Legislative Activity

This concurrent resolution commends state and local governments for championing reproductive rights as human rights following the overturning of *Roe v. Wade*. It declares that denying abortion care leads to severe health risks and highlights the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes across the U.S. The resolution urges states to repeal abortion restrictions and affirm that reproductive rights are fundamental human rights.

This resolution, the RESPECT Resolution, encourages states and localities to adopt best practices to advance equity in the legal cannabis market and repair harms caused by the War on Drugs, especially for communities of color. It recommends specific actions such as expunging past cannabis convictions, creating equitable licensing priorities, and reinvesting tax revenue into affected communities. Furthermore, the bill directs the President to advocate at the United Nations to remove cannabis from international drug control treaties.

The Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act of 2025 seeks to reverse harmful provisions affecting unaccompanied children. This bill eliminates various immigration-related fees for current and former unaccompanied children, including those for asylum and employment authorization. It also prohibits physically intrusive medical examinations and restricts the sharing of sponsor information with immigration enforcement agencies. Furthermore, the Act mandates the refunding of previously paid fees.

The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act aims to overhaul immigration detention by establishing mandatory, high standards based on ABA guidelines and increasing transparency through rigorous, unannounced inspections. The bill prohibits the use of private, for-profit detention facilities within three years and ends the mandatory detention of most noncitizens, prioritizing release or community-based alternatives. Furthermore, it establishes new due process rights, including timely custody hearings, a presumption of release, and prohibitions on detaining children or using solitary confinement.

This Act establishes a competitive grant program to prepare girls and underrepresented minorities for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Qualified local educational agencies serving high-need student populations are eligible to apply for four-year grants of $250,000 annually. Funds must support comprehensive K-12 STEM education activities, including tutoring, mentoring, professional development, and career exposure. Grantees must submit annual evaluations detailing student progress and program effectiveness.

The Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act aims to increase housing accessibility through several tax incentives while simultaneously rescinding significant funding previously allocated for immigration enforcement. Key provisions establish new tax credits for first-time homebuyers, builders of starter homes, and the conversion of commercial buildings into affordable rentals. Additionally, the bill introduces a Renter Tax Credit for those spending over 30% of their income on rent, with an option for monthly advance payments.

This bill designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 2407 State Route 71, Suite 1, in Spring Lake, New Jersey, as the "James J. Howard Post Office." It ensures that any reference to this facility will officially recognize it as the James J. Howard Post Office.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act focuses primarily on improving pediatric drug development and ensuring patient access to necessary treatments. This legislation mandates new research requirements for molecularly targeted pediatric cancer drugs, strengthens FDA enforcement of pediatric study completion, and extends incentives for developing drugs for rare pediatric diseases. Additionally, the bill updates organ transplant network functions and establishes an Abraham Accords Office within the FDA to enhance international regulatory cooperation.

This bill aims to reform high-skilled immigration by significantly increasing the annual H-1B visa cap. It also establishes the Promoting American Ingenuity Grant Program to strengthen STEM education and teacher retention in the U.S. Furthermore, the legislation adjusts the criteria used to define H-1B-dependent employers.

The Baby Bonus Act establishes a new federal program within the Social Security Administration to provide a one-time financial payment to eligible parents of newborn children, beginning in 2026. This benefit is designed to be non-taxable and protected from being counted as a resource for federal benefit programs. The legislation creates the Office of Baby Assistance to manage the application and payment process for this new benefit.

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.

The End Child Poverty Act establishes a universal monthly cash assistance program for qualifying children, administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This act terminates the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit after 2025, replacing them with direct child payments. Additionally, the bill introduces new refundable tax credits for taxpayers supporting adult dependents and for low-to-middle income adults and families.

The Small Business RELIEF Act exempts qualified small businesses from duties imposed under Executive Order 14257. It also mandates that the President refund any such duties already paid by small businesses within 90 days of enactment. This legislation aims to provide economic fairness and relief to small importers.

This resolution supports the goals of Transgender Day of Remembrance by recognizing the ongoing epidemic of violence targeting transgender people, particularly transgender women of color. It memorializes the lives lost this year and highlights the systemic barriers, including discrimination and lack of healthcare access, faced by the transgender community. The bill calls for urgent action from the government to protect these lives through inclusive legislation and policies that ensure dignity and respect for all individuals.

The BOOST Act of 2025 establishes a universal adult assistance program providing qualifying U.S. residents aged 19 to 67 with a monthly cash payment of $250, administered by the Social Security Administration. To fund this, the bill simultaneously imposes a new federal income tax of 2.5% on adjusted gross income exceeding $30,000 for individuals or $60,000 for joint filers. These assistance payments are explicitly excluded from being counted as income for federal benefit or tax purposes.

The Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine Act, or Healthy MOM Act, aims to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes by ensuring comprehensive maternity coverage is accessible. It establishes special enrollment periods for pregnant individuals across various health plans and mandates that dependent coverage must include maternity care. Furthermore, the bill secures continuous 12-month postpartum coverage under Medicaid and CHIP and adjusts federal employee health benefit rules regarding pregnancy.

The Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act aims to significantly reduce prescription drug expenses for consumers. It expands the federal drug price negotiation program to cover more drugs and extends negotiated prices to most private health insurance plans. Furthermore, the bill applies inflation rebates to the commercial market and establishes new annual out-of-pocket spending caps for prescription drugs under private insurance starting in 2027. It also sets specific, lower cost-sharing requirements for covered insulin products.

The Global Respect Act aims to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI individuals worldwide. It mandates the President to identify and report foreign persons responsible for human rights violations against LGBTQI people, leading to their inadmissibility to the United States. Furthermore, the Act requires enhanced tracking and reporting of violence and discrimination targeting individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics in the annual human rights reports.

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.

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.