Legislative Activity

The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 aims to address physician shortages by adding 2,000 new Medicare-funded residency positions annually from 2027 through 2033. These new slots are distributed through an application process, prioritizing hospitals serving rural areas, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and those supporting new medical schools. Additionally, the bill mandates a study and report on effective strategies for increasing diversity within the healthcare workforce.

The Housing Supply Expansion Act of 2025 updates federal law by removing the requirement that manufactured homes must sit on a permanent chassis to qualify under federal safety standards. This Act mandates that all states must certify to HUD within one year that they treat these homes equally across financing, taxation, and sales regulations. States failing to certify risk having the sale of non-chassis manufactured homes prohibited within their borders. The law also requires annual compliance updates and federal coordination to ensure consistent treatment of these housing types.

The Canadian Snowbirds Act of 2025 establishes a new visitor classification allowing qualifying Canadian retirees, aged 50 and over, to stay in the U.S. for up to 240 days per year while maintaining their Canadian residency. This legislation clarifies that owning U.S. property will not automatically disqualify them from visitor status based on intent to immigrate. Additionally, the Act creates a specific tax status exception for these qualifying Canadians under certain conditions. All admissions remain subject to the final discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security.

The EACH Act of 2025 mandates that all federally funded health programs and insurance plans must cover abortion services without imposing restrictions based on income or insurance type. This legislation aims to eliminate existing federal bans and state-level restrictions that prevent access to comprehensive reproductive care. Furthermore, the bill prevents the federal government from interfering with state or private insurance plans that choose to cover abortion services. It explicitly repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act and establishes that this Act takes precedence over all conflicting federal laws.

This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and NIST to develop voluntary guidelines for election offices on the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. It also mandates a study on how AI was actually used in the 2024 federal elections to inform future updates to these guidelines. The goal is to help election administrators manage the risks and opportunities presented by AI while protecting election integrity.

The STEM RESTART Act establishes a new grant program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to help unemployed or underemployed mid-career workers re-enter high-demand, above-entry-level Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) jobs. These competitive "RESTART grants" will fund businesses to create "returnship" programs that offer on-the-job training, mentorship, and a clear path to full-time employment. The bill prioritizes programs that serve rural workers and ensures these opportunities lead to well-paying roles that supplement, rather than replace, existing staff.

The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025 mandates that employers protect workers from dangerous heat stress conditions. This Act requires the Secretary (of Labor) to rapidly establish comprehensive, science-based worker heat protection standards, including mandatory rest, water, and shade provisions. Furthermore, it grants enforcement power to OSHA, ensuring these new heat safety rules carry the full weight of existing occupational safety law. The legislation also establishes strong anti-retaliation protections for employees who report heat hazards.

The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl (HALT Fentanyl) Act aims to combat the opioid crisis by immediately classifying structurally similar fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled substances. The bill also streamlines the registration process for researchers working with Schedule I drugs and strengthens criminal penalties for trafficking these compounds. The Attorney General is required to issue implementing rules within six months of enactment.

The Child Care for Working Families Act establishes comprehensive federal programs to guarantee access to high-quality, affordable child care for young children of working families. It mandates significant investments to stabilize the child care workforce by requiring higher provider pay and sets strict caps on costs for parents based on income. Additionally, the bill creates a framework for universal, free preschool for three- and four-year-olds and extends service hours and raises compensation for Head Start staff.

This bill mandates the Secretary of Defense to submit a comprehensive report detailing current U.S. security cooperation with Guyana. The report must also outline the necessary additional assistance the U.S. would need to provide to help Guyana defend itself against a potential Venezuelan attack. This information will be delivered to the Armed Services Committees of Congress within 270 days of the Act's enactment.

This Act authorizes the creation and sale of commemorative coins to celebrate the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. The Secretary of the Treasury is empowered to mint various denominations of gold, silver, and clad coins for each event, with designs reflecting American participation. A mandatory surcharge on each coin sold will directly fund the respective organizing committees for the Games and their legacy programs, provided the government recovers all minting costs first.

The Counternarcotics Enhancement Act mandates that U.S. intelligence agencies report on their current cooperation with the Mexican government regarding counternarcotics efforts, including associated risks and strategies for improvement. The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) must then consolidate these reports and submit a comprehensive action plan to Congress. This process aims to enhance coordination and cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico in combating drug trafficking.

The Border Patrol Supervisors Retention Act aims to improve retention by expanding eligibility for higher rates of regularly scheduled overtime pay. This legislation extends the special overtime rules currently applied to GS-12 Border Patrol agents to cover agents at grades GS-13, GS-14, and GS-15. The bill ensures that supervisors in these higher pay grades receive enhanced overtime compensation.

The Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2025 ensures continuity of care by allowing physical therapists to utilize locum tenens arrangements under Medicare. This legislation updates existing rules to ensure that temporary coverage for outpatient physical therapy services is treated the same way as coverage for physicians' services. The goal is to prevent disruptions in patient access to necessary physical therapy.

The BEACON Act establishes a new Office of Inspector General (OIG) within the Executive Office of the President (EOP) to provide internal oversight. This new OIG will operate under the President's direction, though the President can halt investigations involving sensitive national security or confidential sources. The Act mandates regular reporting to Congress and requires the OIG to certify access to necessary information for its oversight duties.

The Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends critical funding for both Type 1 Diabetes research programs and diabetes programs serving Native Americans. This legislation secures specific annual appropriations of \$160 million for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, along with a transition allocation in late 2027. The bill ensures continued financial support for these vital public health initiatives through the end of 2027.

This resolution officially recognizes June 2025 as LGBTQ Pride Month to honor the history, struggles, and significant contributions of the LGBTQ community in the United States. It acknowledges past and ongoing discrimination while celebrating key legal milestones toward equality. The Senate encourages the nation to use this month to learn about inequality and celebrate the community's achievements both domestically and globally.

The Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act of 2025 renames and significantly updates the existing Community Wood Facilities Grant Program, increasing the applicant matching requirement to 50% and setting a maximum grant award of $5 million. The bill also modifies eligible activities to focus on forest products manufacturing and increases the total funding authorization for the program through 2030. Additionally, it makes corresponding adjustments to the Wood Innovations Grant Program to broaden its scope toward expanding forest products manufacturing.

The Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 2025 is a legislative update designed to modernize the Internal Revenue Code by ensuring gender-neutral language is used when referencing married taxpayers and their spouses. This bill systematically replaces outdated gendered terms like "husband and wife" or "his" with inclusive terms such as "married couple" and "spouse." The changes are purely linguistic, ensuring consistency across tax rules without altering any existing tax liabilities or deductions.

The Intelligence Community Technology Bridge Act of 2025 establishes a dedicated fund to accelerate the transition of promising technologies from research into operational use within the Intelligence Community (IC). This fund allows the IC to provide financial assistance, including grants or equity investments, to businesses and nonprofits developing mission-critical solutions. Priority for this funding will be given to small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors to broaden the supplier base.