Legislative Activity

The Prescription Drug Price Relief Act of 2025 establishes a system for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review brand-name drugs priced excessively high compared to international benchmarks or other factors. If a price is deemed excessive, the bill immediately cancels the manufacturer's government-granted monopolies, allowing generic and biosimilar competition to begin quickly. The Act also mandates comprehensive annual reporting from manufacturers on pricing, R&D, and marketing costs, which will be made public via a new database.

The Housing Acquisitions Review and Transparency (HART) Act amends antitrust reporting requirements to treat aggregated purchases of residential property within a calendar year as a single transaction. This mandates antitrust premerger notification filings when cumulative acquisitions meet certain thresholds. The Act also narrows existing exemptions, generally requiring reporting for investment or rental property purchases unless they are strictly for personal use. The FTC and DOJ are tasked with updating regulations and creating new reporting forms to implement these changes.

The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025 establishes a presumption that certain cancers leading to death or disability in public safety officers were caused by on-duty exposure to recognized carcinogens. This law defines specific exposure-related cancers and sets conditions, such as five years of service, for the presumption to apply. It also updates review processes for adding new cancers to the list and grants retroactive application and filing extensions for eligible past and present claims.

The Physician and Patient Safety Act mandates the Department of Health and Human Services to establish regulations ensuring physicians receive due process, including a fair hearing and appeal, before a hospital can restrict or terminate their privileges. These rules prevent hospitals from forcing doctors to waive their right to this internal review process. The regulations aim to protect doctors' rights while maintaining patient safety standards.

The Ending Administrative Garnishment Act of 2025 temporarily halts the government's ability to garnish wages for certain student loans until new systems for error correction and tracking are certified by the Secretary of Education. If the required fixes are not implemented, the garnishment program will cease entirely. Furthermore, the bill establishes strict rules for employers and mandates double repayment for any wrongfully garnished funds. Finally, it prohibits garnishment for loans outstanding for more than 10 years.

The Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act establishes a new, non-regulatory program to coordinate restoration and protection efforts across the five-state watershed. This initiative will develop a comprehensive strategy and support it through a competitive, voluntary grant program to fund projects benefiting ecology, water quality, and climate resilience. The law specifically mandates outreach to environmental justice communities and requires annual reporting to Congress on funded projects. Funding is authorized through fiscal year 2030, with at least 75% of appropriations dedicated to the grant program.

The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2025 significantly increases federal funding allocations for clean water, drinking water, and rural water infrastructure programs. It mandates comprehensive reporting on water affordability and discrimination issues while allowing states greater flexibility in using revolving funds, including purchasing private water systems. The Act also establishes new grant opportunities for lead line replacement and PFAS contamination cleanup, and institutes requirements for Project Labor Agreements on funded construction projects. Finally, it updates definitions to expand drinking water assistance eligibility for underserved border communities known as colonias.

This resolution calls for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to address the severe crisis facing civilians in Gaza, highlighting widespread hunger and the collapse of essential services due to blocked aid. It urges the Administration to immediately use all diplomatic tools to secure the release of hostages, lift the blockade on aid, and work toward a lasting end to the fighting.

This resolution directs the Senate Legal Counsel to initiate a civil lawsuit to enforce the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution against the President. The action seeks to legally prevent the President from accepting gifts, payments, or benefits from foreign governments without explicit Congressional approval. This measure is being taken due to concerns that the President's personal financial dealings with foreign entities may violate constitutional restrictions designed to ensure undivided loyalty to the United States.

This Senate resolution expresses a profound lack of confidence in Secretary Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. It details numerous accusations of unlawful actions, including massive staff firings, defunding critical public health programs, and undermining established vaccine and health research. Ultimately, the resolution asserts that the Secretary has lost the trust of the Senate and the American people due to his conduct in office.

This bill establishes federal minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for hospitals to improve patient safety and quality of care. It mandates that hospitals create transparent staffing plans developed with input from direct care nurses and sets strict enforcement mechanisms, including civil penalties for non-compliance. Additionally, the Act supports the nursing profession by expanding scholarship and stipend programs and funding new nurse retention and mentorship initiatives.

The Vision Lab Choice Act of 2025 aims to improve health care coverage under vision plans by setting limits on contract lengths between vision plans and optometrists. This bill also prevents vision plans from mandating which labs or suppliers optometrists must use for patient care. Furthermore, it clarifies state authority to enforce these new federal standards regarding vision benefit plans.

This resolution supports designating May 10, 2025, as "National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day." It highlights the urgent mental health crisis facing AANHPI communities, noting significant barriers to care and high rates of untreated mental health needs. The bill calls for better data collection, increased access to culturally competent providers, and efforts to combat stigma. Ultimately, it encourages federal, state, and local agencies to improve mental health services for these vital communities.

The Chip Security Act mandates the implementation of security mechanisms on advanced integrated circuit products before they are exported to protect U.S. national security interests. This requires the Secretary of Commerce to ensure chips include features verifying location and reporting unauthorized use or tampering. Furthermore, the Act calls for an assessment and potential rollout of secondary security features to enhance export control compliance and prevent misuse by adversaries. The goal is to maintain the U.S. competitive edge by securing sensitive hardware sent to allies and partners.

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 VA Employee Fairness Act of 2025 modifies the rules governing collective bargaining for employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This legislation repeals outdated subsections detailing specific collective bargaining procedures for VHA staff. Crucially, this change preserves the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' existing authority regarding incentive pay and expedited hiring processes.

The End Crypto Corruption Act of 2025 prohibits high-ranking government officials and their immediate families from issuing, sponsoring, or endorsing specific digital assets while in office and for one year after leaving. This legislation establishes both civil penalties, including fines based on financial gain, and criminal penalties, including imprisonment, for knowing violations involving digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs. The Act specifically targets conflicts of interest by treating these prohibited financial transactions as unofficial acts, removing official immunity protections.

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 bill mandates that the President must nominate and the Senate must confirm the Inspectors General for both the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB). This change brings the appointment process for these key oversight roles in line with other major federal agencies. The legislation also clarifies the authority of these Inspectors General over their respective organizations.

This resolution officially supports the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, observed from May 6 through May 12, 2025. It recognizes the vital contributions of nurses as frontline healthcare providers and patient advocates. The measure encourages the public to observe the week with appropriate events honoring the nursing profession.