Legislative Activity

The Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2025 secures vital funding for the Healthy Start Initiative, a program dedicated to improving maternal and child health outcomes. This legislation specifically authorizes a consistent annual appropriation of \$145,000,000 for the program through fiscal year 2030. This reauthorization ensures predictable budgetary support for this critical public health effort.

The 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act establishes a pathway for certain individuals who provided essential services during the rescue and cleanup efforts following the September 11th terrorist attacks to adjust their status to lawful permanent residents. This relief is available to workers and volunteers who meet specific service hour requirements at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, or Shanksville sites, or those who maintained contaminated vehicles. The bill also mandates fee waivers for eligible applicants and protects their privacy regarding public benefit usage and future immigration enforcement actions.

The DEFIANCE Act of 2025 establishes a federal civil cause of action against the creation, possession with intent to share, or sharing of nonconsensual intimate digital forgeries, often known as deepfakes. This legislation updates existing law to specifically address image-based sexual abuse created through AI or digital manipulation, regardless of whether the image is labeled as fake. Victims can sue for significant statutory damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief to stop the spread of the harmful content. The Act ensures that this new federal standard does not preempt or limit stronger existing State or Tribal laws.

The "10 Percent Credit Card Interest Rate Cap Act" caps credit card interest rates at 10%, encompassing all finance charges, and restricts additional fees. Violators will forfeit interest, and consumers can recover overpayments through legal action. States can enact stricter consumer protections, and the provisions will sunset on January 1, 2031.

The "Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025" allows the Secretary to charge geothermal lease applicants for administrative costs related to processing lease applications and inspecting/monitoring activities until 2032. The Secretary will consider existing cost-sharing agreements and can reduce the reimbursement amount if it would cause economic hardship or if a lower amount is needed to encourage geothermal resource use. It also requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report assessing the impact of these changes on the Bureau of Land Management's geothermal program.

The "Oyster Reef Recovery Act of 2025" establishes a program to provide financial and technical assistance for oyster reef restoration and conservation projects. It creates a competitive grant program supporting research, planning, and workforce training related to oyster reefs. The Act authorizes $15 million annually from 2026 to 2030 for these initiatives, aiming to enhance the health and resilience of oyster reefs while supporting coastal communities.