Legislative Activity

The Equal Employment for All Act of 2025 significantly amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit employers from using credit checks when making most hiring or firing decisions, even with applicant consent. This new restriction only allows credit checks for jobs requiring national security clearance or when specifically mandated by another law. The Act ensures that applicants cannot be penalized simply for refusing to authorize a credit check unless one of these narrow exceptions applies.

The Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 mandates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish and maintain a public database and webpage detailing all U.S. "billion-dollar disasters." This hub must include estimated costs, location, and type of event, updated at least every six months. The system will also feature historical maps and graphs, ensuring continuity with previous disaster tracking methods.

This Act officially establishes the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025 to honor the life and groundbreaking civil rights achievements of the late legal pioneer. The bill authorizes the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to her family in recognition of her service, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education*. Furthermore, it permits the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the medal to cover production costs.

The Enhancing First Response Act mandates the FCC to hold annual hearings and issue reports following major disaster communications outages to identify areas for improvement. It also requires the Office of Management and Budget to officially classify 911 dispatchers as a protective service occupation. Furthermore, the bill directs the FCC to report on the enforcement and effectiveness of existing laws regarding multi-line phone system compliance for emergency calls.

The Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act aims to protect Social Security from external government interference, specifically exempting it from the jurisdiction of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The bill also tightens restrictions on political appointees accessing beneficiary data, mandates that only verified deceased individuals are added to the Death Master File, and locks in current SSA office levels. Finally, it allocates significant new funding for improving customer service, modernizing technology, and establishing state and community grants to assist disability applicants.

This bill, the ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act, modifies the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for school employees. It establishes a new, more flexible standard for paraprofessionals and education support staff to meet the FMLA's hours-of-service requirement based on their typical school-year schedule. Furthermore, the Act mandates the Department of Labor to create specific calculation methods for FMLA leave entitlement tailored to the unique scheduling of educational employees.

The Nationwide Right To Unionize Act seeks to strengthen union organizing rights across the country. It achieves this by repealing the section of federal law that currently allows state "right-to-work" laws to override federal labor protections. This change effectively removes the federal permission for states to enforce laws prohibiting mandatory union membership or fee payment as a condition of employment.

The Student Loan Deduction Act of 2025 allows households applying for food assistance to deduct monthly student loan payments from their countable income. This deduction applies to both federal and private education loans, covering payments made for any household member. Claiming this deduction can positively impact eligibility for food assistance benefits.

This Senate resolution expresses a profound lack of confidence in Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., citing numerous actions that allegedly undermine public health, scientific integrity, and the legal duties of his office. The resolution details accusations of illegal funding cuts, mass firings of career staff, and the dismantling of key advisory committees. Therefore, the Senate declares that the Secretary should be removed from his position.

The Lowering Electric Bills Act extends crucial tax credits for residential clean energy installations until 2034. It also modifies the phase-out schedule for the Clean Electricity Production and Investment Credits, tying their continuation to achieving specific emissions reduction targets or the year 2032. These changes aim to provide long-term stability for clean energy investments.

The Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights Act of 2025 asserts that access to sexual and reproductive healthcare is a fundamental human right, citing international agreements. This bill mandates that the U.S. Secretary of State comprehensively detail the status of reproductive rights, including access to contraception, abortion care, and freedom from coercion, in the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Furthermore, it requires detailed reporting on disparities in reproductive health outcomes based on identity, such as race, sexual orientation, or disability. The Act emphasizes the need to hold governments accountable for denying these essential health services globally.

This resolution officially designates July 30, 2025, as "National Whistleblower Appreciation Day." It honors individuals who report waste, fraud, and abuse, recognizing their vital role in government accountability. Furthermore, the bill directs federal agencies to use this day to educate employees and the public about whistleblower rights and acknowledge the importance of their service.

The Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2025 establishes comprehensive consumer protections and enhances safety standards for passengers on large cruise vessels operating in U.S. waters. It creates a new Department of Transportation office to handle consumer complaints, clarifies contract terms, and restricts mandatory arbitration for disputes. Furthermore, the bill mandates faster crime reporting to the FBI, increases video retention requirements, and standardizes crew training and medical support services onboard.

The Expanding the VOTE Act clarifies existing requirements for providing voting materials in minority languages under the Voting Rights Act. It establishes a new grant program to incentivize jurisdictions to offer language assistance beyond current mandates. Furthermore, the bill addresses specific provisions for American Indian and Alaska Native languages and directs a study on lowering language assistance thresholds.

The Sustaining Our Democracy Act establishes a new federal program to provide annual funding to states specifically for improving election administration, security, and accessibility. This funding is sourced from a dedicated Trust Fund and administered by a new federal office. States must submit detailed plans outlining how they will use the money for upgrades like cybersecurity and expanded voting options, while being prohibited from using funds for voter intimidation or other prohibited activities.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act primarily repeals previous health subtitle changes and permanently extends enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace health insurance. This extension removes the income cap for receiving enhanced credits and updates the calculation method for determining an individual's required premium contribution. The bill aims to simplify the tax code related to health insurance affordability.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Voting Rights Act by establishing new standards to challenge discriminatory voting practices and updating federal oversight criteria for states. It mandates greater transparency for all changes to voting rules and implements "practice-based preclearance" for certain jurisdictions. Additionally, the bill creates new federal criminal penalties for using force or threats to intimidate voters or election workers.

The Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair Act of 2025 immediately enacts the final rule from PHMSA regarding gas pipeline leak detection and repair standards upon the bill's signing. This ensures stricter safety measures for finding and fixing leaks take effect without delay. Furthermore, the Act preserves the Secretary of Transportation's authority to issue stronger, more protective regulations in the future.

This resolution recognizes and affirms the vital, evidence-based work of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in determining effective preventive health services. It emphasizes the importance of the Task Force's recommendations, which directly influence mandatory coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act. The resolution calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to immediately ensure the Task Force can continue its operations and that current members complete their mandated terms without interruption.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals a previous ban that prohibited Medicaid payments to certain healthcare entities. This legislation retroactively validates and ensures payment for essential healthcare services provided by these now-unbanned organizations during the period the prohibition was in effect.