Legislative Activity

The PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025 updates and extends key federal efforts to combat child exploitation. This bill revises the National Strategy to focus on emerging technology trends and mandates detailed resource planning for law enforcement. It also modifies the operations of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces, clarifying their duties, expanding partnerships, and providing liability protections for lead prioritization decisions. Finally, the Act adjusts grant funding allocations and authorizes specific funding levels through fiscal year 2028.

The AI Whistleblower Protection Act establishes clear definitions for AI security issues and protects employees who report them from retaliation by their employers. Covered individuals can report vulnerabilities or violations to various authorities and have recourse through the Department of Labor or federal court if punished. Successful claimants are entitled to remedies including job reinstatement, double back pay, and compensatory damages.

The Strong Communities Act of 2025 establishes the COPS Strong Communities Program to provide competitive grants for local law enforcement training. These funds support officers and recruits attending specialized programs, contingent upon a commitment to serve in their local community for at least four years afterward. The bill also mandates annual reporting to Congress detailing grant recipients, training plans, and officer retention rates to ensure transparency.

The Kids Online Safety Act establishes a comprehensive "duty of care" requiring online platforms to design features that mitigate specific harms to minors, such as those related to mental health and exploitation. It mandates that platforms provide minors with default, restrictive safety settings and robust parental controls over data sharing and recommendations. Furthermore, the legislation demands significant transparency regarding algorithmic ranking systems and grants the FTC enforcement authority.

This resolution calls for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to address the severe crisis facing civilians in Gaza, highlighting widespread hunger and the collapse of essential services due to blocked aid. It urges the Administration to immediately use all diplomatic tools to secure the release of hostages, lift the blockade on aid, and work toward a lasting end to the fighting.

This resolution condemns the acceptance of substantial gifts, such as presidential aircraft, from foreign governments, citing serious national security and foreign influence concerns. It asserts that accepting such gifts violates the Constitution's Emoluments Clause and undermines public trust. The measure demands that the President must receive explicit Congressional approval before accepting any significant foreign gift.

This resolution officially designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as "National Police Week." It serves to honor the valor and integrity of law enforcement officers across the nation. The resolution specifically remembers the officers killed in the line of duty during 2024 and encourages the public to observe this week to show appreciation for law enforcement personnel.

This resolution directs the Senate Legal Counsel to initiate a civil lawsuit to enforce the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution against the President. The action seeks to legally prevent the President from accepting gifts, payments, or benefits from foreign governments without explicit Congressional approval. This measure is being taken due to concerns that the President's personal financial dealings with foreign entities may violate constitutional restrictions designed to ensure undivided loyalty to the United States.

The MIL FMLA Act significantly expands existing family and medical leave protections for military families and veterans under the FMLA. It broadens the definition of "family" to include domestic partners and extended relatives for leave purposes related to service members. Crucially, the bill grants eligible employees up to 26 weeks of leave to care for an injured service member and grants covered service members up to 26 weeks of leave for their own service-related injuries. These expanded rights and definitions are also applied specifically to federal civilian employees.

The Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act modifies payroll taxes by increasing the Social Security wage cap to $400,000 and introducing a new 1.2% Medicare tax on high earners. It also significantly raises the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) rate for top earners and directs all NIIT revenue to the Social Security Trust Funds starting in 2026. These changes apply to both wage earners and the self-employed.

The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act mandates that health plans cover medically necessary diagnosis and treatment for congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This coverage must apply to outpatient and inpatient care, including necessary dental and orthodontic support, unless the procedure is purely cosmetic. These new requirements take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2025 bans the practice of paid conversion therapy aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, deeming it ineffective and harmful. This Act treats the provision or advertisement of such therapy as an unfair or deceptive business practice under the FTC Act. Enforcement authority is granted to the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Attorney General, and State Attorneys General. The law includes a severability clause ensuring that the invalidation of one provision does not void the entire Act.

The Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2025 extends critical Medicare payment provisions for ambulance services. This bill delays the expiration of special payment rules for "super rural" areas until January 1, 2028, while also implementing temporary payment increases for both super rural and standard ground ambulance services during that transition period. The goal is to ensure continued financial stability and access to essential ground ambulance care.

The American Innovation and Jobs Act aims to boost U.S. competitiveness by restoring immediate expensing for most business research and development (R&D) investments. It also significantly expands the refundable R&D tax credit for new and small businesses, increasing the maximum refund amount and raising eligibility thresholds. Furthermore, the bill makes technical adjustments to the R&D credit calculation to make it more accessible for startups. These provisions are designed to incentivize domestic innovation and job creation starting in tax years after 2021 and 2024, respectively.

The End Crypto Corruption Act of 2025 prohibits high-ranking government officials and their immediate families from issuing, sponsoring, or endorsing specific digital assets while in office and for one year after leaving. This legislation establishes both civil penalties, including fines based on financial gain, and criminal penalties, including imprisonment, for knowing violations involving digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs. The Act specifically targets conflicts of interest by treating these prohibited financial transactions as unofficial acts, removing official immunity protections.

This resolution strongly condemns recent actions by President Donald J. Trump that targeted and undermined the freedom of the press. It reaffirms the United States' foundational commitment to a free and independent media as essential for a functioning democracy. Furthermore, the resolution calls for the executive branch to respect journalistic rights and urges continued efforts to secure the release of imprisoned U.S. Agency for Global Media journalists abroad.

The PRECISE Act of 2025 aims to modernize agriculture by prioritizing precision agriculture technologies and practices across rural America. It expands federal assistance and incentives within existing conservation programs like EQIP and CSP to encourage the adoption of high-tech, data-driven farming methods. Furthermore, the bill clarifies definitions and enhances technical assistance delivery to support farmers in improving efficiency and environmental outcomes.

The Tax Relief for New Businesses Act simplifies tax treatment for new businesses by combining start-up and organizational expenditures under a single set of rules. This legislation significantly increases the immediate deduction limit for these initial costs from $\$5,000$ to $\$50,000$, with the phase-out threshold raised to $\$150,000$. It also introduces special rules for how these new deductions affect Net Operating Loss (NOL) calculations for partnerships and S corporations. These changes are effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Ellie Helton, Lisa Colagrossi, Kristen Shafer Englert, Teresa Anne Lawrence, and Jennifer Sedney Focused Research Act, or "Ellies Law," addresses the significant public health threat posed by brain aneurysms. This legislation authorizes $10 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 specifically for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). These funds are dedicated to supporting and expanding research on unruptured intracranial aneurysms, ensuring diverse patient representation in studies. The funding is intended to supplement, not replace, existing research budgets.

The BABIES Act aims to improve access to maternity care by establishing new federal grants to help freestanding birth centers start up or expand services. It also creates a Medicaid demonstration program to test new payment models for comprehensive, low-risk maternity care provided by accredited birth centers. These combined efforts seek to increase the availability of quality, community-based birth options, particularly in underserved areas.