Legislative Activity

The Safeguarding the Integrity of the Human Rights Reports Act of 2025 reaffirms the U.S. commitment to promoting human rights globally. This bill mandates that the State Department's annual Human Rights Reports remain comprehensive and free from political interference. It updates reporting requirements to specifically detail abuses against vulnerable groups, including forced medical procedures, restrictions on movement, and the impact of government corruption on rights. The goal is to ensure these essential reports maintain credibility for accountability and advocacy worldwide.

The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act establishes a program to correct historical burial errors for Jewish American service members lost in WWI and WWII who are interred overseas under incorrect grave markers. This initiative tasks the American Battle Monuments Commission with identifying these service members and contacting their families over a ten-year period. The goal is to restore the correct religious heritage for these fallen troops buried in U.S. military cemeteries abroad.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates the Attorney General to release all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment. This sweeping requirement covers investigations, travel logs, and communications, with limited exceptions primarily focused on protecting victim privacy and active cases. Any redactions must be publicly justified, and the Attorney General must report the details of the release and any withheld information to Congress.

The Time Off to Vote Act mandates that employers provide employees with at least two consecutive hours of paid leave to vote in federal elections. Employers retain control over the timing of this leave, which cannot result in the loss of existing benefits. This federal requirement supplements, but does not override, any state or local laws that offer greater employee protections.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act primarily repeals previous health subtitle changes and permanently extends enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace health insurance. This extension removes the income cap for receiving enhanced credits and updates the calculation method for determining an individual's required premium contribution. The bill aims to simplify the tax code related to health insurance affordability.

The Space Exploration Research Act grants the NASA Administrator expanded authority to lease government land for up to 99 years to specific educational, scientific, or governmental entities. This new power is intended to facilitate the construction and operation of facilities dedicated to space research, technology transfer, and workforce training. The Act allows NASA to provide support services for these leased facilities and overrides certain existing federal leasing regulations.

The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act of 2025 establishes a five-year Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofits providing service dogs to eligible veterans. This program mandates that the VA provide lifetime veterinary insurance coverage for every service dog placed through the program. Grants will fund the provision of service dogs to veterans with disabilities such as PTSD, TBI, or severe mobility issues, with recipients strictly prohibited from charging veterans any fees.

This resolution officially designates the week of August 3 through August 9, 2025, as "National Farmers Market Week." It aims to celebrate the vital role farmers markets play in strengthening local economies and supporting farmers across the nation. Furthermore, the resolution recognizes how these markets improve community health by increasing access to fresh food and promoting sustainable agriculture.

The Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2025 authorizes $50 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to be appropriated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This funding is specifically designated for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. This appropriation is in addition to any existing funds allocated for this purpose.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals a previous ban that prohibited Medicaid payments to certain healthcare entities. This legislation retroactively validates and ensures payment for essential healthcare services provided by these now-unbanned organizations during the period the prohibition was in effect.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Voting Rights Act by establishing new standards to challenge discriminatory voting practices and updating federal oversight criteria for states. It mandates greater transparency for all changes to voting rules and implements "practice-based preclearance" for certain jurisdictions. Additionally, the bill creates new federal criminal penalties for using force or threats to intimidate voters or election workers.

The All Aboard Act of 2025 aims to significantly modernize and expand the nation's passenger and freight rail systems through massive federal investment. It establishes major grant programs focused on electrifying infrastructure, developing zero-emission locomotives, and improving high-performance rail service. Furthermore, the Act mandates strong labor protections and creates new training centers to ensure a skilled workforce is ready for the industry's technological transition.

The EATS Act of 2025 revises eligibility rules for students seeking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by clarifying the definition of a "bona fide student." This legislation removes specific restrictions that previously barred many higher education students from receiving SNAP. The changes, including technical renumbering of relevant sections, will take effect on January 2, 2026.

The American Grown Act mandates that certain federal agencies, including the Executive Office of the President, Department of Defense, and Department of State, must procure decorative cut flowers and greens only from U.S. domestic sources. This restriction applies to purchases made one year after the Act's enactment. Furthermore, if these agencies accept such items as gifts from foreign entities, they must clearly label the origin and display a domestically grown replacement alongside the gift.

This bill, the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, updates the eligibility requirements for a specific immigration registry status. It replaces outdated entry date requirements with a new standard requiring applicants to have resided in the United States for at least seven years prior to applying. These changes aim to modernize the criteria for long-term residents seeking this status.

This Act prohibits discrimination against individuals based on disability or age in federal jury service. It amends federal law to ensure qualified individuals are not excluded from juries solely due to a disability if reasonable accommodations can be made. The bill removes outdated standards that allowed exclusion based on general infirmity.

The Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act empowers copyright owners to seek information from developers of generative AI models. This allows copyright holders to subpoena records if they have a good-faith belief their work was used in training the AI model. Developers must comply with the subpoena or face a rebuttable presumption that they copied the copyrighted material.

The Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act expands Medicare Part B coverage to include services provided by pharmacists starting in 2026. This legislation covers pharmacist services that align with state law and are provided in collaboration with a physician or approved practitioner. The bill specifies payment rates for these covered services, particularly enhancing reimbursement for services related to public health emergencies like COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Furthermore, it prohibits pharmacists from balance billing Medicare patients for these covered services.

The EACH Act of 2025 mandates that all federally funded health programs and insurance plans must cover abortion services without imposing restrictions based on income or insurance type. This legislation aims to eliminate existing federal bans and state-level restrictions that prevent access to comprehensive reproductive care. Furthermore, the bill prevents the federal government from interfering with state or private insurance plans that choose to cover abortion services. It explicitly repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act and establishes that this Act takes precedence over all conflicting federal laws.

The Equal Health Care for All Act aims to eliminate systemic bias and disparities in healthcare access and outcomes based on race, sex, disability, and age. It mandates comprehensive data collection to expose inequities, incorporates fairness measures into hospital quality assessments and payment programs, and establishes a Federal Health Equity Commission to monitor progress. Furthermore, the Act strengthens anti-discrimination enforcement and creates grant programs to help hospitals actively promote equitable care.