Legislative Activity

The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act aims to strengthen protections and expand benefits for part-time and temporary employees. The legislation eliminates restrictive hours-of-service requirements for FMLA leave and prohibits discrimination based on hours worked regarding pay, benefits, and promotion opportunities. Additionally, it mandates that employers offer available work hours to existing staff before hiring new employees or contractors.

This act prohibits the Department of Defense from using fiscal year 2026 funds to implement a hiring freeze, a reduction in force, or unjustified delays in filling vacant positions at public shipyards. The goal is to ensure stable staffing levels necessary for shipyard operations.

The Schedules That Work Act aims to provide workers with greater stability and predictability in their work hours. It grants employees the right to request flexible or stable schedules and requires employers to engage in a good-faith discussion about these requests. For covered sector employees (like retail and food service), the bill mandates 14 days' advance notice of schedules and establishes "predictability pay" for last-minute changes or split shifts. The Act also grants employees the right to 11 hours of rest between shifts, with premium pay required if this rest period is violated.

The People's White House Historic Preservation Act removes the White House and its grounds from a specific list of properties under current preservation law. This action reclassifies the status of the White House regarding federal historic preservation regulations.

This bill, the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act, officially authorizes Congress to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 U.S. Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. The medals will be struck by the Treasury and permanently displayed at specific national sports museums. The Act also permits the sale of duplicate bronze medals to cover production costs.

The Zero Food Waste Act establishes a competitive grant program through the EPA to achieve a 50% reduction in national food waste by 2035. These grants will support state, local, tribal governments, and nonprofits in studying, planning, collecting data on, and implementing projects to reduce food waste. The legislation prioritizes funding for projects that prevent waste and benefit communities disproportionately affected by environmental harms.

The Protect America's Workforce Act nullifies a specific Executive Order issued in March 2025 concerning exclusions from federal labor-management relations programs. This legislation ensures that any existing collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and employee unions remain fully in effect until their stated expiration dates. The Act also prohibits the use of federal funds to implement the overturned Executive Order.

The Professional Degree Access Restoration Act amends the Higher Education Act to eliminate specific annual and aggregate loan limits for Federal Direct PLUS Loans made to graduate and professional students. This action removes previous restrictions on the maximum amount graduate students can borrow through these federal loan programs.

The Keeping All Students Safe Act strictly prohibits dangerous restraint and seclusion practices in federally funded schools, establishing national safety standards and requiring immediate parental notification after any restraint incident. It mandates that states create detailed plans, publicly report incident data broken down by student demographics, and utilize federal grants to fund training and prevention strategies. The bill creates a private right of action for families harmed by violations and ensures oversight across various federal school systems.

The Labor Enforcement to Securely Protect Workers (LETS Protect Workers) Act significantly increases civil penalties for violations across major federal labor laws, including child labor, wage and hour, and workplace safety standards. It strengthens enforcement mechanisms for mine safety violations and retaliation against miners, while also establishing new penalties for employer unfair labor practices under the National Labor Relations Act. Furthermore, the bill enhances enforcement for health plan parity and makes certain recordkeeping failures under OSHA and FLSA continuing violations.

The Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act raises the federal student loan limits for graduate and professional students. Effective July 1, 2026, the annual borrowing limit for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans will increase to \$50,000, and the aggregate limit will rise to \$200,000. This aims to provide greater financial support for advanced degree candidates.

This bill establishes a national requirement for all U.S. Senate and House elections to use a ranked choice voting system, replacing traditional runoff elections. It mandates specific ballot designs, sets out a multi-round vote tabulation process, and prohibits separate runoff elections for federal offices. The legislation also provides federal funding to states to help implement these changes, which take effect for elections held on or after January 1, 2030.

The Immigration Court Due Process Protection Act of 2025 restricts Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers from arresting or detaining individuals attending or departing from immigration court proceedings or scheduled appointments, unless a judicial warrant is present or an imminent threat exists. The bill mandates specific supervisory approval for arrests during scheduled check-ins. Furthermore, it requires the DHS Inspector General to submit an annual report to Congress detailing compliance with these new protections.

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.

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 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 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 College Athletics Reform Act establishes comprehensive federal standards for college athletics, primarily by securing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights for college athletes and prohibiting restrictions on their ability to earn compensation or obtain professional representation. The bill also introduces new regulations for sports agents, mandates significant expansion of financial and participation data disclosure by institutions, and establishes a new Commission to study and recommend future governance structures for college sports. Finally, it amends broadcasting law to exempt certain large athletic association media agreements from antitrust scrutiny.

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 Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act focuses primarily on improving pediatric drug development and ensuring patient access to necessary treatments. This legislation mandates new research requirements for molecularly targeted pediatric cancer drugs, strengthens FDA enforcement of pediatric study completion, and extends incentives for developing drugs for rare pediatric diseases. Additionally, the bill updates organ transplant network functions and establishes an Abraham Accords Office within the FDA to enhance international regulatory cooperation.