Legislative Activity

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 updates school nutrition standards to allow schools to offer organic or non-organic whole milk as a beverage option. This legislation also revises the criteria for milk substitutions based on medical or dietary needs and excludes milk fat from saturated fat calculations for meal compliance. Furthermore, the bill mandates that training for school food service personnel must now include comprehensive information on food allergies.

The Expanding Access to Lending Options Act modifies federal law to allow credit unions greater flexibility in real estate lending. Specifically, it increases the maximum repayment term for real estate loans from 15 to 20 years. This change aims to broaden the lending options available to credit union members.

This Senate resolution strongly condemns the recent rise in ideologically motivated attacks targeting Jewish individuals and institutions across the United States, including specific violent incidents in Colorado and Washington, D.C. It reaffirms the Senate's commitment to combating antisemitism and politically motivated violence. The resolution calls for thorough investigation of these acts and urges leaders to speak out against all forms of religious and political intimidation.

This bill establishes a grant program, administered by the Secretary of Agriculture through a selected non-governmental organization, to help agricultural producers and schools retrofit tractors with approved rollover protection structures. Grants will generally cover 70% of the total cost for purchasing, transporting, and installing these safety devices. The program is authorized to receive funding from fiscal year 2027 through 2031.

The Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends critical funding programs for counties containing federal lands through fiscal year 2026. This legislation ensures the continuation of secure payments and resource advisory committee authorities established under the original 2000 Act. It also streamlines payment elections for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 by carrying over the previous year's choice. Finally, the bill includes technical corrections to improve the administration of these rural support programs.

This bill reauthorizes and amends key grant programs under the American Battlefield Protection Program, extending funding through 2035 and increasing federal cost-sharing for interpretation and restoration projects. It also mandates the Secretary of the Interior to conduct comprehensive studies on nationally significant sites related to the French and Indian War and the Mexican-American War. The legislation aims to enhance the preservation and interpretation of these historic battlefields through updated grant structures and new site assessments.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a tax credit for employers who increase wages for qualified child care workers. Eligible facilities can claim a credit of 5% of these wages, increasing to 7% for facilities located in rural areas. Employers may choose to receive this credit as a direct payment, helping to support and stabilize the child care workforce.

The No Red Tape For Addiction Treatment Act aims to improve access to care for opioid use disorder by requiring state Medicaid programs to cover essential medication-assisted treatments without imposing prior authorization or dosage limits. This legislation ensures that necessary treatments are readily available to patients. Additionally, the bill mandates a report from MACPAC to study current utilization management controls and administrative burdens affecting treatment access under Medicaid.

This act streamlines federal oversight by automatically deeming State Veterans Homes certified by the VA as meeting Medicare and Medicaid nursing facility requirements. This automatic qualification is contingent upon the VA sharing inspection data and aligning its standards with federal requirements. The bill also mandates that VA inspection data for these homes be publicly reported to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Less Than Lethal Act aims to reduce the tax burden on certain non-lethal defense and safety devices. This bill exempts qualifying less-than-lethal projectile devices from the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. Furthermore, it removes these specific devices from the regulatory requirements of the National Firearms Act. The legislation establishes clear criteria for what qualifies as an exempt device, focusing on projectile speed and design intent.

This resolution honors the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, members of the West Virginia National Guard, who were tragically shot in a targeted assault in Washington, D.C. It specifically honors Specialist Beckstrom, who succumbed to her injuries, and recognizes Staff Sergeant Wolfe, who remains hospitalized. The resolution condemns the violent attack and expresses profound gratitude to all National Guard members and first responders involved.

This bill, the AGRITOURISM Act, establishes an Agritourism Advisor within the USDA to promote and encourage agritourism activities nationwide. It recognizes the significant financial, educational, and cultural benefits that agritourism provides to rural communities and their agricultural enterprises. The Advisor will coordinate efforts within the USDA and with external partners to share best practices and improve access to federal resources for these businesses.

This resolution officially designates December 2, 2025, as "World Nuclear Energy Day." It recognizes the historical milestones and significant contributions of nuclear energy to the U.S. economy, national security, and carbon-free electricity generation. The resolution celebrates the innovators in the field and encourages continued global cooperation in advancing safe nuclear technology.

The Back the Blue Act of 2025 establishes new federal crimes and harsher penalties for killing or assaulting law enforcement officers and other public safety officials. The bill also creates specific aggravating factors for the federal death penalty in such cases and places new restrictions on federal habeas corpus relief for related state convictions. Finally, it expands federal protections allowing active and retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms in various federal locations.

This bill reestablishes the National Coal Council as a federal advisory committee under the Department of Energy. The Council will provide recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters related to coal. Its operations will adhere to the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

The Strengthening Sanctions on Fentanyl Traffickers Act of 2025 aims to combat the flow of illicit synthetic narcotics into the United States. It mandates prioritizing sanctions identification against individuals and entities from the People's Republic of China involved in the fentanyl supply chain. The bill also strengthens existing sanctions on major Mexican drug cartels and expands presidential authority to impose broad economic sanctions on foreign persons involved in the global illicit drug trade.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 enhances the FDA's authority to require pediatric investigations for new molecularly targeted cancer drugs. It also extends the priority review voucher program designed to incentivize the development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases until September 2030. Furthermore, the bill mandates studies to assess the effectiveness of these new drug investigation requirements and the existing voucher program.

This bill, the Written Informed Consent Act, expands existing Veterans Health Administration requirements for informed consent. It mandates that the VA update its directive to include five additional classes of medications—antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and narcotics—under the informed consent process. This ensures veterans receive comprehensive information before starting these treatments.

The Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act (ASAP Act) amends Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias beginning in 2028. This coverage applies to FDA-cleared tests designed to detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. The legislation specifically outlines the types of genomic and imaging tests that will qualify for Medicare payment.

This bill, the Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act, extends and significantly increases the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for employers hiring from targeted groups through 2030. It raises the base credit amount, adjusts key figures for inflation, and adds qualified military spouses as an eligible group. Furthermore, the legislation mandates federal agencies to promote the hiring of WOTC-eligible individuals within critical sectors like manufacturing and healthcare.