Legislative Activity

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Congress and states to regulate campaign finance, setting reasonable limits on contributions and expenditures to promote democracy, political equality, and the integrity of government and elections. It aims to clarify the power to differentiate between natural persons and corporations in campaign finance regulations, potentially restricting corporate spending in elections. The amendment explicitly protects the freedom of the press from any restrictions.

The Honor Farmer Contracts Act of 2025 ensures the Department of Agriculture honors existing agreements with farmers and related entities by releasing committed funding and settling outstanding debts. It prevents the cancellation of contracts unless there is a violation and requires a 60-day notice to Congress before closing any Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development Service Center office.

This resolution celebrates the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States. It recognizes their significant achievements across various sectors, including military service, business, medicine, and the arts. The resolution also emphasizes the need to invest in the future of these women by addressing barriers they face in justice, healthcare, education, and economic advancement.

This resolution supports the designation of May 29, 2025, as "Mental Health Awareness in Agriculture Day" to bring attention to mental health challenges within the agricultural community. It aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness among farmers and farmworkers, who face unique stressors and have higher suicide rates. The resolution promotes the use of available resources like the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network and encourages the prioritization of mental well-being in agriculture.

The Food Secure Strikers Act of 2025 amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to eliminate restrictions that prevent striking workers from being eligible for SNAP benefits. This change removes the clause that previously made striking workers ineligible for SNAP. By removing these restrictions, the bill aims to provide food security for workers and their families during labor disputes.

The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to strengthen and enhance the enforcement of equal pay requirements by modifying the "bona fide factor" defense, protecting employees who discuss their wages, and enhancing penalties for equal pay violations. It requires training and directs research, education, and outreach to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. The Act also prohibits employers from relying on wage history when considering prospective employees and mandates the collection of compensation data by the EEOC. Finally, the Act establishes the National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace and provides small business assistance.

This resolution recognizes and honors teachers who have achieved or maintained National Board Certification, highlighting their significant contributions to student learning and leadership. It acknowledges the rigorous standards required for certification and the positive impact these teachers have, especially in addressing learning loss. The resolution encourages increased support for teachers pursuing National Board Certification to further enhance educational quality. As of March 2025, there are 141,464 National Board Certified teachers.

The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act of 2025 aims to combat machinegun conversion devices by directing federal agencies to develop a coordinated strategy to prevent their import and trafficking, enhance law enforcement capabilities, and improve data collection. It also amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow for the forfeiture of proceeds from illegal machinegun trafficking and requires the Attorney General to include data on machinegun conversion devices in the annual firearms trafficking report.

The Major Richard Star Act allows veterans with combat-related disabilities to receive both veteran's disability compensation and military retired pay concurrently, without reduction. This act amends Title 10 of the United States Code to ensure that disability retirees with combat-related disabilities are not subject to reductions in retired pay due to receiving veteran's disability compensation. These changes will take effect the first day of the month following the enactment of the Act.

The "Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025" aims to boost the consumption of nutrient-rich dairy products among SNAP recipients by establishing a grant program for states and nonprofits to provide purchase incentives. The program prioritizes projects that maximize direct incentives for dairy purchased with SNAP benefits and utilizes point-of-sale technology. Independent evaluations will assess the impact of the incentives, and the Secretary of Agriculture will report findings to Congress. The act provides \$10 million in mandatory funding per fiscal year, and authorizes appropriations of \$10 million for fiscal year 2025 and each year after.

The "Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2025" aims to improve mental health and substance use services for underserved rural populations by providing grants to telemental health provider networks. These grants will facilitate home-based telemental health services, support infrastructure improvements like broadband access, and develop quality assessment metrics. The Act allocates \$10 million per fiscal year from 2025-2029 for this program and requires regular reports to Congress on its impact.

The "Safe Schools Improvement Act" aims to prevent bullying and harassment in public schools by requiring states to establish and enforce policies that prohibit bullying and harassment based on various characteristics, including race, sex, disability, and religion. It mandates the collection and reporting of data on bullying incidents and requires biennial evaluations of programs and policies to combat bullying. The Act ensures that schools provide annual notice of prohibited conduct and grievance procedures to students, parents, and educational professionals. This bill seeks to create a safer and more inclusive learning environment for all students.

The "Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act" transitions TSA personnel to standard federal employment rules under Title 5 of the U.S. Code, ensuring they receive similar rights and protections as other federal employees, while maintaining current pay and benefits. It enhances collective bargaining rights for screening agents, requires reports on recruitment, implementation, and workplace safety, and addresses specific concerns within the Federal Air Marshal Service. The Act aims to improve job security, morale, and overall working conditions for TSA employees.

The Insurance Fraud Accountability Act aims to combat fraudulent enrollment in qualified health plans by increasing penalties for agents and brokers who provide false information, enhancing consumer protections through verification processes and access to account information, and regulating field marketing organizations. It also increases transparency through mandatory audits and the creation of a list of suspended or terminated agents and brokers.

The "Deliver for Democracy Act" aims to improve the on-time delivery of periodicals by requiring the Postal Regulatory Commission to change its regulations regarding rate increases for periodicals based on specific performance metrics. It mandates annual progress reports on newspaper mail delivery and directs the Comptroller General to study alternative pricing options for the Postal Service to improve the financial position of periodicals.

The "Helping More Families Save Act" establishes a pilot program allowing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create escrow accounts for families receiving housing assistance. These accounts will hold increased rent payments resulting from increased income, which families can later access to support self-sufficiency goals. The program aims to encourage savings and financial independence for low-income families, with a focus on streamlining requirements and evaluating program outcomes.

The "Save Our Forests Act of 2025" aims to ensure the Forest Service is adequately staffed to maintain the health of national forests. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to increase staffing using existing funds and reinstate employees removed earlier in 2025. The act also allows the continuation of already approved and funded Forest Service projects under various existing laws.

The "Protect our Parks Act of 2025" aims to bolster the National Park Service by ensuring full staffing for visitor safety, enjoyment, and resource protection, including the reinstatement of employees removed earlier in 2025. It also allows the continuation of already authorized and funded projects under existing legislation like the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act and the Great American Outdoors Act.

The PRICE Act establishes a competitive grant program to improve manufactured housing communities. These grants can fund infrastructure upgrades, housing reconstruction or replacement, community services, and other activities that enhance living conditions and affordability. The program prioritizes projects benefiting low- and moderate-income residents while preserving long-term housing affordability and allows waivers on certain regulations to facilitate grant usage.

The "Stop Predatory Investing Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to disallow both interest and depreciation deductions for taxpayers who own 50 or more single-family residential rental properties, with exceptions for sales to individuals for use as a primary residence or to qualified nonprofit organizations. This disallowance does not apply to properties sold to individuals who will use them as their primary residence, or to qualified nonprofit organizations. The bill defines single-family residential rental property and specifies the types of nonprofit organizations that qualify for the exception. It also clarifies that disallowed interest cannot be capitalized or treated as chargeable to a capital account.