Legislative Activity

This bill establishes the **National Strategy for Combating Scams Act of 2025** to address the massive financial and personal toll of scams, which are increasingly utilizing advanced technology like AI. It mandates the FBI to form a working group with numerous federal agencies to develop a comprehensive, coordinated national strategy. This strategy will define "scam," evaluate risks, improve federal coordination, and outline plans for prevention, victim recovery, and international cooperation.

The Health Insurance Premium Fairness Act of 2025 allows eligible taxpayers to reduce the amount used to calculate their health insurance premium tax credit. This reduction is based on the total monthly Medicare premiums paid for household members, including Parts A, B, C, D, and Medigap. This adjustment aims to provide greater financial relief for families navigating both marketplace coverage and Medicare costs.

The Right to Read Act of 2025 amends federal education law to establish a comprehensive "right to read" for all students, ensuring access to evidence-based instruction, effective school libraries, and diverse reading materials. The bill defines key terms like "effective school library" and mandates that states and local agencies detail plans to support these resources and protect students' First Amendment rights regarding information access. Furthermore, it authorizes significant new funding to improve literacy programs, support school librarians, and mandates national data collection on school library resources.

The Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act aims to update and simplify the Social Security lump sum death payment. This bill establishes a fixed payment amount of \$2,900 for eligible survivors, replacing the current formula for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2025.

This resolution reaffirms the U.S. commitment to partnering with Honduras on security and counter-narcotics efforts while strongly condemning the pardon of former President Juan Orlando Hernández. It highlights Hernández's conviction for drug trafficking and argues that the pardon undermines U.S. anti-corruption efforts and justice for victims. The resolution also urges continued cooperation with Honduras on fair elections, security, and development, while rejecting unauthorized military force.

The Expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Act of 2025 establishes a new CISA program to actively promote cybersecurity careers to disadvantaged communities across the nation. This initiative specifically targets outreach to older individuals, minorities, people with disabilities, veterans, and those from nontraditional educational backgrounds. The goal is to diversify and strengthen the U.S. cyber workforce through tailored education and training assistance. The Act authorizes $20 million annually through fiscal year 2031 to support these efforts.

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.

This Act officially designates the Museum of the Blind Peoples Movement in Baltimore, Maryland, as the **National Museum of the Blind Peoples Movement**. This legislation formally recognizes the museum's importance in preserving and showcasing the history of the blind peoples' movement.

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.

This bill, the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act, withdraws approximately 2,422 acres of Forest Service land known as Oak Flat in Arizona from all forms of mineral entry and development. It specifically cancels the prior land exchange that would have transferred the land to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC. The Act prohibits the transfer of Oak Flat to the foreign-backed mining venture, citing national security and environmental concerns.

The Rx ACCESS Act aims to improve prescription access, fairness, and transparency within the TRICARE pharmacy benefits program. It extends beneficiary choice for receiving non-generic maintenance medications and establishes minimum reimbursement standards for TRICARE retail pharmacies. Furthermore, the bill mandates annual independent audits by the Comptroller General to review reimbursement rates and network adequacy.

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 Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act establishes a high-level Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of State, to develop and execute a comprehensive U.S. strategy against transnational criminal organizations running massive online scams, often utilizing victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. This strategy must focus on disrupting these operations, sanctioning responsible parties, and providing support for rescued victims. The bill authorizes $30 million over two years to fund these efforts and requires annual reporting to Congress on progress and impact.

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 resolution strongly condemns the Iranian government for its ongoing, state-sponsored persecution of the Baha'i religious minority, which violates international human rights laws. It documents systematic abuses, including economic restrictions, denial of education, and arbitrary arrests, noting that these actions may constitute a crime against humanity. The resolution calls on Iran to immediately release all imprisoned Bahais and urges the U.S. President and Secretary of State to condemn these violations and impose sanctions on responsible officials.

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 resolution commemorates World AIDS Day and recognizes significant progress made in combating HIV/AIDS globally and domestically through programs like PEPFAR and the Ryan White Act. It highlights ongoing challenges, particularly disparities in impact, while encouraging continued robust funding for research, prevention, and treatment efforts worldwide. The resolution supports the goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030 through zero new transmissions and zero discrimination.

The TVA Increase Rate of Participation Act establishes an Office of Public Participation within the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to enhance public outreach and education. This legislation mandates a comprehensive and meaningful public engagement process for TVA's integrated resource planning. Furthermore, it sets specific requirements for the content and transparency of the integrated resource plans, ensuring public input directly informs resource decisions.

The Veteran Education Empowerment Act establishes a grant program to help colleges and universities create and operate dedicated Student Veteran Centers. These centers will serve as centralized hubs to coordinate academic support, transition services, and community building for student veterans. The bill authorizes funding for these grants, which can be used for establishing and operating the centers, with specific reporting requirements to track effectiveness.

The Artificial Intelligence Civil Rights Act of 2025 establishes comprehensive federal rules to prevent discrimination caused by automated decision-making systems in critical areas like employment, housing, and credit. It mandates independent safety checks, public reporting for high-risk findings, and clear contractual standards between algorithm creators and users. The law empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and grants individuals a private right of action to enforce these new civil rights protections against algorithmic bias.