Legislative Activity

Tyler's Law mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive study on the frequency, costs, and impacts of fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments. Following the study, the Secretary must issue guidance addressing whether routine fentanyl testing for overdose patients is advisable. This aims to improve overdose care by informing best practices for emergency department drug screening.

The Stronger Start for Working Families Act aims to significantly expand access to the refundable Child Tax Credit. This legislation lowers the required earned income threshold for eligibility from \$3,000 to just \$1. These changes are set to take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

This joint resolution expresses Congress's disapproval of a recent rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning adherence to the text of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). By invoking the Congressional Review Act, this resolution immediately nullifies the proposed HHS policy. Consequently, the new rule regarding APA adherence will have no legal effect.

The Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 aims to significantly reform benefits for coal miners suffering from black lung disease by streamlining claims, increasing payments, and strengthening the trust fund. It establishes new assistance programs, creates automatic eligibility presumptions for severe cases, and holds mining companies more accountable for securing payments. Additionally, the bill formally establishes the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs within the Department of Labor for administrative stability and includes technical updates to modernize the Black Lung Benefits Act.

The Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment Act of 2025 (ARCA Act) fundamentally reorganizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acquisition structure to improve oversight and efficiency for major programs. It establishes a new Chief Acquisition Officer and an Office of Acquisition to centralize control over procurement and logistics. The bill also mandates independent verification, validation, and rigorous cost assessment for all major VA acquisition programs exceeding specified financial thresholds. Finally, it improves hiring for the acquisition workforce and standardizes the requirements development process to ensure better program outcomes.

This resolution strongly condemns white supremacy, hate, and antisemitism, specifically targeting the promotion of these dangerous ideologies by Nick Fuentes. It further condemns Tucker Carlson and Kevin Roberts for platforming and defending Fuentes's documented antisemitic and Holocaust-denying statements. The resolution affirms the nation's commitment to fighting antisemitism and urges all leaders to reject these hateful views.

This resolution officially designates December 2, 2025, as "World Nuclear Energy Day." It recognizes the historical milestones and significant contributions of nuclear energy to the U.S. economy, national security, and carbon-free electricity generation. The resolution celebrates the innovators in the field and encourages continued global cooperation in advancing safe nuclear technology.

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 Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 enhances the FDA's authority to require pediatric investigations for new molecularly targeted cancer drugs. It also extends the priority review voucher program designed to incentivize the development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases until September 2030. Furthermore, the bill mandates studies to assess the effectiveness of these new drug investigation requirements and the existing voucher program.

The Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act mandates the Secretary of the Interior to issue a specific right-of-way for an emergency exit from the Blue Ridge Parkway near Milepost 9.6. This issuance is conditional upon the Secretary certifying that alternative non-federal routes have been evaluated, a fire behavior analysis is complete, and all necessary environmental reviews are finalized. This legislation aims to secure a vital emergency egress route for the Wintergreen area.

This bill officially renames the United States Postal Service facility located at 10660 Page Avenue in Fairfax, Virginia. The building will now be known as the "Congressman Gerald E. Connolly Post Office Building." This designation applies to all current and future federal references to the post office.

The Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act (ASAP Act) amends Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias beginning in 2028. This coverage applies to FDA-cleared tests designed to detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. The legislation specifically outlines the types of genomic and imaging tests that will qualify for Medicare payment.

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 20, 2025, as "National Rural Health Day." It recognizes the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities, including provider shortages and hospital vulnerability. The Senate expresses support for rural health providers and commits to advancing policies that improve healthcare access and affordability in these areas.

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.

This Act grants federal employees and contractors the right to request a 90-day forbearance on their Federally backed mortgage loans during a lapse in appropriations affecting their agency. During this period, no additional interest or fees will accrue, and missed payments cannot be demanded as a lump sum upon forbearance ending. Servicers must report these accommodations favorably to credit bureaus, treating the account as current if the borrower makes required payments.

This Act mandates that covered entities must quarterly disclose detailed job impacts—including layoffs, hires, and retraining—resulting from the integration of Artificial Intelligence to the Secretary of Labor. The Department of Labor will then publish quarterly reports summarizing these national AI-related employment trends. The bill also directs the Secretary to establish regulations for applying these reporting requirements to certain non-publicly-traded companies.

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.

The Armed Forces Pay Act of 2025 ensures continued funding for the pay and allowances of members of the Armed Forces and certain civilian intelligence employees through fiscal year 2026, should full appropriations bills not be enacted. This temporary measure provides necessary financial continuity until regular appropriations legislation is passed or until September 30, 2026. The Act also authorizes intelligence-related funds for FY 2026 until the relevant Intelligence Authorization Act is signed into law.

The Shutdown Student Loans for Feds Act provides relief for federal employees and certain contractors affected by government shutdowns lasting 14 days or more, starting in fiscal year 2026. During these lapses in appropriations, federal student loan payments must be suspended, and no interest will accrue on those loans. Furthermore, suspended payment periods will count toward loan forgiveness requirements and be reported positively to credit agencies.