Legislative Activity

The Appalachian Communities Health Equity (ACHE) Act of 2025 addresses health concerns linked to mountaintop removal coal mining by immediately halting new federal permits for these operations. The bill mandates a comprehensive health study led by the NIEHS to investigate potential risks to nearby communities. Furthermore, it requires enhanced, publicly accessible pollution monitoring at active sites until the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines the practice poses no health risk.

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.

The Ally's Act mandates that certain private health insurance plans must cover auditory implant devices, related supplies, and necessary services for qualifying individuals. This coverage must be comparable to other medical and surgical benefits regarding cost-sharing and treatment limitations. Furthermore, plans cannot deny coverage if a physician or qualified audiologist determines the required hearing items or services are medically necessary. These new requirements take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

This proposed constitutional amendment would eliminate immunity from criminal prosecution for federal officials, including the President, based on their official duties. It also explicitly prohibits the President from issuing a self-pardon for any federal crimes. If ratified, these changes would take effect immediately.

The 340B PATIENTS Act of 2025 clarifies and strengthens the existing 340B drug discount program for covered entities like hospitals and clinics. It explicitly prohibits drug manufacturers from placing restrictions on how or where these entities purchase or dispense discounted outpatient drugs, including through contract pharmacies. The bill also establishes significant civil monetary penalties for manufacturers who intentionally violate these non-restriction rules. Ultimately, this legislation aims to ensure that covered entities can fully utilize 340B savings to expand patient care.

This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to explicitly clarify that time taken off for an employee's own organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition. This ensures both private and federal sector workers receive FMLA protection for recovery from organ donation. The legislation also specifies how federal employees must substitute existing paid leave when taking FMLA time for this purpose.

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying coverage or increasing premiums solely because an individual is a living organ donor. This legislation ensures that living donors are not financially penalized for their altruistic act. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of HHS to update educational materials to accurately reflect the insurance protections afforded to living donors.

The EACH Act of 2025 aims to ensure equal access to abortion coverage by requiring all federally funded health programs and facilities to cover abortion services. This legislation prohibits federal interference with state or private insurance coverage of abortion and repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate financial and insurance barriers to abortion care, particularly for low-income individuals relying on programs like Medicaid.

Dillon's Law amends federal guidelines to grant preference points to states that allow trained, non-school personnel to administer epinephrine in schools. This change broadens the definition of who can provide life-saving medication beyond just school employees. The law also updates terminology to cover a wider range of epinephrine delivery systems.

The Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2025 establishes federal prohibitions against selling goods or services at "grossly excessive prices," particularly following an "exceptional market shock." The bill grants enforcement authority to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and allows State Attorneys General to bring actions against violators. Furthermore, it mandates that companies experiencing a market shock must provide detailed financial and pricing strategy disclosures in subsequent SEC filings.

The Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2025 establishes a new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity within HHS to coordinate federal efforts against climate-related health threats. This office is tasked with developing a comprehensive national strategic action plan to prepare the U.S. health sector for climate impacts, with a special focus on vulnerable communities. The Act also creates a science advisory board and mandates regular expert reports to ensure the national strategy is based on the best available science and continuously updated.

The Stop NOAA Closures Act places a temporary moratorium on the closure or restriction of access to any National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facilities. This freeze remains in effect until 180 days after key officials submit a required report to Congress detailing the criteria and process for any future facility changes. After the moratorium lifts, any major facility action will still require a 30-day advance notice and justification report to Congress, except in cases of immediate emergency threatening staff safety.

The Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act establishes strict limitations on the deployment of federal law enforcement and military personnel for domestic crowd control. This bill mandates that all federal personnel involved in such situations must clearly display identifying information, such as their name and agency. Furthermore, it generally restricts their operations to federal property unless specific state and local requests are made or the Insurrection Act is invoked. Agencies must also publicly report details of any deployment within 24 hours.

The Climate Health Emergency Act of 2025 declares that climate change poses the most significant public health threat of this century, directly driving a majority of recent public health emergencies. This Act mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to officially declare a public health emergency specifically due to the health risks associated with climate change. The goal is to mobilize federal resources and coordinate agencies to build a public health system capable of handling the growing strain of climate-related crises.

The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act aims to significantly expand the palliative care and hospice workforce through new federal grant programs for education, training, and career incentives. It also mandates the creation of a national strategy to enhance NIH research in this field and requires the dissemination of clear, evidence-based information about palliative care services to patients and providers. Crucially, the bill clarifies that funds cannot be used to promote or provide services intended to cause a patient's death.

The Student Loan Bankruptcy Improvement Act of 2025 aims to reform the bankruptcy process for student loan borrowers. This bill seeks to lower the current, overly difficult standard required to discharge student loan debt in bankruptcy proceedings. By making these changes, Congress intends to provide struggling borrowers with a genuine opportunity for a financial fresh start.

The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025 mandates that employers protect workers from dangerous heat stress by establishing comprehensive safety standards. This Act requires the Secretary of Labor to create evidence-based rules covering engineering controls, administrative procedures, required training, and paid rest breaks to prevent heat-related illness. Furthermore, the law establishes strict enforcement mechanisms, whistleblower protections, and specific timelines for the implementation of these new federal heat protection standards.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that extreme weather poses unique and severe threats to the health and well-being of children. It urges that solutions to address these escalating dangers must be rapidly and equitably developed and deployed with children's specific vulnerabilities in mind. The bill calls for prioritizing the physical and mental health needs of children in all future climate adaptation and air quality planning efforts.

The Child Care for Working Families Act establishes comprehensive federal programs to ensure access to high-quality, affordable child care and universal preschool for young children. The legislation creates an entitlement program for child care, mandates that provider reimbursement rates cover actual costs and ensure living wages for staff, and establishes free, universal preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Additionally, it provides dedicated funding to stabilize childcare providers and extend the operating hours and compensation for Head Start staff.

This bill reauthorizes key programs under the Kay Hagan Tick Act to combat vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease through 2030. It extends funding for the national strategy and regional centers focused on these illnesses. Additionally, the legislation continues enhanced support for local health departments to improve disease surveillance and response capabilities.