Legislative Activity

The Puppy Protection Act of 2025 significantly increases humane treatment standards for dog dealers under the Animal Welfare Act. This legislation mandates specific minimum space requirements, daily exercise access, and mandatory socialization for housed dogs. Furthermore, it establishes strict limits on female dog breeding frequency and age, alongside enhanced veterinary care protocols.

This bill affirms the House of Representatives' belief that every person has the right to emergency health care, including abortion care. It argues that abortion restrictions endanger lives, force doctors to make impossible choices, and disproportionately harm people of color, low-income individuals, and LGBTQI individuals. The bill emphasizes that delays in emergency care due to abortion bans can lead to life-threatening situations and that everyone, including pregnant individuals, should have access to necessary medical care without discrimination.

The HELPER Act of 2025 establishes a new FHA mortgage insurance program to assist first responders, educators, and law enforcement officers in purchasing homes. This program offers eligible first-time homebuyers 100% financing with no down payment required. Instead of monthly premiums, borrowers pay an upfront FHA insurance premium at closing.

The Protect Postal Performance Act establishes stricter public review periods and new protections before the Postal Service can close or consolidate local post offices. It also imposes significant limitations on the USPS's ability to change mail processing centers and transportation schedules. These changes require advisory opinions from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and prohibit facility closures in areas with poor recent on-time delivery performance.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act aims to improve support for individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This bill eliminates the standard waiting period for receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits and waives the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. These changes ensure immediate access to crucial financial and healthcare support upon diagnosis.

The Home of Your Own Act of 2025 establishes a new federal grant program administered by HUD to provide up to \$30,000 in assistance to eligible first-time homebuyers via states and Indian tribes. Funds are intended to cover down payments, closing costs, or necessary pre-move-in repairs, provided recipients complete mandatory financial counseling. Recipients must occupy the home for five years to avoid repayment, and the assistance received is not counted as taxable income. The Act authorizes \$6.7 billion annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to support this initiative.

The Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act transitions TSA personnel to standard federal employment rules under Title 5 of the U.S. Code by a set date no later than December 31, 2025. This mandates the freezing of current personnel policies during the transition while protecting current employee pay and benefits. The bill also requires extensive reviews by the Comptroller General on hiring, diversity, and workplace safety, and mandates consultation with employee representatives regarding labor relations. Finally, it ensures that screening agents retain collective bargaining rights and addresses specific concerns for Federal Air Marshals.

The Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025 significantly expands Medicare coverage to include comprehensive dental, vision, and hearing services starting in 2026. This legislation outlines specific payment schedules, frequency limits, and coverage percentages for routine exams, procedures, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids. Furthermore, the bill mandates the inclusion of an oral health professional on the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

This bill mandates that Congress must provide explicit approval before the federal government can sell, transfer, or declare any property listed on the National Register of Historic Places as surplus. This requirement applies to any land, building, structure, or site with historical significance currently owned by the United States. The process requires an agency to submit a formal notice to Congress, which must then pass a joint resolution to authorize the conveyance.

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand eligibility for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This change allows employers to claim the tax credit for hiring qualified military spouses. A qualified military spouse is defined as someone certified as being married to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

This bill condemns the House Republican Conference for a xenophobic social media post questioning Congressman Adriano Espaillat's immigration status and patriotism. It specifically condemns the House Republican leadership team for allowing the false statement that questioned Congressman Espaillat's citizenship.

The Stop Comstock Act aims to modernize and streamline federal statutes concerning obscene materials. It revises several sections of federal law, including those related to crimes, transportation, and importation, by removing outdated or redundant language like "indecent" or "immoral." This legislative cleanup focuses the legal definitions to center specifically on "obscene materials."

The Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2025 establishes a new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program to provide eligible veterans and former service members with secure, U.S.-made firearm storage lockboxes or vouchers. This initiative aims to promote safe firearm storage as a suicide prevention measure through distribution and public awareness campaigns. The law explicitly states that participation will not affect an individual's legal right to own firearms or require any form of firearm registration.

The Feed Our Families Act of 2025 ensures the continuity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the initial phase of a government shutdown. This bill automatically reserves necessary funding to operate SNAP for the first 90 days following a lapse in appropriations at the start of a fiscal year. These funds are held in reserve and released only as needed to maintain essential program services.

The Protect Our Probationary Employees Act resets the probationary period for certain federal employees who were involuntarily separated between January 20, 2025, and January 20, 2029. If these employees are rehired into a similar role at the same agency, their new probationary period will be reduced by the time they already served previously. This provision is temporary and will expire on January 20, 2029.

The American Teacher Act aims to address critical teacher shortages by establishing federal grants to help states raise the minimum annual salary for full-time teachers to \$60,000, adjusted for inflation. States must submit sustainability plans to ensure these minimums continue after the initial four-year grant period ends. The bill also provides funds for cost-of-living adjustments and a national campaign to enhance the value and diversity of the teaching profession.

The Woman on the Twenty Act of 2025 mandates that Harriet Tubman must be featured on the front of the twenty-dollar bill. This legislation sets a firm deadline, requiring that no new $20 notes can be printed without her portrait after December 31, 2028. Furthermore, the Secretary of the Treasury must publicly reveal the preliminary design for the new note by the end of 2026.

The Children's Health Insurance Program Permanency Act (CHIPP Act) permanently extends funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other related programs. It also makes permanent several programs and demonstration projects under the Social Security Act, such as the Pediatric Quality Measures Program and the Express Lane Eligibility Option. Additionally, the act provides states with the option to increase children's eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP by allowing them to cover children whose family income exceeds the state's current maximum income level.

The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to reduce maternal mortality by strengthening Maternal Mortality Review Committees with new expertise requirements and improved data collection. This bill mandates the annual sharing of updated best practices for preventing maternal deaths and serious illness across the healthcare system. Furthermore, it significantly increases and extends federal funding for these critical maternal health initiatives through fiscal year 2029.