Legislative Activity

This resolution expresses strong support for high-quality after-school, before-school, and summer learning programs. It recognizes these programs are vital for developing essential skills in children and supporting working families. The resolution specifically endorses the national celebration, Lights On Afterschool, scheduled for October 23, 2025.

This resolution strongly condemns the Government of Iran for its ongoing, state-sponsored persecution of the Baha'i religious minority. It highlights decades of systematic human rights abuses, including imprisonment, job discrimination, and violence against Baha'is. The resolution urges the Iranian government to immediately release all religious prisoners and reverse discriminatory policies. Furthermore, it calls on the U.S. President and Secretary of State to condemn these actions and utilize existing authorities to impose sanctions on responsible Iranian officials.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a previous law (Public Law 11921). This repeal effectively reinstates the original statutes that were previously altered by those sections.

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.

The Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine (Healthy MOM) Act aims to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes by ensuring comprehensive and affordable maternity coverage. It establishes special enrollment periods for pregnant individuals across various health plans, including employer-sponsored and exchange plans. Furthermore, the bill mandates that dependent coverage must include maternity care and makes 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage mandatory under Medicaid and CHIP.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act prohibits discrimination based on religion, sex, or marital status in federally funded child welfare services. This aims to increase the number of available, stable foster and adoptive homes, particularly for LGBTQ youth and youth of color who are overrepresented in the system. The bill mandates federal guidance, cultural competency training, and the establishment of a resource center to improve safety and permanency outcomes for all children in care. Entities found in violation may face the withholding of federal payments.

The Background Check Expansion Act mandates that nearly all private firearm transfers between unlicensed individuals must go through a licensed dealer to complete a federal background check. This legislation establishes a universal background check requirement for these transactions, with specific exceptions for family gifts and law enforcement transfers. The bill aims to close loopholes in existing firearm transfer laws while explicitly prohibiting the creation of a national firearms registry.

The NOPAIN for Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must include specific, FDA-approved non-opioid pain management drugs in its national formulary. This ensures veterans have access to alternatives that do not act on opioid receptors for pain relief. The bill sets clear deadlines for the inclusion of these non-opioid products.

The Anti-Cash Grab Act repeals a specific provision (Section 213 of division C of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026). This repeal effectively restores a previous law, Section 10 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005. The legislation is designed to take effect retroactively as if the repealed section had never been enacted.

This resolution officially recognizes November as National Native American Heritage Month. It celebrates the rich cultures, histories, and significant contributions of Native Americans to the United States across various fields. The resolution also reaffirms the government's commitment to tribal self-governance and the government-to-government relationship with Indian Tribes.

The True Shutdown Fairness Act ensures that all federal employees, contract employees, and active service members affected by a lapse in appropriations starting October 1, 2025, receive their full back pay and benefits. It also mandates that agencies adjust contracts to compensate contractors for costs incurred due to work stoppages during the lapse. Furthermore, the bill prohibits agencies from implementing permanent staffing reductions or extended administrative leave during such funding gaps.

This Act grants federal employees and contractors the right to request a 90-day forbearance on their Federally backed mortgage loans during a lapse in appropriations affecting their agency. During this period, no additional interest or fees will accrue, and missed payments cannot be demanded as a lump sum upon forbearance ending. Servicers must report these accommodations favorably to credit bureaus, treating the account as current if the borrower makes required payments.

This resolution condemns the Chinese Communist Party's severe persecution of religious minority groups, including Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists. It specifically denounces the detention of Pastor "Ezra" Jin Mingri and Zion Church leaders amid a broader campaign to "sinicize" religion. The measure reaffirms the United States' global commitment to promoting religious freedom and calls for the immediate release of all wrongfully detained religious practitioners in China.

The Keep Head Start Funded Act of 2025 ensures the uninterrupted continuation of all Head Start projects and activities throughout fiscal year 2026, even if full appropriations are delayed. This legislation provides necessary continuing funding based on the terms of existing 2025 continuing resolutions. Funding authority under this Act will terminate upon the enactment of regular 2026 appropriations or by September 30, 2026.

The Securing Assurance for Federal Employees Act (SAFE Act) prohibits Executive agencies from initiating or carrying out any reduction in force (RIF) during a government shutdown caused by a lapse in funding. Any RIF action taken during such a period will be considered legally void. This provision is designed to protect federal employees from job loss during funding crises.

The Housing for All Veterans Act of 2025 establishes a new Low-income Veteran Rental Assistance Program to provide housing vouchers for qualified veteran families. This legislation amends existing housing law to create a dedicated entitlement to rental assistance, with eligibility criteria that gradually expand to include all low-income veteran families by Fiscal Year 2030. The Act also mandates information sharing regarding veteran services and prohibits discrimination against voucher holders. Finally, it provides necessary permanent appropriations and service fees to public housing agencies for administering this new benefit.

This Senate resolution expresses support for the European Union's efforts to rapidly diversify away from Russian energy sources following the invasion of Ukraine. It commends recent EU and U.S. sanctions targeting Russian energy revenues. The resolution also specifically calls on Hungary to adhere to the established timelines for ending its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

This Act mandates that covered entities must quarterly disclose detailed job impacts—including layoffs, hires, and retraining—resulting from the integration of Artificial Intelligence to the Secretary of Labor. The Department of Labor will then publish quarterly reports summarizing these national AI-related employment trends. The bill also directs the Secretary to establish regulations for applying these reporting requirements to certain non-publicly-traded companies.

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.

This Senate resolution urges the Department of Agriculture to immediately use its contingency funds and interchange authority to ensure the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is fully financed. The Senate asserts the administration has a legal obligation to use these existing resources to support millions of vulnerable Americans through November. This measure expresses a position and does not enact new law.