Legislative Activity

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.

The Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act increases the federal share of grant funding for certain public safety activities from 50% to 60%. This change aims to reduce the financial burden on states for purchasing essential equipment. Additionally, the Act authorizes $60 million annually for this program from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

The Firefighter Learning And Management Education (FLAME) Act establishes new notification requirements for the Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration when large-scale cancellations of National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control courses occur. It mandates timely notification to Congress and affected students regarding any significant course reductions. Furthermore, the bill allows fire departments to seek reimbursement for incurred expenses if a course is cancelled for reasons other than "good cause" and requires a GAO study on the impact of these cancellations.

This resolution officially recognizes suicide as a serious public health crisis in the United States, highlighting the urgent need for prevention efforts across all demographics. It expresses strong support for designating September as "National Suicide Prevention Month" and September 10th as "World Suicide Prevention Day" to raise awareness. The measure calls for prioritizing comprehensive, tailored strategies to improve access to mental health and suicide prevention services nationwide.

This resolution expresses support for designating September 9, 2025, as "National Firearm Suicide Prevention Day." The goal is to raise awareness about the growing crisis of firearm suicides across the United States. It emphasizes that safe and secure firearm storage is a critical component of suicide prevention efforts. The resolution encourages professionals to discuss gun safety and suicide prevention with their patients.

This resolution formally recognizes suicide as a serious public health crisis in the United States and expresses strong support for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It highlights the critical role of the 988 service in providing immediate, life-saving support to those in mental health distress. Furthermore, the resolution supports the designation of September 8th as "988 Day" to promote awareness of this essential resource.

The Quiet Communities Act of 2025 addresses the growing public health crisis caused by noise pollution by reestablishing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Noise Abatement and Control. This office will be tasked with researching noise impacts, supporting state and local noise control efforts through technical assistance and grants, and conducting a specific study on aircraft noise. The Act authorizes \$25 million annually through Fiscal Year 2030 to fund these critical national noise reduction initiatives.

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 Act prohibits discrimination against individuals based on disability or age in federal jury service. It amends federal law to ensure that a disability cannot be used as a basis for exclusion from a jury unless the individual cannot perform the essential functions of service even with a reasonable accommodation. The legislation updates existing jury qualification standards to reflect this nondiscrimination principle.

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 Safeguarding the Use of the National Guard Act (SUN Act) enhances Congressional oversight of the President's domestic deployment of National Guard and reserve forces. It requires the President to submit a detailed report to Congress within 15 days outlining the legal justification, goals, costs, and impact of any domestic deployment. This reporting requirement is waived only when reserve forces are deployed specifically following a Presidential declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act for a natural disaster.

The Shielding Students from Wildfire Smoke Act directs the EPA to commission a comprehensive study on how K-12 schools and childcare facilities currently manage wildfire smoke exposure for children. This review will assess existing policies, identify gaps in protection, and recommend actionable strategies to Congress for improving safeguards, especially for resource-limited settings.

The High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Exemption Reauthorization Act extends the federal regulations governing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) facilities. Specifically, this bill pushes back the expiration date for these existing HOV facility rules from September 30, 2025, to September 30, 2031. This ensures the current federal guidelines remain in effect for an additional six years.

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 Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must now provide abortion care, counseling, and related medication as part of the medical services offered to eligible veterans and certain other beneficiaries. This legislation formally amends existing VA health care provisions to include these reproductive health services.

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 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 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.

The Plastic Health Research Act aims to significantly increase federal research into the health effects of plastic exposure, including microplastics and nanoplastics. It mandates the expansion of existing research programs and the establishment of specialized Centers of Excellence to develop standardized testing methods and assess health risks. The bill requires annual reporting to Congress on research progress and authorizes dedicated funding through fiscal year 2030 for these initiatives.