Legislative Activity

The Improving Diaper Affordability Act of 2025 addresses the significant financial burden and health risks associated with diaper need for American families. This bill makes diapers a qualified expense for tax-advantaged accounts like HSAs, FSAs, and HRAs, effectively lowering the cost through pre-tax dollars. Additionally, it prohibits state and local governments from imposing retail sales or use taxes on the purchase of diapers. These measures aim to increase access to this essential item for low-income households.

The Probationary Reduction for Employee Protections (PREP) Act shortens the initial probationary periods for new federal employees. Specifically, it limits the trial period to a maximum of six months for those transitioning directly from another executive branch civil service job. For other new hires, the maximum probationary period will be 12 months across competitive service, excepted service, and Senior Executive Service appointments.

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 comprehensively defines and bans the manufacture, sale, and transfer of specific semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices. The bill grandfathers existing weapons but imposes new requirements for their secure storage and mandates dealer involvement for future private transfers. It also allows federal grant money to be used by states for buy-back programs targeting these banned items.

The Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025 significantly strengthens enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by clarifying definitions and expanding the scope of investigations. It grants the Attorney General explicit authority to file civil actions seeking penalties up to $10,000 per day, and mandates that collected fines help cover temporary animal care costs. The bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Attorney General to establish a formal agreement for coordinated enforcement.

The Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act of 2025 temporarily modifies the physician self-referral prohibition (Stark Law) to allow physician practices to dispense certain Medicare Part D prescription drugs directly to their patients between 2026 and 2030. This exception is subject to specific conditions regarding prescribing, patient history, and dispensing location. The bill also mandates a GAO study to examine trends in physician office drug dispensing and makes a minor adjustment to the allocation for the Medicare Improvement Fund.

The Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025 establishes aggressive national goals for the agricultural sector to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, mandating rapid changes in farming practices, research funding, and land management. It significantly reforms federal conservation and insurance programs to prioritize soil health, climate adaptation, and the development of resilient food systems. The bill also boosts support for on-farm renewable energy, strengthens local food infrastructure, and standardizes food labeling to reduce waste. Overall, it directs substantial federal resources toward transforming agriculture to meet ambitious climate targets while supporting farmers through new incentives and research.

The Equality Act comprehensively expands federal civil rights protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity across key areas of American life. It amends existing laws to prohibit discrimination in public accommodations, housing, credit, employment, and federal funding. The purpose of the bill is to provide consistent, explicit, and comprehensive remedies for individuals facing bias in these essential sectors.

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act officially repeals the previous law authorizing oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This legislation simultaneously designates approximately 1.56 million acres within the Refuge as protected wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Secretary of the Interior is now required to manage this newly designated land according to strict wilderness preservation standards.

This bill reauthorizes the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection program, ensuring its continued operation to gather historical documents related to unsolved civil rights investigations. It strengthens the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board's authority to obtain and expedite the public release of federal, state, and local records, removing previous opt-out exceptions for state and local entities. Furthermore, the legislation extends the tenure of the Review Board from seven to eleven years to complete its review process.

The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act mandates the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to rapidly adopt key industry standards as federal safety rules for lithium-ion batteries in small electric vehicles and personal mobility devices. This legislation ensures these standards automatically update to the newest industry revisions unless the CPSC finds a revision compromises safety. Furthermore, the CPSC must report to Congress five years after enactment regarding battery hazards and compliance.

This resolution officially recognizes April as Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month to celebrate the vital role these fields play in innovation across science, technology, and the economy. It emphasizes the need to promote public understanding and appreciation for mathematics and statistics. Furthermore, the bill highlights the importance of increasing diversity within these critical quantitative fields to maintain U.S. global leadership.

This resolution officially designates April 2025 as "Community College Month" to celebrate the vital role of over 1,000 community colleges nationwide. It recognizes these institutions for providing accessible, affordable higher education and critical workforce training. The bill highlights their significant economic contributions and commitment to local community needs.

This resolution expresses strong support for honoring Earth Day and recognizes its historical importance in launching the modern environmental movement. It highlights ongoing challenges like climate change while celebrating recent landmark investments in clean energy and infrastructure. Ultimately, the bill urges the President to issue a proclamation recognizing Earth Day and encourages all Americans to take sustained action to protect the environment for future generations.

The Finding Opportunities for Resource Exploration Act, or Finding ORE Act, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the USGS, to enter into Memoranda of Understanding with foreign partners. These agreements focus on cooperatively mapping critical mineral and rare earth element reserves in partner countries. The goal is to secure supply chains by prioritizing development opportunities for U.S. and allied companies, while ensuring data security.

The Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2025 significantly enhances historic rehabilitation tax incentives. It establishes a permanent 20% credit rate for qualified expenditures and introduces an optional 30% credit for smaller projects, which includes the ability to transfer the credit. Furthermore, the bill simplifies calculations by eliminating the requirement to reduce the property's basis when claiming the credit.

The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to strengthen efforts against human trafficking in the U.S. It renames and prioritizes grants for schools to educate students on recognizing and preventing trafficking, including online exploitation. The bill also establishes a new program to provide comprehensive employment, education, and life skills support for survivors. Finally, it extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for key anti-trafficking and victim assistance programs through Fiscal Year 2029.

This resolution officially designates the week of April 11–17, 2025, as the eighth annual Black Maternal Health Week to raise national awareness of the severe maternal and reproductive health crisis facing Black women and birthing people. It highlights the unacceptable disparity where Black women are significantly more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, emphasizing that most of these deaths are preventable. The bill calls for targeted investments, policy changes addressing systemic barriers, and the centering of Black women's voices in developing solutions to achieve equitable maternal health outcomes.

The You Earned It, You Keep It Act eliminates federal income tax on Social Security benefits while ensuring trust funds remain whole through Treasury appropriations. Starting in 2026, the bill significantly alters the Social Security payroll tax cap for high earners, introducing a new $\$250,000$ threshold for both wage taxation and benefit calculation. Furthermore, it adjusts the benefit formula for future retirees by adding a small bonus based on earnings above $\$250,000$, while protecting access to needs-based programs like SSI and Medicaid.

The Youth Workforce Readiness Act of 2025 establishes a competitive grant program to fund national organizations in developing comprehensive, out-of-school workforce readiness programs for youth aged 6 to 18. This Act aims to boost employment opportunities by connecting youth education and training with employer needs through community partnerships. Furthermore, it strengthens youth voices by mandating the reestablishment and integration of Youth Councils within local workforce boards to advise on training and readiness initiatives.

The Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025 establishes an Advisory Council, led by HHS, to assess the needs of gun violence victims and service providers. This Council will survey stakeholders, review existing support programs, and identify best practices for medical, financial, and mental health assistance. Its primary function is to compile and widely distribute a comprehensive list of available federal, state, and nonprofit resources to ensure victims can easily access necessary aid.