Legislative Activity

This bill recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Cinco de Mayo as an important date for Mexican and Mexican-American communities. It commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, symbolizing the right to self-determination. The bill encourages the House of Representatives to recognize the historic struggle of the people of Mexico for independence and freedom and encourages the people of the United States to observe Cinco de Mayo with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

This resolution acknowledges the 50th anniversary of Black April and the Fall of Saigon, honoring the Vietnamese American community's contributions to the U.S. and their pursuit of freedom and democracy. It recognizes the sacrifices of the South Vietnamese and U.S. militaries during the Vietnam War, while reaffirming the U.S. commitment to human rights and freedom for all, including in Vietnam. The resolution encourages Americans to remember Black April and celebrate the Vietnamese American community.

The Seniors' Access to Critical Medications Act of 2025 allows physicians to dispense certain outpatient prescription drugs to Medicare patients under specific conditions, creating an exception to the physician self-referral prohibition. It requires a study on pharmacies that significantly increase drug dispensing after the bill's enactment to identify potential conflicts of interest. Additionally, it adjusts the amount available in the Medicare Improvement Fund.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury selection. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act seeks to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals and women across various sectors.

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act seeks to reinstate protections for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by repealing the 2017 law that opened the area to oil and gas development. It further designates approximately 1.5 million acres of the Refuge as wilderness, ensuring its preservation under the National Wilderness Preservation System. This area will be managed by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the Wilderness Act.

The Medical Manufacturing, Economic Development, and Sustainability Act of 2025 (MMEDS Act of 2025) aims to incentivize domestic medical manufacturing in economically distressed zones through tax credits for wages, benefits, and qualified products/services. It prioritizes strengthening the national supply chain by increasing credits for facilities that move production from countries posing a risk to facilities producing population health products. The Act also amends the Public Health Service Act to support the development and accessibility of population health products, especially for vulnerable populations, during public health emergencies. Finally, the Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on the disproportionate harm to vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic and prior epidemics and pandemics.

The "FDA Modernization Act 3.0" mandates the replacement of animal testing references with "nonclinical testing" references in specific sections of the Code of Federal Regulations, aligning with the FDA's efforts to modernize drug development and evaluation. This change aims to promote innovative, non-animal testing methods for assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs and biological products. The Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement these changes through an interim final rule within one year.

This bill supports the designation of April 10 as "Dolores Huerta Day" to recognize her lifelong commitment to activism, including co-founding the United Farm Workers Union and advocating for civil rights. It celebrates her achievements in improving Latino voting access, ensuring safer working conditions, and promoting feminism and women's equality. The bill also acknowledges her numerous awards and ongoing work through the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

The "RESILIENCE Act of 2025" amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow utility companies to reduce their adjusted financial statement income by the amount of depreciation and repair/maintenance deductions taken on public utility property. This applies to property that the utility company owns and is treating as depreciation on their financial statements. This change is applicable for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The FEMA Loan Interest Payment Relief Act allows FEMA to provide financial aid to local governments or electric cooperatives to reimburse interest paid on loans used for disaster relief activities. The amount reimbursed will be the lesser of the actual interest paid or the interest calculated using the prime rate. This applies to interest incurred up to 9 years before the Act's enactment, using only funds appropriated after the enactment date. The Act also establishes procedures for states to be reimbursed for qualifying loan interest for projects awaiting obligation.

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 aims to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and countering its support for terrorism by imposing sanctions on those involved in Iran's energy sector and those who provide financial support for its destabilizing activities. It mandates sanctions on foreign entities involved in processing, exporting, or selling Iranian oil, gas, and petrochemicals, while also establishing an interagency working group to coordinate and enforce these sanctions. The Act also amends existing legislation to require the identification of individuals involved in sanctionable activities or sanctions evasion related to Iranian oil and gas sales.

This resolution supports the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative, advocating for safe and inclusive K-12 learning environments free from discrimination and erasure for all students, especially LGBTQI+ youth. It recognizes the challenges LGBTQI+ students face, including bullying, discrimination, and legislative attacks, and emphasizes the importance of affirming policies and practices to improve their well-being and educational outcomes. The resolution encourages states and localities to support the initiative and enact protective laws and policies.

The American Family Act establishes a refundable child tax credit with monthly advance payments, providing up to $300 per month per child, and creates a $500 tax credit for other dependents. The amount of the credit is reduced based on the taxpayer's income, with initial reductions starting at $150,000 for joint returns. The IRS will make monthly advance payments and establish an online portal for taxpayers to manage their payments and provide necessary information. This act terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024 and aims to provide regular financial support to families.

The "Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025" establishes the Secretary of Commerce as the leading advisor to the President on blockchain technology policies. It directs the Secretary to develop policies, promote U.S. leadership in blockchain through a dedicated program, and facilitate best practices for blockchain technology across various sectors. The Act also mandates an annual report to Congress on the Secretary's activities, recommendations for legislation, and emerging trends in blockchain technology.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees and supervisory employees. It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine if state laws substantially provide these rights; if not, the Authority will administer collective bargaining procedures in those states. The act outlines specific rights and procedures, including the right to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities, while also addressing enforcement and exceptions. This law aims to ensure that public service workers have the ability to negotiate for fair wages, hours, and working conditions.

The "Raise the Wage Act of 2025" aims to increase the federal minimum wage to $17.00 per hour over five years, after which it will be annually adjusted based on the median hourly wage of all employees. The bill also gradually raises the minimum wage for tipped employees until it matches the standard minimum wage, while ensuring they retain all tips. Additionally, it increases and then eliminates the subminimum wage for newly hired employees under 20 and individuals with disabilities, promoting fair wages for all workers.

The STOP Bullying Act aims to reduce bullying in schools by establishing a grant program for each state to create and implement an anti-bullying task force. These task forces will study local bullying policies, educate teachers, parents, and students, and examine the impact of bullying on student violence and self-harm. Each task force will include educators, administrators, parents, students, counselors, psychologists, lawyers, and representatives from community organizations, and will submit a final report with recommendations for legislation, administrative actions, and best practices to address and reduce bullying. The goal is to ensure safe learning environments for all students, regardless of background.

The Florida Coastal Protection Act prohibits the Department of Interior from issuing leases for oil and gas exploration, development, or production in specific areas off Florida's coast, including the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, a portion of the South Atlantic Planning Area, and the Straits of Florida Planning Area. This act aims to protect Florida's coastal environment and economy by preventing offshore drilling in these sensitive regions. The prohibition does not affect existing leases.

The "No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act" aims to eliminate tax deductions for employer expenses used to influence employees' decisions regarding unionizing and collective bargaining. It defines "labor organization activity" broadly, encompassing elections, disputes, and collective actions. The bill mandates detailed reporting of such activities, with significant penalties for non-compliance, and directs the Treasury Secretary to issue implementing guidance. This would apply to expenses incurred more than 240 days after the bill's enactment.

This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from using federal funds to remove employees if the removals affect at least 3% of the total HHS workforce or 3% of a sub-agency/division's workforce within a 60-day period.