Legislative Activity

This resolution supports the goals of Transgender Day of Remembrance by recognizing the ongoing epidemic of violence targeting transgender people, particularly transgender women of color. It memorializes the lives lost this year and highlights the systemic barriers, including discrimination and lack of healthcare access, faced by the transgender community. The bill calls for urgent action from the government to protect these lives through inclusive legislation and policies that ensure dignity and respect for all individuals.

The End Child Poverty Act establishes a universal monthly cash assistance program for qualifying children, administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This act terminates the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit after 2025, replacing them with direct child payments. Additionally, the bill introduces new refundable tax credits for taxpayers supporting adult dependents and for low-to-middle income adults and families.

This bill officially recognizes the service of individuals who served in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II. It mandates the Secretary of Defense to issue an honorable discharge to eligible former nurses, thereby honoring them as veterans. This recognition primarily grants eligibility for specific burial and memorial benefits related to their service.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act prohibits discrimination based on religion, sex, or marital status in federally funded child welfare services. This aims to increase the number of stable, family-like placements for children, especially for LGBTQ youth who are overrepresented in foster care. The bill mandates federal guidance, training, and data collection to improve safety and well-being outcomes for all children involved in the system.

The Urban and Rural Diabetes Initiative Act establishes a new grant program to improve diabetes treatment access in medically underserved urban and rural areas. This funding supports eligible health providers in offering comprehensive diabetes care, including routine treatment, education, and specialized services like eye and foot care. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will award these grants, ensuring equitable distribution across both urban and rural communities.

The Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act of 2025 extends existing protections by imposing a 6% interest rate cap on new loans servicemembers take out to consolidate or refinance pre-existing student debt during their military service. This amendment specifically targets the refinancing of prior student loans, ensuring servicemembers do not face excessive interest rates on this debt while serving. The bill clarifies that this cap only applies when the refinancing exclusively covers eligible student loans.

This bill, the "Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act of 2025," invalidates predispute arbitration agreements and joint-action waivers for disputes involving alleged race discrimination. It ensures that individuals alleging race discrimination can choose to pursue their claims in court rather than through mandatory arbitration. Federal courts will determine the applicability and enforceability of these arbitration agreements.

The Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act aims to significantly reduce prescription drug expenses for consumers. It expands the federal drug price negotiation program to cover more drugs and extends negotiated prices to most private health insurance plans. Furthermore, the bill applies inflation rebates to the commercial market and establishes new annual out-of-pocket spending caps for prescription drugs under private insurance starting in 2027. It also sets specific, lower cost-sharing requirements for covered insulin products.

The Find It Early Act mandates that certain individuals at increased risk for breast cancer receive additional, recommended screenings with no out-of-pocket costs. This coverage requirement applies across private health plans, Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. These provisions are set to take effect starting January 1, 2026.

The Revitalize Our Neighborhoods Act of 2025 establishes a competitive grant program through HUD to fund projects that eliminate blight and revitalize low-income communities. Eligible entities can apply for funds to demolish blighted structures, renovate abandoned properties, and construct or preserve affordable housing. Grantees must submit a five-year plan and contribute matching funds for eligible activities.

The Baby Bonus Act establishes a new federal program within the Social Security Administration to provide a one-time financial payment to eligible parents of newborn children, beginning in 2026. This benefit is designed to be non-taxable and protected from being counted as a resource for federal benefit programs. The legislation creates the Office of Baby Assistance to manage the application and payment process for this new benefit.

The Clean Cloud Act of 2025 addresses the rapidly increasing energy consumption of data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations. This bill mandates annual data collection on the energy use and sources for these facilities, which are currently lacking transparency. Furthermore, it establishes an emissions performance standard, imposing fees on electricity consumption that exceeds regional clean energy baselines, with collected funds supporting consumer energy cost relief and clean firm energy development.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates the Attorney General to publicly release all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates within 30 days of the bill becoming law. This release must include materials concerning investigations, flight logs, settlements, and internal communications, with very limited exceptions for victim privacy or active investigations. The Act strictly prohibits withholding documents due to political sensitivity or reputational harm and requires detailed justification for any redactions made.

This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program creating partnerships between military installations and qualified basic needs banks. The goal of this program is to provide essential diapers and diapering supplies to military families in need. The Secretary must also seek collaboration with the National Diaper Bank Network for technical assistance and program evaluation.

The Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act of 2025 (ASAP Act) amends Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias starting in 2028. This coverage applies to FDA-cleared tests, including genomic sequencing and other equivalent diagnostic methods, designed to detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. The bill ensures these screenings are added to the list of covered medical services under Medicare.

The AIM Act primarily focuses on eliminating numerous existing statutory restrictions and prohibitions that currently limit the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in its operations. This includes removing limitations on the use and analysis of firearms trace data and allowing for the consolidation of dealer records. Furthermore, the bill removes requirements for the destruction of background check records and eases restrictions on the ATF's ability to inspect dealer inventories and deny or revoke Federal Firearms Licenses.

The End Rent Fixing Act of 2025 prohibits rental property owners from hiring coordinators or engaging in activities that involve collecting, analyzing, or recommending rental prices or terms across multiple properties. This coordinated activity is deemed an unlawful restraint of trade under existing antitrust laws. The bill grants enforcement power to the FTC, the Attorney General, and State Attorneys General, while also allowing injured persons to sue for treble damages. Furthermore, it lowers the pleading standard for civil lawsuits brought under this Act and related antitrust claims.

The Patients Over Paperwork Act of 2025 aims to streamline healthcare by repealing recent changes to Medicaid eligibility redeterminations. This action effectively restores prior regulations concerning how beneficiaries' eligibility is reviewed. The bill focuses on reducing administrative burdens to prioritize patient care.

The Housing Financial Literacy Act of 2025 incentivizes first-time homebuyers to complete financial literacy housing counseling programs. By completing the required counseling before applying for a loan or signing a sales agreement, eligible homebuyers will receive a 25 basis point discount on their mortgage insurance premium payments. This act aims to promote financial preparedness among new homeowners.

The Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act establishes grant programs to build pipelines that train and place more mental health providers in low-income schools. It also creates a student loan repayment program for providers who commit to working in these underserved districts for five years. The bill aims to improve student support ratios by increasing the number of school counselors, psychologists, and social workers in high-need areas. Finally, it mandates a study to develop future criteria for identifying areas with mental health provider shortages.