Legislative Activity

This bill authorizes Congress to award a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment collectively. This recognition honors the regiment's crucial and heroic service during the Revolutionary War, notably as one of the first integrated military units in American history. The original medal will be displayed at the Rhode Island State Library, and bronze duplicates may be sold to cover production costs.

This resolution formally acknowledges and apologizes for the decades of discrimination and mistreatment faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who served in the U.S. military, Foreign Service, and federal civil service. It condemns past and recent discriminatory policies that led to wrongful terminations and exclusions. The resolution commits the nation to pursuing equal rights, protections, and respect for all LGBT servicemembers and federal employees moving forward.

The Urban Canal Modernization Act updates definitions related to federally managed canals and establishes specific criteria for identifying "urban canals of concern." The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to perform extraordinary operation and maintenance work on these critical canals. For non-emergency repairs, the federal government will cover 35% of the costs as a nonreimbursable grant, with the remaining costs advanced by the Secretary and repaid by the operating entity.

The Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025 mandates a comprehensive federal review to improve lung cancer prevention, screening, and treatment specifically for women. This review will identify knowledge gaps in research, particularly concerning environmental and genomic factors, and assess strategies to increase screening rates. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must report findings and recommendations for program improvements to Congress within two years.

This resolution honors the life and extensive public service of the late Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for Michigan. It recognizes his decades in Congress, highlighting key legislative achievements such as co-sponsoring the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and leading significant banking reforms. The Senate expresses its profound sorrow and adjourns in his memory.

This Senate resolution expresses the commitment to achieving zero traffic fatalities on U.S. roadways by the year 2050. It emphasizes using a data-driven, safe systems approach and advanced vehicle technologies to eliminate preventable deaths. The resolution also calls for strengthening data collection and addressing existing disparities in transportation safety.

This bill reauthorizes and extends the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program through fiscal year 2030. The program allows eligible small, rural hospitals to receive Medicare payments based on reasonable costs for inpatient services to promote financial stability. It maintains participation limits and requires a report evaluating the program's impact on rural access to care and costs.

The Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act bans the imposition and carrying out of the death penalty for any federal crime after the date of enactment. This legislation mandates that all individuals currently under a federal death sentence must be resentenced.

This Act significantly increases the excise tax on stock buybacks for large oil and gas companies from 1% to 25%. This higher tax applies specifically to corporations meeting a $1 billion average annual gross receipts threshold and primarily engaged in the oil or gas business. The 25% rate remains in effect until the national average weekly retail price of regular gasoline drops below a specified trigger point for five consecutive weeks.

The All Students Count Act of 2026 mandates that states disaggregate student performance data for Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander subgroups. This change amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to reflect the diverse educational needs within these populations. The goal is to provide detailed, actionable data to better identify and support specific student groups often misrepresented as homogeneous.

The Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act of 2026 overhauls federal student loan programs to eliminate debt for educators serving in high-need schools and early childhood education settings. After five years of qualifying service, educators can receive 100% forgiveness on remaining federal student loans. The bill also provides monthly loan assistance while educators are actively serving, treating these payments as qualifying service toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This legislation aims to stabilize the educator workforce by significantly reducing the financial burden of student debt.

This bill, the Ending Passenger Rail Forced Arbitration Act, invalidates mandatory arbitration agreements and class action waivers for Amtrak passengers involved in consumer or civil rights disputes. It ensures that passengers alleging personal injury, discrimination, or other civil rights violations can pursue their claims in court. These new rules do not apply to disputes covered under the Railway Labor Act.

This joint resolution expresses Congressional disapproval of a new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would have required prior authorization for specific services under the WISeR Model. By disapproving the rule, Congress ensures that this CMS requirement will not take effect.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of the late former United States Senator John Seymour of California. It recognizes his extensive public service, highlighting his career in business, local government, and his tenure in the U.S. Senate. The Senate expresses its deep sorrow and directs that official copies of this resolution be delivered to his family.

The Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2026 significantly updates federal overtime exemptions for executive, administrative, and professional employees. It establishes a phased-in increase to the minimum salary threshold required for these "white-collar" roles to be exempt from overtime pay, eventually tying the threshold to national earnings data. Furthermore, the bill tightens the duties test by lowering the allowed percentage of time spent on non-exempt work from 40% to 20%.

The Moms Matter Act establishes grant programs to improve maternal mental health equity and expand the specialized maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce. The first program funds community-based initiatives to provide integrated mental health services for pregnant and postpartum individuals, prioritizing high-need areas. The second program supports training and diversifying providers specializing in maternal mental health, with a focus on recruiting from and serving underserved populations.

This bill expands benefits and improves processes for the Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program. It establishes a new benefit for officers who suffer permanent partial disability in the line of duty and mandates stricter timelines and interim payments for delayed claims processing. Furthermore, the legislation requires increased outreach, annual audits, and expedites death benefit approval for 9/11 first responders certified by related federal funds.

The Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act aims to eliminate barriers to sexual and reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities. It establishes grant programs to train the healthcare workforce, expand the number of providers with disabilities, and fund accessible health education. The bill also creates a National Technical Assistance Center and mandates a study to identify effective care models and coordination gaps.

This Senate resolution expresses the sense that access to mifepristone should be based on over 25 years of proven safety and effectiveness supported by peer-reviewed science. It calls for equitable and transparent laws and policies governing access to this time-sensitive medication abortion care. The resolution affirms the FDA's authority to regulate the drug based on the best available evidence, free from political interference.

The Scientific Integrity Act aims to safeguard the role of science in federal policymaking by requiring agencies that fund or conduct research to adopt and enforce strict scientific integrity policies. These policies must prohibit political interference, data suppression, and retaliation against scientists. The legislation establishes Scientific Integrity Officers within agencies and mandates regular training and public reporting on policy implementation to ensure public trust in government science.