Legislative Activity

The Head Start Shutdown Protection Act of 2025 ensures that states, local governments, or school districts are reimbursed for any of their own funds used to keep Head Start and Early Head Start programs operational during a lapse in federal appropriations. This legislation protects these vital early childhood education services from disruption caused by government shutdowns. By guaranteeing reimbursement, the Act encourages local entities to maintain program continuity without bearing the financial burden.

The Keep Air Travel Safe Act ensures the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can continue all essential operations during a Congressional funding lapse. It allows the TSA Administrator to use unobligated prior-year funds to maintain activities at the previous year's spending rate. This temporary funding remains active until a new budget is passed or for a maximum of 180 days.

The WIC Benefits Protection Act mandates that all states must operate the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This legislation also guarantees permanent, mandatory funding for WIC starting in fiscal year 2026, ensuring the program has the necessary resources annually. Furthermore, it clarifies eligibility language within the program's governing statute.

This bill mandates that the House of Representatives must convene daily during a government shutdown, limiting their ability to adjourn. It requires recorded quorum calls on session days, imposing escalating fines on members who fail to check in electronically for two consecutive days. These fines must be paid by the member personally, with procedures established for appeals and automatic salary deduction for non-payment.

This resolution expresses deep concern over the growing trend of book banning and threats to freedom of expression in U.S. schools and libraries. It asserts that such censorship undermines democratic values and harms students by restricting access to diverse ideas and histories. The bill urges local entities to follow best practices for book challenges and calls for the immediate reinstatement of books removed from Department of Defense schools. Ultimately, it reaffirms the nation's commitment to First Amendment rights and the freedom to read.

This bill ensures that states are reimbursed by the Federal Government for any state funds they use to maintain essential operations of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during a lapse in federal appropriations. It provides a mechanism for the Federal Government to pay back states that cover WIC costs during a government shutdown. This protects state budgets while keeping vital nutrition assistance running.

The No Shame at School Act of 2025 mandates that schools must stop shaming students over unpaid meal debt by prohibiting overt identification or segregation of students who owe fees. This law requires local agencies to actively pursue free meal certification for students with outstanding balances and prevents schools from taking food away after it has been served. Furthermore, it establishes strict rules for debt collection, forbidding communication directed at the child and banning the use of third-party debt collectors.

The Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 ensures that employees of federal contractors are compensated for losses incurred due to government funding lapses or shutdowns. It requires federal agencies to adjust existing contracts to cover reasonable costs associated with furloughs, pay cuts, or mandatory leave taken by contractor employees. The bill appropriates necessary funds to cover these contract price adjustments and mandates public reporting on the compensation provided.

This resolution officially designates the week of September 22 through September 28, 2025, as "National Falls Prevention Awareness Week." The goal is to raise public awareness about the significant dangers of falls among older adults. By highlighting this issue, the measure encourages widespread efforts to promote proven, cost-effective prevention strategies.

This resolution formally recognizes the critical disparities in mental health access and treatment for Black youth, citing alarming increases in suicide rates among this population. It calls on the current administration to build upon previous efforts and implement recommendations from the *Ring the Alarm* report. The bill specifically urges increased funding, promotion of community education to reduce stigma, and protection of existing mental health service structures.

The Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2025 establishes federal oversight for large entities using complex automated systems, or "covered algorithms," that impact critical consumer decisions like employment or housing. It mandates that these entities conduct rigorous, ongoing impact assessments to test for bias, privacy risks, and performance issues. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with creating detailed regulations and enforcing compliance, including requiring covered entities to submit annual summary reports detailing their assessment findings. This Act ensures that significant algorithmic decisions are scrutinized for fairness and transparency without overriding stricter state or local regulations.

The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2025 mandates that colleges receiving federal funds update their policies to explicitly prohibit and detail procedures for addressing harassment based on protected characteristics, including technology-facilitated abuse. The bill also establishes a competitive grant program, funded up to $50 million annually, to support campus efforts in harassment prevention, training, and support services. This legislation adds new requirements without superseding existing civil rights protections.

The Safe Streets for All Reauthorization and Improvement Act modifies the existing Safe Streets and Roads for All program. This legislation mandates that at least 20% of available funds must be dedicated to planning grants annually, replacing previous requirements. Additionally, it increases the total funding pool for the program by an extra \$5 billion for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

The Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025 establishes an automatic mechanism to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) remains funded during a lapse in appropriations. This allows the FAA to continue essential operations using existing funds from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund until a new budget or continuing resolution is enacted. Funding will cease after 30 days if no new appropriations are passed. This ensures continuity for core FAA programs, including operations, infrastructure, and grants.

The "Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act" expands Medicare coverage to include FDA-approved multi-cancer early detection screening tests starting in 2028. It defines the criteria for these tests, sets payment guidelines, and establishes age and frequency limitations for coverage. The bill ensures that existing cancer screening coverage remains unaffected and allows for waivers of limitations based on recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 mandates that the Secretary of Transportation establish a rule requiring AM broadcast radio receivers to be installed as standard equipment in new passenger motor vehicles. This requirement aims to ensure public access to AM radio signals, which are often used for emergency alerts. The bill also directs a GAO study on the effectiveness of AM radio within the national emergency alert system compared to other technologies. Finally, the Act preempts state and local laws on this matter and includes a sunset provision eight years after enactment.

The FAMILY Act establishes a national Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program administered by a new office within the Social Security Administration. This program provides monthly benefits to eligible individuals who take time off for qualified caregiving reasons, including serious health conditions or victims of violence. The Act also sets forth detailed eligibility requirements, benefit calculation formulas, and job protection guarantees for employees utilizing the leave. Finally, it creates a funding mechanism to support existing state-level paid leave programs that meet federal standards.

The FAIR Act of 2025 invalidates pre-dispute arbitration agreements and class action waivers for employment, consumer, antitrust, and civil rights claims. This law restores the right for individuals to pursue these disputes in court or through collective legal action. The provisions apply to all covered disputes arising on or after the date the Act is enacted.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to increase police accountability and transparency nationwide through federal mandates and funding incentives. It reforms standards for prosecuting civil rights violations, eliminates qualified immunity, and establishes national registries for police misconduct and use-of-force data. Furthermore, the Act bans specific dangerous police tactics like chokeholds and restricts the transfer of military equipment to local departments.

This bill, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, posthumously awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the pioneering civil rights attorney and federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. The legislation recognizes her historic achievements, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education* and her service as the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike the medal, and provisions are made for selling bronze duplicates to cover production costs.