Legislative Activity

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 updates federal housing tax credit allocations to reflect current economic realities and boosts minimum state allotments. It reforms tenant eligibility rules to stabilize tenancy and enhance protections for vulnerable residents, including victims of abuse. The bill also provides disaster relief for property owners, increases incentives for housing the extremely low-income, and directs greater resources toward Native American and rural housing needs. Finally, it streamlines administrative processes and signals a future focus on data transparency and discouraging restrictive local zoning.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees across the nation. It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to review state laws to ensure they substantially provide these minimum rights, including the right to organize and bargain collectively. If a state fails to meet these standards, the FLRA will administer federal labor relations rules for the uncovered employees. The Act also prohibits strikes or lockouts that would measurably disrupt emergency or public safety services.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 establishes a phased increase of the federal minimum wage, culminating in a \$17.00 per hour rate five years after enactment, followed by automatic annual adjustments tied to median wage growth. This bill also phases out the lower minimum wage for tipped employees and workers under 20, ensuring they eventually earn the standard federal minimum wage. Furthermore, it sets a schedule to eliminate subminimum wages for individuals with disabilities and prohibits the issuance of new special certificates allowing for lower pay.

The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act aims to disallow businesses from deducting federal income taxes for expenses incurred while attempting to influence employees regarding union organization or activities. This change is intended to stop companies from subsidizing anti-union campaigns through tax write-offs. The bill also establishes new, significant reporting requirements and penalties for businesses and third-party consultants who engage in these influence expenditures.

The Tax Fairness for Workers Act restores key federal tax deductions for employees, effective after 2024. This legislation makes union dues fully deductible "above the line," meaning they reduce Adjusted Gross Income without itemizing. Additionally, it allows itemizers to deduct certain other job-related business expenses that were previously limited.

The American Innovation Act establishes significant, multi-year funding authorizations through fiscal year 2036 for key federal science and innovation agencies, including the NSF, DOE Office of Science, DoD, NIST, and NASA. These appropriations are protected from future budget sequestration and are set to automatically adjust for inflation starting in fiscal year 2036. The bill ensures these dedicated innovation funds remain available until expended.

This bill restricts the use of federal funds to carry out large-scale removals of employees within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Specifically, it prohibits using federal money for terminations if 3% or more of the total HHS workforce, or 3% or more of any individual sub-agency's staff, are removed within a 60-day period. This measure aims to prevent sudden, mass layoffs across the department and its major divisions.

This Act mandates the Secretary of Labor to establish an interim and then a final standard requiring comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans for employers in the healthcare and social service sectors. These plans must be developed with employee input and detail risk assessments, hazard controls, reporting procedures, and annual training. Furthermore, the bill amends the Social Security Act to require Medicare-funded hospitals and skilled nursing facilities not covered by OSHA to comply with these new federal workplace violence prevention standards. The legislation also establishes clear definitions for workplace violence and includes strong anti-retaliation protections for employees who exercise their rights under the Act.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the Trump administration's planned tariffs on Canada and Mexico violate the spirit and terms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Congress is urging the President to cease imposing these tariffs, which threaten to undermine the vital trade relationship established by the USMCA. The measure affirms strong support for the existing trade agreement and its framework for fair commerce.

The Abortion Care Awareness Act of 2025 mandates the creation of a national public health campaign by the Secretary of HHS to educate the public on accessing abortion and related health services legally and safely. This campaign must provide medically accurate information on care options, including telehealth and medication abortion, while also teaching people how to recognize disinformation and protect their health data. The effort must be culturally competent and accessible to underserved communities, explicitly prohibiting the promotion of misinformation or abstinence-only programs.

The Hunger-Free Future Act of 2025 mandates that any adjustment to the Thrifty Food Plan used for calculating SNAP benefits must not result in an increase in food insecurity. This ensures that updates to the cost of the food plan do not negatively impact households' ability to afford adequate nutrition.

The Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act mandates that federal agencies conduct comprehensive software inventories and develop detailed modernization plans to consolidate licenses and reduce unnecessary spending. This legislation requires agencies to identify all software entitlements, usage restrictions, and redundant assets to improve interoperability and cost efficiency. The resulting reports and plans must be submitted to key oversight bodies, with the GAO later reviewing government-wide software asset management trends. No new funding is authorized for the implementation of this Act.

The COST of Relocations Act mandates that Federal agencies conduct a detailed, OMB-guided cost-benefit analysis before executing any "covered relocation" of jobs. Agencies must submit this analysis to their Inspector General (OIG), who then reviews the methodology and findings before reporting directly to Congress. This process ensures transparency and rigorous economic justification for significant federal job moves.

The Support UNFPA Funding Act authorizes specific funding levels for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. This legislation affirms that supporting UNFPA is in the U.S. strategic interest because it advances global health, reduces preventable maternal deaths, and combats gender-based violence. The bill emphasizes that UNFPA's work on voluntary family planning promotes stability and economic growth worldwide.

The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act aims to encourage more veterinarians to serve in underserved rural areas by making participation in certain loan repayment or forgiveness programs more financially appealing. This bill amends the tax code to exclude amounts received through qualifying state or federal veterinary student loan repayment programs from being counted as taxable income. This tax benefit applies to amounts received for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

This resolution officially designates March 27, 2025, as "National Women in Agriculture Day" to honor the significant contributions of women across all sectors of U.S. agriculture. It recognizes women as vital producers, leaders, and mentors who drive economic success and support the next generation in farming. The bill encourages the public to celebrate and support the essential role women play in ensuring the nation's food supply and global trade.

This bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop and implement a comprehensive 10-year Campus Modernization Plan for the United States Merchant Marine Academy. The plan must address critical infrastructure needs, including new training facilities, updated housing, and essential utility overhauls, to support modern maritime education and national security requirements. Congress authorizes up to \$1.02 billion from the Maritime Security Trust Fund between fiscal years 2026 and 2035 to execute this modernization effort.

The Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity Act of 2025 updates Medicare coverage to include diagnostic ultrasound tests. This legislation mandates that Medicare establish separate payments for the transportation and setup of portable ultrasound equipment, mirroring existing payments for portable X-ray services. These changes are set to take effect starting January 1, 2027.

The Honor Farmer Contracts Act mandates that the Department of Agriculture immediately honor all existing written agreements and pay any outstanding debts owed under those contracts. This legislation strictly prohibits the cancellation of signed farmer contracts unless the farmer has breached the terms. Furthermore, the Act requires a 60-day advance written notice to Congress before closing any local Farm Service Agency, NRCS, or Rural Development offices.

The Raise the Age Act of 2025 generally prohibits Federal Firearms Licensees from selling certain semiautomatic centerfire rifles or shotguns capable of holding magazines over five rounds to anyone under 21, with exceptions for qualified military or government personnel. The bill also maintains the existing minimum age of 18 for general firearm purchases, excluding the newly restricted categories. Finally, it mandates that the FBI Director report on the operational procedures of its public access line within 90 days of enactment.