Legislative Activity

The ACES Act mandates a National Academies study on cancer prevalence and mortality among veterans who served as active duty aircrew, identifying potential links between military exposures and cancer rates. Additionally, it extends certain limits on pension payments to December 31, 2031.

The "Fresh Start Act of 2025" amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, allowing grant funds to implement state laws that automatically expunge or seal criminal records, even if fees or fines are outstanding. States receiving these grants must report data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender to the Attorney General on expungement eligibility, completed expungements, and pending applications. The Attorney General is then required to publish an annual public report based on the data received from the states.

The "Improving Diaper Affordability Act of 2025" aims to make diapers more affordable for families by classifying them as qualified medical expenses for tax-advantaged health accounts, such as HSAs and FSAs. Additionally, the bill prohibits state and local governments from imposing sales taxes on diapers. This will reduce the financial burden on families, especially low-income households, and improve the health and well-being of babies and their parents.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury selection. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act seeks to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals and women across various sectors.

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.

This bill amends Title 38 of the United States Code to increase funding for comprehensive service programs addressing veteran homelessness. It extends the authorization of appropriations through fiscal year 2024 and provides $350 million for fiscal year 2025, as well as necessary funds for subsequent fiscal years.

The Duty Drawback Clarification Act amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to align the duty treatment of whiskies under subheading 2208.30 with that of subheading 2208.50.00. It also directs the United States International Trade Commission to add statistical suffixes to subheading 2208.30.00.

The Deafblind DATA Act requires the Director of the Bureau of the Census to submit a report to Congress on the feasibility of publishing a table and expanding data collection on individuals with combined hearing and vision loss in the American Community Survey. Starting in 2026, the Director must publish a table annually summarizing American Community Survey respondents who identify as both deaf and blind, including demographic and socioeconomic data, sorted by state. The Director must ensure that no personally identifiable information is published.

The "Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025" establishes an advisory council led by the Department of Health and Human Services to assess the needs of gun violence victims and victim assistance professionals, identify effective support practices, and improve access to resources. The council will gather public input, share findings with Congress, state agencies, and the public, and provide recommendations for legislative action. The goal is to improve support for victims of gun violence by identifying and disseminating information about available resources and best practices. The council will terminate 5 years after the enactment of this Act.

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 aims to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and countering its support for terrorism by imposing sanctions on those involved in Iran's energy sector and those who provide financial support for its destabilizing activities. It mandates sanctions on foreign entities involved in processing, exporting, or selling Iranian oil, gas, and petrochemicals, while also establishing an interagency working group to coordinate and enforce these sanctions. The Act also amends existing legislation to require the identification of individuals involved in sanctionable activities or sanctions evasion related to Iranian oil and gas sales.

The American Family Act establishes a refundable child tax credit with monthly advance payments, providing up to $300 per month per child, and creates a $500 tax credit for other dependents. The amount of the credit is reduced based on the taxpayer's income, with initial reductions starting at $150,000 for joint returns. The IRS will make monthly advance payments and establish an online portal for taxpayers to manage their payments and provide necessary information. This act terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024 and aims to provide regular financial support to families.

The "Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025" outlaws devices that accelerate a semi-automatic firearm's firing rate or simulate machine guns. It redefines "semi-automatic firearm" and requires current owners of affected devices to register them. There are exceptions for governmental entities, and lawful transfers of registered devices are permitted.

The "Raise the Wage Act of 2025" aims to increase the federal minimum wage to $17.00 per hour over five years, after which it will be annually adjusted based on the median hourly wage of all employees. The bill also gradually raises the minimum wage for tipped employees until it matches the standard minimum wage, while ensuring they retain all tips. Additionally, it increases and then eliminates the subminimum wage for newly hired employees under 20 and individuals with disabilities, promoting fair wages for all workers.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees and supervisory employees. It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine if state laws substantially provide these rights; if not, the Authority will administer collective bargaining procedures in those states. The act outlines specific rights and procedures, including the right to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities, while also addressing enforcement and exceptions. This law aims to ensure that public service workers have the ability to negotiate for fair wages, hours, and working conditions.

The "No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act" aims to eliminate tax deductions for employer expenses used to influence employees' decisions regarding unionizing and collective bargaining. It defines "labor organization activity" broadly, encompassing elections, disputes, and collective actions. The bill mandates detailed reporting of such activities, with significant penalties for non-compliance, and directs the Treasury Secretary to issue implementing guidance. This would apply to expenses incurred more than 240 days after the bill's enactment.

The "Tax Fairness for Workers Act" permits employees to deduct union dues and other employee business expenses above-the-line, bypassing previous deduction limitations. This change is achieved by amending sections of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, specifically 62(a)(1) and 67(g). These amendments will be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The Federal Firearm Licensee Act aims to strengthen regulations and oversight of licensed firearm dealers to reduce illegal firearm trafficking and enhance public safety. It mandates enhanced security measures, regular inventory checks, and electronic record-keeping for dealers, while also increasing inspection frequency and penalties for violations. The act also broadens background check requirements for both dealers and their employees and seeks to modernize the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' (ATF) operations through increased staffing and data accessibility. Finally, the act repeals limitations on sharing firearm trace data and centralizing records, and it requires reports to Congress on the act's implementation and dealer inspections.

The "Making Insulin Affordable for All Children Act" aims to lower insulin costs for individuals aged 26 and under with private health insurance. Beginning in 2026, private health plans must cover selected insulin products without a deductible and cap the cost-sharing at $35 per 30-day supply or 25% of the negotiated price, whichever is lower. This ensures that young people have affordable access to this life-saving medication.

The IDEA Full Funding Act aims to increase federal funding for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) from fiscal year 2026 through 2035 and subsequent years. It authorizes and appropriates specific funding levels for IDEA, excluding section 619, with increasing amounts each year. The funding is determined by both a set dollar amount and a percentage based on the number of children with disabilities and average per-pupil expenditure, whichever is greater. The bill also mandates that the increased funding adhere to "cut-as-you-go" rules, ensuring fiscal responsibility.

The "Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act" or the "SAVES Act" establishes a five-year pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to veterans with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions such as PTSD. The grants, up to $2,000,000 each, will support the planning, development, and management of service dog programs, ensuring veterans receive these dogs at no cost and are informed of available VA benefits. The VA will also provide veterinary insurance for the service dogs. $10,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for each of the five fiscal years following the establishment of the pilot program.