Legislative Activity

The Alaska’s Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition Act, or ARTIST Act, creates an exemption under federal law allowing Alaska Natives living along the North Pacific or Arctic Ocean coasts to take marine mammals for subsistence or to create and sell authentic handicrafts. This bill strictly defines what qualifies as an authentic Alaska Native article, ensuring it is handmade by a coastal Alaska Native without mass-copying tools. Furthermore, the Act prevents states from banning the sale of these authentic handicrafts incorporating marine mammal materials.

This resolution officially designates the week of October 5 through October 11, 2025, as "National Community Policing Week." It recognizes the vital role of community policing in building trust between law enforcement and residents to enhance public safety. The bill encourages collaboration between citizens and police to find lasting solutions to crime and strengthen community relationships.

This resolution formally condemns the brutal Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel of October 7, 2023, and supports Israel's right to self-defense. It further condemns antisemitic and destructive protests within the United States. Ultimately, the resolution calls for an outcome that ensures Israel's survival, eliminates Hamas's ability to operate, and secures the release of all remaining hostages.

This resolution formally recognizes October 2025 as Filipino American History Month to celebrate the rich history and culture of Filipino Americans. It highlights their significant and long-standing contributions across all sectors of American life, including military service, healthcare, and public office. The measure encourages all Americans to observe the month with appropriate programs to promote the study of this vital community's heritage.

This Act authorizes the creation and issuance of a new circulating $2.50 coin to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The bill also allows the Treasury Secretary to mint special numismatic (collector's) $2.50 coins in precious metals. Both coin types will feature initial designs inspired by the 1926 Sesquicentennial Gold Coin, celebrating American liberty and heritage. Congress hopes these coins will be available by July 4, 2026.

The SHINE for Autumn Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve the national understanding and prevention of stillbirths. It authorizes federal grants to help states enhance stillbirth surveillance, data collection, and analysis, ensuring all collected data remains de-identified. Furthermore, the Act mandates the creation of clear federal guidelines for standardized data collection and the development of public educational materials regarding stillbirth risk factors.

The America’s CHILDREN Act of 2025 establishes a new pathway to permanent residency for certain college graduates who entered the U.S. as long-term dependents of temporary visa holders. It also introduces significant age-out protections, allowing many individuals to retain their original priority dates for visa processing. Furthermore, the bill updates the definition of "child" for immigration purposes and grants work authorization to certain nonimmigrant dependents.

The Protect America’s Workforce Act nullifies two specific Executive Orders related to federal labor-management programs and prohibits the use of federal funds to enforce them. Furthermore, the Act ensures that all existing collective bargaining agreements between the federal government and labor organizations remain fully in effect until their original expiration dates. This legislation solidifies current federal union contracts while removing the authority of the voided orders.

The 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025 aims to enhance mental health support for LGBTQ youth by ensuring dedicated resources for specialized services within the 988 Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline. This bill mandates that a minimum of 9% of annual hotline funding be reserved specifically for maintaining the specialized "Press 3 option" or equivalent service for LGBTQ callers. This action is driven by findings showing disproportionately high rates of suicidal ideation among LGBTQ high school students.

The RESPECT Act of 2025 updates the authority for reconsidering decisions regarding interment or memorialization in national cemeteries, allowing reviews for decisions made on or after June 18, 1973. It also standardizes and clarifies the legal language used when referencing the definition of a tier III sex offender in relation to these decisions. Finally, the Act removes an outdated provision from a previous law concerning national cemeteries.

This resolution formally condemns the assassination of Charlie Kirk and honors his life and legacy as a devoted husband, father, and founder of Turning Point USA. It recognizes his commitment to encouraging civil discourse on college campuses across the nation. The Senate also extends its deepest sympathies to his surviving family.

The Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025 establishes a comprehensive national program within NOAA to enhance fire weather forecasting, data management, and emergency response capabilities. This legislation creates new services, including a dedicated Incident Meteorologist Service, and mandates the development of advanced fire weather models and observation tools. Furthermore, the Act focuses on modernizing data infrastructure, improving interagency coordination, and ensuring equitable access to critical fire information for all communities.

The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025 significantly updates federal efforts to combat harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia across all U.S. waters, including freshwater systems. The bill expands the scope of the interagency Task Force, mandates the creation of a five-year national Action Strategy for HABs, and enhances monitoring and forecasting capabilities. It also clarifies agency roles, assigning EPA new duties for freshwater blooms while tasking NOAA with marine and Great Lakes response, and establishes a new incubator program for control technologies.

The Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act of 2025 mandates quarterly budget briefings for Congress by the VA Secretary and places new restrictions on critical skills bonuses for senior executives. Additionally, the bill establishes a new Veterans Experience Office, reporting directly to the Secretary, tasked with improving beneficiary satisfaction and reporting on customer feedback data to Congress. This new office will sunset on September 30, 2028, following a review by the Comptroller General.

The Drug Shortage Prevention Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the nation's drug supply chain by improving how manufacturers report potential disruptions for critical medicines. This legislation mandates earlier and more detailed notifications to the government regarding production halts, demand spikes, or supply interruptions for life-supporting drugs. Furthermore, it requires drug makers to report their active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) suppliers twice annually, increasing transparency into the entire supply chain.

The Protecting Small Business Competitions Act of 2025 establishes the "Rule of Two" within the Small Business Act. This rule mandates that federal contracts exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold must be reserved for small businesses if the contracting officer reasonably expects at least two responsible small business offers. This ensures greater competition among small businesses for significant government procurements, provided a fair market price can still be achieved.

The Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Act aims to streamline and enhance support for Afghan nationals who aided the U.S. mission. It establishes new processes for remote refugee processing, creates a pathway to conditional permanent resident status for eligible allies already in the U.S., and creates a new Special Immigrant Visa category for certain relatives of U.S. service members. The bill also mandates increased reporting and interagency coordination to improve efficiency and transparency in these resettlement efforts.

The Supporting Ukraine Act of 2025 provides comprehensive security, financial, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine while simultaneously leveraging frozen Russian assets to fund reconstruction efforts. It allocates over $30 billion in emergency appropriations for military assistance, replenishes U.S. defense stocks, and bolsters NATO allies. Furthermore, the bill establishes mechanisms to seize Russian assets, redirects seized Iranian weapons to Ukraine, and mandates U.S. military learning from the conflict.

This resolution designates August 16, 2025, as "National Airborne Day" to honor the history and bravery of U.S. airborne forces. It specifically recognizes the service of combat parachutists, air assault forces, and special operations warriors across all conflicts. The day serves as an expression of national gratitude for the thousands who have served in these elite units.

The Energy Savings and Weatherization Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends the critical Weatherization Assistance Program through 2030. This bill significantly increases the average cost limit for weatherizing low-income homes from $\$6,500$ to $\$15,000$ per unit. It also establishes clear standards for defining a "fully weatherized" home, requiring both recommended upgrades and a final quality control inspection.