Legislative Activity

The ADOPT Act of 2025 aims to protect families involved in private domestic interstate adoptions by preventing exploitation by unlicensed intermediaries. It establishes new federal crimes for unlawful adoption practices, such as brokering adoptions for compensation or making unauthorized payments to birth parents. The goal is to ensure access to licensed providers and stop the commodification of children in adoption.

This resolution officially designates November 22, 2025, as National Adoption Day and November 2025 as National Adoption Month. The measure aims to raise national awareness about the children awaiting adoption and celebrate those involved in adoption. It encourages all Americans to promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children across the nation.

This resolution officially designates the week of November 3 through November 7, 2025, as National Veterans Small Business Week. It recognizes the significant contributions of the over 1.65 million veteran-owned small businesses to the U.S. economy. The bill supports creating a business-friendly environment and expresses appreciation for veterans' continued service through entrepreneurship.

The Pay Our Military Act of 2025 ensures that active duty and reserve military personnel continue to receive pay and essential allowances if Congress has not passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026 by the start of that year. This legislation provides automatic continuing appropriations to cover military salaries, support staff, and necessary contractor payments during any funding lapse. The authority granted by this Act is set to terminate on September 30, 2026, or sooner if a comprehensive budget is enacted. Furthermore, the provisions of this Act are made retroactively effective as of September 30, 2025.

The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act establishes an interagency taskforce, housed at the FCC, to combat unlawful robocalls originating from foreign countries. This taskforce will study the scope of the problem and recommend effective strategies to Congress and federal agencies for stopping these international calls. The bill also adjusts the frequency of a required notice under the TRACED Act from annual to once every three years.

The Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 ensures that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue without interruption, even if Congress fails to pass the Department of Agriculture's budget for fiscal year 2026. This legislation authorizes automatic funding from the Treasury to maintain payments and cover any retroactive benefits missed due to the delay. This temporary funding mechanism remains active until the regular fiscal year 2026 appropriations are officially enacted.

The Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act of 2025 mandates that all commercial driver's license (CDL) tests must be administered exclusively in English. Furthermore, the bill establishes a mandatory one-year waiting period before an individual can upgrade from a standard driver's license to a CDL. Finally, it grants the Secretary of Transportation the authority to revoke a state's permission to issue out-of-state commercial licenses if that state fails to comply with federal regulations.

The Pay Our Military Act of 2025 ensures that members of the Armed Forces, along with essential Department of Defense civilian personnel and contractors, continue to receive pay and allowances in fiscal year 2026 if regular appropriations are not enacted. This measure provides temporary, continuing funding to support active service members. This authority automatically terminates upon the enactment of a new appropriations law or by January 1, 2027.

This resolution formally condemns the brutal Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel of October 7, 2023, and supports Israel's right to self-defense. It further condemns antisemitic and destructive protests within the United States. Ultimately, the resolution calls for an outcome that ensures Israel's survival, eliminates Hamas's ability to operate, and secures the release of all remaining hostages.

This resolution officially designates October 4, 2025, as "National Energy Appreciation Day." It celebrates the vital role of the U.S. energy sector in driving the economy, creating jobs, and improving quality of life globally. The bill emphasizes support for an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy, recognizing the contributions of fossil fuels, coal, nuclear, hydro, and renewables. It encourages public events to raise awareness about the importance of reliable and affordable energy.

The Safe Step Act establishes mandatory exception processes for group health plans and insurance issuers that utilize step therapy protocols for prescription drugs. This ensures patients and doctors have a clear, timely pathway to request coverage for medically necessary alternatives when required initial treatments are inappropriate or ineffective. Plans must provide rapid decisions for urgent requests and adhere to specific reporting requirements detailing exception outcomes.

The Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025 establishes a dedicated federal program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enhance science-based fisheries management in the Great Lakes. This initiative authorizes funding to systematically mass-mark hatchery-stocked fish to accurately assess stocking effectiveness and the impact of management strategies. The collected data will be shared with Federal, State, and Tribal partners to support restoration goals and sustain the region's vital fisheries economy.

This resolution officially designates September 2025 as National Literacy Month to raise awareness about the critical importance of reading skills. It highlights the significant national challenges in literacy rates and the economic costs associated with low literacy. The measure calls upon all sectors of society to observe the month by promoting evidence-based reading programs and activities.

This resolution formally condemns the assassination of Charlie Kirk and honors his life and legacy as a devoted husband, father, and founder of Turning Point USA. It recognizes his commitment to encouraging civil discourse on college campuses across the nation. The Senate also extends its deepest sympathies to his surviving family.

The SAVES Act of 2025 establishes a five-year pilot program within the VA to award competitive grants to nonprofits providing service dogs to eligible veterans with disabilities like PTSD or mobility issues. These grants, capped at $2 million per recipient, will cover the cost of training the dog and veteran, and the VA will also provide veterinary insurance for each service dog. The goal is to ensure veterans receive necessary support dogs without incurring any personal fees.

This bill amends the user fee system for Over-the-Counter (OTC) monograph drugs, establishing new fee collection schedules and revenue targets for the FDA for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. It updates definitions related to OTC monograph changes and extends the authorization for related programs and reporting requirements through 2030. The legislation ensures that collected fees are dedicated to funding OTC monograph drug activities.

This bill aims to improve veterans' healthcare by updating community care program eligibility and notification processes, enhancing mental health treatment program standards and access, and modernizing the VA's healthcare system through online tools and streamlined processes. It focuses on ensuring timely access to care, accommodating veterans' preferences, and improving the overall quality and efficiency of VA services. The bill also mandates increased transparency and accountability through regular reports to Congress.

The College Transparency Act establishes a secure, new Postsecondary Student Data System to track student enrollment, completion, and post-college outcomes across higher education institutions. This system aims to increase transparency for students and families by providing clear data on costs and success rates, while minimizing duplicate reporting burdens for schools. The collected data will be used for secure research and public reporting of aggregate statistics, strictly prohibiting the sale of data or its use for federal college rankings.

The Recovery of Stolen Checks Act allows taxpayers whose original IRS refund check was lost or stolen to elect to receive their replacement refund via direct deposit. This change provides an alternative to receiving a second paper check for the lost funds. The Treasury Department must establish the necessary procedures for this election.

The Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2025 aims to significantly boost employee ownership in S corporations through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). This bill extends crucial tax deferral benefits for stock sales to ESOPs and establishes new offices within the Treasury and Labor Departments to provide technical assistance and advocacy. Furthermore, it amends the Small Business Act to ensure ESOP-owned businesses do not automatically lose small business status when they transition to majority employee ownership.