Raphael Warnock

This resolution condemns China's Hong Kong national security law (officially called The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), the Hong Kong government's Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, and related human rights abuses. The resolution also (1) supports the people of Hong Kong as they fight to exercise fundamental rights and freedoms; and (2) calls upon the Hong Kong government to drop all sedition and national security law-related charges and free all defendants immediately, including Jimmy Lai.

Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025

This act reauthorizes the Department of Defense to sell its excess aircraft and aircraft parts that are acceptable for commercial sale for wildfire suppression purposes. Such authority begins June 12, 2025, and ends October 1, 2035.

The act also provides that such aircraft may be used to deliver water by air in order to suppress wildfire (the previous authority only provided for the delivery of fire retardant).

The act removes the previous limitation on providing international wildfire suppression assistance with such purchased aircraft.

Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025 or the CONNECT for Health Act of 2025

This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare.

Among other provisions, the bill

• permanently removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) and allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services;

• permanently allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); and

• allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to generally waive coverage restrictions during any public health emergency.

Additionally, the CMS must post certain information about the effects of Medicare telehealth services on its website, including information about utilization, costs, and the outcome of services. The CMS must also (1) provide resources to health care professionals about the requirements for furnishing telehealth services under Medicare, including with respect to payment, patient privacy, and support for underserved populations; and (2) ensure certain quality measures are applied to telehealth services.

This resolution designates March 27, 2025, as National Women in Agriculture Day. It also recognizes the important role of women in agriculture as producers, educators, leaders, mentors, and more.

Feral Swine Eradication Act

This bill reauthorizes the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program through FY2030 and removes the pilot program designation. This Department of Agriculture (USDA) program responds to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health.

In addition, USDA must require the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to continue monitoring an area for reoccurrence of feral swine for one year after USDA determines that feral swine has been eradicated from an eligible area.

The bill requires 60% of the funds provided for the program to be allocated to APHIS and 40% of the funds to be allocated to the NRCS. (Under current law, the funds are divided evenly between APHIS and the NRCS).

Further, the bill includes new reporting requirements, which direct APHIS and the NRCS to submit a joint report to Congress on the program. This report must be publicly available on USDA's website.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections.

The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.

SEC Whistleblower Reform Act of 2025

This bill expands and revises whistleblower protections applicable to individuals who provide information to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relating to a violation of securities laws.

Under current law, an employer is prohibited from retaliating against these whistleblowers. Under the bill, this prohibition is expanded to include (1) individuals who provide information regarding potential violations to supervisors or other employees in positions of authority; and (2) information relating to violations subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, or a self-regulatory organization.

Additionally, the bill establishes the right to a jury trial for a person accused of violating whistleblower protection laws.

The bill also requires the SEC to make an initial disposition of a whistleblower award claim within the later of (1) one year of the deadline to submit such a claim, or (2) one year after the final resolution of any litigation in the matter.

Finally, the bill deems as unenforceable a predispute arbitration agreement regarding a whistleblower action.

Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade Facilitation Act of 2025 or the BEST Facilitation Act

This bill establishes a pilot program for positions within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to review inspection images of vehicles and cargo entering or exiting the United States.

Specifically, the bill establishes the position of image technician 1 within the CBP Office of Field Operations. An image technician must (1) review nonintrusive inspection images of vehicles and cargo entering or exiting the United States; (2) assess whether such vehicles and cargo contain contraband, illicit drugs, weapons, or persons seeking to unlawfully enter the United States; and (3) refer suspicious vehicles and cargo for further inspection by a CBP officer. These reviews must take place at one of five regional command centers established pursuant to this pilot program.

The bill also establishes the position of image technician 2 with additional responsibilities, including receiving and reporting intelligence to the National Targeting Center about techniques used by malign actors to transport contraband, illicit drugs, weapons, and persons seeking to unlawfully enter the United States.

Image technicians must be supervised by a supervisory CBP officer.

The bill establishes annual training requirements for both positions, including training on privacy and civil liberties and how to analyze inspection images.

This pilot program ends five years after the date of enactment of this bill. Individuals employed as image technicians at the end of the pilot program may transfer to comparable positions within CBP or the Department of Homeland Security.

This resolution supports federal investment in public K-12 schools, affirms that the Department of Education (ED) plays a vital role in the public education system, and states that public education funding should not be diverted (e.g., through the use of vouchers) to privately run K-12 schools.

The resolution also condemns any executive or legislative action to (1) dismantle or relocate ED or any of its major offices; or (2) reduce federal funding for public education, block federal grants for education, or transfer funding burdens for education to state and local governments.

Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill provides for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Roddie Edmonds in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions during World War II.

Major Richard Star Act

This bill allows a veteran with a combat-related disability to receive retirement pay, without reduction, concurrently with their disability compensation. This includes veterans with a combat-related disability and fewer than 20 years of creditable service. (Currently, veterans who receive combat-related special compensation and retirement pay are subject to an offset in retirement pay for concurrent receipt of such benefits.)

This resolution commemorates the centennial of Delta Air Lines.

Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder Act of 2025 or the HELPER Act of 2025

This bill establishes a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, elementary and secondary school teachers, firefighters, or other first responders. Specifically, these individuals may be eligible for a first-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment. Instead, the mortgage is subject to a one-time, up-front mortgage insurance premium.

Lulu’s Law

This act requires the Federal Communications Commission to issue an order explicitly permitting the transmission of wireless emergency alerts to mobile phones in the event of a shark attack.

(Under current regulations, authorized government authorities are permitted to send wireless emergency alerts regarding public safety emergencies, including severe weather, missing children, and other threats to life or property.)

American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2025

This bill addresses housing affordability and availability through grants, housing programs, and oversight of financial institutions. The bill also makes certain changes to the estate tax, such as by generally increasing the rate.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development shall provide grants to (1) state, local, and tribal governments to remove barriers to building affordable units, (2) states to assist borrowers who have negative equity in their homes, (3) state housing finance agencies to support construction of affordable rental housing and prevent tenant displacement and harassment, and (4) eligible individuals (generally, lower income individuals who are first generation homebuyers) to help them purchase their first homes.

The bill establishes and provides funding for the first-time homeowner grant program and the affordable rental housing construction program, and it also funds existing rural housing programs.

The bill also requires financial regulators to generally assess the effectiveness of financial institutions in meeting the credit and lending needs of their communities, particularly of underserved populations.

The bill also expands fair housing protections to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, source of income, veteran status, or an individual's perceived membership in a protected class (e.g., an individual's perceived race or sex).

Additionally, the bill modifies the estate tax in various ways, including by reducing the number of brackets to three, increasing the tax rates, and reducing the basic exemption amount. The bill also places additional taxes on high-income estates and trusts.