Legislative Activity

The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act mandates that health plans cover medically necessary diagnosis and treatment for congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This coverage must apply to outpatient and inpatient care, including necessary dental and orthodontic support, unless the procedure is purely cosmetic. These new requirements take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2025 bans the practice of paid conversion therapy aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, deeming it ineffective and harmful. This Act treats the provision or advertisement of such therapy as an unfair or deceptive business practice under the FTC Act. Enforcement authority is granted to the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Attorney General, and State Attorneys General. The law includes a severability clause ensuring that the invalidation of one provision does not void the entire Act.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating the week of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as National Small Business Week. It aims to celebrate the vital contributions of the over 34.5 million small businesses that support tens of millions of jobs nationwide. The bill honors the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners in every community.

This Senate resolution urges the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to withdraw a proposed rule that would reduce opportunities for public notice and comment on new regulations. The Senate emphasizes that robust public input is essential for creating fair and effective policies that impact millions of Americans. It calls for HHS to maintain the established 54-year practice of allowing stakeholders to provide feedback before finalizing significant rule changes.

This act updates tax law to broaden the definition of highly compensated individuals whose compensation is subject to deduction limits for corporations. It expands the scope beyond traditional employees to include anyone providing services to the company, as well as certain highly paid former officers. The goal is to prevent companies from deducting excessive executive pay from their taxable income.

This resolution officially designates April 2025 as "Financial Literacy Month" to raise national awareness about the critical need for personal finance education. It highlights current financial struggles, such as high household debt and lack of banking access, while emphasizing that financial education leads to better economic outcomes. The resolution encourages federal, state, and local entities to observe the month with programs promoting essential skills like budgeting, saving, and debt management.

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 comprehensively defines and bans the manufacture, sale, and transfer of specific semiautomatic assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. It grandfathers existing possessions but requires background checks for all future private transfers of these previously owned weapons. The bill also permits the use of federal Byrne grant funds for state-run buy-back programs targeting these banned items.

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2025 officially designates approximately 1.56 million acres of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as protected wilderness. This action places the specified area under the strict protections of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This designation overrides conflicting regulations within the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The Equality Act comprehensively amends federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across key areas of American life. This legislation expands existing protections in public accommodations, employment, housing, credit access, and jury service. Its purpose is to ensure consistent and clear nationwide enforcement of non-discrimination principles for LGBTQ individuals and women.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 comprehensively reforms the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program by updating state allocation formulas based on population and inflation, and by modifying tenant eligibility rules to protect vulnerable residents. The bill also introduces significant changes for property owners regarding casualty loss, acquisition costs, and incentives for serving extremely low-income households. Finally, it directs efforts toward increasing program transparency and encouraging local governments to reform restrictive housing policies.

The Medicare for All Act establishes a comprehensive, universal national health insurance program to cover all U.S. residents, eliminating most private insurance duplication and nearly all out-of-pocket costs for covered services. The bill mandates extensive benefits, including long-term care, and institutes a strict National Health Budget to control overall spending through global payments for facilities and negotiated drug prices. It also includes a transition period that immediately enhances current Medicare by eliminating deductibles and adding dental, vision, and hearing benefits.

The Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act of 2025 ensures that if group or individual health insurance plans cover diagnostic or supplemental breast examinations, they cannot impose any cost-sharing requirements like deductibles or copayments for those services. This means patients will receive these specific, necessary breast health tests at no out-of-pocket cost. The provisions apply to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

The West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2025 permanently prohibits all oil and gas exploration, development, and production on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. This measure establishes a lasting ban across the four defined planning areas to protect these vital marine environments.

The Climate Change Financial Risk Act of 2025 mandates that the Federal Reserve develop tools to assess and manage the growing physical and transition risks that climate change poses to the stability of the U.S. financial system. The bill establishes a technical advisory group to help create distinct climate risk scenarios (e.g., 1.5°C and 2°C warming) for use in mandatory biennial stress tests for large financial institutions. Following these tests, major firms must submit detailed climate risk resolution plans, which regulators can reject, potentially restricting capital distributions if the plans are inadequate.

The Preserving Patient Access to Accountable Care Act extends the availability of incentive payments for healthcare providers participating in approved alternative payment models. Specifically, it pushes the final year for these bonuses from 2026 to 2027. For the extended year of 2027, the bill establishes a new incentive payment percentage of 3.53 percent.

This resolution officially designates the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week." It recognizes the historical significance and vital mission of the National Park Service in preserving America's natural and cultural treasures. The bill encourages the public to visit, experience, and support these cherished sites during this designated week.

The COAST Anti-Drilling Act of 2025 permanently prohibits all new oil and gas leasing and development activities on the Outer Continental Shelf in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida planning areas. This legislation ensures the protection of these key ocean regions from future drilling exploration.

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 significantly increases the maximum expenses eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to \$8,000 for one dependent and \$16,000 for two or more. This legislation also adjusts the credit calculation percentage based on income and makes the credit partially or fully refundable for eligible taxpayers. Furthermore, key income thresholds and expense limits will be indexed for inflation starting in 2026.

The American Family Act fundamentally restructures the Child Tax Credit by replacing the annual lump sum with advance monthly payments for qualifying children. This legislation establishes a new refundable monthly credit of up to $360 per child, alongside a separate $500 non-refundable credit for other dependents. These advance payments are subject to income phase-outs and will reconcile with the final tax return. The old annual Child Tax Credit is terminated for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act of 2025 establishes "Ocean Innovation Clusters" across the nation to boost sustainable economic activity in the "Blue Economy." The Secretary of Commerce will designate at least seven geographically diverse clusters composed of businesses, academia, and government partners. These clusters will receive federal grants and support to foster innovation, workforce development, and cross-sector collaboration in ocean-related industries. The Act also mandates the creation of physical collaboration hubs to support these regional efforts.