Legislative Activity

This bill designates May 5-9, 2025, as "Teacher Appreciation Week," recognizing the contributions of public school teachers and their support for various educational initiatives. It acknowledges teachers' dedication to improving education through innovative methods and emphasizes the importance of their involvement in shaping education policies. The bill encourages leaders to engage with teachers, ensuring their insights are included in classroom policies.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury selection. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act seeks to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals and women across various sectors.

The Stealthing Act of 2025 allows individuals to sue someone who removes a sexual protection barrier without consent during sexual contact, resulting in unprotected contact. This applies if interstate commerce was used to further the act, or if the act occurred within U.S. jurisdiction. Penalties for the defendant in a civil action include compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and other relief as determined by the court.

The "Consent is Key Act" incentivizes states to enact laws allowing civil action against individuals who remove sexual protection barriers without consent by increasing funding to states under existing formula grants if they have such a law. The funding increase to a state via a covered formula grant can't exceed 20% of the average total grant funding the state received in the last three awards. Appropriates $5,000,000 to carry out this Act for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030.

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 increases the amount of expenses that qualify for the child and dependent care tax credit, and adjusts the income levels at which the credit phases out. It also makes the credit refundable and indexes certain amounts to inflation. These changes are intended to make the credit more accessible and beneficial for working families.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to limit the amount withheld from monthly benefits to recover overpayments. For overpayments not caused by fraud, the Social Security Administration cannot reduce benefits by more than 10% of the monthly payment. Individuals can request a higher withholding amount if desired. This change applies to existing and future overpayments under Title II of the Social Security Act.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to limit the amount beneficiaries pay in coinsurance for certain services received in ambulatory surgical centers. Specifically, it ensures that the coinsurance amount for facility services during a year for a surgical procedure does not exceed the inpatient hospital deductible under section 1813(b) of the Social Security Act. If the coinsurance exceeds the inpatient hospital deductible, the bill mandates a reduction in the coinsurance amount to match the deductible, with the government covering the difference to the service supplier. These provisions are set to take effect for services provided on or after January 1, 2026.

The New England Coastal Protection Act of 2025 prohibits the Department of Interior from issuing leases for oil and gas exploration, development, or production in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Connecticut. This amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act introduces a new tax credit to encourage the construction and rehabilitation of homes in distressed communities. This credit aims to bridge the "value gap" that often hinders development in these areas by incentivizing the creation of affordable homes for qualified low- to moderate-income homebuyers. The credit is allocated to developers through state agencies, with specific requirements for affordability, construction standards, and homeowner protection. If the homeowner sells the home within five years, a portion of the profit must be repaid.

The "Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act" terminates specific executive orders that imposed tariffs and mandates congressional approval for the President to impose new duties, quotas, or tariff-rate quotas on imports, or to suspend or withdraw trade agreement concessions, with certain exceptions for antidumping and countervailing duties and other specified duties. It also establishes expedited procedures for Congress to consider resolutions of approval regarding such trade actions.

This bill requests the President to provide the House of Representatives with information regarding Social Security Administration policies, closures/consolidation of offices, and staffing reductions after March 12, 2025. It seeks documents related to policy changes ending phone applications for benefits, requiring in-person validation, and the impact of these changes on public access. The request also covers the closure/consolidation of Social Security offices and any staff reductions, with all documents to be submitted within 14 days of the resolution's adoption.

The American Family Act establishes a refundable child tax credit with monthly advance payments, providing up to $300 per month per child, and creates a $500 tax credit for other dependents. The amount of the credit is reduced based on the taxpayer's income, with initial reductions starting at $150,000 for joint returns. The IRS will make monthly advance payments and establish an online portal for taxpayers to manage their payments and provide necessary information. This act terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024 and aims to provide regular financial support to families.

This bill mandates the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide the House of Representatives with documents and communications regarding the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) requests to access sensitive taxpayer and child data stored in the National Directory of New Hires and the Federal Parent Locator Service. The inquiry focuses on the legality, scope, and security implications of DOGE's data requests, as well as any related staff departures or unauthorized access attempts. The requested documents must be delivered to the House within 14 days.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 aims to increase affordable housing options by updating state housing credit formulas, refining tenant eligibility rules, and improving credit eligibility and determination. This includes adjusting income verification processes, modifying student occupancy rules, and protecting domestic abuse victims. The bill also focuses on Native American and rural assistance by addressing housing needs in Indian areas and streamlining income eligibility for rural projects. Additionally, it revises rules for exempt facility bonds and renames the "low-income housing tax credit" to the "affordable housing tax credit" while encouraging data sharing and discouraging discriminatory land use policies.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees and supervisory employees. It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine if state laws substantially provide these rights; if not, the Authority will administer collective bargaining procedures in those states. The act outlines specific rights and procedures, including the right to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities, while also addressing enforcement and exceptions. This law aims to ensure that public service workers have the ability to negotiate for fair wages, hours, and working conditions.

The "No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act" aims to eliminate tax deductions for employer expenses used to influence employees' decisions regarding unionizing and collective bargaining. It defines "labor organization activity" broadly, encompassing elections, disputes, and collective actions. The bill mandates detailed reporting of such activities, with significant penalties for non-compliance, and directs the Treasury Secretary to issue implementing guidance. This would apply to expenses incurred more than 240 days after the bill's enactment.

The "Building Child Care for a Better Future Act" aims to improve child care access and quality by increasing funding for the Child Care Entitlement to States and authorizing grants to address specific needs in underserved areas. It allocates significant funds for fiscal years 2026 and beyond, with dedicated portions for tribal organizations and territories. The act focuses on enhancing the child care workforce through training, wage support, and facility improvements, while also requiring detailed plans, collaboration, and reporting to ensure effective use of resources. These changes will take effect on October 1, 2025.

The "Protect America's Workforce Act" nullifies a 2025 executive order that limited federal labor-management relations programs. It prevents the enforcement of the executive order and prohibits the use of federal funds for its implementation. Additionally, the bill ensures the validity of existing collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and labor organizations until their original expiration dates.

The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act updates the resource limits for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, increasing the individual limit to $10,000 and the couple's limit to $20,000 by 2025. After 2025, these limits will be adjusted annually for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index. This change aims to allow SSI recipients to save more without losing their eligibility for benefits.