United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2025
Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2025 This bill authorizes advance appropriations for several covered appropriations accounts of (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education within the Department of the Interior, and (2) the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. The advance appropriations provide new budget authority that first becomes available for the first fiscal year after the budget year. The covered accounts within the Bureau of Indian Affairs are (1) Operation of Indian Programs, (2) Contract Support Costs, (3) the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program, (4) Construction, and (5) Payments for Tribal Leases. The covered accounts within the Bureau of Indian Education are (1) Operation of Indian Education Programs, and (2) Education Construction. The covered accounts within the Indian Health Service are (1) Indian Health Services, (2) Contract Support Costs, (3) Payments for Tribal Leases, and (4) Indian Health Facilities. The bill also requires the President's budget and the supporting documents submitted to Congress to include detailed estimates related to the advance appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2025
Time Off to Vote Act This bill requires an employer, upon the request of an employee, to provide the employee with a minimum of two consecutive hours of paid leave while polls or sites that facilitate voting-related activity are open on the day of a federal election. This allotted time may be used to vote, return a mail-in ballot, or perform other voting-related activities. The employer may determine the two-hour period, excluding any lunch break or other break. Taking such leave shall not result in the employee losing accrued employment benefits. The bill makes it unlawful for an employer to interfere with the right to take such leave or for an employer to discriminate against an employee for taking such leave. Further, the bill makes it unlawful for any employer to retaliate against an employee for (1) opposing any practice made unlawful by this bill; (2) filing a charge, or instituting or causing to be instituted any proceeding, under or related to this bill; or (3) testifying or preparing to testify in an inquiry or proceeding relating to such leave. The bill specifies penalties for employers who violate these provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2025
Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act This bill makes permanent temporary provisions that generally expand eligibility for and increase the amount of the premium tax credit. This bill also repeals multiple Medicaid, Medicare, and health-related tax provisions enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Currently, eligible taxpayers may claim the premium tax credit, which applies toward the cost of obtaining health insurance through health insurance exchanges. To qualify, a taxpayer’s household income must meet or exceed 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and, after 2025, may not exceed 400% of the FPL (maximum income limit). For 2021-2025, the maximum income limit is eliminated, which generally expands eligibility for the premium tax credit. Further, under current law, the amount of the premium tax credit is partially based on the taxpayer’s household income multiplied by the applicable percentage. The applicable percentage varies depending on which of six income ranges (adjusted for inflation after 2025) the taxpayer’s household income falls within. For 2021-2025, the applicable percentages are lowered and the adjustment of the applicable percentages for inflation is eliminated, which generally increases the amount of the premium tax credit. The bill permanently eliminates the 400% maximum income limit, lowers the applicable percentages, and eliminates the inflation adjustment for the applicable percentages. Finally, the bill repeals multiple Medicaid, Medicare, and health-related tax provisions enacted by the OBBBA, including certain Medicare and Medicare eligibility and verification requirements, the reduced window for retroactive Medicaid coverage, and premium tax credit verification requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2025
Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 This bill generally requires businesses to make U.S.-based, human customer service agents available to consumers and makes certain businesses ineligible for federal loans or grants if they relocate a call center overseas or contract for overseas call center work. Generally, at the beginning of a customer service communication, agents must disclose their location and, if the agent is outside of the United States, that the consumer may request immediate transfer to a U.S.-based agent. Businesses that use artificial intelligence (AI) for customer service communications must also disclose that a nonhuman AI or machine is being used and that the consumer may request immediate transfer to a U.S.-based, human agent. Separately, the Department of Labor must maintain a list of businesses that operate call centers of a specified size and that either relocate a call center out of the United States or contract call center work overseas. Businesses must generally remain on the list for up to five years, but Labor must remove a business from the list if the business meets certain requirements. Businesses on the list are generally ineligible for federal grants or federally guaranteed loans for a specified period. Businesses with existing federal grants or loans that are added to the list must pay a monthly penalty and are ineligible for further disbursement while they remain on the list. If such a business remains on the list after one year, the grant or loan must be cancelled.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2025
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if, during the previous 25 years: 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state; or 10 or more violations occurred, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as redistricting. States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. The bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights. The bill outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the extent of any history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision. The bill also includes certain protections for election workers, polling places, and election infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2025
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2027-FY2033; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2025
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the amounts payable for wartime disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Specifically, the VA must increase the amounts by the same percentage as the cost-of-living increase in benefits for Social Security recipients that is effective on December 1, 2025. The bill requires the VA to publish the amounts payable, as increased, in the Federal Register. The VA is authorized to make a similar adjustment to the rates of disability compensation payable to persons who have not received compensation for service-connected disability or death.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2025
Equal Health Care for All Act This bill prohibits the inequitable provision of health care (i.e., failure to meet a high-quality care standard that is discriminatory in intent or effect) based on race, religion, or other characteristics. It also revises reporting requirements, adds equity-related measures to certain Medicare programs, and makes other changes to reduce health disparities. To enforce the prohibition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish an administrative process to resolve complaints about inequitable health care. HHS must investigate these complaints and mediate agreements to resolve issues. In the event of noncompliance with a mediated agreement, an aggrieved individual may bring a civil action. HHS may exclude from federal health care programs providers HHS determines engaged in the inequitable provision of health care. The Department of Justice may bring civil actions against health care providers to enforce the prohibition, including for punitive damages. Health care providers must also report data in formats that allow disaggregation by demographic factors. Within 90 days after the bill's enactment, HHS must issue proposed regulations to carry out this requirement. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must include measures related to equitable health care in the Medicare value-based purchasing program for hospitals. This program provides incentive payments based on quality of care. The bill also establishes (1) the Federal Health Equity Commission to monitor implementation of the bill, and (2) grants for hospitals to promote equitable health care.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2025
This resolution designates June 2025 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and June 27, 2025, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day. The resolution also supports the efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DOD), and the medical community to educate people about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress. Additionally, it supports efforts by the VA and DOD to foster cultural change around post-traumatic stress.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2025
Investing in Main Street Act of 2025 This bill authorizes certain banking entities to invest up to 15% of their capital and surplus in one or more small business investment companies (SBICs) or in any entity established to invest solely in SBICs. The current limit is 5%.
![Official portrait of Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c6870f487cf4bc9a568d8afbe61d754b_200.jpg)