Legislative Activity

The FAMILY Act establishes the Family and Medical Insurance Leave program, creating a new office within the Social Security Administration to manage paid benefits for qualified caregiving and serious health conditions. This law outlines eligibility requirements, a tiered formula for calculating monthly benefit payments, and protections against employer retaliation for taking leave. The Act also provides funding mechanisms for states that already have similar paid leave programs in place.

This resolution expresses support for designating November 16, 2025, as "National Warrior Call Day" to combat isolation and suicide among service members and veterans. It encourages all Americans to reach out and connect with those who have served to strengthen vital support structures. The day aims to foster peer-to-peer connection as a critical step in addressing the mental health challenges faced by our military community.

The Fertilizer Research Act of 2025 mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a comprehensive, year-long study of the U.S. fertilizer industry. This report will detail market size, pricing trends over 25 years, import volumes, and supply chain dynamics. A key focus is evaluating industry concentration and recommending whether a new system for transparent fertilizer price reporting should be established.

The Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act invalidates pre-dispute agreements that force individuals into private arbitration for employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights claims. This legislation protects the right of individuals and groups to pursue legal action in court rather than being compelled into private arbitration before a dispute arises. It ensures that courts, not arbitrators, decide if this new law applies to a specific agreement. The Act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

The RESULTS Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve the accuracy of Medicare payment rates for common clinical diagnostic laboratory tests. It mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) contract with an independent, certified entity to collect payment data from a massive, nationwide private insurance claims database. This shift ensures payment rates are based on comprehensive, validated external data rather than relying solely on self-reported information. If this external data is unavailable, default inflation-adjusted rates will apply until accurate data collection resumes.

The Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act aims to protect Social Security from external government interference, specifically exempting it from the jurisdiction of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The bill also tightens restrictions on political appointees accessing beneficiary data, mandates that only verified deceased individuals are added to the Death Master File, and locks in current SSA office levels. Finally, it allocates significant new funding for improving customer service, modernizing technology, and establishing state and community grants to assist disability applicants.

This Senate resolution expresses a profound lack of confidence in Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., citing numerous actions that allegedly undermine public health, scientific integrity, and the legal duties of his office. The resolution details accusations of illegal funding cuts, mass firings of career staff, and the dismantling of key advisory committees. Therefore, the Senate declares that the Secretary should be removed from his position.

The CDFI Fund Transparency Act requires the Secretary of the Treasury to testify before key Congressional committees regarding the operations of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. This testimony is mandated only when requested jointly by the chairs of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services. This ensures regular oversight of the Fund's activities by Congress.

The Telehealth Modernization Act primarily extends key Medicare telehealth flexibilities, such as geographic and audio-only options, until September 30, 2027. The bill also extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver through 2030 and mandates a comprehensive study comparing home-based and traditional hospital care. Additionally, it introduces new program integrity measures for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and requires guidance to ensure language access for Limited English Proficiency patients utilizing telehealth.

This resolution officially designates July 30, 2025, as "National Whistleblower Appreciation Day." It honors individuals who report waste, fraud, and abuse, recognizing their vital role in government accountability. Furthermore, the bill directs federal agencies to use this day to educate employees and the public about whistleblower rights and acknowledge the importance of their service.

The Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act of 2025 requires the IRS to provide taxpayers with much more specific notices detailing exactly what information they plan to request from third parties. This law generally mandates that taxpayers receive at least a 45-day window to provide the information themselves before the IRS contacts external sources. These enhanced notification requirements aim to increase transparency and protect taxpayer privacy during information gathering.

This resolution designates August 16, 2025, as "National Airborne Day" to honor the history and bravery of U.S. airborne forces. It specifically recognizes the service of combat parachutists, air assault forces, and special operations warriors across all conflicts. The day serves as an expression of national gratitude for the thousands who have served in these elite units.

This bill aims to strengthen efforts to prevent maternal deaths by reauthorizing support for State-based Maternal Mortality Review Committees. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to regularly disseminate proven best practices for maternal mortality prevention to hospitals and professional societies. Furthermore, the legislation increases federal funding dedicated to these crucial prevention initiatives.

The Forest Bioeconomy Act aims to boost the commercialization of wood-based products and renewable fuels by establishing a new Office of Technology Transfer within the Forest Service. The bill also creates a Joint Mass Timber Science and Education Program to advance research, education, and practical application of engineered wood products in construction. Furthermore, it authorizes a pilot program to provide innovation vouchers to small businesses for research and development in the forest products industry.

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.

This bill establishes the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access within the VA to advise on improving accessibility for veterans with disabilities across VA facilities, services, and information. The committee, composed of veterans, accessibility experts, and VA personnel, will assess needs and compliance with federal accessibility laws. It is required to submit biennial reports with recommendations to the Secretary, who will then submit them to Congress.

The GUARD Act aims to combat financial fraud, particularly scams targeting the elderly and sophisticated "pig butchering" schemes, by allowing law enforcement to use federal grant funds for specialized training, technology, and staffing to investigate these crimes. The bill also mandates comprehensive reports from the Treasury Department and FinCEN to Congress detailing the scope of fraud, enforcement actions, and consumer losses. Furthermore, it authorizes federal agencies to assist local law enforcement with tracing tools related to blockchain technology in fraud investigations.

This bill mandates an independent study comparing the quality of mental health and addiction therapy care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) versus non-VA providers. The study will examine differences across various treatment settings and report on key outcomes like patient improvement, use of evidence-based practices, and coordination of care. The findings will be submitted to Congress and made publicly available.

The Creative Relief and Expensing for Audio and Television Enterprises (CREATE) Act modifies tax benefits for qualified film and media productions by significantly increasing current spending caps. It also introduces automatic inflation adjustments for these limits starting in 2027 and extends the program's eligibility deadline from 2025 to 2030. These changes aim to provide greater financial support and stability for the audio and television industries.

The College Transparency Act establishes a secure, new Postsecondary Student Data System to track student enrollment, completion, and post-college outcomes across higher education institutions. This system aims to increase transparency for students and families by providing clear data on costs and success rates, while minimizing duplicate reporting burdens for schools. The collected data will be used for secure research and public reporting of aggregate statistics, strictly prohibiting the sale of data or its use for federal college rankings.