Legislative Activity

This joint resolution nullifies a rule issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency concerning the review process for bank merger applications under the Bank Merger Act. By disapproving the rule, Congress prevents it from taking effect.

This resolution supports National Nurses Week, observed from May 6-12, 2025, and recognizes the vital contributions of nurses to healthcare in various roles, including patient care, advocacy, and research. It emphasizes the need for strengthening nursing workforce development and encourages public recognition of nurses' importance to patients' lives.

The "Improving Police CARE Act" ensures that law enforcement agencies have access to standardized trauma kits. It sets performance standards for these kits, which must include essential items like tourniquets and bleeding control bandages. The Act also directs the Bureau of Justice Assistance to develop best practices for training officers and deploying these kits.

This resolution recognizes the increasing global threats to press and speech freedoms, emphasizing the critical role of a free press in upholding democracy and informing the public. It reaffirms the U.S. government's commitment to prioritizing press freedom as a key component of its foreign policy and human rights efforts. The resolution condemns violence and oppression against journalists worldwide, calling for accountability and the release of wrongfully detained reporters, and urges the President and Secretary of State to actively defend and promote press freedom internationally.

This resolution supports the designation of May 4-10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week". It recognizes the significant role of over 34.5 million small businesses in the U.S. that contribute to the economy and provide over 59 million jobs. The resolution celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit, achievements, and resilience of small business owners and their employees.

This resolution expresses the Senate's support for Romania and Moldova's efforts to strengthen democracy and sovereignty in Eastern Europe amidst Russian interference. It applauds their energy partnership and encourages international support, particularly from the EU, to counter Russian influence before their upcoming elections. The resolution also urges the U.S. government to increase engagement with both nations to bolster their security and election integrity.

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 prohibits discrimination in life, disability, and long-term care insurance against living organ donors. It clarifies that organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act, ensuring job protection for donors. The Act also mandates updated educational materials from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the benefits, risks, and protections for living organ donors.

The PREVAIL Act aims to strengthen U.S. patent protections and promote innovation by reforming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) procedures, particularly inter partes reviews (IPR) and post-grant reviews. It seeks to prevent repetitive patent challenges, ensure fair processes, and align claim construction standards with district court practices. The Act also redirects USPTO fees to the "United States Patent and Trademark Office Innovation Promotion Fund" to be used solely for patent and trademark-related activities and makes patent and trademark information available online free of charge. Finally, the act requires a report on the impact of patent ownership by small businesses and civil actions against them related to patent infringement.

The Stand with Israel Act amends the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 to prohibit U.S. funds from going to the United Nations or any of its entities that discriminate against Israel. Discrimination includes actions such as expelling or suspending Israel's membership or restricting its participation in a way that is not on par with other member states. The Act ensures that no funds from the Department of State or any other federal agency can be used for contributions that violate this prohibition.

The Insurance Data Protection Act aims to protect the confidentiality of insurance companies' data by limiting the subpoena power of the Office of Financial Research and ensuring that financial regulators coordinate with other agencies before collecting data from insurance companies. It facilitates the sharing of non-public information among federal and state agencies and insurance regulators while maintaining confidentiality and legal privileges. The act also clarifies that existing agency disclosure requirements apply to data submitted to financial regulators.

**Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 Summary:** This bill aims to expand and improve the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program by updating state allocation formulas, reforming tenant eligibility requirements, and modifying credit eligibility rules. It also focuses on increasing affordable housing opportunities for Native Americans and in rural areas. Additionally, the bill updates terminology in the Internal Revenue Code to replace "low-income" with "affordable" when referring to housing tax credits, and promotes data sharing and discourages discriminatory land use policies to enhance transparency and effectiveness.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to limit consumer reporting agencies from providing consumer reports to other entities for credit transactions involving residential mortgage loans. Exceptions are made for firm offers of credit or insurance, authorized access, or if the entity currently originates or services the consumer's mortgage, or is an insured depository institution or credit union holding a current account for the consumer. The act will take effect 180 days after enactment.

The "Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act" aims to enhance the safety and well-being of law enforcement officers through comprehensive data collection and analysis. It mandates the Attorney General to submit reports to Congress on attacks against officers, unreported aggressive actions, and the mental health challenges they face. These reports will include recommendations for improving responses to attacks, enhancing training programs, and providing better mental health resources. Ultimately, the Act seeks to provide law enforcement with the resources and support they need to protect themselves and serve their communities effectively.

The "Combating Organized Retail Crime Act" aims to reduce organized retail theft by amending Title 18 of the United States Code to include theft from interstate shipments, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and sale or receipt of stolen goods. It also establishes an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center to align federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal efforts to combat organized retail crime and organized supply chain crime. The center will coordinate law enforcement, share information, assist in investigations, track crime trends, and support training and technical assistance. This act seeks to provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to combat organized retail crime and enhance the coordination between different levels of government and the private sector.

The National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025 aims to address nursing shortages by creating and supporting state-based nursing workforce centers through a pilot program. These centers will analyze workforce data, research nursing programs, and implement strategies to recruit, retain, and support nurses. The Act prioritizes equitable distribution of grants across geographical regions and encourages public-private partnerships. Additionally, it expands existing health workforce analysis programs to include specific support for the nursing workforce and mandates collaboration with nursing workforce centers.

This resolution designates the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week" to recognize the importance of national parks for recreation, education, and economic contributions. It encourages people to visit and support these parks while acknowledging the role of the National Park Service in protecting these resources for future generations.

The "Preserving Patient Access to Accountable Care Act" amends the Social Security Act to extend incentive payments for healthcare providers participating in eligible alternative payment models (APMs) by one year. This extension updates key dates from 2026 to 2027 and from 2027 to 2028 within specific sections of the Act related to APM incentive payments. The bill also adjusts the incentive payment percentage for the year 2027.

The Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act modifies tax code sections 6511(b)(2)(A) and 6303(b) to extend deadlines for claiming tax credits or refunds and issuing tax payment notices when disasters postpone tax return filings. These changes apply to claims filed and notices issued after the enactment of this law, ensuring taxpayers are not penalized due to disaster-related delays.

This joint resolution nullifies the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's rule regarding overdraft lending practices specifically for very large financial institutions. By disapproving the rule, the resolution prevents the rule from taking effect.

The NO FAKES Act of 2025 establishes a digital replication right, granting individuals and their rights holders the right to authorize the use of their voice and visual likeness in digital replicas. It defines the scope of this right, sets requirements for licenses, and addresses liability for unauthorized use, including safe harbors for online service providers. The act also outlines civil action remedies and preempts state laws, with specific exceptions, while clarifying that online service providers are not required to monitor their services for digital replicas.