This resolution supports the designation of National School Choice Week.

Jobs Now Act of 2025

FAIR Act of 2025 Fairness, Anti-discrimination and Individual Rights Act of 2025

Expanding Head Start Eligibility Act of 2025This bill expands eligibility for Head Start programs to include the children of families eligible for specified public assistance programs. Specifically, the bill expands Head Start eligibility to include the children of families that qualify for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), and federal housing assistance (commonly known as Section 8). The bill also provides statutory authority for the eligibility of families that qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Families that qualify for state-funded food assistance programs with eligibility standards identical or substantially similar to the standards for SNAP must also be eligible for Head Start. 

Salad Bars in Schools Expansion ActThis bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish and implement a plan, including through a five-year program of competitive grants, to promote the use of salad bars in schools participating in the school lunch program.Priority in the award of grants may be given to entities (i.e., a school or a school food authority) that (1) serve schools in which at least 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, (2) serve schools in food deserts, or (3) provide nutrition education to students. Under the bill, food desert is defined as a census tract with a substantial share of residents who live in low-income areas that have low levels of access to a grocery store or a healthy, affordable food retail outlet.Eligible entities must use the grant funds to award schools a one-time payment for the anticipated cost of installing a salad bar, including the purchase of any required durable equipment.USDA must also submit a report to Congress that includes recommendations for promoting and establishing more salad bars in schools.

Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act This bill establishes funding for a U.S.-Mexico border barrier and revises how border patrol agents are compensated for overtime. The Department of the Treasury shall set up an account for funding the design, construction, and maintenance of the barrier. The funds in the account are appropriated only for that purpose and for vehicles and equipment for border patrol agents. For each fiscal year, financial assistance to a country shall be reduced by $2,000 for each citizen or national of that country apprehended for illegally entering the United States through its southern border. The reduced amount shall be transferred to the border barrier account. The Department of State may opt not to reduce amounts appropriated to Mexico for various military and law enforcement-related activities. This bill establishes a 5% fee on foreign remittance transfers and increases the fee for the arrival/departure I-94 form for various aliens entering the United States, with part of the fees to go into the border barrier account. By December 31, 2023, DHS shall (1) take all actions necessary, including constructing barriers, to prevent illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico barrier; and (2) achieve operational control over all U.S. international borders. The bill changes how border patrol agents receive overtime pay when working up to 100 hours in a two-week period. For hours worked above 80, an agent shall receive at least 150% of the agent's regular hourly rate.

My Child, My Choice Act of 2023 This bill prohibits an elementary school from receiving federal education funds unless a teacher requests written parental consent prior to teaching a lesson specifically related to gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender studies. In particular, the bill requires a teacher to request written consent from the parent of each student enrolled in the class prior to teaching the lesson. If a parent does not submit written consent to the lesson, then the school must provide the student with an alternative period of learning or study hall. Further, the teacher may not teach the lesson if the principal does not receive written consent from the parents of at least 50% of the students enrolled in the class.

Original Living Wage Act This bill increases the federal minimum wage to the minimum hourly wage sufficient for a person working for 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, to earn an annual income 25.5% higher than the federal poverty threshold for a four-person household, with two children under age 18, and living in the 48 contiguous states. (Under current poverty thresholds, the national minimum wage would be set at approximately $15.64 per hour.) The Department of Labor must determine the minimum wage rate by June 1, 2023, and review it every four years. Labor may not adjust the minimum wage to a lower rate.

Voluntary School Prayer Protection Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the Department of Education (ED) from providing funding for public schools that restrict voluntary school prayer. Specifically, the bill prohibits ED from providing funds to state or local educational agencies with policies that deny, or effectively prevent, individuals from voluntarily participating in public school prayer that is constitutionally protected.

Freedom from Mandates Act This bill nullifies certain executive orders regarding COVID-19 safety and prohibits the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) from taking specified actions with respect to vaccination against COVID-19. Specifically, the bill nullifies Executive Order 14042 (relating to ensuring adequate COVID-19 safety protocols for federal contractors) and Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees). Labor may not issue any rule requiring employers to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or requiring testing of employees who are unvaccinated. HHS may not (1) require a health care provider, as a condition of participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program, to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or require testing of employees who are unvaccinated; or (2) otherwise penalize such a provider for failure to mandate such vaccination or require such testing.

Professional Pell Education Learning Act or the PROPEL Act This bill expands student eligibility for Pell Grants by allowing students to use these grants for enrollment in educational programs that consist of vocational or technical training, flight training, apprenticeship, or other on-job training. In addition, the bill expands institutional eligibility under the Federal Pell Grant program, including by allowing these vocational and training programs to be unaccredited.

Adjusting Davis-Bacon for Inflation Act This bill increases from $2,000 to $50,000 the threshold above which the prevailing wage requirements apply to federal or District of Columbia government contracts involving the construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings or public works. These requirements generally ensure that workers are paid the prevailing local wage where such projects takes place.

Ending Common Core and Expanding School Choice Act This bill revises requirements related to federal education funding for disadvantaged children. Specifically, the bill (1) eliminates the standards, assessments, and academic accountability requirements for state and local educational agencies that receive federal funds for the education of disadvantaged children; (2) requires such funds to be allocated based on the number of children residing in each state who are living in poverty; and (3) allows educational agencies to distribute per-pupil amounts from such funds to parents for qualified elementary and secondary education expenses. The bill prohibits federal officers or employees from mandating academic standards, assessments, curricula, or accountability systems.

Higher Education Loses Payments for Painful Experiments, Tests and Studies Act or the HELP PETS ActThis bill prohibits an institution of higher education (IHE) from receiving federal funds if the IHE conducts or funds painful research on dogs or cats. Painful research refers to any research, biomedical training, experimentation, or biological testing classified in specified pain categories by the Department of Agriculture.

States' Education Reclamation Act of 2023 This bill abolishes the Department of Education (ED) and repeals any program for which it has administrative responsibility. The Department of the Treasury shall provide grants to states, for FY2023-FY2031, for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education purposes permitted by state law. The level of funding is set at the amount provided to states for federal elementary and secondary education programs and the amount provided for federal postsecondary education programs, respectively, for FY2023, minus the funding provided for education programs that the bill transfers to other federal agencies. States must contract for an annual audit of their expenditures or transfers of grant funds. Program administrative responsibility and delegation of authority are transferred as follows: ED's job training programs to the Department of Labor, each special education grant program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ED's Indian education programs to the Department of the Interior, each Impact Aid program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to the Department of Defense, the Federal Pell Grant program and each federal student loan program to Treasury, and programs under the jurisdiction of the Institute of Education Sciences or the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program to HHS.