Legislative Activity

This resolution honors the service and sacrifice of America's veterans on Veterans Day, 2025, recognizing the history of the observance from Armistice Day. It affirms the nation's deep commitment to supporting the over 15 million veterans and their families. The resolution calls upon the public to observe Veterans Day and ensure veterans continue to receive the services they deserve.

The North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2025 seeks to continue and strengthen U.S. efforts to promote human rights and democracy in North Korea. The bill reauthorizes key programs and emphasizes the need to increase the flow of outside information into the isolated nation. It also urges China to cease forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees and calls for prioritizing family reunions for divided Korean Americans. Finally, the Act establishes new reporting requirements concerning U.S. human rights activities related to North Korea.

This resolution commends President Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern due to severe and ongoing religious freedom violations. It details extensive violence against religious minorities, primarily Christians, by extremist groups and highlights the Nigerian government's failure to act. The bill calls for specific U.S. foreign policy actions, including conditioning aid and imposing targeted sanctions on responsible individuals and groups.

The Helping Our Heroes Act allows volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel to claim a charitable deduction for the value of their services. This deduction is set at \$20 per hour, up to 300 hours annually. The provision also permits taxpayers who do not itemize deductions to claim this specific charitable contribution.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating October 2025 as "Crime Prevention Month." It recognizes the high costs of crime and commends the efforts of law enforcement, community organizers, and others working to prevent it. The bill encourages federal, state, and local entities to invest in evidence-based prevention strategies and calls upon all citizens to participate in related public safety activities.

The REPO for Ukrainians Implementation Act of 2025 formally recognizes international calls to repurpose frozen Russian sovereign assets to aid Ukraine. This bill grants the President authority to transfer non-confiscated Russian assets into the Ukraine Support Fund, where they must be invested in U.S. government debt. Furthermore, the Secretary of State is mandated to obligate at least $250 million from the fund to Ukraine every quarter. The Act also requires the President to report on the location of these Russian assets globally and directs diplomatic efforts to encourage allies to contribute quarterly.

The Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 ensures that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue without interruption if Congress fails to pass the full Department of Agriculture budget by October 1, 2025. This legislation authorizes automatic funding from the Treasury to maintain benefit payments. Furthermore, it guarantees that any benefits missed due to a funding lapse will be paid retroactively once the bill is enacted.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating a specific week in October 2025 as "Careers in Energy Week." It aims to honor the vital contributions of the energy workforce and highlight the numerous rewarding career opportunities available across the sector. Furthermore, the bill encourages educational partnerships to promote necessary skills and prepare the future workforce for the evolving energy industry.

The New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act of 2025 establishes a new program to coordinate the restoration and protection of fish and wildlife habitats across the New York-New Jersey Watershed. This legislation creates a competitive grant program to fund local restoration projects, with special consideration for communities facing environmental injustice. The Act authorizes $20 million annually through fiscal year 2031 to support these science-based conservation efforts.

This resolution strongly condemns the brutal October 7th attacks by Hamas, demanding the immediate and unconditional surrender of the terrorist group and the release of all hostages, including Americans. It reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense while urging international action against Hamas and condemning the global surge in antisemitism. The measure serves as a formal statement of U.S. policy and support following the attacks.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 514 Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. The facility will now be known as the "Mildred Joyce Coleman Crump Post Office Building." This action ensures all official records reflect the new name for the Newark post office.

The Pray Safe Act of 2025 establishes a Federal Clearinghouse within the Department of Homeland Security to publish evidence-based safety and security best practices for nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, and houses of worship. This Clearinghouse will centralize information on security recommendations and available federal grant programs to help these entities prevent and respond to threats. The Act also mandates a GAO report evaluating existing federal security grant programs for these organizations.

The "If You See It, Squish It Act of 2025" mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to launch a national awareness campaign about the invasive spotted lanternfly. This campaign must include public service announcements encouraging the public to kill any lanternflies they encounter. The goal is to educate citizens on the threat this pest poses to local agriculture.

The Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act streamlines the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) process for issuing certain nuclear facility permits and licenses. This legislation allows the NRC to issue permits without automatically holding a full hearing if no affected party requests one. It also updates procedures to favor informal hearings when they are held and modifies timing requirements for license issuance.

The Portal for Appraisal Licensing Act of 2025 establishes a centralized, cloud-based system managed by the Appraisal Subcommittee for appraiser credentialing and AMC registration. This portal will streamline license submissions, fee payments, and access to required FBI background checks for state regulators. While the system centralizes data and tracking via unique IDs, states retain final authority over licensing decisions. The Subcommittee will establish an advisory committee and charge reasonable user fees to fund the portal's development and maintenance.

The America’s CHILDREN Act of 2025 establishes a new pathway to permanent residency for certain individuals who entered the U.S. as children, lived here legally for at least eight years as dependents of work visa holders, and subsequently earned a U.S. college degree. The bill also introduces significant "age-out" protections, allowing long-term dependents to retain their original priority dates for visa processing. Furthermore, it clarifies rules for derivative beneficiaries, potentially granting them work authorization in certain dependent statuses.

The Safe Step Act establishes mandatory, transparent exception processes for health plans that use "step therapy" protocols for prescription drugs. This ensures patients or their doctors can quickly request coverage for a prescribed medication when specific clinical criteria are met, such as previous treatment failure or risk of harm. Plans must decide on standard requests within 72 hours and urgent requests within 24 hours, and approved exceptions must last for at least one year. Furthermore, insurers must report detailed data annually on exception requests, approvals, and denials to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The SHINE for Autumn Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve federal support for state-level stillbirth research and data collection. It authorizes grants for states to enhance surveillance, track risk factors, and build local capacity for analyzing stillbirth data, provided the information remains de-identified. Furthermore, the bill mandates the development of standardized guidelines and educational materials regarding stillbirth awareness and risk factors, developed in consultation with experts and bereaved families.

The No Tax on Overtime for All Workers Act amends the tax code to clarify and expand the definition of "qualified overtime compensation." This change ensures that overtime pay earned above a standard rate, whether mandated by the Fair Labor Standards Act or agreed upon beforehand with an employer, is treated favorably for tax purposes. The goal is to incentivize and reward workers for putting in extra hours.

The Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025 establishes a mechanism to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) remains operational during a lapse in appropriations. If Congress fails to pass a budget, the FAA can draw from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to continue existing programs and projects at the previous year's spending rate. This temporary funding lasts until a new budget is enacted or for a maximum of 30 days, whichever comes first. This measure aims to prevent disruptions to critical aviation services during government shutdowns.