Legislative Activity

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act prohibits discrimination based on religion, sex, or marital status in federally funded child welfare services. This aims to increase the number of stable, family-like placements for children, especially for LGBTQ youth who are overrepresented in foster care. The bill mandates federal guidance, training, and data collection to improve safety and well-being outcomes for all children involved in the system.

This bill extends and significantly enhances the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for employers hiring from targeted groups, increasing the credit amount and adjusting it for inflation through 2031. It also removes the age limit for SNAP recipients claiming the credit and adds qualified military spouses as an eligible group. Furthermore, the legislation mandates an inter-agency initiative to promote the hiring of targeted workers in key industries like manufacturing and healthcare.

The EXPERTS Act of 2025 aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the federal rulemaking process. It introduces new disclosure requirements for studies submitted during public comment periods and mandates greater public awareness of agency actions. Furthermore, the bill establishes the Office of the Public Advocate to improve public involvement and explicitly requires agencies to consider social equity in their cost-benefit analyses. Finally, it streamlines the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) review timeline and clarifies judicial review standards for agency interpretations.

This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program creating partnerships between military installations and qualified basic needs banks. The goal of this program is to provide essential diapers and diapering supplies to military families in need. The Secretary must also seek collaboration with the National Diaper Bank Network for technical assistance and program evaluation.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a prior reconciliation act. This action effectively revives the original laws that were previously amended by the repealed provisions. The bill seeks to revert existing agricultural and food-related statutes to their pre-amendment status.

This resolution designates October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month to highlight the widespread and devastating impact of intimate partner violence across all demographics. It recognizes the urgent need to eliminate domestic violence and supports increased funding for intervention and prevention programs. The resolution underscores the severe physical, emotional, and economic toll this abuse takes on individuals, families, and communities.

The Safer Supervision Act of 2025 aims to reform federal supervised release by requiring individualized assessments for imposing supervision and establishing a presumption for early termination when defendants meet certain compliance and public safety criteria. The bill also addresses workload concerns by mandating a proposal for law enforcement availability pay for probation officers and allowing prisoners without imposed supervision to apply earned time credits for early release. Finally, it directs the GAO to study the federal supervision and reentry system.

The Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot Act establishes a three-year grant program to help school food authorities offer 100% plant-based meal options, prioritizing culturally appropriate and educational components. Additionally, the bill clarifies and expands requirements for schools to substitute fluid milk with nutritionally equivalent nondairy beverages to accommodate medical, religious, or personal dietary needs. A separate pilot program is also created to help cover the costs associated with providing these nondairy substitutes based on written requests.

The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Modernization Act of 2025 mandates that group health plans and issuers provide comprehensive coverage for all stages of breast or chest wall reconstruction following breast cancer treatment. This coverage must include every modality, type, and procedural variation of reconstruction, as well as treatment for related complications like lymphedema. Furthermore, the bill requires plans to ensure in-network access to providers for these services and prohibits discrimination against patients seeking reconstruction.

This resolution formally recognizes the significant religious and historical importance of the festival of Diwali to Indian-American communities across the nation. Congress acknowledges Diwali as the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains for its symbolism of knowledge, peace, and the triumph of good over evil. By passing this, the House expresses respect for the Indian diaspora and appreciates the strong partnership between the United States and India.

The Keep Air Travel Safe Act ensures the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can continue all essential operations during a Congressional funding lapse. It allows the TSA Administrator to use unobligated prior-year funds to maintain activities at the previous year's spending rate. This temporary funding remains active until a new budget is passed or for a maximum of 180 days.

The WIC Benefits Protection Act mandates that all states must operate the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This legislation also guarantees permanent, mandatory funding for WIC starting in fiscal year 2026, ensuring the program has the necessary resources annually. Furthermore, it clarifies eligibility language within the program's governing statute.

This resolution expresses support for designating October 2025 as National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month to highlight the significant academic challenges faced by students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). It emphasizes that SLDs are the most common disability category under IDEA, yet these students show alarmingly low proficiency rates in reading and math. The bill urges early screening and calls on educational agencies to ensure these students receive the required specialized instruction and support to achieve success.

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.

This resolution expresses support for designating October 1, 2025, as "National Animal Rescue Day." The goal is to raise awareness about the importance of animal adoption and the critical work of rescue organizations nationwide. This day aims to encourage spaying and neutering efforts to combat pet overpopulation and promote increased animal adoptions.

The Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act of 2025 mandates that certain new medical devices must be designed to be fully usable by individuals who are blind or have low vision. This ensures that users can access information and operate life-saving equipment independently and privately, similar to sighted users. The FDA is tasked with establishing specific nonvisual accessibility standards for these covered devices within a set timeline. Devices failing to meet these standards after the effective date will be deemed adulterated.

This resolution strongly condemns attempts to use federal regulatory power or litigation to suppress lawful speech critical of a political party or the President. It reaffirms the fundamental importance of the First Amendment and warns that such actions resemble tactics used by authoritarian regimes. The bill urges government agencies to protect free expression and ensure accountability, not political censorship.

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.

The Protect Older Job Applicants Act of 2025 (POJA Act) explicitly extends the protections of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) to job applicants, prohibiting employers from limiting or classifying applicants based on age during the hiring process. Additionally, the bill mandates that the EEOC conduct a study on age discrimination claims filed under the ADEA since 2015. The EEOC must then report these findings, along with recommendations for combating hiring bias, to Congress and the public.

The SHINE for Autumn Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve federal support for state-level stillbirth research and data collection. It authorizes grants for states to enhance surveillance, track risk factors, and build local capacity for analyzing stillbirth data, provided the information remains de-identified. Furthermore, the bill mandates the development of standardized guidelines and educational materials regarding stillbirth awareness and risk factors, developed in consultation with experts and bereaved families.