HR 3420, the Words Matter Act of 2025, updates federal law to replace the terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" across numerous statutes. It amends over 20 provisions in laws governing healthcare (like the Social Security Act and Indian Health Care Improvement Act), disability services, criminal justice, and federal programs to use more respectful and current terminology. The bill specifically targets definitions in areas such as medical care for families, nursing home regulations, legal sentencing, and grant programs, ensuring consistent language for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The legislation explicitly states this terminology change is purely linguistic and does not alter eligibility, coverage, or rights for affected individuals.
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 concurrent resolution formally recognizes Congress's duty to protect the rights and economic security of working women, who make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce. The document highlights concerns about wage gaps, workplace discrimination, and recent policy changes that have weakened protections for women, particularly women of color. It calls for Congress to support equal pay, workplace safety, access to healthcare, paid leave, and the right to unionize, while also condemning actions that undermine civil rights enforcement and workplace protections. The resolution serves as a statement of principle rather than a law that creates new legal requirements.
This Senate resolution commemorates the 205th anniversary of Greece's independence and celebrates the shared democratic values of Greece and the United States. The bill formally congratulates the Greek people on their independence day, acknowledges historical ties between the two nations including American support during Greece's independence struggle and World War II, and recognizes Greece's ongoing role as a NATO ally and strategic partner. It also commends the Greek-American community for its contributions to American society and highlights current bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy security and regional stability.
This resolution expresses support for Long COVID Awareness Month, which is observed in March, and highlights the serious health challenges faced by individuals with long-term symptoms from COVID-19. The bill recognizes that long COVID can affect multiple organs, cause severe fatigue and functional limitations, and disproportionately impact women, Hispanic/Latine, Black, transgender, and disabled individuals. It calls for increased awareness of the condition's impact on quality of life and work, and expresses support for further medical research into causes and treatments for long COVID.
This resolution formally recognizes the 100th anniversary of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI), a trade organization founded in 1926. The bill commends SAAMI for developing industry standards that ensure firearms and ammunition are safe, reliable, and interchangeable. It acknowledges the organization's work in coordinating with government bodies, international standards groups, and industry stakeholders to maintain consistent safety practices. This measure is a ceremonial resolution that does not change any laws or regulations but serves to honor SAAMI's century of leadership in the firearms industry.
This bill establishes a new annual wealth tax on individuals with net assets exceeding $50 million, requiring them to pay a percentage of their total asset value each year. The tax applies a 2 percent rate to assets between $50 million and $1 billion, with a higher rate of 3 percent or 6 percent on assets above $1 billion depending on whether a universal health insurance program is enacted. Married couples are taxed as a single unit, and certain assets like primary residences and small personal items are excluded from the calculation. The legislation also mandates enhanced reporting requirements for asset values, requires the IRS to audit at least 30 percent of taxpayers subject to this tax annually, and authorizes $100 billion in funding over ten years to support enforcement and administration of the new tax system.
This bill, the 287(g) Cooperation Act of 2026, requires state and local law enforcement agencies to sign a formal agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to remain eligible for federal Community Oriented Policing Services grants. The law mandates that agencies must have this written memorandum of agreement in place within 180 days of the bill's enactment, or they will be ineligible to receive funding for the program. The Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security must establish procedures to verify that agencies have completed this agreement before approving any grant awards. The changes apply to grant applications starting with fiscal year 2027 and all subsequent years.
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 PREDICT Act prohibits federal government officials, including Members of Congress, their spouses and dependents, high-ranking executive branch employees, and political appointees from trading on prediction markets tied to political events. This restriction applies to any agreement or transaction where payment depends on whether a specific political event occurs, does not occur, or happens to a certain degree. If a covered individual violates this rule, they must pay a 10% fee and forfeit any profits from the transaction, with penalties paid from personal funds rather than government salaries or allowances. The Office of Government Ethics will issue guidance on undefined terms and publish details of any fines on a public website.
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.
HR 6267, the Aviation Supply Chain Safety and Security Digitization Act of 2025, directs the Comptroller General to study challenges in adopting digital documentation across the aviation supply chain. The study will examine barriers for manufacturers, repair stations, airlines, and brokers in using digital tools like electronic FAA Form 8130-3, as well as the FAA’s transition from paper records and physical signatures to digital systems. It requires a report within one year of enactment, including recommendations to encourage digital adoption industry-wide and accelerate the FAA’s shift to digital documentation. The bill does not create new regulations but aims to identify pathways for modernizing supply chain verification to combat counterfeit parts. The Transportation Secretary must respond to recommendations within 120 days of the report’s submission.
