Legislative Activity

This resolution recognizes May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the significant contributions of these communities to the history and culture of the United States. It acknowledges key historical milestones and achievements, while also addressing past discrimination and ongoing challenges faced by these communities. The resolution aims to honor the diverse heritage and resilience of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, highlighting their importance in enriching and strengthening the nation.

This resolution supports the designation of May 4-10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week". It recognizes the significant role of over 34.5 million small businesses in the U.S. that contribute to the economy and provide over 59 million jobs. The resolution celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit, achievements, and resilience of small business owners and their employees.

The "America the Beautiful Act" reauthorizes and expands the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund through 2033, increasing its funding to $2 billion. It prioritizes projects with private donations, mandates annual project lists to Congress, and allows fund allocation even without full-year appropriations. The act also focuses on promoting donation opportunities, managing cash donations, disposing of unneeded assets, and improving preventative maintenance.

This resolution urges the Secretary of Health and Human Services to withdraw a notice that reduces public notice and comment opportunities. It emphasizes the importance of public participation in the regulatory process, particularly for regulations impacting millions of Americans. The resolution supports maintaining existing practices that ensure input from various stakeholders when regulatory changes are proposed.

The "Contaminated Wells Relocation Act" enables NASA to enter into agreements with Chincoteague, Virginia, for up to five years to cover expenses related to removing contaminated drinking water wells on NASA property and establishing new wells on town-controlled land. These agreements will detail plans for relocating the remaining three wells, specify new well locations, and estimate relocation costs. NASA is required to submit these agreements to the relevant Senate and House committees within 18 months of the Act's enactment.

The Rural Patient Monitoring (RPM) Access Act aims to improve healthcare access and quality for rural Medicare beneficiaries by ensuring adequate reimbursement for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) services. It sets a floor for practice expense and malpractice geographic indices used in calculating Medicare payments for RPM and mandates quality standards for RPM service providers, including responding to data anomalies and transmitting data to the supervising provider. The Act also requires a report to Congress on the cost savings and practice expenses associated with RPM.

This resolution designates April 21-25, 2025, as "National Home Visiting Week" to recognize the importance of early childhood development and the positive impact of home visiting programs. These programs served over 139,000 parents and children in 2023. The resolution supports the goals of National Home Visiting Week.

**Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 Summary:** This bill aims to expand and improve the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program by updating state allocation formulas, reforming tenant eligibility requirements, and modifying credit eligibility rules. It also focuses on increasing affordable housing opportunities for Native Americans and in rural areas. Additionally, the bill updates terminology in the Internal Revenue Code to replace "low-income" with "affordable" when referring to housing tax credits, and promotes data sharing and discourages discriminatory land use policies to enhance transparency and effectiveness.

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury service. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act aims to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ individuals and women across various aspects of life.

The Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2025 enhances the existing Historic Tax Credit by increasing the credit amount, especially for small projects, and allowing for the transfer of credits for these smaller projects. The bill also broadens eligibility for the credit by modifying the rehabilitation expense threshold and clarifying rules regarding tax-exempt use property. Additionally, it eliminates the basis adjustment for the rehabilitation credit, further incentivizing investment in historic buildings.

The "LOCAL Infrastructure Act" reinstates advance refunding bonds, reversing changes made by Public Law 115-97. This allows state and local governments to refinance municipal bonds at lower interest rates, reducing borrowing costs. The change is effective immediately upon the Act's enactment.

This resolution designates the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week" to recognize the importance of national parks for recreation, education, and economic contributions. It encourages people to visit and support these parks while acknowledging the role of the National Park Service in protecting these resources for future generations.

The SOAR Act of 2025 aims to improve Medicare coverage and access to supplemental oxygen and respiratory therapy services for beneficiaries. This bill removes oxygen and related equipment from competitive bidding programs, establishes payment guidelines, and ensures adequate reimbursement for liquid oxygen. It also sets criteria for supplier responsibilities, includes respiratory therapist services as covered medical services, and requires electronic templates for documenting medical necessity to prevent fraud. Additionally, the Act establishes beneficiary rights and protections, such as the right to choose suppliers, receive clear communication, and be informed about treatment options and grievance processes.

The "Stop Stealing our Chips Act" incentivizes individuals to report export control violations, especially those involving advanced AI chips being diverted to hostile countries, by establishing a whistleblower program that offers monetary rewards for original information leading to penalties. It also protects whistleblowers from employer retaliation and ensures confidentiality, while creating a dedicated fund to support the program and compensate victims. This act aims to bolster national security by improving enforcement of export control laws through incentivized reporting and protection of whistleblowers.

The Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act of 2025 makes the adoption tax credit refundable, allowing more families to benefit from it regardless of their tax liability. It also streamlines the process for verifying legal adoptions through standardized affidavits. These changes apply to taxable years after December 31, 2024, with provisions to carry forward any excess credit from the previous year.

The Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act of 2025 establishes a new National Recreation Area in Maryland and Virginia to protect and enhance public access to the Chesapeake Bay's natural, cultural, historic, and recreational resources. The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land for the recreation area through various means, develop a comprehensive management plan, and coordinate with existing Chesapeake Bay programs. It also creates an Advisory Commission to advise the Secretary on the management and development of the National Recreation Area. This act aims to improve conservation and public enjoyment of the Chesapeake Bay.

The "Tax Cut for Workers Act of 2025" expands the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for individuals without qualifying children by lowering the minimum age, eliminating the maximum age, and increasing credit and phaseout percentages. It also makes permanent the application of the EITC to U.S. possessions and allows taxpayers to elect to use prior year earned income when calculating the EITC if it results in a larger credit. These changes aim to provide additional tax relief to low- and moderate-income workers.

The American Family Act establishes a new, fully refundable monthly child tax credit, providing monthly allowances to eligible families with children. It creates a system for monthly advance payments of the child tax credit, administered by the Secretary, and includes income limitations and eligibility criteria. The Act also provides a credit for certain other dependents and terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024. This aims to provide regular financial support to families with children, reducing child poverty and enhancing economic stability.

The "Secure Family Futures Act of 2025" modifies the tax treatment of debt instruments held by applicable insurance companies, clarifying that these are not considered capital assets. It also extends the carryover period for capital losses incurred by these insurance companies to 10 years. These changes apply to debt instruments acquired and losses arising in taxable years after December 31, 2025.

This resolution honors the life and distinguished career of former Louisiana Senator John Bennett Johnston, Jr., recognizing his contributions to energy policy, natural resource conservation, and Louisiana's cultural heritage. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to notify the House of Representatives and send a copy of the resolution to Senator Johnston's family. Upon adoption, the Senate will adjourn in his honor.