Legislative Activity

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act focuses primarily on improving pediatric drug development and ensuring patient access to necessary treatments. This legislation mandates new research requirements for molecularly targeted pediatric cancer drugs, strengthens FDA enforcement of pediatric study completion, and extends incentives for developing drugs for rare pediatric diseases. Additionally, the bill updates organ transplant network functions and establishes an Abraham Accords Office within the FDA to enhance international regulatory cooperation.

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 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 Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates the Attorney General to publicly release all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates within 30 days of the bill becoming law. This release must include materials concerning investigations, flight logs, settlements, and internal communications, with very limited exceptions for victim privacy or active investigations. The Act strictly prohibits withholding documents due to political sensitivity or reputational harm and requires detailed justification for any redactions made.

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 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 Stuck On Hold Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implement automated systems to inform callers of their estimated wait times on customer service lines. If the wait exceeds ten minutes, callers must be offered an automated callback option. The VA is also required to issue guidance aimed at reducing average wait times to ten minutes or less.

The Flood Insurance for Farmers Act of 2025 amends the National Flood Insurance Act to allow specific variances for elevating or floodproofing agricultural structures in special flood hazard zones under strict local conditions. This bill also directs FEMA to offer an optional umbrella insurance policy for property owners with multiple structures on the same property. These changes aim to provide flexibility for agricultural building standards while maintaining appropriate risk assessment for flood insurance premiums.

The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act of 2025 establishes strict new standards for the use of non-deadly force by federal immigration personnel, requiring proportionality and de-escalation efforts. The bill mandates identification requirements, restricts the use of certain crowd-control equipment, and imposes new body camera and detailed reporting mandates. Furthermore, it creates affirmative duties for officers to intervene against excessive force and requires annual training on these new policies.

The Helping Our Heroes Act allows volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel to claim a charitable deduction for the value of their services. This deduction is set at \$20 per hour, up to 300 hours annually. The provision also permits taxpayers who do not itemize deductions to claim this specific charitable contribution.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating October 2025 as "Crime Prevention Month." It recognizes the high costs of crime and commends the efforts of law enforcement, community organizers, and others working to prevent it. The bill encourages federal, state, and local entities to invest in evidence-based prevention strategies and calls upon all citizens to participate in related public safety activities.

The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act amends the Controlled Substances Act to regulate equipment used in illicit drug manufacturing. This legislation requires manufacturers and distributors of tableting and encapsulating machines, and their critical parts, to apply permanent serial numbers to these items. The bill also prohibits the removal or alteration of these required serial numbers.

This resolution expresses support for recognizing the 1984 Sikh Genocide, acknowledging the systemic violence, trauma, and destruction inflicted upon the Sikh community. It calls for accountability for the perpetrators, including government officials and state institutions involved in the attacks. Furthermore, the bill establishes a U.S. policy to officially recognize this event and rejects any association with its denial.

The School Food Modernization Act aims to improve school meal programs by providing financial assistance for facility upgrades and equipment purchases through loan guarantees and grants. It also establishes a new grant program to fund third-party training for school food service staff on nutrition standards and efficiency. Finally, the bill requires reports to Congress on program implementation and a study on how states use administrative funds for workforce training.

The Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025 aims to increase patient access to physical therapy, recognizing its importance in pain management and recovery. This bill integrates physical therapists into the National Health Service Corps, making them eligible for loan repayment in underserved areas. Furthermore, it mandates that Medicare Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers cover physical therapy services starting in 2027.

The Wildfire Recovery Act ensures the federal government covers at least 75% of eligible fire management assistance costs for newly appropriated funds. It also mandates new rulemaking to establish clear standards for increasing federal disaster cost-sharing based on measurable financial impact. Finally, the bill updates FEMA policy to allow state, local, and Tribal governments to seek reimbursement for pre-staging their own equipment before a disaster is officially declared.

This bill amends the Veterans Community Care Program to officially include eyeglass lens fittings as a covered medical service provided by non-VA providers. It mandates that the VA quickly establish procedures to ensure veterans eligible for community care can easily access local providers for these fittings. The VA Secretary must report to Congress within 180 days on the implementation and impact of this new coverage.

The FASTER Act establishes a FEMA grant program to fund fire departments in creating home safety and fall prevention initiatives for older adults. These grants will help departments conduct home safety assessments, install safety modifications like grab bars, and provide related community paramedicine services. The goal is to reduce the high rate of debilitating and costly falls among seniors through proactive community intervention.

This resolution officially designates the week of September 22 through September 28, 2025, as "National Falls Prevention Awareness Week." The goal is to raise public awareness about the significant dangers of falls among older adults. By highlighting this issue, the measure encourages widespread efforts to promote proven, cost-effective prevention strategies.