Chris Van Hollen

Vote at Home Act of 2025

This bill expands voting by mail in federal elections and provides for automatic voter registration through state motor vehicle authorities.

Specifically, the bill prohibits states from imposing additional conditions or requirements on the eligibility of individuals to cast ballots by mail in federal elections, except states may impose a deadline for requesting the ballot and related voting materials and for returning a ballot.

Further, states must mail ballots to individuals registered to vote in a federal election not later than two weeks before the election.

In addition, the U.S. Postal Service must carry ballots for federal elections expeditiously and free of postage.

Finally, the bill provides for automatic voter registration of individuals through state motor vehicle authorities.

College for All Act of 2025

This bill establishes measures to expand access to higher education, including by eliminating tuition and required fees for eligible students, revising the Federal Pell Grant program, and reauthorizing certain programs to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Specifically, the bill provides funding to enable states and tribal colleges and universities, through a federal-state partnership, to eliminate tuition and required fees for (1) all students at community colleges and two-year tribal colleges and universities, and (2) working- and middle-class students at four-year public institutions of higher education and tribal colleges and universities.

The bill provides funding to enable private, nonprofit historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions to eliminate tuition and required fees for eligible students.

The bill permanently reauthorizes and otherwise revises the Federal Pell Grant program by

• providing funding to increase the maximum award for each eligible student,

• increasing the duration limit for the use of Pell Grants,

• allowing students to use their awards to cover living and nontuition expenses, and

• expanding eligibility to Dreamer students (i.e., students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status and who entered the United States before the age of 16) and students with other immigration statuses.

Further, the bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to eligible states and tribal colleges and universities for improving student outcomes.

The bill reauthorizes through FY2035 the Federal TRIO Programs and reauthorizes through FY2029 the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.

Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2025

This bill makes various changes related to the ethical standards, financial disclosure requirements, and recusal requirements that apply to Supreme Court Justices.

Among the changes, the bill requires the Supreme Court to

• adopt a code of conduct for Justices and establish procedures to receive and investigate complaints of judicial misconduct;

• adopt rules governing the disclosure of gifts, income, or reimbursements received by the Justices and law clerks that are at least as rigorous as the House and Senate disclosure rules; and

• establish procedural rules requiring each party or amicus to disclose any gift, income, or reimbursement provided to Justices.

Additionally, the bill

• expands the circumstances under which a Justice or judge must be disqualified; and

• requires the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference to establish procedural rules for prohibiting the filing of or striking an amicus brief that would result in the disqualification of a Justice, judge, or magistrate judge.

This resolution designates May 2, 2025, as United States Foreign Service Day and honors the men and women who serve in the Foreign Service.

This joint resolution prohibits a proposed foreign military sale of certain defense articles and services to the United Arab Emirates.

This joint resolution prohibits a proposed foreign military sale of certain defense articles and services to Qatar.

This joint resolution prohibits a proposed foreign military sale of certain defense articles and services to the United Arab Emirates.

This joint resolution prohibits a proposed foreign military sale of certain defense articles and services to the United Arab Emirates.

This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does not have the confidence of the Senate or of the American people to faithfully carry out his duties.

This resolution recognizes the significance of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States.

Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators Act of 2025 or the RAISE Act of 2025

This bill establishes a refundable federal tax credit for eligible educators and increases and expands the federal tax deduction for certain classroom and professional development expenses. The bill also increases federal funding for programs that support effective instruction.

Specifically, the bill allows (1) eligible educators (elementary and secondary public school teachers and early childhood educators) to claim a tax credit of $1,000, and (2) eligible educators employed at a qualifying school to claim an additional tax credit of up to $14,000 ($9,000 for an early childhood educator without a bachelor’s degree) based on the qualifying school’s student poverty ratio.

The bill generally defines a qualifying school as

• a public elementary or secondary school served by a local education agency eligible for federal grants that support the education of disadvantaged children,

• an elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education, or

• an early childhood education program serving children who are eligible for certain financial or food assistance.

Further, the bill increases to $500 ($300 in 2025) and continues to adjust annually the above-the-line tax deduction for certain classroom and professional development expenses of educators. The bill also expands eligibility for the credit to include early childhood educators. (Above-the-line tax deductions are subtracted from gross income to calculate adjusted gross income.)

Finally, the bill provides additional funding for education programs, including teacher salary incentive grants and professional development, certificate, and credentialing programs.

Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025

This bill limits the use of facial recognition or matching technology (e.g., matching and identification software) in airports for passenger screening.

In general, the bill restricts the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) use of the technology to performing passenger identity verification at airport screening locations. The TSA must notify passengers prior to each use of the technology and receive affirmative express consent. If a passenger opts out of the use of the technology, then the TSA must perform identity verification using an approved identification document (e.g., a state driver's license) without collecting biometric information (e.g., fingerprints).

For a passenger using a trusted traveler program (e.g., Global Entry), the TSA must provide notice on the use of the technology at the time of program enrollment and renewal and as the passenger approaches the point of identity verification. The passenger must have the option to opt out.

The bill prohibits the TSA from (1) subjecting a passenger who opts out of the screening to discriminatory treatment or less favorable screening conditions; (2) using the technology to track or identify passengers outside of the screening location or to enable systemic, indiscriminate, or wide-scale monitoring, surveillance, or tracking; and (3) sharing biometric information collected through the use of the technology. The bill also limits the amount of time that the TSA may store the information collected.

Further, these restrictions and requirements apply to the TSA's use of the technology in other specified circumstances (e.g., employee screenings).