Legislative Activity

The Federal Worker Childcare Protection Act of 2025 aims to reimburse federal employees for childcare expenses incurred during periods of government shutdown or lapse in funding. Eligible employees who were furloughed or unpaid due to a funding lapse can receive reimbursement by submitting proof of payment to the GSA. This provision is contingent upon Congress appropriating the necessary funds.

The Emergency Relief for Federal Workers Act of 2025 provides financial relief to federal employees affected by government shutdowns. This bill waives the 10% early withdrawal penalty on Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) distributions up to $30,000 during a qualifying shutdown. Additionally, it allows affected employees greater access to TSP hardship withdrawals and loans, and prevents missed TSP loan payments due to a shutdown from being treated as a taxable distribution.

The No Shame at School Act of 2025 mandates that schools must stop shaming students over unpaid meal debt by prohibiting overt identification or segregation of students who owe fees. This law requires local agencies to actively pursue free meal certification for students with outstanding balances and prevents schools from taking food away after it has been served. Furthermore, it establishes strict rules for debt collection, forbidding communication directed at the child and banning the use of third-party debt collectors.

The Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 ensures that employees of federal contractors are compensated for losses incurred due to government funding lapses or shutdowns. It requires federal agencies to adjust existing contracts to cover reasonable costs associated with furloughs, pay cuts, or mandatory leave taken by contractor employees. The bill appropriates necessary funds to cover these contract price adjustments and mandates public reporting on the compensation provided.

The Promoting Permanency Through Kinship Families Act aims to prioritize placing children in the care of relatives and close family friends (kinship care) as a primary path to permanency. This legislation mandates that states actively seek and support kinship placements by removing barriers like age limits for caregivers and ensuring access to necessary resources. Furthermore, the bill strengthens support programs and makes participation in the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program mandatory for all states.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating September 2025 as "National Kinship Care Month" to recognize the millions of relatives and close family friends raising children. It highlights the critical role kinship caregivers play in supporting vulnerable children outside the formal foster care system. The bill urges increased recognition and support for these families to ensure they have access to necessary resources.

This resolution officially designates the week of September 22 through September 28, 2025, as "National Falls Prevention Awareness Week." The goal is to raise public awareness about the significant dangers of falls among older adults. By highlighting this issue, the measure encourages widespread efforts to promote proven, cost-effective prevention strategies.

This resolution formally recognizes and honors the 11 crew members—six U.S. Air Force service members and five civilian contractors—who tragically died in the TORQE 62 crash in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on October 2, 2015. Congress expresses its deep gratitude for their bravery and service in support of Operation Freedoms Sentinel. The bill ensures their sacrifice is remembered as a reminder of the dangers faced by military and civilian personnel alike.

The Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2025 establishes a new federal program to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed mental health services and supports in schools through grants and contracts. These funds will support partnerships to implement awareness campaigns, staff training on trauma and suicide risk, and direct student and family treatment. The Secretary must ensure equitable distribution of funding, which is capped at \$2 million per award, with Congress authorized to appropriate \$300 million annually for the initial years.

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 Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act mandates that states track and report detailed data on informal child separations from their parents that occur without formal court oversight or official state custody. This legislation defines these situations as "hidden foster care arrangements" and requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to compile an annual public report summarizing this data. The goal is to bring transparency to these arrangements, which often include safety planning or kinship diversion, to better understand how children are being moved outside the formal child welfare system.

The Safe Step Act establishes mandatory, transparent exception processes for health plans that use "step therapy" protocols for prescription drugs. This ensures patients or their doctors can quickly request coverage for a prescribed medication when specific clinical criteria are met, such as previous treatment failure or risk of harm. Plans must decide on standard requests within 72 hours and urgent requests within 24 hours, and approved exceptions must last for at least one year. Furthermore, insurers must report detailed data annually on exception requests, approvals, and denials to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

This bill, the Special Diabetes Program for Indians Reauthorization Act of 2025, ensures continued funding for critical diabetes programs serving Native American communities. It extends the authorization for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians through fiscal year 2030. The legislation secures an annual appropriation of \$160 million for these essential services through that period.

This House Resolution strongly condemns all forms of political violence and threats against elected officials and public figures, regardless of political affiliation. It affirms that disagreements must be resolved through peaceful and democratic means, not intimidation or force. The resolution urges law enforcement to prosecute those who commit or encourage such violence. Finally, it calls on all leaders to cease using dehumanizing rhetoric and promote civil discourse.

The Safe Streets for All Reauthorization and Improvement Act modifies the existing Safe Streets and Roads for All program. This legislation mandates that at least 20% of available funds must be dedicated to planning grants annually, replacing previous requirements. Additionally, it increases the total funding pool for the program by an extra \$5 billion for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2025 mandates that colleges receiving federal funds update their policies to explicitly prohibit and detail procedures for addressing harassment based on protected characteristics, including technology-facilitated abuse. The bill also establishes a competitive grant program, funded up to $50 million annually, to support campus efforts in harassment prevention, training, and support services. This legislation adds new requirements without superseding existing civil rights protections.

The Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends critical funding for the Special Diabetes Programs supporting Type 1 diabetes research and prevention. This bill commits $160 million annually for the program from fiscal years 2026 through 2030. The legislation ensures continued support for these vital diabetes initiatives over the next five years.

The Protect Adoptees and American Families Act (PAAF Act) aims to ensure that certain internationally adopted individuals automatically become U.S. citizens. This bill clarifies the requirements for automatic citizenship, particularly for adoptees who were physically present in the U.S. before turning 18. It also provides a pathway to citizenship for eligible adoptees residing abroad upon their legal entry into the United States.

This bill establishes a six-year pilot program for hospitals to provide medically tailored, home-delivered meals and nutrition therapy to eligible Medicare patients upon discharge. The goal is to improve health outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions for individuals with diet-sensitive conditions who have difficulty with daily living activities. Participating hospitals will receive payment for these services, which must be provided at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will evaluate the program's effectiveness using data collected from the participating sites.

This bill expresses the disapproval of Congress regarding a recent rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the integrity and affordability of the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Utilizing the Congressional Review Act, this measure immediately cancels the specific CMS regulation. Consequently, the proposed changes to marketplace rules will not take effect.