Legislative Activity

This bill authorizes the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to all Peace Corps Volunteers who served between August 28, 1961, and December 31, 2026, to recognize their distinguished service and promotion of world peace. The medal will be awarded to the Director of the Peace Corps for display at the agency's headquarters. The Secretary of the Treasury is also authorized to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the medal to cover production costs.

The Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2025 establishes a system of advance appropriations for key Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and Indian Health Service (IHS) programs starting in fiscal year 2026. This legislation mandates that budget requests must include forward-looking funding estimates for the subsequent fiscal year to improve agency planning and transparency. Furthermore, the bill requires annual reporting to Congress on resource adequacy for these critical services after consultation with Tribal nations.

This resolution officially expresses the support of Congress for designating July as Disability Pride Month nationwide. It recognizes the significant contributions of people with disabilities while acknowledging ongoing discrimination. The bill encourages the public and organizations to observe the month through appropriate celebrations and by actively working to prevent exclusion.

The Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative Act establishes a new, non-regulatory federal program within the EPA to fund large-scale projects aimed at restoring the health and resilience of the Mississippi River Corridor. This initiative will focus on improving water quality, enhancing community resilience to flooding, restoring habitat, and controlling invasive species. The Act also mandates the creation of a dedicated Program Office, research centers, and a comprehensive science plan to guide restoration efforts and measure success across the ten Mississippi River States.

The Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act amends the Animal Welfare Act to explicitly include reptiles and fish within the definition of "animal" for research and exhibition purposes. This expansion broadens federal oversight to cover more cold-blooded species used in testing, while maintaining specific exemptions for certain farm animals and lab rodents. The bill ensures that all dogs remain covered under the Act regardless of their use.

The Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act permanently withdraws approximately 225,504 acres of federal land and waters in Minnesota's Rainy River Watershed from mining and mineral leasing activities to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park. It allows for the removal of certain materials like sand and gravel if it does not harm the environment. The Act aims to preserve water quality, air quality, and the ecological integrity of the Rainy River Watershed.