Legislative Activity

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand eligibility for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This change allows employers to claim the tax credit for hiring qualified military spouses. A qualified military spouse is defined as someone certified as being married to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025 significantly expands Medicare coverage to include comprehensive dental, vision, and hearing services starting in 2026. This legislation outlines specific payment schedules, frequency limits, and coverage percentages for routine exams, procedures, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids. Furthermore, the bill mandates the inclusion of an oral health professional on the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

The Credit for Caring Act of 2025 establishes a new, non-refundable federal income tax credit for working family caregivers who incur significant expenses caring for a relative with long-term care needs. Eligible caregivers can claim a credit equal to 30% of qualified expenses exceeding \$2,000, up to a maximum annual credit of \$5,000. The bill specifies detailed requirements for the care recipient's needs, the types of allowable expenses, and includes income phase-out limits for claiming the benefit.

This bill, the Donut Dollies Congressional Gold Medal Act, directs the striking of a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the American Red Cross volunteers who served in the Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas (SRAO) program during the Vietnam War. These volunteers, known as "Donut Dollies," provided crucial morale support to troops on the front lines. The original medal will be presented on behalf of Congress and ultimately housed at the Smithsonian Institution, with provisions made for selling bronze duplicates.

The Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act transitions TSA personnel to standard federal employment rules under Title 5 of the U.S. Code by a set date no later than December 31, 2025. This mandates the freezing of current personnel policies during the transition while protecting current employee pay and benefits. The bill also requires extensive reviews by the Comptroller General on hiring, diversity, and workplace safety, and mandates consultation with employee representatives regarding labor relations. Finally, it ensures that screening agents retain collective bargaining rights and addresses specific concerns for Federal Air Marshals.

This bill, the Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding Act, allows individual investors to defer paying taxes on capital gain dividends from mutual funds if those dividends are automatically reinvested into more fund shares. Taxes on these deferred gains are only due when the investor sells the shares or upon death. This provision aims to encourage long-term investment in mutual funds by providing immediate tax relief on reinvested earnings.

The Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act amends federal student loan regulations to provide a specific deferment for medical and dental residents. This allows borrowers currently serving in an internship or residency program to pause principal payments and prevent interest accrual on their student loans during that training period.

The Protect Our Probationary Employees Act resets the probationary period for certain federal employees who were involuntarily separated between January 20, 2025, and January 20, 2029. If these employees are rehired into a similar role at the same agency, their new probationary period will be reduced by the time they already served previously. This provision is temporary and will expire on January 20, 2029.

The American Teacher Act aims to address critical teacher shortages by establishing federal grants to help states raise the minimum annual salary for full-time teachers to \$60,000, adjusted for inflation. States must submit sustainability plans to ensure these minimums continue after the initial four-year grant period ends. The bill also provides funds for cost-of-living adjustments and a national campaign to enhance the value and diversity of the teaching profession.

This Act authorizes the creation and sale of special commemorative gold and silver coins to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The coins will feature designs honoring the victims and first responders, with the phrase "Never Forget" required on at least one design. All surcharges collected from the sale of these coins will be donated to support the ongoing operations and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The Treasury must ensure the entire coin program results in no net cost to the Federal Government.

The HERO Act establishes a national system to track suicides among public safety officers to better understand prevention needs. It also creates grant programs to fund peer-support and wellness programs for fire, EMS, and healthcare workers. Finally, the bill mandates the development of educational resources to improve mental health treatment for first responders dealing with trauma and PTSD.

The End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2025 aims to improve support for homeless and at-risk veterans by prioritizing vulnerable individuals for VA case management services. It mandates detailed annual reporting on the HUD-VASH program's effectiveness, staffing, and voucher utilization. Furthermore, the bill expands eligibility for rental assistance and protects veterans from eviction if they initially refuse case management services. Finally, it requires the GAO to conduct a comprehensive review of HUD-VASH participants and case management quality.

The "Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act" prevents the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing or consolidating field offices, hearing offices, and resident stations, ensuring continued access to services. It requires the SSA Commissioner to justify any planned closures to Congress with detailed analysis and cost-benefit assessments, considering the impact on vulnerable populations. The bill mandates public notice, hearings, and a final report to Congress before any changes, allowing appeals and maintaining the number of offices at or above the January 20, 2025 level, excluding temporary emergency closures.

The Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025 allows individuals to exclude from their gross income any payments or benefits they receive from state-based catastrophe loss mitigation programs designed to help homeowners protect their properties from disasters such as windstorms, earthquakes, or wildfires. These payments will not affect the property's basis, and the exclusion is applicable retroactively for taxable years starting after December 31, 2020, allowing individuals to claim the exclusion retroactively.

This bill, the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025, seeks to amend the National Labor Relations Act and other labor laws to strengthen protections for workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain. It aims to modernize labor regulations by clarifying definitions, addressing unfair labor practices, enhancing enforcement, and increasing transparency in labor-management relations. The bill introduces measures such as electronic voting in union elections, strengthens whistleblower protections, and mandates studies on collective bargaining practices. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure fair treatment of workers and promote equitable labor practices.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to address vote dilution, denial, and abridgment claims, and to update which states and political subdivisions are subject to federal oversight based on a history of voting rights violations. It broadens the types of violations that allow a court to retain jurisdiction over a case, clarifies the Attorney General's authority to assign observers, and ensures transparency in voting-related changes. The Act also authorizes the Attorney General to demand documents and information to enforce voting rights and provides grants to small jurisdictions to assist with notification requirements.

The Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act restricts political appointees and special government employees from accessing sensitive Social Security beneficiary data systems. It establishes a right for individuals to sue the government or responsible parties for unauthorized access or disclosure of their private Social Security information, including specified minimum damages. Furthermore, the bill mandates the Inspector General to investigate such violations and report findings to Congress within 30 days. Finally, it requires the GAO to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of these new privacy and enforcement measures.

The "Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2025" aims to combat trade-related crimes by establishing a specialized task force within the Department of Justice, enhancing the investigation and prosecution of illegal activities related to imports and exports. It mandates the Attorney General to develop partnerships, provide training, and submit annual reports to Congress on the progress and financial needs in addressing these crimes. The act allocates \$20 million for fiscal year 2026 to support these efforts, with a focus on bolstering the Criminal Division's capacity to prosecute trade-related offenses.

The PAW Act of 2025 allows taxpayers to treat certain pet-related expenses as deductible medical expenses for federal income tax purposes. Specifically, it permits the deduction of veterinary care costs for service animals, and sets annual limits of up to \$1,000 for both veterinary care and health insurance for regular pets. These limits for non-service animals will be adjusted for inflation beginning in tax years after 2025.

The Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act of 2025 (ACRE Act) creates a new federal tax incentive for qualified lenders. This incentive excludes income earned from interest on loans secured by rural or agricultural real property from taxation. The goal is to encourage lending for agricultural, forestry, and certain rural home improvement purposes while prohibiting loans to foreign adversary entities.