Legislative Activity

This bill recognizes the significant progress made in eradicating polio worldwide, with cases reduced by over 99.9% since 1988. It acknowledges the ongoing threat of polio until it is eradicated globally and expresses support for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The bill also urges the U.S. government to maintain financial support for this initiative.

The "Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2025" allows the Secretary to request access to concentrated animal feeding operations for microbial sampling when investigating foodborne illness outbreaks or addressing public health needs. These operations must provide reasonable access for sampling of plants, animals, water, and the environment. The collected data will be shared with relevant agencies to help prevent foodborne illnesses. Refusal to provide reasonable access for microbial sampling is now a prohibited act under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025" extends increased Medicare payment support for physicians and practitioners through 2025. It increases payment rates by 6.62% for services provided from April 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The bill also updates a section of the Social Security Act to include the years 2021 through 2025 for conforming changes.

The "Black History is American History Act" amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include Black history in American history education programs. It ensures Black history is part of authorized programs, Presidential and Congressional academies, Smithsonian Institution resources, national activities, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress. This act emphasizes the importance of Black history as an integral part of American history.

The Disaster Assistance Fairness Act amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to improve disaster relief for homeowners in common interest communities. It mandates the President to issue rules for debris removal from residential common interest communities after a major disaster if it poses a threat to life, public health, safety, or economic recovery. The Act also covers the repair of essential common elements in condominiums, manufactured housing communities, and housing cooperatives, provided an individual's share of the repair costs are documented. These changes apply to any major disaster or emergency declared on or after the enactment of this law.

The "Stop Antiabortion Disinformation Act" or the "SAD Act" aims to prevent deceptive advertising related to reproductive health services, particularly concerning contraception, abortion services, or the employment of licensed medical personnel. It empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce these prohibitions, treat violations as FTC Act violations, and pursue civil actions against violators, including imposing significant civil penalties. The FTC is required to report to Congress on its enforcement activities under this act.

The Aviation Noise and Emissions Mitigation Act aims to establish pilot grant programs through the EPA to study and address the impact of aircraft and airport noise and emissions on nearby communities. These programs will fund research and data collection on noise and emissions, as well as the development and implementation of mitigation strategies. The goal is to identify and support communities disproportionately affected by aviation pollution, with a focus on environmental justice and public health. Ultimately, the act seeks to reduce the negative impacts of aviation on communities through targeted interventions and community engagement.

The "Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025" authorizes the EPA Administrator to award grants to air pollution control agencies for programs that help communities prepare for and lessen the impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. It establishes Centers of Excellence for research on the public health effects of these events and directs the Administrator to conduct further research and develop interventions. The Act also creates a grant program for states, local governments, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to develop and implement community plans to reduce the effects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

This bill designates February 3-7, 2025, as "National School Counseling Week" to recognize the crucial role of school counselors in student development. It acknowledges the challenges counselors face, such as underfunding and high student-to-counselor ratios. The bill encourages activities and ceremonies to raise awareness of school counselors' importance in preparing students for success.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' view that Congress should act to maintain the United States Postal Service (USPS) as an independent entity within the Federal Government. It emphasizes the USPS's role as a self-sustaining service vital to the economy and national connectivity. The resolution discourages privatization, citing concerns about increased costs, reduced services, and damage to critical infrastructure.

The "Mentoring to Succeed Act of 2025" authorizes competitive grants for youth mentoring programs, supporting initiatives that help young people succeed in education and the workforce. These programs will focus on developing cognitive and social-emotional skills, providing workforce readiness training, and fostering positive relationships through structured mentoring and career exploration. The Act prioritizes serving high-need youth in underserved communities and requires program evaluation and reporting to ensure effectiveness. Additionally, the Secretary of Labor is required to conduct a study on mentoring programs to identify successful strategies and assess their impact on academic performance and job readiness.

The "Federal Firefighters Families First Act" aims to improve pay equality for Federal firefighters, enhance recruitment and retention, and ensure comprehensive calculation of retirement benefits. It updates the computation of pay and annuity calculations to include additional compensation for overtime hours in regular tours of duty. The Act also directs the Office of Personnel Management to establish a maximum regular workweek for Federal firefighters, not exceeding an average of 60 hours per week. These changes will impact annuity payments for individuals who separate from service 60 days after the law's enactment.

The "Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act" directs the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts in schools across the country. The study will assess curriculum requirements, teaching methods, materials used, and how students' knowledge and recognition of antisemitism are evaluated. A report on the study's findings must be submitted to Congress.

This bill supports the designation of January 30, 2025, as CTE and RHI Awareness Day to increase public knowledge of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and repeated head impacts (RHI). It acknowledges the risks and impact of these conditions, particularly for athletes, veterans, and others susceptible to head trauma. The bill encourages further research, early diagnosis, and informed decision-making, while also recognizing the contributions of researchers, affected families, and organizations dedicated to CTE awareness. It also urges the CDC and NIH to include CTE and RHI information in concussion education.

The "Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights Act" aims to ensure that foreign nongovernmental organizations are eligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, part I, regardless of the health or medical services they provide with non-U.S. government funds if such services are legal in their country. It also prevents these organizations from facing stricter requirements than U.S. organizations regarding the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying.

This bill recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Lunar New Year. It acknowledges the importance of Lunar New Year for Asian Americans and others in the U.S., and expresses respect for those who celebrate it worldwide. The bill wishes all celebrants a happy and prosperous new year.

The FIRE Act of 2025 directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a program enhancing wildfire forecasting, detection, and smoke dispersion prediction. This program will collaborate with the U.S. weather industry and academic institutions to improve early wildfire detection and risk communication. The Act also authorizes the creation of weather research testbeds and allocates $15 million for fiscal year 2026 to support these efforts.

The "Charitable Act" modifies the tax deduction for charitable contributions for individuals who do not itemize deductions. For the 2026 and 2027 tax years, the deduction will be capped at one-third of the standard deduction amount for the individual. The Act also eliminates and redesignates certain penalty clauses in the Internal Revenue Code related to these deductions, updating references accordingly.

The SNAP Benefits Fairness Act of 2025 amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to remove the cap on the maximum deduction for shelter expenses when determining SNAP benefits, allowing for a more accurate reflection of recipients' actual costs. This change will take effect on January 1 of the year following the bill's enactment.

The "Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act" expands access to in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services by allowing them to be delivered via telehealth, including designating a patient's home as a provider-based location. It broadens originating sites for telehealth services and waives geographic requirements for in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. The Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for designating a patient's home as a provider-based organization, aligning with the Hospital Without Walls program.