The Schedules That Work Act would require employers in retail, food service, hospitality, cleaning, and warehouse sectors to provide workers with 14 days' advance notice of their schedules and pay predictability wages for last-minute changes. It allows employees to request schedule changes related to caregiving responsibilities, health conditions, education, or other jobs, with employers required to engage in good-faith discussions about such requests. The bill prohibits retaliation against employees who request schedule changes and mandates written notice of schedule changes and predictability pay. It applies to employers with 15 or more employees in covered sectors, aiming to address widespread issues with unpredictable schedules that negatively impact workers' ability to care for family members, maintain housing stability, and access health care.
The Public Health Air Quality Act of 2025 requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a national network for monitoring hazardous air pollutants near communities, focusing on facilities emitting specific chemicals linked to health risks like cancer and respiratory issues. The bill mandates fenceline monitoring at 100 high-priority facilities that emit chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, and other hazardous air pollutants, with public reporting of data within 7 days of collection. It also requires deployment of 1,000 low-cost air quality monitoring systems in communities disproportionately impacted by pollution, with data made accessible in multiple languages and formats. The Act authorizes $146 million for implementation during fiscal years 2026-2027 to support these monitoring requirements and public transparency efforts.
Essential Caregivers Act of 2025 This bill prohibits certain health care facilities from limiting the access of essential caregivers to residents of those facilities, including during designated emergency periods. Specifically, the bill generally prohibits Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, Medicaid intermediate care facilities, and associated inpatient rehabilitation facilities from restricting the access of essential caregivers to residents of the facilities, including during emergency periods in which visitation rights are otherwise restricted. During emergency periods, facilities may restrict access for an initial period of up to seven days and for one additional maximum seven-day period (if the additional period is approved by the state health department). Facilities may restrict access for a total of 7 days (or 14 days with the approval of the state health department) during an emergency period. Essential caregivers must agree to comply with any safety protocols set by the facility, which may be no more stringent for caregivers compared to those for staff. Caregivers who fail to comply with these requirements may be denied access, subject to an appeals process.
The PRIMED Act (S 3511) streamlines federal permitting for specific mining and processing projects supporting national defense and energy security. It treats certain Department of Defense actions - like funding feasibility studies for existing mines, modernizing operations, or using byproducts from waste facilities - as "covered projects" under the FAST Act, automatically including them in the federal Permitting Dashboard. This directly affects mining and processing companies working on defense supply chain projects authorized under the Defense Production Act. The bill bypasses standard eligibility checks for these projects, aiming to accelerate permitting while requiring project sponsors to opt out if they prefer not to be included.
This bill (S 3486) requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue non-mandatory guidance to states within 12 months of enactment. The guidance will focus on strategies for states to improve mental health and substance use disorder care provider education, training, recruitment, and retention through Medicaid (Title XIX) and CHIP (Title XXI) programs. It specifically emphasizes expanding workforce capacity in rural and underserved areas and details how states can use existing authorities like Medicaid waivers (Section 1115) to achieve this. The bill directly affects states administering Medicaid/CHIP programs and the providers participating in those programs, aiming to strengthen behavioral health services without creating new federal funding.
HR 6739, the Clarity in Professional Degree Act, amends the Higher Education Act to restore federal student aid eligibility for specific professional degree programs that were excluded under a recent Department of Education rule change. It directly affects students pursuing degrees in nursing (ADN, RN, BSN), occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, accounting, architecture, education specialties, and public health. The bill adds these 10 degree types to the official definition of "professional degree" under federal aid rules, reversing a policy expected to take effect July 1, 2026, which would have removed their aid eligibility. This change ensures students in these critical fields can continue accessing federal loans and grants.
Essential Caregivers Act of 2025 This bill prohibits certain health care facilities from limiting the access of essential caregivers to residents of those facilities, including during designated emergency periods. Specifically, the bill generally prohibits Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, Medicaid intermediate care facilities, and associated inpatient rehabilitation facilities from restricting the access of essential caregivers to residents of the facilities, including during emergency periods in which visitation rights are otherwise restricted. During emergency periods, facilities may restrict access for an initial period of up to seven days and for one additional maximum seven-day period (if the additional period is approved by the state health department). Facilities may restrict access for a total of 7 days (or 14 days with the approval of the state health department) during an emergency period. Essential caregivers must agree to comply with any safety protocols set by the facility, which may be no more stringent for caregivers compared to those for staff. Caregivers who fail to comply with these requirements may be denied access, subject to an appeals process.
HR 6730, the HERO Act, allows active-duty military members and reservists on active duty to sue the U.S. government directly for medical negligence at military hospitals (excluding combat zones). It replaces a previous law by creating a new federal claim process for injuries or deaths caused by faulty medical care, dental services, or related health functions provided by military staff. The bill prevents the government from reducing compensation by veterans' benefits or military life insurance payouts and sets a 10-year deadline from when the injury was discovered to file a claim. This change directly affects service members who suffer harm due to medical errors at covered military treatment facilities.
HR 6751 would repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), a law passed after the September 11 attacks that has been used to justify military operations for over two decades. The bill states Congress finds the AUMF has been interpreted too broadly, conflicting with the Constitution's requirement that only Congress can declare war. It would formally end this legal authority 240 days after the bill becomes law, directly affecting future military actions authorized under the 2001 AUMF. The key provision is the repeal itself, removing the legal basis for ongoing military operations that rely on this specific 2001 law.
This bill amends a section of federal law to change the reference from "the White House" to "the People's White House" in a specific legal citation (Section 307104 of Title 54, U.S. Code). It is a purely procedural change to the text of the law, not a substantive policy shift. The bill does not alter historic preservation standards, protections, or funding for the White House grounds. It simply updates the formal name used within the legal code.
HR 6767, the Health Equity and MENA Community Inclusion Act of 2025, amends federal health law to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations - such as Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, and Palestinian communities - within the definition of "racial and ethnic minority groups." This change directly affects approximately 3.5 million MENA individuals in the U.S., who have historically been excluded from federal health programs like the Office of Minority Health (OMH) due to data classification. The bill mandates the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a comprehensive health study, breaking down data by specific MENA subgroups to analyze disparities in areas like chronic disease, mental health, maternal outcomes, and access to care. HHS must also establish privacy safeguards for study participants and publish findings via a public online portal, enabling targeted health initiatives for MENA communities.
The Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 simplifies and strengthens the process for coal miners and their families to obtain benefits for black lung disease (pneumoconiosis). It clarifies eligibility using medical evidence standards (Section 102), requires the Secretary to provide complete pulmonary evaluations (Section 103), and establishes an attorneys' fees and medical expenses payment program to help claimants (Section 106). The bill also restores automatic cost-of-living adjustments for benefits (Section 107) and strengthens financial safeguards for the Black Lung Benefits Disability Trust Fund by requiring coal companies to secure payment obligations (Section 131). These changes directly affect coal miners with black lung disease, their dependents, and the administration of the benefits program.
