Legislative Activity

This resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and recognizes its transformative impact on ensuring a free, appropriate public education for children with disabilities. It honors the millions who have benefited from IDEA and reaffirms commitment to its principles. *Note: The provided text also includes details about a separate "Housing for All" program, which is not addressed in this summary as the primary focus of the resolution appears to be IDEA.*

The ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2025 aims to enhance beneficiary assignment under the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Beginning in 2026, the bill mandates the inclusion of primary care services provided by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists when assigning Medicare beneficiaries to an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This change broadens the scope of providers considered for ACO assignment.

The PBM Price Transparency and Accountability Act aims to increase fairness and oversight in prescription drug pricing across Medicaid and Medicare Part D. It mandates transparent payment models for Medicaid, prohibiting abusive spread pricing by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). Additionally, the bill establishes new network access standards for Medicare pharmacies and imposes strict compensation and reporting requirements on PBMs to ensure accountability to Medicare plans.

The Right to Read Act of 2025 aims to strengthen literacy and information access by defining and supporting "effective school libraries" staffed by certified librarians. It amends federal education law to require states and districts to ensure equitable access to these libraries, culturally diverse materials, and evidence-based reading instruction for all students. The bill also authorizes new funding for literacy programs and establishes national data collection on school library resources. Finally, it provides liability protections for school staff acting on established right-to-read policies and affirms students' First Amendment rights within school libraries.

This resolution strongly condemns the Government of Iran for its ongoing, state-sponsored persecution of the Baha'i religious minority. It highlights decades of systematic human rights abuses, including imprisonment, job discrimination, and violence against Baha'is. The resolution urges the Iranian government to immediately release all religious prisoners and reverse discriminatory policies. Furthermore, it calls on the U.S. President and Secretary of State to condemn these actions and utilize existing authorities to impose sanctions on responsible Iranian officials.

The Medical Foods and Formulas Access Act of 2025 aims to ensure consistent access to medically necessary specialized food for individuals with digestive or inherited metabolic disorders. This bill mandates that federal health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP, cover these essential formulas and related supplies. By establishing a clear definition of "medically necessary food," the Act seeks to prevent malnutrition and severe health consequences for vulnerable patients.

This bill establishes a State judicial threat intelligence and resource center to enhance the security of state and local judges and court staff. It directs the State Justice Institute to provide support for creating this center, which will offer training, conduct security assessments, and proactively monitor threats. The center will also develop a national database for sharing threat information across law enforcement agencies. Finally, the Institute must submit an annual report detailing the scope and seriousness of threats against the judiciary.

The Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act of 2025 invalidates predispute arbitration agreements and joint-action waivers for claims involving race discrimination. This means individuals alleging race discrimination can choose to pursue their claims in court rather than being forced into private arbitration. Federal law will determine the applicability of this rule, and courts, not arbitrators, will decide if the chapter applies to any given agreement.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a previous law (Public Law 11921). This repeal effectively reinstates the original statutes that were previously altered by those sections.

This resolution officially designates November 22, 2025, as National Adoption Day and November 2025 as National Adoption Month. The measure aims to raise national awareness about the children awaiting adoption and celebrate those involved in adoption. It encourages all Americans to promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children across the nation.

The STEWARD Act of 2025 aims to improve recycling infrastructure and accessibility by establishing a grant program for underserved communities and enhancing data collection on recycling and composting. The act directs funds towards projects that expand recycling services, especially in areas lacking adequate facilities, and promotes public-private partnerships to reduce costs. Additionally, it mandates comprehensive reporting on recycling and composting activities, materials recovery facilities, and end markets to better understand and improve the nation's recycling rates. The act also requires federal agencies to report on their recycling and composting rates.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act prohibits discrimination based on religion, sex, or marital status in federally funded child welfare services. This aims to increase the number of available, stable foster and adoptive homes, particularly for LGBTQ youth and youth of color who are overrepresented in the system. The bill mandates federal guidance, cultural competency training, and the establishment of a resource center to improve safety and permanency outcomes for all children in care. Entities found in violation may face the withholding of federal payments.

The Background Check Expansion Act mandates that nearly all private firearm transfers between unlicensed individuals must go through a licensed dealer to complete a federal background check. This legislation establishes a universal background check requirement for these transactions, with specific exceptions for family gifts and law enforcement transfers. The bill aims to close loopholes in existing firearm transfer laws while explicitly prohibiting the creation of a national firearms registry.

The End Rent Fixing Act of 2025 prohibits rental property owners from using coordinators to gather and analyze rental data to recommend prices or terms. This bill makes paying for or performing such "coordinating functions" illegal under federal antitrust law. Enforcement is granted to the FTC, the Department of Justice, and State Attorneys General, and allows harmed individuals to sue for treble damages.

This bill reauthorizes and extends key Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs established under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to combat marine plastic pollution. Specifically, it extends the authorization for these critical infrastructure programs through the year 2030.

The Restricting Ex-Vetted Officials from Knowledge Exploitation (REVOKE) Act prohibits former Department of Defense personnel from holding security clearances if they lobby for specific Chinese military companies identified by the Department of Defense and Treasury. This measure aims to prevent the exploitation of sensitive knowledge by individuals working on behalf of foreign adversaries. The Secretary of Defense retains a limited waiver authority based on national security interests.

The Anti-Cash Grab Act repeals a specific provision (Section 213 of division C of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026). This repeal effectively restores a previous law, Section 10 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005. The legislation is designed to take effect retroactively as if the repealed section had never been enacted.

The Keep Head Start Funded Act of 2025 ensures the uninterrupted continuation of all Head Start projects and activities throughout fiscal year 2026, even if full appropriations are delayed. This legislation provides necessary continuing funding based on the terms of existing 2025 continuing resolutions. Funding authority under this Act will terminate upon the enactment of regular 2026 appropriations or by September 30, 2026.

The CARE Act of 2025 mandates the testing of a new Comprehensive Alternative Response for Emergencies (CARE) Model under Medicare. This model allows Medicare Part B to pay ground ambulance providers for emergency response services, even if no transport occurs. The goal is to evaluate how this alternative payment structure impacts emergency medical service access, beneficiary outcomes, and resource utilization over a five-year period.

This Senate resolution urges the Department of Agriculture to immediately use its contingency funds and interchange authority to ensure the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is fully financed. The Senate asserts the administration has a legal obligation to use these existing resources to support millions of vulnerable Americans through November. This measure expresses a position and does not enact new law.