Legislative Activity

The West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025 mandates the President to impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, on foreign individuals or groups whose actions threaten the peace and stability of the West Bank. These penalties specifically target those involved in violence against civilians, property destruction, or terrorism. The law requires regular reporting to Congress detailing those sanctioned and the steps being taken to mitigate violence in the region.

The Validation and Evaluation for Trustworthy (VET) Artificial Intelligence Act aims to foster trust and adoption of AI by establishing voluntary technical guidelines for testing and validating AI systems based on risk. This legislation directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create these guidelines, which will cover safety, privacy, and transparency. Furthermore, the Act establishes an advisory committee to recommend qualifications for entities performing these AI assurance checks and mandates a study on the capacity of current assurance providers.

The SAVES Act of 2025 establishes a five-year pilot program within the VA to award competitive grants to nonprofits providing service dogs to eligible veterans with disabilities like PTSD or mobility issues. These grants, capped at $2 million per recipient, will cover the cost of training the dog and veteran, and the VA will also provide veterinary insurance for each service dog. The goal is to ensure veterans receive necessary support dogs without incurring any personal fees.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act primarily repeals previous health subtitle changes and permanently extends enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace health insurance. This extension removes the income cap for receiving enhanced credits and updates the calculation method for determining an individual's required premium contribution. The bill aims to simplify the tax code related to health insurance affordability.

The Ban Corporate PACs Act restricts the ability of corporations to establish separate segregated funds for political purposes, limiting this authority exclusively to nonprofit corporations. This legislation further tightens solicitation rules, allowing only executive or administrative personnel to be asked for contributions. Any existing, non-nonprofit corporate political funds must be completely dissolved within one year of the Act's enactment.

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 Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2025 authorizes $50 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to be appropriated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This funding is specifically designated for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. This appropriation is in addition to any existing funds allocated for this purpose.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Voting Rights Act by establishing new standards to challenge discriminatory voting practices and updating federal oversight criteria for states. It mandates greater transparency for all changes to voting rules and implements "practice-based preclearance" for certain jurisdictions. Additionally, the bill creates new federal criminal penalties for using force or threats to intimidate voters or election workers.

The EATS Act of 2025 revises eligibility rules for students seeking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by clarifying the definition of a "bona fide student." This legislation removes specific restrictions that previously barred many higher education students from receiving SNAP. The changes, including technical renumbering of relevant sections, will take effect on January 2, 2026.

The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 aims to address physician shortages by adding 2,000 new Medicare-funded residency positions annually from 2027 through 2033. These new slots are distributed through an application process, prioritizing hospitals serving rural areas, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and those supporting new medical schools. Additionally, the bill mandates a study and report on effective strategies for increasing diversity within the healthcare workforce.

This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and NIST to develop voluntary guidelines for election offices on the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. It also mandates a study on how AI was actually used in the 2024 federal elections to inform future updates to these guidelines. The goal is to help election administrators manage the risks and opportunities presented by AI while protecting election integrity.

The Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2025 establishes federal prohibitions against selling goods or services at "grossly excessive" prices, particularly during exceptional market shocks like natural disasters. The bill empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce these rules, setting specific revenue thresholds for businesses subject to the anti-gouging provisions. Furthermore, it mandates that companies experiencing a market shock must provide detailed disclosures to the SEC regarding changes in pricing, volume, and profit margins in subsequent financial filings.

The Child Care for Working Families Act establishes comprehensive federal programs to guarantee access to high-quality, affordable child care for young children of working families. It mandates significant investments to stabilize the child care workforce by requiring higher provider pay and sets strict caps on costs for parents based on income. Additionally, the bill creates a framework for universal, free preschool for three- and four-year-olds and extends service hours and raises compensation for Head Start staff.

The Agricultural Risk Review Act of 2025 ensures the Secretary of Agriculture participates in reviews by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for transactions involving U.S. agricultural land, biotechnology, or the broader industry. This bill mandates a specific, expedited review process for certain agricultural land deals involving designated foreign adversaries. Ultimately, it strengthens national security oversight of foreign investments impacting the U.S. food supply and agricultural sector.

This resolution expresses support for designating July 10, 2025, as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. It honors the critical, often dangerous work these essential employees perform to maintain the nation's power grid 24/7. The day commemorates their service, especially during emergencies, and recognizes the sacrifice of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act mandates the Department of Labor to establish comprehensive, ongoing training for its personnel on identifying and referring potential human trafficking cases. This training must cover detection methods, identification techniques, and proper referral processes that prioritize victim protection. Furthermore, the Secretary of Labor is required to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the training provided and the human trafficking referrals made to the Department of Justice.

The FULL HOUSE Act modifies federal tax law regarding gambling losses, effective for tax years after December 31, 2025. This legislation limits the deduction of gambling losses to the amount a taxpayer has won from gambling during that same tax year. Consequently, individuals will no longer be able to use net gambling losses to offset income earned from non-gambling sources.

The Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends critical funding for both Type 1 Diabetes research programs and diabetes programs serving Native Americans. This legislation secures specific annual appropriations of \$160 million for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, along with a transition allocation in late 2027. The bill ensures continued financial support for these vital public health initiatives through the end of 2027.

The VISIBLE Act mandates that federal immigration officers (CBP and ICE) clearly display their agency and name/badge number on their outermost clothing during all public-facing enforcement activities. This law aims to increase transparency and public trust by ensuring officers are easily identifiable from a distance. The Department of Homeland Security must report annually to Congress on compliance rates and disciplinary actions taken for violations. Furthermore, the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties will investigate public complaints regarding these new identification standards.

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.