Legislative Activity

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.

This joint resolution directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against designated terrorist organizations and drug trafficking groups that have not received specific authorization from Congress. It asserts that recent military strikes against vessels do not constitute a sufficient basis for ongoing military action without a formal declaration of war. The bill mandates that the use of force against these targets must cease unless explicitly approved by Congress, while preserving the right to self-defense.

The Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2025 amends the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination in housing based on source of income, veteran status, or military status. This expansion broadens protections to cover lawful income sources, including housing vouchers and various benefits, alongside military service. The Act ensures these new protected classes are covered across all aspects of the housing transaction, from advertising to rental agreements.

This resolution expresses Congressional support for designating September as "Dystonia Awareness Month" to promote public understanding of this painful neurological movement disorder. The measure aims to increase awareness about dystonia, which affects hundreds of thousands of Americans, leading to involuntary muscle contractions and significant disability. By supporting this designation, Congress encourages greater public education, supports ongoing research efforts, and commends healthcare professionals working to improve the lives of those affected.

The Billionaires Income Tax Act fundamentally changes how the wealthiest Americans are taxed by requiring them to pay taxes annually on the unrealized gains of their investment assets, eliminating indefinite tax deferral. It also removes several existing tax deferral mechanisms and imposes stricter tax consequences on these "applicable taxpayers" regarding investment income, expatriation, and deferred compensation. In essence, the bill aims to ensure that the ultra-wealthy pay taxes yearly on their growing wealth rather than waiting until assets are sold.

The **Protecting Our Democracy Act** is a comprehensive bill designed to increase transparency, accountability, and oversight across the Executive Branch. It strengthens restrictions on presidential pardon power, closes loopholes in emoluments clauses, and enhances Congress's ability to enforce subpoenas. Furthermore, the Act bolsters whistleblower protections, tightens ethics rules for acting officials and appointees, and mandates public disclosure of presidential tax returns.

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 Department of Defense’s Cost of ‘War’ Act of 2025 mandates that any expenses associated with renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War must be covered using existing travel funds. If travel budgets are insufficient, the Secretary of Defense must draw the remaining necessary funds from the travel allocations of the individual military departments. The Secretary is also required to report the total costs of this name change to Congress within one year of enactment.

The Head Start for America's Children Act aims to strengthen early childhood education by explicitly including infants and toddlers in growth goals and emphasizing mental health support. The bill significantly increases funding authorizations, updates numerous definitions to promote inclusivity (especially for Native American and Native Hawaiian communities), and establishes new requirements for staff compensation and professional development. Furthermore, it creates several new pilot programs focused on extending operating hours, fostering partnerships with higher education, and enabling community-wide eligibility in high-poverty areas.

The FAMILY Act establishes the Family and Medical Insurance Leave program, creating a new office within the Social Security Administration to manage paid benefits for qualified caregiving and serious health conditions. This law outlines eligibility requirements, a tiered formula for calculating monthly benefit payments, and protections against employer retaliation for taking leave. The Act also provides funding mechanisms for states that already have similar paid leave programs in place.

This resolution officially designates September 2025 as National Voting Rights Month to highlight ongoing threats to ballot access and encourage civic engagement. It urges Congress to pass legislation strengthening voting protections, like the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Furthermore, the resolution encourages educational outreach to inform citizens about registration and the history of voting rights in America.

The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act of 2025 imposes a new surtax on corporations whose ratio of top executive pay to average worker pay exceeds 50 to 1. This penalty tax is calculated based on a five-year average of the compensation ratio and applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025. The legislation mandates that large private companies must also calculate and report this ratio to avoid the penalty. The Treasury Department is tasked with issuing regulations to prevent companies from exploiting loopholes to avoid this tax.

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 Tax Cut for Striking Workers Act of 2025 makes strike benefits received from a labor union tax-free for striking workers. This legislation ensures that these payments are excluded from gross income and will not negatively affect a worker's eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). These provisions apply to compensation received after December 31, 2025.

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.

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 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 Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act mandates the Secretary of the Treasury to swiftly produce specific financial records related to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates to key Senate committees. This includes handing over all Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) mentioning Epstein, his partners, or related entities within 30 days of enactment. Furthermore, the Treasury must report on the financial institutions involved and any related investigations into potential violations by those institutions within 60 days.