Legislative Activity

The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act enables states to establish specialized Medicaid health homes focused exclusively on individuals with sickle cell disease starting in 2026. If a state adopts this program, it must provide mandatory dental and vision coverage to enrolled patients, regardless of standard state Medicaid policies. States implementing these health homes will also be required to report on patient outcomes, access to care, and expenditures.

The FEMA Act of 2025 establishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an independent, cabinet-level agency to lead a unified, all-hazards approach to national emergency management. The bill enacts sweeping reforms across Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, and Mitigation programs to accelerate recovery, streamline funding, and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for disaster survivors and communities. Furthermore, it mandates significant new transparency measures, including public data reporting and GAO oversight, to ensure accountability for federal disaster spending.

The Restore Trust in Congress Act establishes strict new rules prohibiting Members of Congress and their immediate families from owning or trading specific financial assets, referred to as "covered investments," while in office. Covered individuals must divest existing prohibited holdings within a set timeframe or face significant financial penalties, including fines and forfeiture of profits. The legislation aims to eliminate conflicts of interest arising from personal financial trading while serving in federal office.

The INFORM Act of 2025 mandates that Homeland Security must notify the immediate family of any individual transferred between immigration detention facilities within 24 hours. This notification must include the reason for the transfer and contact information for the new location. The Act broadly defines "immediate family" to cover a wide range of relatives, including step- and foster-family members.

The FEMA Critical Staffing Act aims to address increased disaster frequency by immediately reinstating involuntarily separated FEMA employees who wish to return to their positions. This legislation also mandates that the FEMA Administrator must continue all existing, authorized disaster preparedness and recovery programs without making them harder to access. Specifically, the bill requires the immediate restart of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and flood mitigation assistance programs.

The Safeguarding the Use of the National Guard Act (SUN Act) enhances Congressional oversight of the President's domestic deployment of National Guard and reserve forces. It requires the President to submit a detailed report to Congress within 15 days outlining the legal justification, goals, costs, and impact of any domestic deployment. This reporting requirement is waived only when reserve forces are deployed specifically following a Presidential declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act for a natural disaster.

The Create Accountable Respectful Environments (CARE) for Children Act officially recognizes and integrates "cottage family homes" into federal foster care regulations. This allows these specialized homes to receive federal maintenance payments if they meet strict standards focused on family connection, trauma-informed care, and prohibiting harmful restraints. The bill ensures states maintain flexibility in utilizing these placements while upholding high standards for child well-being.

This resolution officially establishes August 20th as **Original Slavery Remembrance Day** to formally recognize and condemn the history of slavery in the U.S. and globally. It commemorates the lives of enslaved people, honors historical figures who fought for freedom, and acknowledges the lasting effects of slavery on contemporary society. The resolution requests the President to issue a proclamation calling for appropriate national observance of this day.

The Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 aims to incentivize keeping customer service jobs in the U.S. by penalizing companies that move call centers overseas with loss of federal grants and contracts. The bill also mandates transparency, requiring businesses to disclose an agent's physical location or the use of AI during customer service communications. Furthermore, it ensures that all call center work performed under a federal contract must be completed within the United States.

The Data BRIDGE Act mandates that the FCC update its national broadband map to specifically include the locations of agricultural areas. This update must be completed within 180 days of the bill's enactment. To ensure accuracy, the FCC is required to consult with the Secretary of Agriculture and other relevant stakeholders during this process. This action aims to better identify broadband coverage gaps affecting farms.

The Taskforce for Recognizing and Averting Payment Scams Act (TRAPS Act) establishes a new Task Force led by the Secretary of the Treasury. This diverse group, including federal agencies, industry experts, and consumer advocates, will study evolving payment scams. The Task Force is charged with developing cross-sector prevention strategies and submitting comprehensive recommendations for new laws and improved coordination to combat these fraudulent activities.

The Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2025 establishes that reproductive rights are fundamental human rights based on international commitments. This bill mandates that the State Department must include a detailed, required section on the status of reproductive rights in every country within its annual human rights reports. These reports must cover access to contraception, abortion services, and instances of reproductive coercion or discrimination against marginalized groups. The Act aims to ensure robust U.S. monitoring and accountability regarding global reproductive health and autonomy.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act of 2025 repeals specific prior reconciliation health provisions. This bill significantly expands eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit by eliminating the 400% Federal Poverty Level income cap. It also updates the subsidy calculation formula to ensure a smoother, linear adjustment of assistance across various income levels.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals an outdated ban that prevented Medicaid from making payments to certain healthcare providers. This legislation ensures that these previously prohibited entities will now be reimbursed for medical services rendered between the enactment of the original ban and the passage of this Act. In short, it restores payment eligibility and retroactively covers past services.

The Keep Kids Covered Act aims to ensure children maintain continuous health coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for longer periods. This legislation extends continuous eligibility for children under age 19, significantly increasing the duration they remain covered without needing to re-enroll. Furthermore, it grants former foster youth continuous Medicaid eligibility until they turn 26.

This resolution reaffirms the fundamental principles of the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing the separation of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It stresses Congress's exclusive authority over federal spending and condemns any efforts by public officials to undermine the rule of law or the independence of the other branches. Ultimately, the bill serves as a strong statement against the consolidation of power and for upholding constitutional checks and balances.

The No Surprises Act Enforcement Act significantly increases financial penalties for group health plans and insurance issuers that violate balance billing protections. It establishes steep fines, including up to $\$10,000$ per affected individual for serious non-compliance. Furthermore, the bill imposes severe penalties, including triple the disputed amount plus interest, for failing to make required payments promptly after an Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) determination. Finally, it mandates more frequent and detailed transparency reporting on enforcement actions and violations.

This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to reclassify certain activities combating HIV/AIDS. Specifically, it mandates that providing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and related prevention services be formally recognized as "core life-saving humanitarian assistance." This change ensures these critical risk-reduction efforts are categorized as essential aid within U.S. foreign assistance programs.

This Concurrent Resolution affirms the importance of equal physical access to federally funded facilities for all Americans, especially people with disabilities. It recognizes that current infrastructure often fails to meet the needs of the growing population of people with disabilities. The resolution reaffirms support for existing accessibility laws like the ADA and pledges to use universal design principles in future federal projects. Ultimately, it calls for the removal of existing barriers to ensure full societal participation.

The Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act aims to significantly reform the detention of pregnant and postpartum noncitizens by establishing a presumption against their detention. This bill strictly limits the use of physical restraints on pregnant detainees and mandates comprehensive reproductive healthcare access. Furthermore, it requires detailed quarterly and annual reporting on the treatment and outcomes of pregnant individuals in custody.