Legislative Activity

The Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025 updates existing law to facilitate the transfer of additional federal land within the Chippewa National Forest to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe for trust status. This bill expands the definition of transferable federal land and allows for acre-for-acre land substitutions agreed upon by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Tribe. Crucially, the Act reaffirms that the hunting, fishing, and recreation rights of non-Tribal members will remain unchanged by these transfers.

This bill formally accepts the request from the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota to revoke its existing charter of incorporation. The legislation officially dissolves the charter originally issued in 1937 under the Indian Reorganization Act.

This resolution officially designates October 2025 as National Principals Month. It recognizes the vital, multifaceted roles principals play in leading schools, supporting teachers, and ensuring high-quality education for every student. The designation honors the dedication and vision of principals nationwide.

This resolution expresses strong support for high-quality after-school, before-school, and summer learning programs. It recognizes these programs are vital for developing essential skills in children and supporting working families. The resolution specifically endorses the national celebration, Lights On Afterschool, scheduled for October 23, 2025.

The Housing for All Veterans Act of 2025 establishes a new Low-income Veteran Rental Assistance Program to provide housing vouchers for qualified veteran families. This legislation amends existing housing law to create a dedicated entitlement to rental assistance, with eligibility criteria that gradually expand to include all low-income veteran families by Fiscal Year 2030. The Act also mandates information sharing regarding veteran services and prohibits discrimination against voucher holders. Finally, it provides necessary permanent appropriations and service fees to public housing agencies for administering this new benefit.

This bill amends the Act of June 22, 1948, specifically concerning property appraisals. It mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture determine property value based on the **highest fair appraised value**, incorporating historical appraisal data. This change updates the previous standard for property valuation.

The Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 ensures federal agencies compensate contractors for employee costs incurred due to government funding lapses or shutdowns. This act mandates contract price adjustments to cover reasonable expenses for furloughed or impacted contractor employees, up to a specified weekly limit. The law also provides necessary appropriations to cover these adjustments and requires public reporting on the compensation provided.

The No Shame at School Act of 2025 mandates that schools must retroactively certify eligible students for free or reduced-price meals and prohibits any form of shaming or stigmatization based on unpaid meal debt. This bill prevents schools from singling out students who owe money for lunch or breakfast, ensuring they receive their meals without embarrassment. Furthermore, it restricts how schools can attempt to collect these outstanding fees from families.

This bill establishes a new federal grant program to support agriculture workforce training initiatives. Eligible educational institutions can apply for funding to develop hands-on training programs in partnership with agricultural industry businesses. The goal is to enhance worker skills, support industry growth, and improve workforce competitiveness across the agricultural sector.

The Advancing Research on Agricultural Soil Health Act of 2025 aims to standardize the measurement of agricultural soil carbon across the nation. It mandates the creation of a universal measurement methodology and establishes a national Soil Carbon Inventory and Analysis Network to track carbon stocks every five years. Furthermore, the bill requires the development of a predictive modeling tool to estimate the impact of various land management practices on soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. This legislation supports farmers through technical assistance for voluntary soil carbon reporting and ensures research programs prioritize soil health outcomes.

This bill amends the Act of October 19, 1973, to increase the maximum dollar amount of exempt resources for determining eligibility for federal financial assistance or benefits. Specifically, it raises the resource limit from $\$2,000$ to $\$5,000$. The legislation also includes minor technical corrections to the existing language of the Act.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals a previous ban that prohibited Medicaid payments to certain healthcare entities. This legislation retroactively validates and ensures payment for essential healthcare services provided by these now-unbanned organizations during the period the prohibition was in effect.

The Medicaid Bump Act establishes a temporary, higher federal matching rate of 90% for state spending increases on Medicaid behavioral health services above a specified baseline. To qualify for this enhanced funding, states must ensure the new federal dollars supplement existing state spending and are used to improve service delivery, such as raising provider payment rates. The bill also mandates that the Secretary of HHS issue guidance defining covered services and submit an annual report to Congress detailing state payment rates and utilization data for these services.

This resolution officially recognizes June 2025 as LGBTQ Pride Month to honor the history, struggles, and significant contributions of the LGBTQ community in the United States. It acknowledges past and ongoing discrimination while celebrating key legal milestones toward equality. The Senate encourages the nation to use this month to learn about inequality and celebrate the community's achievements both domestically and globally.

The Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2025 establishes two new grant programs aimed at boosting construction and manufacturing apprenticeships. The first program funds community outreach to recruit students and connect programs with local employers, especially in non-urban areas. The second program provides funds for expanded academic advising and student support services to improve apprenticeship program enrollment and completion rates. The Act authorizes $5 million annually for each program from 2026 through 2030.

The CDFI Bond Guarantee Program Improvement Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Bond Guarantee Program. This legislation adjusts the calculation and sets new annual limits for government guarantees on bonds issued for community and economic development. Furthermore, it extends the program's authorization period and mandates the Treasury Secretary to report twice on the program's effectiveness to Congress.

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 significantly increases the maximum expenses eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to \$8,000 for one dependent and \$16,000 for two or more. This legislation also adjusts the credit calculation percentage based on income and makes the credit partially or fully refundable for eligible taxpayers. Furthermore, key income thresholds and expense limits will be indexed for inflation starting in 2026.

The Expanding Access to Family Planning Act establishes a dedicated Title X Clinic Fund to provide consistent, long-term financial support for family planning clinics. This funding, set for ten years, includes annual allocations for services and facility improvements. The bill also mandates that clinics receiving these funds offer comprehensive, non-directive counseling options to patients with positive pregnancy tests.

The Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act withdraws approximately 225,504 acres of federal land and water in Minnesota's Rainy River Watershed from most forms of entry, mineral leasing, and material sales. This action aims to protect the area, though the Forest Service retains limited authority to permit the removal of certain materials if environmental health is not compromised. The bill formally establishes the boundaries for this withdrawal based on existing environmental assessments.

The Tax Fairness for Workers Act aims to restore certain federal tax deductions for employees. This bill makes union dues fully deductible "above-the-line," meaning they can be claimed without itemizing. Additionally, it temporarily allows employees to itemize specific work-related business expenses through the end of 2025.