Legislative Activity

The Saving the American Dream Act mandates that key federal housing agencies collaborate to share research and data through a formal agreement. This legislation requires these agencies to jointly submit a comprehensive report to Congress outlining policy solutions for improving housing finance coordination, reducing mortgage costs, and addressing barriers to new home construction. The goal is to ensure federal housing policy is based on coordinated, evidence-based analysis.

The FAMILY Act establishes a national Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This program provides monthly benefits to eligible individuals who take time off for qualified caregiving reasons, including serious health conditions or victims of violence. The Act also sets forth detailed eligibility requirements, benefit calculation formulas, and job protection guarantees for employees utilizing the leave. Finally, it creates a funding mechanism to support existing state-level paid leave programs that meet federal standards.

The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 ensures that active duty military personnel and essential civilian support staff continue to receive their pay if Congress has not yet passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026. This act provides automatic continuing appropriations from the Treasury to prevent a lapse in military salaries due to budget delays. The funding automatically terminates once a new budget or continuing resolution is passed, or on January 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act of 2025 revises the authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) regarding nonbank financial companies. It requires the FSOC to first determine that other actions are impractical or insufficient, in consultation with the company and its primary regulator, before voting to designate a nonbank firm as systemically important. This aims to ensure that designation is a measure of last resort for addressing significant financial threats.

The NSF AI Education Act of 2025 significantly expands the National Science Foundation's role in bolstering the AI workforce through education and training. It establishes new scholarships and fellowships for students and professionals in AI-related fields, while also creating Centers of AI Excellence at community colleges and technical schools. Furthermore, the bill funds research awards to develop effective AI teaching methods and materials for K-12 education. Overall, this legislation aims to build a robust, skilled, and diverse AI talent pipeline across all educational levels.

The Limiting ICE’s Nationwide Encroachment Act (LINE Act) prohibits federal health agencies, like CMS and HHS, from sharing the personally identifiable Medicaid enrollment data of individuals with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This measure is designed to protect the private health information of Medicaid recipients from being used for immigration enforcement purposes.

The Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act of 2025 (RESULTS Act) aims to improve Medicare payment rates for clinical lab tests by mandating the collection of more accurate, real-world payment data directly from large, independent private insurance claims databases. This legislation updates definitions, collection timelines, and calculation methods to ensure Medicare payments for widely available tests reflect current market rates. It also establishes default payment rules if sufficient private payor data cannot be secured.

The Having Overdose Protection Equipment (HOPE) Act amends existing federal grant guidelines to explicitly allow states and tribes to use funds from the 21st Century Cures Act for acquiring, stocking, and maintaining public access opioid overdose reversal kits. This legislation defines these kits as containing the necessary reversal medication and clear administration instructions. The bill aims to increase the availability of life-saving overdose reversal tools in public settings.

The PART Act aims to combat catalytic converter theft by requiring new vehicles to have traceable identifying markers on these parts. It establishes a federal grant program to help entities stamp identifying numbers onto existing converters. Furthermore, the bill imposes strict record-keeping requirements on businesses that buy used converters and creates new federal criminal penalties for stealing or trafficking stolen catalytic converters.

This resolution expresses strong support for making testing for Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) a standard part of routine prenatal screening. APS is an autoimmune condition that can cause serious pregnancy complications like blood clots and recurrent pregnancy loss. The bill urges medical organizations to update their guidelines to include this simple, treatable condition in standard prenatal care.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act limits how consumer reporting agencies can share a consumer's report when it is requested in connection with a residential mortgage loan. Reports can only be shared with entities directly involved in the consumer's current mortgage or those providing a firm offer of credit or insurance. The Act also mandates a study by the GAO regarding the use and impact of "trigger leads" derived from credit checks.

This bill establishes a new Office of Young Americans within the Executive Office of the President. The office will be led by a Director who serves as the President's primary advisor on issues significantly impacting young Americans, such as jobs, education, and mental health. The Director is tasked with coordinating federal action, gathering public input, and producing regular reports with recommendations for Congress and the President. For the purposes of this Act, a "Young American" is defined as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident between the ages of 18 and 40.

The Restore Trust in Congress Act establishes strict new rules prohibiting Members of Congress and their immediate families from owning or trading specific financial assets, referred to as "covered investments," while in office. Covered individuals must divest existing prohibited holdings within a set timeframe or face significant financial penalties, including fines and forfeiture of profits. The legislation aims to eliminate conflicts of interest arising from personal financial trading while serving in federal office.

This resolution formally recognizes Overdose Awareness Day and underscores the severity of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. It commits Congress to advancing bipartisan policies aimed at reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorders. Ultimately, the bill supports a comprehensive, national strategy focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery to combat preventable overdose deaths.

The Safeguarding the Use of the National Guard Act (SUN Act) enhances Congressional oversight of the President's domestic deployment of National Guard and reserve forces. It requires the President to submit a detailed report to Congress within 15 days outlining the legal justification, goals, costs, and impact of any domestic deployment. This reporting requirement is waived only when reserve forces are deployed specifically following a Presidential declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act for a natural disaster.

The Shielding Students from Wildfire Smoke Act directs the EPA to commission a comprehensive study on how K-12 schools and childcare facilities currently manage wildfire smoke exposure for children. This review will assess existing policies, identify gaps in protection, and recommend actionable strategies to Congress for improving safeguards, especially for resource-limited settings.

The Streamlining Rural Housing Act of 2025 mandates that the Departments of HUD and Agriculture create a joint agreement to speed up environmental reviews for federally funded rural housing projects. This partnership aims to designate a lead agency and streamline the acceptance of environmental documentation between the two departments. The Act also establishes an advisory group composed of diverse stakeholders to guide implementation and requires a final report to Congress suggesting further efficiency improvements without compromising resident safety or environmental standards.

The Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act aims to strengthen the Social Security system through two main avenues. Title I mandates the creation of a new Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to be used for calculating future cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Title II modifies contribution rules by counting a small portion of wages and self-employment income earned above the current base limit after 2025, and it adjusts the benefit formula to potentially increase benefits based on these surplus earnings. These changes are designed to ensure COLAs more accurately reflect senior spending and to increase revenue for the system.

The Keep Seniors Fed Act makes technical amendments to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 regarding how income is calculated for food assistance eligibility. Specifically, it mandates that income received under Title II of the Social Security Act must now be counted when determining eligibility for benefits. These changes will take effect 90 days after the bill is signed into law.

The Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2025 aims to modernize and stabilize rural housing programs across the nation. It streamlines administrative processes, establishes permanent protections for existing affordable rental housing, and improves access to repair loans for low-income homeowners. Furthermore, the bill creates new grant opportunities for local development and mandates greater transparency and efficiency in the application review process.