Legislative Activity

The Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2025 updates Medicare rules to ensure comprehensive coverage for mental and behavioral health services delivered via telehealth. This legislation clarifies and expands the scope of telehealth coverage under Medicare for these essential services. Furthermore, it removes previous restrictions, making the expanded coverage effective retroactively to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

This resolution declares the severe lack of affordable housing a national crisis requiring urgent, coordinated action. It calls upon federal, state, and local governments, alongside private and nonprofit partners, to prioritize the production of new affordable units and the preservation of existing ones. The bill emphasizes the need for smart policies that encourage building, protect tenants, and ensure housing stability for all Americans.

The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2025 aims to strengthen existing federal background check systems to prevent prohibited persons from acquiring firearms. This bill primarily mandates that most private firearm transfers must be facilitated through a licensed dealer who will conduct a background check. The legislation includes specific exceptions for family gifts, law enforcement, and temporary transfers under emergency circumstances.

The Elder Pride Protection Act of 2025 establishes the ELDER Task Force within the Department of Justice to combat abuse targeting older LGBTQI+ individuals. This group is charged with studying the causes of this abuse, developing national best practices, and creating training materials for law enforcement. The Task Force must report its findings and progress to Congress within one year of the Act's enactment.

The Defense Shipyard Workforce Housing Act of 2025 mandates a Department of Defense study to assess the feasibility, costs, and benefits of providing housing for civilian workers at four key naval shipyards. This comprehensive review will examine options for building or leasing housing and its potential impact on recruitment and retention. The findings, including recommendations, must be reported to Congress within 18 months of enactment.

The Pride In Mental Health Act of 2025 establishes a new grant program to improve mental health and substance abuse outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth through culturally competent care and resource development. These grants strictly prohibit funding for conversion therapy practices. The bill also mandates federal data collection on LGBTQ+ youth mental health and requires a report on the needs of those in foster care.

The Family Vaccine Protection Act formally establishes the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) into law, requiring all its vaccine recommendations to be based on the preponderance of the best available, peer-reviewed scientific evidence. This legislation mandates strict procedures for the CDC Director to adopt or reject ACIP advice, including notifying Congress if a recommendation is rejected. Furthermore, the Act requires that any changes to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program's injury table must also be supported by strong scientific evidence.

The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025 repeals key provisions of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. This legislation allows federal gun trace information to be discoverable and admissible as evidence in civil lawsuits and administrative hearings. The bill aims to provide victims of gun violence with greater access to relevant data in legal proceedings.

The Coordinated Federal Response to Extreme Heat Act of 2025 establishes a unified federal approach to mitigating the health and safety risks posed by extreme heat. It creates an Interagency Committee within NOAA to coordinate efforts across numerous federal departments and mandates the development of a National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS). This new system will provide open access to data, forecasts, and science-backed tools to improve national preparedness and response to dangerous heat events. The Act authorizes $5 million annually through fiscal year 2029 to support these initiatives.

The No Place for LGBTQ+ Hate Act immediately repeals specific Executive Orders that reportedly targeted or limited the rights of LGBTQI individuals across federal areas like employment and healthcare. This legislation also prohibits the use of any federal funds to enforce or carry out these canceled orders. The bill includes a savings provision to ensure it does not infringe upon the President's existing constitutional authority.

The Extreme Heat Economic Study Act of 2025 mandates a comprehensive study, led by NOAA, to quantify the full financial costs of extreme heat events in the United States. This study must analyze impacts across health, property damage, labor productivity, and critical infrastructure like energy and agriculture. The final report will recommend a national system for tracking and publicly reporting these economic losses within four years of enactment.

The Loved Ones Interment Act allows the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a single headstone or marker for a cremated veteran buried alongside another eligible individual. This marker can include information for both people, provided the cost does not exceed the standard limit for one marker. This change streamlines the process for honoring veterans interred together.

The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act of 2025 establishes a new grant program to combat dangerous urban heat islands, which disproportionately affect low-income and minority communities. This program will fund eligible entities for projects like tree planting, installing cool pavements, and establishing cooling centers. At least 75% of the annual funding must target designated low-income census tracts, ensuring resources are directed to the most vulnerable areas. The Act authorizes $30 million annually through fiscal year 2033 to support these essential mitigation efforts.

The Striking and Locked Out Workers Healthcare Protection Act ensures that employers cannot terminate or alter group health plan coverage for employees during a lawful strike or an employer-initiated lockout. This legislation aims to prevent employers from using health benefits as leverage during labor disputes. The bill also establishes significant civil penalties, including fines up to \$150,000 per violation, for employers who interfere with this coverage, and allows for individual liability for directors and officers involved in such violations.

The Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act of 2025 establishes fixed, non-renewable 18-year terms for all future Supreme Court Justices, with appointments staggered every two years. This legislation also outlines a process for phasing out current Justices upon the confirmation of new appointees. Finally, it grants the Chief Justice the authority to temporarily fill sudden vacancies below the standard nine-justice level using a randomly selected retired Justice.

The DEFIANCE Act of 2025 establishes a federal civil cause of action against the creation, possession with intent to share, or sharing of nonconsensual intimate digital forgeries, often known as deepfakes. This legislation updates existing law to specifically address image-based sexual abuse created through AI or digital manipulation, regardless of whether the image is labeled as fake. Victims can sue for significant statutory damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief to stop the spread of the harmful content. The Act ensures that this new federal standard does not preempt or limit stronger existing State or Tribal laws.

The Wildlife Confiscations Network Act of 2025 establishes a national, voluntary partnership—the Wildlife Confiscations Network—to coordinate the care and placement of illegally smuggled or confiscated wildlife. This network will utilize qualified animal care facilities to ensure seized animals receive proper triage, housing, and forensic documentation. The Act authorizes up to $5 million annually from Fiscal Year 2026 through 2030 to support this critical infrastructure.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month to combat a growing national crisis. It highlights alarming statistics regarding rising mental illness rates, significant barriers to accessing care, and disproportionate impacts on youth and marginalized communities. Ultimately, the bill declares mental health a national priority and encourages increased public awareness and support for mental health services.

The Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2025 establishes a new federal program designed to increase the number of mental health professionals working in schools. This program creates matching grants where the government helps cover graduate students' educational costs if their institutions agree to match the funding dollar-for-dollar. The goal is to incentivize graduate schools to support students who commit to careers in school-based mental health services, with specific outreach targeting low-income students.

The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2025 establishes a mandatory, public code of conduct and a formal complaint process for Supreme Court Justices, modeled after procedures for lower federal judges. The bill also institutes stricter disclosure requirements for gifts and financial ties, and mandates judicial disqualification in cases involving recent lobbying contact or significant financial relationships with involved parties. Furthermore, it creates new review panels for disqualification motions and requires parties and *amici* to disclose financial supporters connected to the case.