Legislative Activity

The Clean Competition Act establishes a "carbon intensity charge" on high-emission industrial goods, both domestically produced and imported, starting in 2026. This legislation aims to level the playing field by incentivizing decarbonization through calculated charges, offering rebates for U.S. exports, and authorizing international "carbon club" agreements. Revenue generated will fund significant domestic industrial competitiveness grants and international climate assistance programs.

The Schedules That Work Act aims to provide employees, particularly those in retail, food service, and warehouse sectors, with greater stability and predictability in their work hours. It grants employees the right to request schedule changes for caregiving, education, or other needs, and requires employers to discuss these requests in good faith. Furthermore, the Act mandates advance notice of schedules, predictability pay for last-minute changes, and a minimum rest period between shifts.

This resolution recognizes the severe health risks associated with mercury pollution, such as permanent brain damage and birth defects, primarily stemming from burning fossil fuels. It highlights that power plants are the largest source of these emissions, leading to widespread contamination through the food chain. The Senate formally asserts that existing pollution controls on power plants should not be weakened.

This resolution formally recognizes that climate change is significantly increasing the frequency, intensity, and destructiveness of wildfires across the nation. It highlights the documented evidence linking rising global temperatures and drought to longer, more severe fire seasons. The resolution further acknowledges the immense economic costs and human toll of these events, such as the 2025 Los Angeles fires. Ultimately, it calls for fully funding and staffing federal efforts to prevent and respond to this growing wildfire risk.

This resolution affirms that the Federal Government should actively support school districts in investing in clean school buses. It highlights the significant health risks posed by diesel exhaust to children and the positive impact clean alternatives, like electric buses, would have on air quality and educational outcomes. The bill encourages continued federal support for this transition, building on past bipartisan efforts.

This resolution recognizes that renewable energy facilities are the cheapest to operate, while reliance on fossil fuel plants drives up wholesale electricity prices. It formally acknowledges that using the lowest-cost power sources first is standard practice in electricity markets. The bill highlights that increasing demand met by higher-cost fossil fuels directly leads to higher consumer prices.

This resolution formally acknowledges the accelerated rise in sea levels driven by human-caused climate change. It further declares that the United States must achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest.

This resolution highlights the severe stress on Florida's insurance market due to climate risks, noting the departure of major insurers and the insolvency risk of smaller ones. It calls on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to examine the rating practices of Demotech, which significantly impacts mortgage eligibility. Furthermore, the Senate requests a study on the likelihood of state-backed insurers, like Florida's Citizens Property Insurance, requiring a federal financial bailout.

The Fair Competition for Small Business Act of 2025 empowers state attorneys general to file lawsuits on behalf of their residents for damages resulting from violations of antitrust laws. This amendment to the Clayton Act strengthens enforcement by allowing states to seek redress for harm caused by Sherman Act violations.

The Shadow Docket Sunlight Act of 2025 mandates that the Supreme Court provide written explanations and disclose the votes of participating justices for emergency orders concerning preliminary injunctive relief or stays thereof. These explanations must address key legal standards, such as the likelihood of success on the merits and irreparable harm. The bill also establishes a reporting requirement for the Federal Judicial Center to assess compliance with these new transparency measures.

This Act, titled the "States' Right to Regulate AI Act," prohibits the use of federal funds to implement or enforce a specific Executive Order concerning a national policy framework for Artificial Intelligence. Essentially, it prevents the federal government from using its money to enforce that particular AI regulation order.

This resolution formally recognizes that human-caused climate change is rapidly warming the world's oceans. It details the severe economic, ecological, and public health risks associated with this warming, including harm to marine life, increased storm intensity, and the spread of harmful bacteria. The Senate acknowledges the significant damage ocean warming is causing to global marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

This resolution formally recognizes that unaddressed climate change poses a severe threat to national and global financial stability through increased extreme weather events and resulting insurance market collapse. It acknowledges expert warnings that these impacts could lead to massive economic losses and systemic financial risk. The Senate declares that an early, orderly transition to a low-carbon economy is necessary to avoid catastrophic financial shocks.

The Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act (VACRA) modernizes copyright registration for visual artists by shifting deposit requirements to electronic copies and establishing third-party registries for photographs. The bill also introduces new options for group registration and deferred registration to ease the filing burden. Finally, VACRA mandates the development of modern application systems and creates reduced, subscription-based fee structures for visual creators.

This resolution recognizes the increasing threat of climate change-driven extreme weather events while simultaneously noting significant staffing and budget cuts to critical weather monitoring systems like the National Weather Service. It formally acknowledges the link between climate change and severe weather, mourns recent losses of life, and stresses the urgent need to fully fund and staff essential weather safety infrastructure.

The Seniors Deserve SMARTER Care Act of 2025 aims to protect Medicare beneficiaries by prohibiting the implementation of the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) model. This legislation prevents the Department of Health and Human Services from introducing the WISeR model or any substantially similar payment and service delivery system under Medicare.

The EFFECTIVE Food Procurement Act directs the USDA to prioritize purchasing food that supports regional economies, worker well-being, environmental health, and equity for specific producers. The bill mandates detailed reporting on current spending and sets future targets to increase procurement in these four key areas. It also establishes pilot programs and grants to help smaller and underserved producers meet USDA standards and participate in federal food contracts.

The Background Check Completion Act of 2025 mandates that a completed background check must occur before any firearm transfer can take place. This law removes the previous "default proceed" provision that allowed transfers after three business days if the check was incomplete. It also updates related federal laws to align with this new, stricter requirement.

The FAAN Act establishes a new grant program to support nursing schools in addressing critical workforce shortages and modernizing education. These funds aim to increase faculty and student capacity, enhance preparedness for public health emergencies, and improve educational infrastructure. Priority is given to schools serving medically underserved, rural, or minority-serving areas.

The International Human Rights Defense Act of 2025 establishes a permanent program within the Department of State, led by a dedicated Special Envoy, to protect and promote the human rights of LGBTQI people globally. This bill mandates the creation of a comprehensive U.S. Global Strategy to address international discrimination and violence against this community. Furthermore, it authorizes foreign assistance to support local organizations and requires detailed reporting on LGBTQI human rights abuses in annual State Department reports.