Legislative Activity

The Ellie Helton, Lisa Colagrossi, Kristen Shafer Englert, Teresa Anne Lawrence, and Jennifer Sedney Focused Research Act, or "Ellies Law," addresses the high incidence and devastating impact of brain aneurysms in the U.S. The bill authorizes $20 million annually from Fiscal Year 2026 through 2030 for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). This dedicated funding is specifically intended to supplement existing research efforts focused on unruptured intracranial aneurysms across diverse populations.

The Tax Fairness for Workers Act restores key federal tax deductions for employees, effective after 2024. This legislation makes union dues fully deductible "above the line," meaning they reduce Adjusted Gross Income without itemizing. Additionally, it allows itemizers to deduct certain other job-related business expenses that were previously limited.

The Retirement Savings for Americans Act of 2025 establishes the American Worker Retirement Fund, a new, mandatory-enrollment retirement savings vehicle within the U.S. Treasury designed to help workers build protected savings through personal contributions and government matching credits. The bill also creates a governing Board to oversee the investment management system, imposing strict fiduciary duties on all administrators. Finally, it introduces a Government Match Tax Credit, which directly deposits a tiered government match into participants' accounts based on their savings rate and income level.

This bill amends the Higher Education Act to provide additional funding opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) specifically focused on the arts. It recognizes the crucial role HBCUs play in preserving and promoting Black art and culture. The legislation authorizes HBCUs to use grant funds for student support, outreach, exhibitions, and partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts to strengthen their arts programs.

The Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2025 aims to simplify school meal programs by eliminating the "reduced-price" meal category for both breakfast and lunch. It significantly expands eligibility for free school meals by raising the federal poverty level threshold to 224% and allowing automatic certification for children receiving Medicaid benefits. Additionally, the bill enhances financial support for schools by allowing retroactive reimbursement claims and increasing the multiplier for the Community Eligibility Program.

This resolution officially supports the goals of Financial Literacy Month by recognizing the widespread financial challenges facing American households. It highlights the urgent need for improved personal finance education due to low budgeting rates and high levels of household debt. The bill calls upon federal, state, and local entities to promote programs that enhance financial understanding and responsible money management.

The CARE Act of 2025 mandates that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) test a new payment model for emergency services. This model will allow Medicare to pay ground ambulance providers for emergency responses, even when a patient does not ultimately require transport under Medicare Part B. The five-year demonstration aims to evaluate the impact of covering these non-transport emergency responses on patient access and resource utilization.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating April 2025 as "Second Chance Month." It aims to raise public awareness about the significant legal and social barriers, known as collateral consequences, that prevent individuals with past criminal records from successfully reentering society. The bill encourages communities and employers nationwide to actively work toward removing these obstacles and offering meaningful second chances to those who have paid their debt to society.

This bill restricts the use of federal funds to carry out large-scale removals of employees within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Specifically, it prohibits using federal money for terminations if 3% or more of the total HHS workforce, or 3% or more of any individual sub-agency's staff, are removed within a 60-day period. This measure aims to prevent sudden, mass layoffs across the department and its major divisions.

This bill amends tax code rules to provide special treatment for certain financial guaranty insurance companies under the Passive Foreign Investment Company (PFIC) regulations. It allows these companies to count unearned premium reserves as insurance liabilities, making it easier for them to avoid PFIC classification for U.S. investors. The provisions are contingent upon the company meeting specific, high-exposure thresholds related to the debt or bonds they insure.

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 imposes sweeping economic penalties on the Russian Federation in response to its aggression against Ukraine. This legislation mandates severe, immediate sanctions against key Russian officials, financial institutions, and energy sector entities, including asset freezes and trade prohibitions. Furthermore, the Act dramatically increases import duties on Russian goods and requires the President to review and reimpose these measures until Russia negotiates a lasting peace with Ukraine.

The Secure Family Futures Act of 2025 modifies tax treatment for certain debt holdings of applicable insurance companies, excluding specific debt instruments from being treated as capital assets for tax purposes. Additionally, this Act extends the capital loss carryover period to 10 years for specified losses incurred by these insurance companies. These changes apply only to transactions occurring after December 31, 2025.

This Act mandates the Secretary of Labor to establish an interim and then a final standard requiring comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans for employers in the healthcare and social service sectors. These plans must be developed with employee input and detail risk assessments, hazard controls, reporting procedures, and annual training. Furthermore, the bill amends the Social Security Act to require Medicare-funded hospitals and skilled nursing facilities not covered by OSHA to comply with these new federal workplace violence prevention standards. The legislation also establishes clear definitions for workplace violence and includes strong anti-retaliation protections for employees who exercise their rights under the Act.

The Recovery of Stolen Checks Act allows taxpayers whose original IRS refund check was lost or stolen to elect to receive the replacement refund via direct deposit. This change aims to provide a faster and more secure method for taxpayers to receive their rightful funds. The Treasury Secretary is required to establish the necessary procedures for this option.

The COMPLETE Care Act aims to improve mental healthcare access by providing Medicare incentives for primary care providers to integrate behavioral health services into their practices between 2027 and 2029. This legislation offers increased Medicare payments for specific integrated services during those years, ensuring these bonuses do not trigger cuts elsewhere in the Medicare budget. Additionally, the bill mandates technical assistance to help primary care offices successfully adopt these new integrated care models.

The Hot Foods Act of 2025 removes the general federal ban on using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase hot, ready-to-eat foods. This legislation clarifies that hot foods are now eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits, while also setting a new rule that limits SNAP-participating retailers to deriving no more than 50% of their gross sales from these ready-to-eat hot items. The act updates existing statutes to reflect this expanded purchasing power for recipients.

This resolution formally recognizes and honors the enduring legacy and vital contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to the nation. It reaffirms the Federal Government's commitment to supporting these essential institutions that drive economic growth and produce a disproportionate number of professionals in critical fields. The measure serves as a strong statement celebrating HBCUs as centers of excellence and opportunity.

This resolution officially recognizes and celebrates National Women's History Month for March 2025, honoring the long struggle and significant achievements of women throughout American history. It highlights key milestones in women's suffrage, political leadership, and social progress. The House of Representatives supports the goals of ensuring women's history is taught and recognizes the 2025 theme, "Moving Forward Together! Women Educating Inspiring Generations!"

This bill, the Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act, aims to modernize U.S. trade law by eliminating outdated provisions. Specifically, it repeals Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. This action removes an old, unilateral tariff authority from the books.

The No Hungry Kids in Schools Act establishes a new statewide community eligibility option for schools starting July 1, 2025. This option allows states to ensure all schools receive full federal reimbursement for 100% of meals served by covering any funding gaps with non-federal money. By opting in, states can eliminate the minimum participation threshold and calculate eligibility based on the entire statewide student population.