Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Protecting America's Workers Act

This bill expands the coverage of requirements governing workplace safety and health to include protection for federal, state, and local government employees. However, the bill does not cover working conditions otherwise covered by federal requirements for mine safety and health.

The bill revises requirements governing worker protection, including by

• expanding protections for whistle-blowers, such as protections for employees who refuse to perform work because they reasonably believe the work would result in serious injury or illness and for employees who aid inspections;

• directing employers to furnish a hazard-free place of employment to all individuals performing work, not just employees;

• directing employers to report work-related deaths or certain injuries, illnesses, or hospitalizations;

• establishing rights for victims, or representatives of victims, with respect to inspections or investigations of work-related bodily injuries or deaths; and

• setting the permitted period for employers to correct serious, willful, or repeated violations while citations for the violations are being contested.

The bill also revises enforcement and oversight of workplace safety, including by

• increasing civil and criminal penalties for certain violations,

• requiring the Department of Labor to investigate fatalities or significant incidents in the workplace,

• expanding enforcement requirements relating to state occupational safety and health plans,

• expanding requirements for workplace health hazard evaluations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and

• requiring Labor to provide training programs concerning employee rights and employer responsibilities.

Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2025

This bill establishes an Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Office of Legal Policy.

Among its duties, the office must coordinate various gun violence prevention efforts that are administered by DOJ, recommend policy options to promote evidence-based gun violence prevention strategies, and promote related data collection.

Assault Weapons Ban of 2025

This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD).

The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, except for certain shotguns; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; (4) only capable of firing rimfire ammunition; or (5) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model.

The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD:

• importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments;

• importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and

• possession by a retired law enforcement officer.

The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties.

The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD.

Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture.

The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.

Enhance Access To SNAP Act of 2025 or the EATS Act of 2025

This bill expands eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for certain students.

Specifically, the bill removes the restriction on SNAP eligibility for students to allow otherwise eligible students who are attending institutions of higher education (IHEs) at least half time to participate in SNAP. Under current law, students 18-49 years old are restricted from participating in SNAP, with exceptions (e.g., caring for a child under the age of 6 or employed for at least 20 hours a week). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 temporarily exempted some students from certain SNAP eligibility requirements; these temporary student exemptions expired after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.

Further, the bill provides that students enrolled at least half time in a recognized school, training program, or IHE constitute individual households (not residents of institutions) and may be eligible for SNAP benefits. (Participation in SNAP is limited to households.)

Freedom to Move Act

This bill directs the Department of Transportation to award competitive five-year grants (i.e., Freedom to Move Grants) to states, local governments, transit agencies, and nonprofit organizations in both rural and urban areas to cover the lost fare revenue for fare-free public transportation and improve public transportation.

Grants must be used to support (1) implementing a fare-free transit program; and (2) efforts to improve public transportation, particularly in underserved communities, such as costs associated with efforts to provide more safe, frequent, and reliable bus service, including bus stop safety and accessibility improvements, and pedestrian and bike shelters.

This resolution provides a special rule for consideration of H.R. 185 and amends that bill to direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make publicly available certain records related to Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.

Under H.R. 185, as amended by the resolution, DOJ must publicly disclose all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession that relate to Epstein or Maxwell. The records include unclassified records referring or relating to Epstein's detention and death; flight logs of aircraft owned or used by Epstein; individuals named in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities, civil settlements, or immunity or plea agreements; immunity deals, sealed settlements, or plea bargains of Epstein or his associates; entities with ties to Epstein’s trafficking or financial networks; and internal Department of Justice communications concerning decisions to investigate or charge Epstein or his associates.

However, under the amended bill, DOJ may withhold or redact portions of records with written justification that such portions contain (1) victims' personally identifiable information; (2) child sexual abuse materials; (3) images of death, physical abuse, or injury; (4) information which would jeopardize an active federal investigation or prosecution; or (5) classified information. DOJ may not withhold or redact records on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.

Further, within 15 days of completing the required disclosures, DOJ must provide Congress with a report listing all categories of records released and withheld, all redactions made and their legal basis, and all government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials.