Legislative Activity

This resolution officially supports the mission of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2025 to combat the deadly counterfeit pill crisis. It highlights the severe danger posed by fake pills containing lethal doses of fentanyl, which are increasingly accessible to young people. The bill aims to increase public awareness regarding this threat and applauds law enforcement efforts to stop the spread of illicit drugs.

The Claiming Age Clarity Act standardizes the terminology used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) when discussing retirement ages. This legislation replaces terms like "full retirement age" and "early eligibility age" with clearer, consistent language such as "standard monthly benefit age" and "minimum monthly benefit age." The SSA is mandated to update all official materials to reflect this new terminology by January 1, 2027.

The Youth Sports Facilities Act of 2024 amends federal public works law to explicitly allow funding for the construction of youth sports facilities. This legislation prioritizes projects that address childhood health issues, support highly rural and low-income communities, and focus on areas affected by opioid addiction or violence. The goal is to increase access to recreational spaces while simultaneously boosting local economic development and job creation.

The Vehicle Safety Research Act of 2025 establishes the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program within the Department of Transportation. This program mandates the use of an external organization to conduct traffic safety research using voluntarily submitted data. Crucially, the Act provides strong confidentiality protections, ensuring participant data ownership and restricting the release of submitted information and analysis results. The bill also allocates specific funding for the program through Fiscal Year 2030.

This resolution officially designates the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week." It recognizes the historical significance and vital mission of the National Park Service in preserving America's natural and cultural treasures. The bill encourages the public to visit, experience, and support these cherished sites during this designated week.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act aims to combat sophisticated criminal gangs engaged in large-scale retail and supply chain theft. This bill strengthens federal law by updating money laundering and stolen property statutes, including establishing a $5,000 aggregate value threshold for certain offenses. Crucially, it mandates the creation of a specialized federal Coordination Center within Homeland Security to unify efforts across all levels of law enforcement and private industry against these transnational criminal organizations.

The Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2025 significantly enhances the rehabilitation tax credit by setting a standard 20% credit rate and introducing a new, higher 30% rate for qualifying small projects, including special provisions for rural areas. The bill also allows for the transfer of these credits and eliminates the requirement to reduce a property's cost basis when claiming the credit. These changes aim to incentivize the rehabilitation and placement in service of historic properties after the enactment date.

The Abortion Funding Awareness Act of 2025 requires states to report detailed information annually regarding any federal Medicaid payments made to abortion providers. These state reports must specify payment amounts, the number of abortions performed by the provider, and the gestational age and method used for each procedure. The Secretary of HHS will then compile these state submissions into a summary report for Congress and the public.

The Adult Education Workforce Opportunity and Reskilling for Knowledge and Success Act aims to modernize workforce development by establishing "college and career navigators" to guide job seekers and integrating digital literacy into required training. The bill also updates the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act to emphasize full community participation and significantly increases authorized federal funding over five years. Ultimately, it seeks to improve career guidance, professionalize adult education staff, and ensure programs address essential modern skills.

The Secure Family Futures Act of 2025 modifies tax rules for certain insurance companies regarding their investments and losses. Specifically, it prevents qualifying insurers from treating newly acquired debt instruments as capital assets for tax purposes. Additionally, the bill extends the carryover period for specific capital losses incurred by these companies to ten years. These changes apply only to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Travel Trailer and Camper Tax Parity Act amends tax law to expand the definition of "floor plan financing interest" to specifically include interest paid on financing for certain towable travel trailers and campers. This change allows businesses selling these recreational vehicles to treat the interest on their inventory financing under special tax deduction rules. This provision takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

This resolution formally honors the life and extensive public service of the late Honorable John Bennett Johnston, Jr., former U.S. Senator for Louisiana. It details his career, highlighting his significant tenure on key Senate committees, particularly his leadership on energy policy. The resolution recognizes his legislative achievements benefiting Louisiana, including flood control and conservation efforts. Finally, the Senate adjourns immediately in his memory as a final tribute to his service.

This joint resolution expresses Congress's disapproval of a specific Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule concerning California's "Advanced Clean Cars II" pollution control standards. By invoking the Congressional Review Act, Congress is effectively vetoing this EPA regulation. This action prevents the EPA's rule regarding California's vehicle emission standards from taking effect.

This joint resolution expresses Congress's formal disapproval of a recent rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning California's pollution control standards for heavy-duty vehicles and engines. By invoking the Congressional Review Act, this measure nullifies the EPA's proposed regulations regarding emission standards, warranty provisions, and zero-emission vehicle requirements. Consequently, the specific EPA rule published on April 11, 2023, will not take legal effect.

The Trade Review Act of 2025 establishes a mandatory 60-day congressional review period for any new or increased import duties imposed by the President. The President must notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing such duties, detailing the justification and impact. Unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval within 60 days, the new or increased duty automatically expires.

The Driving Forward Act permanently extends an existing exemption allowing certain school bus drivers to bypass the "under-the-hood" portion of their skills test. This change codifies the rules previously established in a 2024 Federal Register notice. States utilizing this exemption must still report annually on the number of drivers who qualify under these permanent terms for the next six years.

The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 aims to significantly expand access to telehealth services under Medicare by permanently removing outdated geographic restrictions and broadening provider eligibility. The bill also enhances program integrity by dedicating new funding to oversight and establishing educational outreach for providers with unusual billing patterns. Finally, it mandates new resources, training, and public data reporting to ensure the quality and accessibility of virtual care for all beneficiaries.

The Securing Smart Investments in our Ports Act updates the Port Infrastructure Development Program to ensure fairer distribution of funding. This legislation mandates that project selections for both major and smaller port improvements must achieve equitable geographic representation across the United States. The goal is to spread vital port investments more evenly nationwide.

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 mandates sweeping economic penalties against the Russian Federation and its affiliates for actions against Ukraine. This legislation requires the President and Treasury Secretary to impose escalating sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions, and energy sector entities. Furthermore, the Act prohibits U.S. persons from investing in Russian debt, bans the trading of Russian securities on U.S. exchanges, and imposes a massive 500% import duty on Russian goods. Sanctions can only be terminated if Russia agrees to a verifiable peace deal with Ukraine.

This bill establishes the private, nonprofit Foundation for Standards and Metrology to support the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in advancing measurement science and technical standards. The Foundation will accelerate the commercialization of research by partnering with industry, academia, and other groups. It will be governed by an independent Board of Directors and must develop a plan for financial self-sustainability within five years.