Legislative Activity

The PART Act aims to combat catalytic converter theft by requiring new vehicles to have traceable identifying markers on these parts. It establishes a federal grant program to help entities stamp identifying numbers onto existing converters. Furthermore, the bill imposes strict record-keeping requirements on businesses that buy used converters and creates new federal criminal penalties for stealing or trafficking stolen catalytic converters.

This bill, the ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act, updates eligibility requirements for certain school employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It adjusts how paraprofessionals and education support staff meet the required hours of service by using a percentage of expected monthly hours worked during the school year. Furthermore, the bill mandates clear guidelines for calculating FMLA leave entitlement for these employees to account for non-standard school schedules.

The Empowering Striking Workers Act of 2025 establishes a pathway for workers involved in a strike or lockout to receive unemployment insurance benefits after a mandatory 14-day waiting period. This legislation also exempts striking workers from the standard requirement to actively search for new employment while they are unable to work due to the labor dispute.

This resolution affirms strong Congressional support for the independence of the Federal Reserve System, its Chairman, and the Board of Governors. It emphasizes that the Fed must be free from political pressure to effectively manage monetary policy and maintain financial stability. The bill specifically warns against any executive interference that could undermine the Fed's integrity or global trust in the U.S. financial system.

The Nationwide Right to Unionize Act eliminates federal permission for states to enact or enforce "right-to-work" laws by repealing Section 14(b) of the National Labor Relations Act. This action ensures that union security agreements negotiated between unions and employers are governed exclusively by federal labor law. Consequently, state laws that prohibit mandatory union membership or fee payment as a condition of employment will no longer apply where federal law permits such agreements.

The Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025 aims to ensure continued access to Medicare home health services by pausing automatic payment reductions scheduled for 2026 and 2027. This is achieved by mandating a positive adjustment to the standard payment rate to fully offset proposed cuts. Furthermore, the bill clarifies that these temporary payment increases will not negatively impact future rate calculations for providers.

The Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act of 2025 aims to combat the nation's leading weather-related killer by establishing a comprehensive federal strategy against extreme heat. The bill creates an Interagency Committee and a National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) within NOAA to coordinate research, data sharing, and preparedness efforts across government agencies. Furthermore, it authorizes significant financial assistance for community projects focused on heat resilience, prioritizing historically disadvantaged areas. The Act also mandates a national study to identify critical gaps in current heat response policies and infrastructure.

The Restore Trust in Congress Act establishes strict new rules prohibiting Members of Congress and their immediate families from owning or trading specific financial assets, referred to as "covered investments," while in office. Covered individuals must divest existing prohibited holdings within a set timeframe or face significant financial penalties, including fines and forfeiture of profits. The legislation aims to eliminate conflicts of interest arising from personal financial trading while serving in federal office.

This bill exempts federal actions related to the construction of qualifying infill housing from the environmental review requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It defines qualifying infill housing based on location, size, and successful environmental site assessments. Additionally, the legislation accelerates the required frequency for states to update their natural hazard risk assessments from every five years to every three years.

The INFORM Act of 2025 mandates that Homeland Security must notify the immediate family of any individual transferred between immigration detention facilities within 24 hours. This notification must include the reason for the transfer and contact information for the new location. The Act broadly defines "immediate family" to cover a wide range of relatives, including step- and foster-family members.

The AUKUS Improvement Act of 2025 streamlines defense cooperation between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. This legislation eases restrictions on the export, re-export, and transfer of defense articles among the three nations, removing certain presidential authorization requirements. Furthermore, it eliminates specific certification requirements for technical assistance and manufacturing license agreements conducted within Australia or the United Kingdom. Overall, the bill aims to increase flexibility and efficiency in defense trade and technology sharing under the AUKUS partnership.

The Battling Infections Transmitted by Ticks and Exposure (BITE) Act establishes a comprehensive national system to prevent vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease. This system will utilize AI-driven early warning alerts, expert identification services, and real-time monitoring of insurance claims and symptoms. A key goal of the Act is to support efforts to reduce Lyme disease cases by 25% by 2035.

The Tick Identification Pilot Program Act of 2025 establishes a pilot program to provide grants to states for creating electronic tick identification services. These state programs will allow residents to submit photos of ticks for review by qualified biologists within 72 hours. The goal is to rapidly inform the public about the tick species, potential disease risk, and necessary next steps to combat tick-borne illnesses.

The Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act aims to strengthen the Social Security system through two main avenues. Title I mandates the creation of a new Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to be used for calculating future cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Title II modifies contribution rules by counting a small portion of wages and self-employment income earned above the current base limit after 2025, and it adjusts the benefit formula to potentially increase benefits based on these surplus earnings. These changes are designed to ensure COLAs more accurately reflect senior spending and to increase revenue for the system.

This Act establishes the National Manufacturing Advisory Council within the Department of Commerce to serve as a direct link between the government and the U.S. manufacturing sector. The Council's primary mission is to advise the Secretary of Commerce on federal policy, address workforce and supply chain issues, and develop an annual national strategic plan for global manufacturing competitiveness. It will draw diverse input from industry, labor, and academia, with a focus on supporting workers and promoting investment in economically distressed areas. The Council is set to expire five years after its first meeting.

The Taskforce for Recognizing and Averting Payment Scams Act (TRAPS Act) establishes a new Task Force led by the Secretary of the Treasury. This diverse group, including federal agencies, industry experts, and consumer advocates, will study evolving payment scams. The Task Force is charged with developing cross-sector prevention strategies and submitting comprehensive recommendations for new laws and improved coordination to combat these fraudulent activities.

The Election Mail Act aims to ensure the timely and secure delivery of federal election mail through the U.S. Postal Service. It mandates same-day processing of received absentee ballots and requires the use of intelligent mail barcodes for tracking mailed ballots starting in 2026. Furthermore, the bill establishes protections against operational changes that would slow election mail delivery and sets a national standard to count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day if received within seven days after the election.

The Youth Voting Rights Act aims to strengthen voting access for young Americans by enforcing the 26th Amendment. This bill mandates that public colleges facilitate voter registration, allows 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register for federal elections, and requires on-campus polling locations. It also establishes grants to encourage youth civic engagement and strengthens protections against age-based barriers in voting, including ID rules and absentee voting.

The Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act mandates that Members of Congress and their immediate families divest from or place specific stock holdings into qualified blind trusts to prevent conflicts of interest. The bill also establishes new civil penalties for failing to comply with existing stock trading disclosure laws (the STOCK Act). Furthermore, it requires that congressional financial disclosure forms be made publicly available online in a searchable, machine-readable format.

The Expanding the VOTE Act updates language assistance requirements under the Voting Rights Act by modernizing the definition of "voting materials" to include digital information. It also establishes new state responsibilities for providing language assistance and creates a grant program to incentivize voluntary language support beyond current mandates. Furthermore, the bill includes special provisions for unwritten American Indian and Alaska Native languages and mandates a study on lowering thresholds for language assistance coverage.