Legislative Activity

The **988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025** addresses the high rates of suicide risk among LGBTQ youth by strengthening specialized support through the national crisis hotline. This bill mandates that dedicated resources and services, such as a specific dialing option, must be maintained for LGBTQ individuals contacting 988. Furthermore, it requires that at least 9 percent of appropriated funds for the hotline be specifically reserved to ensure these specialized services for LGBTQ youth remain fully operational.

The "Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act" expands Medicare coverage to include FDA-approved multi-cancer early detection screening tests starting in 2028. It defines the criteria for these tests, sets payment guidelines, and establishes age and frequency limitations for coverage. The bill ensures that existing cancer screening coverage remains unaffected and allows for waivers of limitations based on recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

The FAMILY Act establishes a national Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This program provides monthly benefits to eligible individuals who take time off for qualified caregiving reasons, including serious health conditions or victims of violence. The Act also sets forth detailed eligibility requirements, benefit calculation formulas, and job protection guarantees for employees utilizing the leave. Finally, it creates a funding mechanism to support existing state-level paid leave programs that meet federal standards.

The Equitable Arts Education Enhancement Act establishes a new grant program to boost arts education at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). These funds are intended to increase access to the arts for minority students through financial aid, mentorship, and career development. The bill aims to address the lack of diversity in arts leadership by supporting institutions well-positioned to train diverse arts professionals. Ultimately, this legislation seeks to preserve and promote the work of artists of color while strengthening arts programs nationwide.

This resolution commemorates the eighth anniversary of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It honors the thousands of lives lost and acknowledges the ongoing struggles of survivors due to massive infrastructure failure. The bill strongly urges federal agencies to expedite recovery funding and calls on Congress to prioritize building resilient infrastructure for the territories' future.

This bill primarily focuses on extending the authorization for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs by one year. It pushes the expiration dates for the core programs and several related pilot activities from fiscal year 2025 to fiscal year 2026. This ensures continued federal research and development funding opportunities for small businesses.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of September 15, 2025, as "National Latino Gastronomic Cuisine Week." It formally recognizes the significant cultural diversity and substantial economic impact of Latino culinary traditions across the United States. The bill encourages federal, local, and community groups to promote events that celebrate and raise awareness of this vital heritage.

The National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2025 establishes a new, mixed-ownership federal corporation chartered to finance major infrastructure projects across the nation. This legislation authorizes the Bank to raise substantial capital and issue significant loans to spur economic growth while prioritizing projects in disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, the bill grants the Bank and its specific investors favorable tax exemptions to encourage participation and operation.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to increase police accountability and transparency nationwide through federal mandates and funding incentives. It reforms standards for prosecuting civil rights violations, eliminates qualified immunity, and establishes national registries for police misconduct and use-of-force data. Furthermore, the Act bans specific dangerous police tactics like chokeholds and restricts the transfer of military equipment to local departments.

The Limiting ICE’s Nationwide Encroachment Act (LINE Act) prohibits federal health agencies, like CMS and HHS, from sharing the personally identifiable Medicaid enrollment data of individuals with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This measure is designed to protect the private health information of Medicaid recipients from being used for immigration enforcement purposes.

This bill prohibits the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from disclosing individual records to immigration enforcement agencies. HUD records are protected from sharing unless the individual provides consent or makes a written request in a language they understand. The legislation also prevents HUD from compelling public housing agencies to share these confidential records for immigration purposes.

This bill, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, posthumously awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the pioneering civil rights attorney and federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. The legislation recognizes her historic achievements, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education* and her service as the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike the medal, and provisions are made for selling bronze duplicates to cover production costs.

The 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act establishes a pathway for certain individuals who provided essential services during the rescue and cleanup efforts following the September 11th terrorist attacks to adjust their status to lawful permanent residents. This relief is available to workers and volunteers who meet specific service hour requirements at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, or Shanksville sites, or those who maintained contaminated vehicles. The bill also mandates fee waivers for eligible applicants and protects their privacy regarding public benefit usage and future immigration enforcement actions.

This resolution expresses support for designating September 9th as "National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness Day" (NAIRHHA Day). The day aims to address significant health disparities, including high rates of HIV and Hepatitis B, within the rapidly growing African immigrant community. NAIRHHA Day will focus on reducing stigma, increasing education on prevention and screening, and advocating for culturally sensitive healthcare access. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to improve health outcomes and reduce new infections for this specific population.

This bill, the ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act, updates eligibility requirements for certain school employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It adjusts how paraprofessionals and education support staff meet the required hours of service by using a percentage of expected monthly hours worked during the school year. Furthermore, the bill mandates clear guidelines for calculating FMLA leave entitlement for these employees to account for non-standard school schedules.

The Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act aims to integrate Puerto Rico into the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) structure, aligning it with other territories like Guam. The bill mandates a transition period where Puerto Rico must submit a plan of operation to the Secretary of Agriculture for approval to join SNAP. During this transition, existing block grant funding may continue for up to five years while the territory moves toward full participation under federal SNAP rules.

The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act limits how consumer reporting agencies can share a consumer's report when it is requested in connection with a residential mortgage loan. Reports can only be shared with entities directly involved in the consumer's current mortgage or those providing a firm offer of credit or insurance. The Act also mandates a study by the GAO regarding the use and impact of "trigger leads" derived from credit checks.

The Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025 updates federal food assistance by basing benefit calculations on a new, higher "low-cost food plan" standard. It also modifies income calculations by removing the cap on excess shelter deductions and establishing a standardized, inflation-adjusted medical expense deduction. Finally, this Act completely eliminates the time limit restrictions previously placed on receiving food assistance benefits.

The PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act mandates that essential HIV prevention services, including FDA-approved medications like PrEP and PEP, must be covered at no cost to the patient across private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. This law eliminates financial barriers such as deductibles, copays, and prior authorization requirements for these preventive treatments and necessary related care. The goal is to ensure universal, barrier-free access to critical HIV prevention tools.

The HIV Prevention Now Act secures **\$2.165 billion** in dedicated funding for the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention for Fiscal Year 2026. This appropriation is specifically earmarked to support the center's prevention programs and activities. This funding is supplemental to, and cannot be transferred from, other existing appropriations.