This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on barriers that prevent patients from accessing pain management during gynecologic procedures. The study will examine factors such as insurance coverage, provider training, and resource availability, and will include input from patients, medical professionals, and health equity experts. Within 24 months of enactment, the Secretary must submit a report with findings and recommendations to relevant congressional committees. The bill does not change current laws or funding but establishes a research requirement to inform future policy decisions.
This bill would create a federal paid leave program allowing employees to take up to 96 hours of paid time off each year for reproductive health needs, including menstrual care, endometriosis, fertility treatments, and pregnancy-related procedures. It applies to private employers with at least five employees and certain government workers, requiring employers to grant this leave upon request without requiring employees to find replacements during their absence. The legislation prohibits retaliation against employees who use this leave and establishes enforcement mechanisms through the Department of Labor, including civil penalties for violations. Employers with existing paid leave policies that already cover these reproductive health reasons would not need to provide additional leave under this bill.
This bill directs the National Institutes of Health to expand research into Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, a severe mood and physical condition affecting 5 to 8 percent of women and people assigned female at birth. It requires the agency to collect data on PMDD prevalence, economic impact, and treatment barriers while ensuring diverse populations are included in studies. The legislation also funds public awareness campaigns and grants to train healthcare professionals in diagnosing and treating the condition. Additionally, the bill mandates a report to Congress within two years detailing progress on research, education, and access to care.
The Maternal Vaccination Act amends the Public Health Service Act to expand a federal campaign focused on increasing vaccination rates among pregnant and postpartum individuals and their children. This legislation directly affects public health programs by updating language to explicitly include these populations and directing funding toward outreach efforts that address disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups. Key provisions modify existing sections of the Public Health Service Act to broaden the campaign's scope and increase the authorized funding amount from $15 million to $17 million per fiscal year for the period 2027 through 2031. The bill aims to improve vaccination equity by ensuring federal resources specifically target maternal and pediatric immunization efforts.
The SHARE Act introduces a new tax provision that excludes certain income from shared appreciation mortgages from gross income for qualifying borrowers. This bill directly affects low-to-moderate income homeowners who use these alternative financing products, which allow lenders to receive a share of the property's future value increase instead of requiring monthly interest payments. The key mechanism requires borrowers to meet income limits of 140 percent of the area median income and use the home as their primary residence, while the mortgage must be a second lien subordinate to a qualified first mortgage and cannot exceed 49 percent of the purchase price. The tax exclusion applies only to amounts received after December 31, 2025, and does not change the fundamental structure of these loans but rather provides specific tax treatment for their repayment and disposition.
HRES 971 is a non-binding resolution condemning China's economic and military actions against Japan following Japanese officials' comments about Taiwan. It specifically addresses China's travel advisory (causing $1.2 billion in tourism losses), a ban on Japanese seafood imports, and military drills near Japanese territory. The resolution reaffirms U.S. support for the U.S.-Japan alliance under their mutual security treaty and calls on China to cease coercion. It emphasizes U.S. commitment to upholding a "free and open Indo-Pacific" based on international law. This resolution directly affects Japan's economy and security, with no new legal obligations but serving as a formal U.S. policy statement.
HR 3447, the Chip Security Act, requires manufacturers to equip specific advanced integrated circuits (classified under export control numbers like 3A090) with security mechanisms before exporting them. These mechanisms must verify location and prevent unauthorized access, diversion, or tampering. The law mandates this for covered chips within 180 days of enactment, with a follow-up assessment within one year to develop additional security requirements. It directly affects U.S. chip exporters and importers of these high-tech products, aiming to strengthen export control compliance and national security.
Love Lives On Act of 2025 This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans. The bill provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation or special pension benefits to such spouse. Additionally, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries. The bill also expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.
This bill authorizes the Treasury Secretary to direct the FDIC and NCUA to create temporary emergency programs that fully insure non-interest-bearing transaction accounts at banks and credit unions during financial crises. The programs can only be activated if the Treasury determines a banking or credit union stress event is occurring that threatens economic stability, and they are limited to a maximum duration of nine months with strict cost caps and congressional oversight. If the programs incur losses, the FDIC and NCUA would recover those costs through special assessments on the institutions they insure. The bill also requires Treasury testimony to Congress within 30 days of program activation and a Government Accountability Office review within 90 days after the programs end.
The Kira Johnson Act establishes a federal grant program to support community-based organizations in improving maternal health outcomes for populations facing higher rates of maternal mortality and health disparities. It allocates $100 million annually from 2027 to 2031 for grants that fund programs addressing social determinants of health, culturally congruent care, and support for midwifery practices. The bill also creates a separate $5 million annual funding stream for training all maternity care employees on bias reduction, trauma-informed care, and respectful service delivery. Additionally, the legislation requires hospitals and health systems to establish compliance programs that allow patients to report bias and mandates regular public reporting on these efforts. A study by the National Academies and ongoing evaluation by the GAO will assess the effectiveness of these initiatives in improving patient experiences and health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups.
The Data to Save Moms Act aims to improve maternal health outcomes by increasing funding and support for maternal mortality review committees across the United States. The bill provides $10 million annually from 2027 to 2031 to help these committees recruit more diverse community members, including people with personal experiences of maternal mortality or severe health complications, and to address barriers like transportation and compensation that prevent participation. It also requires committees to conduct outreach to racial and ethnic minority communities and publicly report on their review processes and diversity efforts. Additionally, the legislation directs the Health and Human Services Secretary to study maternal health data collection methods, conduct a specific study on American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health outcomes, and award grants to minority-serving institutions for research on maternal mortality disparities.
The Perinatal Workforce Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance encouraging hospitals, insurers, and maternity care providers to recruit and retain diverse healthcare professionals, including midwives, physician assistants, and perinatal health workers, while incorporating implicit bias and racism training into their practices. The bill authorizes $15 million annually from 2027 to 2031 for grants that establish or expand accredited education programs for perinatal health professionals, prioritizing schools that recruit students from racial and ethnic minority groups and those planning to practice in areas with maternal health disparities. Additionally, the legislation creates a separate grant program for nursing schools to provide scholarships to students pursuing careers in maternal and perinatal health, with similar diversity and training requirements. The act also requires the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on respectful maternity care practices and mandates periodic reports from the Government Accountability Office on barriers to maternal health education and access to care.
