Legislative Activity

This resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and recognizes its transformative impact on ensuring a free, appropriate public education for children with disabilities. It honors the millions who have benefited from IDEA and reaffirms commitment to its principles. *Note: The provided text also includes details about a separate "Housing for All" program, which is not addressed in this summary as the primary focus of the resolution appears to be IDEA.*

This resolution strongly condemns the Government of Iran for its ongoing, state-sponsored persecution of the Baha'i religious minority. It highlights decades of systematic human rights abuses, including imprisonment, job discrimination, and violence against Baha'is. The resolution urges the Iranian government to immediately release all religious prisoners and reverse discriminatory policies. Furthermore, it calls on the U.S. President and Secretary of State to condemn these actions and utilize existing authorities to impose sanctions on responsible Iranian officials.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 enhances the FDA's authority to require pediatric investigations for new molecularly targeted cancer drugs. It also extends the priority review voucher program designed to incentivize the development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases until September 2030. Furthermore, the bill mandates studies to assess the effectiveness of these new drug investigation requirements and the existing voucher program.

The SIMSA Act of 2025 establishes a new Schedule A within the Controlled Substances Act to specifically target synthetic analogues that are structurally or functionally similar to existing controlled substances. This legislation grants the Attorney General authority to temporarily or permanently schedule these substances, imposing strict penalties for trafficking and mandatory labeling requirements. Furthermore, the Act outlines specific registration processes for handling Schedule A substances and provides a mechanism for sentence review if a substance is later descheduled.

The Measuring Availability of Providers (MAP) for Veterans Act mandates a feasibility study on building new, full-service VA hospitals in Alaska, Hawaii, and New Hampshire. It also requires the public release of these study results within one year. Furthermore, the bill clarifies that a veteran's eligibility for the Veterans Community Care Program, based on their state lacking a full-service VA facility, is locked to the date this Act is enacted.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act prohibits discrimination based on religion, sex, or marital status in federally funded child welfare services. This aims to increase the number of available, stable foster and adoptive homes, particularly for LGBTQ youth and youth of color who are overrepresented in the system. The bill mandates federal guidance, cultural competency training, and the establishment of a resource center to improve safety and permanency outcomes for all children in care. Entities found in violation may face the withholding of federal payments.

This bill establishes a State judicial threat intelligence and resource center to enhance the security of state and local judges and court staff. It directs the State Justice Institute to provide support for creating this center, which will offer training, conduct security assessments, and proactively monitor threats. The center will also develop a national database for sharing threat information across law enforcement agencies. Finally, the Institute must submit an annual report detailing the scope and seriousness of threats against the judiciary.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a previous law (Public Law 11921). This repeal effectively reinstates the original statutes that were previously altered by those sections.

The Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act (ASAP Act) amends Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias beginning in 2028. This coverage applies to FDA-cleared tests designed to detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. The legislation specifically outlines the types of genomic and imaging tests that will qualify for Medicare payment.

The Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine (Healthy MOM) Act aims to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes by ensuring comprehensive and affordable maternity coverage. It establishes special enrollment periods for pregnant individuals across various health plans, including employer-sponsored and exchange plans. Furthermore, the bill mandates that dependent coverage must include maternity care and makes 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage mandatory under Medicaid and CHIP.

The End Rent Fixing Act of 2025 prohibits rental property owners from using coordinators to gather and analyze rental data to recommend prices or terms. This bill makes paying for or performing such "coordinating functions" illegal under federal antitrust law. Enforcement is granted to the FTC, the Department of Justice, and State Attorneys General, and allows harmed individuals to sue for treble damages.

The NOPAIN for Veterans Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must include specific, FDA-approved non-opioid pain management drugs in its national formulary. This ensures veterans have access to alternatives that do not act on opioid receptors for pain relief. The bill sets clear deadlines for the inclusion of these non-opioid products.

This bill formally codifies the "Six Assurances" made by the Reagan Administration regarding U.S. policy toward Taiwan, emphasizing commitments on arms sales and non-mediation. It declares that maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait and determining Taiwan's future peacefully are vital U.S. interests. Furthermore, the Act establishes a mandatory congressional review process that the President must follow before taking specific actions that would alter these long-standing assurances.

This Act enhances safety and wellness in the commercial fishing industry by expanding federal grant programs for safety training and research. It specifically directs funding toward addressing behavioral and physical health risks, such as worker fatigue and substance use disorder, for vessel operators and crew. The legislation also updates the grant award process and increases authorized funding through fiscal year 2029.

This joint resolution requests the Secretary of the Interior to authorize unique, one-time displays on the National Mall and the Washington Monument between December 31, 2025, and January 5, 2026. The bill specifically mandates special illumination and projection of historical content onto the Washington Monument to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary. It also authorizes the Secretary to coordinate these commemorative events with the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.

The Background Check Expansion Act mandates that nearly all private firearm transfers between unlicensed individuals must go through a licensed dealer to complete a federal background check. This legislation establishes a universal background check requirement for these transactions, with specific exceptions for family gifts and law enforcement transfers. The bill aims to close loopholes in existing firearm transfer laws while explicitly prohibiting the creation of a national firearms registry.

This resolution officially recognizes November as National Native American Heritage Month. It celebrates the rich cultures, histories, and significant contributions of Native Americans to the United States across various fields. The resolution also reaffirms the government's commitment to tribal self-governance and the government-to-government relationship with Indian Tribes.

The Anti-Cash Grab Act repeals a specific provision (Section 213 of division C of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026). This repeal effectively restores a previous law, Section 10 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005. The legislation is designed to take effect retroactively as if the repealed section had never been enacted.

This resolution honors Dr. Jane Goodall for her groundbreaking work as an ethologist, conservationist, and activist, recognizing her pioneering research on chimpanzees. It highlights the significant impact of the Jane Goodall Institute and her global efforts in environmental restoration and youth engagement. The resolution further designates specific national days to commemorate her birthday and enduring legacy.

The Veteran Entrepreneurship Empowerment Act aims to support veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs by addressing capital access barriers. This legislation waives specific guarantee and upfront fees for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans up to $1,000,000 made to veteran-owned small businesses. Additionally, the Act reduces the minimum required equity injection percentage for these qualifying loans. The SBA is also mandated to collect and publish data on veteran participation in key lending programs.