Legislative Activity

The Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 amends the National Labor Relations Act and other labor laws to strengthen protections for employees engaging in labor disputes and collective bargaining. It redefines employer and employee status, addresses unfair labor practices, streamlines collective bargaining, and increases penalties for employers who violate labor laws. The Act also updates strike/lockout notification procedures and clarifies reporting requirements for employer-employee communication. Finally, it ensures the law's provisions are severable and authorizes necessary appropriations for implementation and enforcement.

This bill establishes the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States to investigate the historical and ongoing effects of these policies on Native American communities, including forming advisory committees and addressing the handling of Native American cultural items and remains. The commission will conduct a comprehensive review, gather testimony, and recommend actions for the federal government to acknowledge its role and promote public awareness. It also ensures the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act applies to cultural items from Indian Boarding Schools. The bill allocates \$90 million to fund the activities of the Commission and Subcommittee.

This bill aims to improve public health in Tribal communities by providing veterinary services to prevent and control zoonotic diseases, which are diseases transmissible between animals and humans. It authorizes the Indian Health Service to fund these services, assign veterinary officers, and coordinate with other agencies. Additionally, the bill directs a feasibility study on using oral rabies vaccines in Arctic regions to protect Tribal members from wildlife-transmitted rabies. It also includes the Director of the Indian Health Service in the One Health Framework.

The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act amends the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 to modernize regulations around online data collection, use, and deletion for children and teens. It expands the definition of personal information, requires verifiable consent for data collection and usage, and prohibits individual-specific advertising to children and teens. The Act also mandates FTC reports on mobile app oversight and enforcement, a GAO study on teens' privacy using financial technology, and includes a severability clause.

This joint resolution terminates the national emergency concerning energy declared by the President in January 2025. The resolution nullifies Executive Order 14156, effectively ending the emergency powers invoked under the National Emergencies Act.

This resolution condemns the U.S. delegation's vote against a UN resolution supporting Ukraine, which aligned the U.S. with Russia and other autocratic regimes. It criticizes the failure to identify Russia as the aggressor and demands collaboration with Ukraine and European allies in future UN efforts. The resolution reaffirms support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

This resolution marks the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, reaffirming support for Ukraine's sovereignty and its people's resistance. It rejects Russia's territorial claims, encourages continued support for Ukraine's defense and democratic efforts, and emphasizes Ukraine's role in determining its future. The resolution also commends efforts to support Ukraine's defense, human rights, and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The "Born in the USA Act" prohibits the use of government funds to implement Executive Order 14160, which sought to deny citizenship to certain children born in the United States. The bill affirms that birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and cannot be rescinded by executive order.

The Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2025 amends Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 4001, to prohibit the detention of individuals in the United States based solely on protected characteristics. Protected characteristics include race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and any additional characteristic the Attorney General specifies. The Attorney General cannot remove any of the characteristics already listed (race through disability).

The "Equal COLA Act" amends title 5 of the United States Code to equalize cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for annuities under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) with those under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). It adjusts FERS annuities annually based on the percentage change in the price index, ensuring parity in COLA benefits for retirees under both systems. This adjustment applies retroactively and prospectively to annuities covered by section 8462.

The "Ensuring Outpatient Quality for Rural States Act" amends the Social Security Act to allow for cost-of-living adjustments to the non-labor portion of Medicare payments for hospital outpatient services in Alaska and Hawaii. Beginning in 2026, the Secretary will adjust payments to mirror adjustments made under section 1886(d)(5)(H). These adjustments aim to address the unique circumstances faced by hospitals in these states and will not be budget neutral.

The Save Our Lone Emergency Services (SOLES) Act amends the Social Security Act to increase payments to sole community hospitals in Alaska and Hawaii for outpatient services. This ensures that these hospitals receive adequate compensation, covering at least 94% of their reasonable costs. The adjustment aims to support essential healthcare services in remote areas without increasing patient copayments and the Secretary will issue regulations to implement this change within 6 months.

The "Foreign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Act" establishes a Director of Foreign Assistance within the State Department to optimize the impact of foreign assistance by aligning resources with foreign policy goals, measuring effectiveness, and promoting transparency. This director will lead strategic planning, budget processes, and program evaluations, ensuring resources are obligated in a timely manner. The act also affirms USAID's status as an independent agency and emphasizes the importance of congressional oversight in foreign assistance management.

The "Protecting Sensitive Locations Act" amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to limit immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of sensitive locations like schools and places of worship, requiring supervisor consultation and discreet conduct. Exceptions are allowed only in cases of national security or public safety threats or medical emergencies. The Act mandates annual training, detailed reporting of enforcement actions, and evidence suppression for violations, enhancing oversight and accountability in immigration enforcement.

The "Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act" amends the Social Security Act to set a minimum Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) allotment for each state, ensuring more stable funding for hospitals that serve a large number of low-income patients. Starting in 2025, every state will receive a DSH allotment of no less than $20,000,000, adjusted for inflation in later years, regardless of other calculations or required reductions. This aims to provide financial stability to rural hospitals.

The SECURE Firearm Storage Act aims to reduce gun theft from federally licensed firearms businesses by requiring them to secure firearms with hardened steel rods or locked safes/vaults when the premises are closed. It also mandates secure storage for paper records of firearm inventory and transactions and allows the Attorney General to set additional security requirements. Non-compliant licensees will face civil penalties, license suspension, or revocation.

The Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2025, exempts individuals from immigrant visa limits if they are eligible for visas under the Immigration and Nationality Act and have a parent who naturalized under specific sections of past immigration laws related to Filipino veterans. This act aims to facilitate the reunification of families of Filipino veterans who served during World War II.

The "Carried Interest Fairness Act of 2025" changes the tax treatment of certain partnership interests, especially those related to investment management services. It reclassifies certain capital gains as ordinary income for partners providing these services, modifies the valuation and tax implications of partnership interests transferred for services, and introduces stricter rules to prevent tax avoidance. This act aims to ensure that income derived from investment management is taxed at ordinary income rates rather than more favorable capital gains rates. It also includes provisions addressing qualified dividend income, gains from qualified small business stock, and the treatment of income from special purpose acquisition companies.

The "No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act" aims to discourage companies from shifting profits and operations overseas to avoid U.S. taxes. It achieves this by amending the tax code to calculate foreign income on a country-by-country basis, limiting interest deductions for domestic corporations in international financial reporting groups, modifying rules related to inverted corporations, and treating certain foreign corporations managed and controlled in the U.S. as domestic corporations for tax purposes. The bill also repeals the reduced tax rate on net CFC tested income and foreign-derived intangible income, increases the deemed paid credit for taxes related to tested income, and eliminates the carryback of foreign tax credits. These changes are intended to level the playing field and ensure that multinational corporations pay their fair share of taxes on income earned abroad.

The "She Develops Regulations In Vehicle Equality and Safety Act" or "She DRIVES Act" mandates the Secretary of Transportation to update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to include both 50th percentile adult male and 5th percentile adult female testing devices for front and side impacts, ensuring crash tests account for female occupants. The Act sets specific timelines for issuing proposed and final rules regarding these updates and requires the establishment or update of injury criteria based on real-world injuries. Additionally, the Act directs the Secretary to provide reports to Congress on incorporating researched testing devices and updating U.S. testing devices based on advanced devices used in other countries.