Legislative Activity

This resolution celebrates the 100th anniversary of Delta Air Lines, acknowledging its historical roots as the first aerial crop-dusting company and its evolution into a major global airline. It recognizes Delta's significant impact on connecting people worldwide, its commitment to community, and its achievements in service and reliability.

This bill aims to make housing more affordable by reforming land use regulations, investing in housing infrastructure, and ensuring fair practices in real estate transactions. It also seeks to address historical housing discrimination through down payment assistance, community revitalization, and strengthened financial regulations. The bill expands protections against housing discrimination and improves housing assistance programs to promote access to higher-opportunity neighborhoods, while reforming estate tax laws to ensure fairer taxation of estates and transfers. Finally, the bill increases accessibility in housing for individuals with disabilities by mandating more accessible units in HUD-funded projects.

The Choice in Affordable Housing Act of 2025 aims to increase landlord participation in the Housing Choice Voucher program, particularly in high-opportunity neighborhoods, by offering financial incentives such as one-time payments, security deposit assistance, and landlord liaison bonuses. It also establishes a fund to support these initiatives and authorizes funding for the Tribal HUD-VASH program. The bill streamlines housing quality standards by accepting inspections from other housing programs and allowing pre-approval of units and modernizes the Section 8 Management Assessment Program. Finally, it mandates the use of small area fair market rents in certain metropolitan areas to expand housing options and requires annual reports on the Act's effectiveness.

The Coast Guard Combat-Injured Tax Fairness Act amends the Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016 to include members of the Coast Guard (when not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy). It requires the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Transportation to identify and report amounts improperly withheld from severance payments to Coast Guard veterans with combat-related injuries. The Act also ensures that such amounts are not improperly withheld in the future.

The Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 amends the National Labor Relations Act and other labor laws to strengthen protections for employees engaging in labor disputes and collective bargaining. It redefines employer and employee status, addresses unfair labor practices, streamlines collective bargaining, and increases penalties for employers who violate labor laws. The Act also updates strike/lockout notification procedures and clarifies reporting requirements for employer-employee communication. Finally, it ensures the law's provisions are severable and authorizes necessary appropriations for implementation and enforcement.

This resolution affirms the rule of law and the legitimacy of judicial review, emphasizing the Supreme Court's duty to interpret the law. It supports the established precedent that the executive branch must comply with Federal court rulings. The resolution expresses concern over statements suggesting the executive branch may disregard the authority of the Federal Judiciary.

The Guarding Readiness Resources Act allows the National Guard Bureau to credit funds received as reimbursement from states for the use of military property to the original or a currently available appropriate account. These funds can only be used by the Department of Defense for the repair, maintenance, replacement, or similar functions directly related to assets used by National Guard units operating under State active duty status.

The "Invest to Protect Act of 2025" establishes a grant program to support local law enforcement by providing resources for training, mental health services, recruitment, and retention. These grants prioritize de-escalation training, victim-centered approaches, and officer well-being. The program emphasizes accountability through audits, reporting requirements, and transparency in officer recruitment and retention incentives. It allocates \$50 million annually from 2026 to 2030 to facilitate these improvements in law enforcement practices and community safety.

The Combating International Islamophobia Act directs the State Department to establish an office to monitor and combat Islamophobia globally, headed by a Special Envoy. This office will track and address Islamophobic acts and incitement in foreign countries. The Act also mandates the inclusion of information on Islamophobia in the Department's annual human rights and religious freedom reports, detailing violence, harassment, propaganda, and governmental responses.

The "Kids Access to Primary Care Act of 2025" extends and expands a provision requiring Medicaid to pay primary care providers at least the same rate as Medicare, ensuring more healthcare professionals are adequately compensated for their services. It broadens the types of providers covered and mandates that managed care entities meet these payment standards. Additionally, the Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study comparing the number of children enrolled in Medicaid before and after the change, the number of healthcare providers receiving Medicaid payments for primary care before and after the same change in the law, and healthcare provider payment rates for primary care services under Medicaid across states after the change.

The Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2025 extends duty-free treatment for certain apparel articles imported from Haiti to the United States until September 30, 2035, under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. It clarifies the applicable percentage for preferential treatment and restores eligibility for specific articles that previously lost it due to revisions in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The Act aims to promote economic growth in Haiti through trade preferences.

Ethan's Law aims to reduce gun violence by promoting responsible firearm storage. It establishes a federal requirement for gun owners to securely store firearms, especially in homes with minors or individuals prohibited from owning firearms, with penalties for improper storage. The law also creates a grant program to assist states and Indian Tribes in implementing similar safe storage laws. Additionally, it expresses the sense of Congress that failing to securely store a firearm constitutes negligence and can establish legal causation for harm resulting from its discharge.

The "Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025" aims to bolster the air traffic control workforce by enhancing training programs, providing financial support to educational institutions, and improving mental health resources for controllers. It establishes an Enhanced-CTI grant program, promotes the use of Terminal Simulation Systems, and mandates the creation of a mental health training course for aviation professionals. The act also requires reports on airport surveillance technology and radar systems.

This resolution designates March 7, 2025, as "National Speech and Debate Education Day" to recognize the importance of speech and debate in education. It highlights the role of educators in developing crucial communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. The resolution encourages schools, businesses, and communities to celebrate and promote speech and debate education.

This resolution supports designating February 15-22, 2025, as National FFA Week, celebrating the National FFA Organization's role in developing future leaders through agricultural education. It also recognizes the 90th anniversary of New Farmers of America and the 75th anniversary of the Future Farmers of America federal charter.

The "Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude broadband grants from gross income. This exclusion applies to grants from programs like the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program and other federal and state broadband initiatives. It prevents grantees from receiving a double benefit by disallowing deductions or credits for expenditures covered by these grants and requires a reduction in the property's adjusted basis by the grant amount. This change is effective for taxable years ending after March 11, 2021.

The ENABLE Act permanently extends provisions that allow for increased contributions to ABLE accounts and rollovers from 529 education savings accounts, providing ongoing financial benefits for individuals with disabilities. It amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to remove the expiration date for increased contributions and ensures the continuation of rollovers from 529 programs to ABLE programs indefinitely. The act also modifies retirement savings contribution definitions and repeals a paragraph from the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 to align with these changes. These amendments are effective for taxable years ending after the enactment date of this act and for distributions made after this enactment.

This resolution expresses gratitude to the various groups and individuals involved in ensuring the success of the Presidential Inauguration, including the Joint Congressional Committee, Architect of the Capitol, law enforcement, emergency personnel, and volunteers. It recognizes their hard work, professionalism, and adaptability in overcoming challenges to maintain safety and security. The resolution also thanks the families of those involved for their support and encourages Americans to acknowledge their vital role in the inauguration's success.

The "First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the creation of a Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the First Rhode Island Regiment for their heroic service during the Revolutionary War. This regiment, one of the first racially integrated units in American history, was composed of African American, Indigenous, and mixed-race soldiers. The gold medal will be presented to the Rhode Island State Library for public display and research, with the hope that it will also be exhibited at other locations associated with the Regiment. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates of the medal to support the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

The "Promoting Precision Agriculture Act of 2025" aims to increase the use of precision agriculture technologies in the United States by directing the Secretary of Agriculture to develop voluntary interconnectivity standards for precision agriculture equipment. It also requires the Comptroller General to assess these standards to ensure they are effective and promote the adoption of precision agriculture practices. The goal is to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and maintain environmental quality in crop and livestock production.