer testing and congressional reporting to ensure the calculator's effectiveness and promote awareness of net price calculators, especially among middle school, high school, and low-income students.

This resolution designates April 2025 as "Financial Literacy Month" to highlight the critical role of personal financial education and the repercussions of financial illiteracy. It acknowledges the significant number of unbanked and underbanked households, the struggles faced by people with disabilities, and the growing household debt in the U.S. The resolution encourages the government, schools, organizations, and individuals to promote financial literacy through various programs and activities during this month. It also emphasizes the positive impact of financial education on credit scores, retirement planning, and overall financial well-being.

The Veterans Opportunity Act of 2025 establishes the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs to manage and oversee programs providing economic assistance to veterans, their dependents, and survivors. It creates a new Under Secretary position to lead this administration, ensuring focus on vocational rehabilitation, education, housing, and transition programs. The Act mandates reports to Congress on program performance and requires certification that the transfer of services will not negatively impact veterans. It aims to streamline and improve the delivery of economic opportunities and support for veterans.

**Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 Summary:** This bill aims to expand and improve the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program by updating state allocation formulas, reforming tenant eligibility requirements, and modifying credit eligibility rules. It also focuses on increasing affordable housing opportunities for Native Americans and in rural areas. Additionally, the bill updates terminology in the Internal Revenue Code to replace "low-income" with "affordable" when referring to housing tax credits, and promotes data sharing and discourages discriminatory land use policies to enhance transparency and effectiveness.

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 service. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits. 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 aims to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ individuals and women across various aspects of life.

This resolution expresses the Senate's support for designating April 2025 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month to increase awareness and education, build strong families, support survivors, and ensure justice for victims. It recognizes the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect, healing those affected, and ensuring justice for victims of childhood abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. The resolution highlights the prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences and child maltreatment. It also emphasizes the importance of programs that support families and prevent child abuse.

The New England Coastal Protection Act prohibits the Department of Interior from issuing leases for oil and gas exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of New England. This includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to include this prohibition.

This resolution recognizes April 14, 2025, as World Quantum Day, celebrating the importance of quantum information science and technology. It acknowledges quantum physics' role in current technologies and its potential for future breakthroughs. The resolution supports reinforcing STEM education to prepare students for careers in quantum technologies. It encourages schools to observe World Quantum Day with activities that teach students about quantum physics and engage them in STEM.

The "Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act" aims to enhance the safety and well-being of law enforcement officers through comprehensive data collection and analysis. It mandates the Attorney General to submit reports to Congress on attacks against officers, unreported aggressive actions, and the mental health challenges they face. These reports will include recommendations for improving responses to attacks, enhancing training programs, and providing better mental health resources. Ultimately, the Act seeks to provide law enforcement with the resources and support they need to protect themselves and serve their communities effectively.

The "Red Tape Reduction Act of 2025" reinstates a de minimis exception for third-party settlement organizations, requiring them to report information only if transactions exceed $10,000 or 50 transactions. It also aligns backup withholding rules with these thresholds, ensuring consistency in reporting requirements for third-party network transactions. These changes are effective for transactions and calendar years after December 31, 2024.

The POWER Act of 2025 amends the Stafford Act to allow electric utilities to use disaster relief funds for cost-effective hazard mitigation activities alongside power restoration. Receiving power restoration assistance will not disqualify utilities from receiving hazard mitigation assistance, as long as they meet the requirements. This change applies to funds allocated after the Act's enactment.

This resolution designates the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week" to recognize the importance of national parks for recreation, education, and economic contributions. It encourages people to visit and support these parks while acknowledging the role of the National Park Service in protecting these resources for future generations.

The American Family Act establishes a new, fully refundable monthly child tax credit, providing monthly allowances to eligible families with children. It creates a system for monthly advance payments of the child tax credit, administered by the Secretary, and includes income limitations and eligibility criteria. The Act also provides a credit for certain other dependents and terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024. This aims to provide regular financial support to families with children, reducing child poverty and enhancing economic stability.

The Defense Quantum Acceleration Act of 2025 aims to accelerate the adoption of quantum information science technologies within the Department of Defense by establishing joint activities, designating a Principal Quantum Advisor, and creating a national defense quantum information science joint center of excellence. It requires the development of a five-year strategic plan, promotes workforce development in quantum information science, and ensures budgetary oversight of quantum-related activities. The act also emphasizes collaboration with allies, particularly the Five Eyes countries, and encourages engagement with industry and academia to advance quantum technology for national security purposes.

The "America's First Fuels Act" introduces tax credits and increases existing credit limitations for biomass energy. It provides a tax credit of 30% for open-loop biomass heating property and increases the energy-efficient home improvement credit for biomass stoves and boilers. These changes aim to incentivize the use of biomass for heating and energy production. The provisions of this act will take effect after December 31, 2025.