Legislative Activity

The **988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025** addresses the high rates of suicide risk among LGBTQ youth by strengthening specialized support through the national crisis hotline. This bill mandates that dedicated resources and services, such as a specific dialing option, must be maintained for LGBTQ individuals contacting 988. Furthermore, it requires that at least 9 percent of appropriated funds for the hotline be specifically reserved to ensure these specialized services for LGBTQ youth remain fully operational.

The FAMILY Act establishes a national Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This program provides monthly benefits to eligible individuals who take time off for qualified caregiving reasons, including serious health conditions or victims of violence. The Act also sets forth detailed eligibility requirements, benefit calculation formulas, and job protection guarantees for employees utilizing the leave. Finally, it creates a funding mechanism to support existing state-level paid leave programs that meet federal standards.

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

This resolution formally recognizes and celebrates the 180th anniversary of the United States Naval Academy. It honors the institution's history, its mission to instill honor and courage in future leaders, and the significant achievements of its distinguished alumni. Congress reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Academy as it continues to prepare leaders for the Navy and Marine Corps.

This bill, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, posthumously awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the pioneering civil rights attorney and federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. The legislation recognizes her historic achievements, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education* and her service as the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike the medal, and provisions are made for selling bronze duplicates to cover production costs.

The Affordable Inhalers and Nebulizers Act of 2025 aims to significantly reduce patient out-of-pocket costs for essential prescription inhalers and nebulizers used to treat conditions like asthma and COPD. This bill caps patient cost-sharing for these products at a maximum of \$15 per 30-day supply for most private insurance and Medicare beneficiaries, effective in 2026. Additionally, it establishes a new program to provide similar cost relief for uninsured individuals. The legislation ensures that payments made toward these caps count toward deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.

The Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to significantly enhance U.S. weather forecasting, research, and public safety measures across five years. It mandates the modernization of critical infrastructure, including radar systems and data processing, while prioritizing the integration of commercial technology and social science research into actionable, impact-based warnings. The bill focuses on improving predictions for severe events like tornadoes, hurricanes, and droughts, and overhauls how NOAA acquires and utilizes private sector weather data. Ultimately, this legislation seeks to deliver faster, clearer, and more reliable hazard information to protect American lives and property.

The Pakistan Freedom and Accountability Act expresses strong U.S. support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan, citing concerns over military influence and recent election interference. This legislation directs the President to identify and impose sanctions on Pakistani officials responsible for undermining democratic processes or committing serious human rights abuses. The Act emphasizes the need for civilian control over the military and sets an expiration date for its provisions in September 2030.

The HCBS Worker Protection Act of 2025 removes a federal payment limitation for certain home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers under Medicaid. This change grants states greater flexibility in receiving federal matching funds for these essential community services.

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.

The Increasing Nutrition Access for Seniors Act of 2025 aims to streamline and improve SNAP benefits for eligible seniors and disabled individuals. This bill extends certification periods up to 36 months for households with no earned income and introduces greater flexibility for medical expense deductions, including a self-attestation option. These changes are designed to reduce administrative burdens for long-term recipients while ensuring continued access to necessary food assistance.

The Farm Credit Adjustment Act grants the Farm Credit Administration the option to extend mandatory examination cycles for low-risk Farm Credit System institutions from the current frequency to once every 24 months. This change provides regulatory flexibility for institutions deemed stable by the FCA. This new examination option will take effect starting October 1, 2026.

The FORWARD Act expands eligibility for retired or disabled military personnel to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) using their military retirement or disability pay. This provision allows eligible former service members to make contributions, though these deposits will not receive any government matching funds. The relevant agencies have 180 days to establish the necessary regulations for this new option.

The Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2025 aims to protect consumers by prohibiting grocery stores from charging "grossly excessive" prices for food items. The bill also bans stores from adjusting prices based on personal tracking data, such as facial recognition, and requires clear signage if facial recognition technology is used. Furthermore, it mandates that large physical grocery stores must use printed signs instead of electronic shelf labels for displaying prices.

The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program Act of 2025 significantly enhances support for small rural businesses. This bill increases the maximum loan size from $\$50,000$ to $\$75,000$ and extends the program's authorization period through 2030. It also modifies rules regarding how loan funds can be used for construction and real estate improvements.

The Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2025 establishes that reproductive rights are fundamental human rights based on international commitments. This bill mandates that the State Department must include a detailed, required section on the status of reproductive rights in every country within its annual human rights reports. These reports must cover access to contraception, abortion services, and instances of reproductive coercion or discrimination against marginalized groups. The Act aims to ensure robust U.S. monitoring and accountability regarding global reproductive health and autonomy.

The Voters on the Move Registration Act of 2025 mandates that standardized, multilingual voter registration information be provided to individuals applying for certain federally assisted rental housing or residential mortgages. This ensures that tenants and mortgage applicants receive clear instructions on how to register to vote. The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection is tasked with creating this uniform voter information statement. This requirement focuses solely on providing information, not compelling voter registration.

The Time Off to Vote Act mandates that employers provide employees with at least two consecutive hours of paid leave to vote in federal elections. Employers retain control over when this paid leave is taken, which can include early voting periods if permitted by state law. This Act prohibits employers from penalizing employees for utilizing this required voting leave.

The Sustaining Our Democracy Act establishes a new federal program to provide annual grants to states for improving election administration, security, and accessibility, managed by a newly created Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation. This funding is supported by a dedicated ten-year Trust Fund to ensure stable resources for election infrastructure upgrades. The bill imposes strict rules on how states can use the money, including prohibitions against purchasing insecure voting machines or restricting basic voter support. If states fail to comply, the federal Director can bypass state government to fund local election subdivisions directly.

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.