Legislative Activity

The Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2025 updates existing U.S. policy to strongly condemn the Lukashenka regime for fraudulent elections, human rights abuses, and complicity in Russia's war against Ukraine. The bill mandates continued sanctions against officials involved in repression and supporting Russia, while significantly increasing U.S. assistance for Belarusian democracy, civil society, and sovereignty efforts. It also requires new intelligence reporting on Belarus's role in aiding Russia's aggression, including the transfer of Ukrainian children.

The Vietnam Human Rights Act aims to integrate human rights concerns into the U.S.-Vietnam relationship by imposing sanctions on officials involved in abuses and corruption. The bill mandates actions to combat Vietnamese government censorship and surveillance while pushing for stronger religious freedom protections. It also establishes detailed reporting requirements to track progress on these critical human rights issues.

The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to strengthen efforts against human trafficking in the U.S. It renames and prioritizes grants for schools to educate students on recognizing and preventing trafficking, including online exploitation. The bill also establishes a new program to provide comprehensive employment, education, and life skills support for survivors. Finally, it extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for key anti-trafficking and victim assistance programs through Fiscal Year 2029.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that open water lifeguards should be formally recognized as first responders and emergency response providers. It highlights the critical, life-saving work they perform, often under dangerous conditions, aligning their duties with those of traditional emergency personnel. The bill advocates for federal recognition that matches the essential nature of their daily service.

The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 updates federal efforts to combat human trafficking by enhancing grant programs for schools to educate students and staff on prevention. It establishes a new program to provide comprehensive employment, education, and life skills support for survivors aged 18 and older. Furthermore, the bill extends and increases funding authorizations through Fiscal Year 2029 for critical anti-trafficking operations and housing assistance grants.

This Act mandates that the Secretary of State must regularly determine whether Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) still qualify for special U.S. privileges granted in 1997. If the Secretary finds they no longer merit these benefits, the offices must close within 180 days, subject to expedited Congressional review. Furthermore, the bill restricts U.S. government contracting with HKETOs and establishes a U.S. policy against promoting Hong Kong's autonomy if it is deemed not sufficiently independent from mainland China.

The American Family FAFSA Opportunity Act of 2025 aims to increase financial aid eligibility by eliminating the "sibling penalty" in the federal aid calculation. This is achieved by dividing the family's expected contribution by the number of siblings currently enrolled in college. These changes will take effect immediately upon signing but will apply to the 2025–2026 award year and beyond.

This bill officially designates a section of 18th Street Northwest in Washington, D.C., as "Jimmy Lai Way" and changes the address of a specific building to "1 Jimmy Lai Way Northwest." Furthermore, the legislation strongly condemns the arbitrary detention and mistreatment of Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, urging the immediate release of all political prisoners. Finally, it directs the U.S. Postal Service on how to handle mail addressed to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at the newly designated address.

This resolution expresses the formal disapproval by Congress of the "Insurance Regulation Amendment Act of 2024," a law recently passed by the District of Columbia Council. By passing this measure, Congress is effectively vetoing the D.C. Council's insurance regulation change, preventing it from taking effect.

The COBALT Supply Chain Act aims to combat forced and child labor in the cobalt supply chain, which is dominated by Chinese-controlled mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that goods containing cobalt refined in the PRC were made with forced labor, effectively banning their import unless proven otherwise with clear and convincing evidence. Furthermore, it mandates the creation of a comprehensive enforcement strategy to trace supply chains and requires annual certification that U.S. government vehicles are free of such tainted parts.

The Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act of 2025 aims to protect pregnancy resource centers from discrimination by federal and state entities due to their commitment to offering life-affirming alternatives to abortion. This bill prohibits government agencies receiving federal funds from penalizing organizations that do not perform, refer for, or counsel in favor of abortion. Furthermore, it strengthens enforcement by allowing qualified parties to directly sue government entities for violating these conscience protections.

The Education, Achievement, and Opportunity Act establishes a new federal tax credit to help families cover qualified elementary and secondary education expenses for their children. This credit is capped at $\$10,000$ per child for tuition and certain necessary educational costs at any public or private school. The benefit begins to phase out for married couples with a modified adjusted gross income over $\$150,000$ and for all others over $\$75,000$.

The Human-Animal Chimera Prohibition Act of 2025 establishes federal criminal penalties for knowingly creating, transferring, or possessing specific types of human-animal chimeras, including embryos mixing human and nonhuman cells or animals engineered to develop human-like brains or reproductive cells. This legislation broadly bans the mixing of human and nonhuman life forms in defined ways, while explicitly excluding certain research involving the transplantation of human cells or the addition of human genes to animal models. Violations of this Act could result in up to ten years in prison and significant fines.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that Nigeria should be designated as a Country of Particular Concern due to severe violations of religious freedom. It urges the Nigerian government to protect religious minorities, prosecute those responsible for violence, and ensure religious freedom. The resolution also calls for increased U.S. diplomatic efforts and potential sanctions on individuals and groups responsible for religious freedom violations in Nigeria.

The "United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2025" reauthorizes funding for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) through fiscal year 2028. This extension ensures the continuation of USCIRF's work in monitoring and advocating for religious freedom around the world.

The China Trade Relations Act of 2025 withdraws normal trade relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), subjecting Chinese products to standard trade rules. It expands the conditions under which the PRC is ineligible for normal trade relations, citing human rights violations, non-compliance with international labor standards, economic espionage, and failure to protect religious and cultural heritage. The President can waive these restrictions under certain conditions, but Congress can terminate any extensions. The Act also requires regular reports to Congress on the PRC's compliance with these conditions.

The "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025" seeks to prohibit the use of federal funds for abortions and for health plans that cover abortions, while allowing individuals and entities to purchase separate abortion coverage with non-federal funds. It clarifies that premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) cannot be used for health plans that include abortion coverage. The Act also revises notice requirements for health plans, mandating clear disclosure of abortion coverage and any associated premium surcharges to enrollees. Exceptions to the funding restrictions are included for cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger.