Legislative Activity

The "Women and Underrepresented Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2025" establishes a grant program within the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase the participation of women, underrepresented minorities (including LGBTQ+ individuals and those with disabilities) in STEM fields. These grants will fund various activities such as workshops, mentoring, internships, and outreach programs. The bill allocates \$15 million annually from 2026 to 2030 to support this initiative.

This bill expresses support for designating April 30, 2025, as "National Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day" to raise awareness about the importance of hepatitis B vaccination for adults. It recognizes the significant health risks associated with hepatitis B, the low vaccination rates among adults, and the availability of safe and effective vaccines. The bill encourages increased testing, vaccination, and access to care for those affected by hepatitis B, and promotes efforts to reduce new infections and deaths.

The "Improving Diaper Affordability Act of 2025" aims to make diapers more affordable for families by classifying them as qualified medical expenses for tax-advantaged health accounts, such as HSAs and FSAs. Additionally, the bill prohibits state and local governments from imposing sales taxes on diapers. This will reduce the financial burden on families, especially low-income households, and improve the health and well-being of babies and their parents.

The SHIELD Act aims to increase legal representation for individuals facing deportation by establishing the Immigration Legal Services Staff and Infrastructure Development Program. This program will award competitive grants to state and local governments, community-based organizations, and educational institutions to expand the workforce, strengthen legal services, and build infrastructure to support high-quality legal representation. The Act prioritizes training legal professionals, supporting local governments, and addressing representation gaps in underserved areas, while also establishing accountability measures and requiring grantees to report on their activities. The Act authorizes \$100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 2027 to implement this Act.

The REHIRE Act provides hiring preference to certain Federal employees involuntarily removed from their positions between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2027. These employees will be considered preference eligibles for competitive service appointments and receive 5 additional points to their earned rating. This preference does not apply to individuals removed from political positions, those separated due to misconduct or poor performance, or those whose most recent performance review was unacceptable, and expires 5 years after enactment.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury selection. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act seeks to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals and women across various sectors.

The "RESEARCHER Act" aims to improve the financial stability of graduate and postdoctoral researchers by directing federal research agencies to develop and implement policies that address issues such as low stipends, healthcare access, housing affordability, food insecurity, and family care costs. It mandates the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to create policy guidelines, requires federal agencies to align with these guidelines, and orders data collection and studies to assess and address financial instability among these researchers. Additionally, the Act requires regular reporting to Congress on the implementation and effectiveness of these measures.

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act seeks to reinstate protections for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by repealing the 2017 law that opened the area to oil and gas development. It further designates approximately 1.5 million acres of the Refuge as wilderness, ensuring its preservation under the National Wilderness Preservation System. This area will be managed by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the Wilderness Act.

The Stealthing Act of 2025 allows individuals to sue someone who removes a sexual protection barrier without consent during sexual contact, resulting in unprotected contact. This applies if interstate commerce was used to further the act, or if the act occurred within U.S. jurisdiction. Penalties for the defendant in a civil action include compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and other relief as determined by the court.

The "Consent is Key Act" incentivizes states to enact laws allowing civil action against individuals who remove sexual protection barriers without consent by increasing funding to states under existing formula grants if they have such a law. The funding increase to a state via a covered formula grant can't exceed 20% of the average total grant funding the state received in the last three awards. Appropriates $5,000,000 to carry out this Act for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030.

The Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in organ transplantation and related services. It ensures that qualified individuals with disabilities are not denied access to organ transplants or related services solely based on their disability and requires reasonable modifications to policies and auxiliary aids to ensure accessibility. The Act allows consideration of a person's disability if medically significant to the transplant's success, but not if a support network can ensure compliance with health requirements. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against can file a claim with the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services for expedited resolution.

The "Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act" directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to adopt specific safety standards for lithium-ion batteries used in light electric vehicles, e-bikes, and personal e-mobility devices. It establishes a process for incorporating revisions to these standards and mandates a report to Congress on hazards related to lithium-ion batteries in micromobility products. These standards will be treated as consumer product safety rules.

The "Tenants Right to Organize Act" ensures tenants in housing choice voucher and low-income housing tax credit programs have the right to form and participate in tenant organizations without fear of retaliation. It requires Public Housing Agencies and owners to recognize these organizations, consider tenant concerns, and provide meeting spaces. The Act also establishes an enforcement protocol for violations of these rights and provides funding for tenant outreach, training, and resident councils.

The "Accountability in Foreign Animal Research Act" prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from funding biomedical research involving vertebrate animal testing in countries of concern, such as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. It also requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to notify Congress when a country is added to the list of foreign countries of concern. This prohibition extends to funding provided through grants, contracts, or other means to entities based in these countries.

This bill expresses support for designating April as National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). It recognizes the significant contributions of Arab Americans to the culture, economy, and identity of the United States. The bill encourages public celebration of Arab American heritage through appropriate programs and activities.

The "Expanding Access to Fertility Care for Servicemembers and Dependents Act" ensures that active service members and their dependents eligible for TRICARE receive assisted reproductive services as part of their medical care. This coverage applies regardless of service-connected disabilities, serious illnesses, or the ability to conceive naturally. The Act defines key terms such as "appropriate period" of unprotected sex and specifies which "assisted reproductive services" are covered.

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 increases the amount of expenses that qualify for the child and dependent care tax credit, and adjusts the income levels at which the credit phases out. It also makes the credit refundable and indexes certain amounts to inflation. These changes are intended to make the credit more accessible and beneficial for working families.

This bill amends the Social Security Act to limit the amount withheld from monthly benefits to recover overpayments. For overpayments not caused by fraud, the Social Security Administration cannot reduce benefits by more than 10% of the monthly payment. Individuals can request a higher withholding amount if desired. This change applies to existing and future overpayments under Title II of the Social Security Act.

The "STRONG Support for Children Act of 2025" aims to address and mitigate childhood trauma through two grant programs. The first program supports data analysis and strategy implementation to prevent childhood trauma and improve community support, while the second establishes care coordination grants for trauma-informed services for children aged 0-5 at risk of adverse childhood experiences and their caregivers. Both programs prioritize community-based approaches, data-driven strategies, and trauma-informed practices, with specific guidelines and limitations to ensure effective and ethical implementation. The Act authorizes appropriations for these grant programs and requires evaluations and reports to Congress on their impact.

The Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2025 authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to award grants to states, local governments, tribal governments, and licensed gun dealers for gun buyback programs using smart prepaid cards that cannot be used to purchase firearms or ammunition. The Act allocates funds for the buyback of firearms, requires the destruction of collected firearms and ammunition, and mandates database checks to determine if any collected firearms were used in a crime. It also establishes a criminal penalty for using smart prepaid cards to purchase firearms or ammunition. $360,000,000 is authorized for each of the fiscal years 2025 through 2027 to carry out this title.