Raphael Warnock

Stopping Political Discrimination in Disaster Assistance Act

This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of political affiliation by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other participating entities (i.e., public or private entities providing or receiving assistance) in carrying out federal major disaster or emergency relief and assistance activities.

Current law requires FEMA and other participating entities to provide federal major disaster or emergency relief and assistance without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. The bill adds political affiliation to the classes protected under this requirement.

This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the mass terminations of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs should be condemned. The resolution also expresses that all affected employees should be reinstated.

Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2025

This bill requires the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report on one or more proposed programs for providing mental health care to public safety officers and related personnel.

Under the bill, a proposed program must be administered by DOJ and must make treatment and preventative care available to public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators for job-related post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder.

The bill requires the report to also include draft legislative language related to each proposed program, as well as the estimated cost for administering each proposed program.

Guarding Readiness Resources Act

This bill modifies the treatment of funds received by the National Guard Bureau as a reimbursement from a state or other U.S. territory (e.g., Guam) for the use of military property.

Specifically, the funds must be credited to (1) the appropriation, fund, or account used in incurring the obligation; or (2) an appropriation, fund, or account currently available for the purposes of which the expenditures were made. Further, the funds may only be used by the Department of Defense for the repair, maintenance, replacement, or other similar functions related directly to assets used by National Guard units while operating under state active duty status.

Invest to Protect Act of 2025

This bill directs the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice to award grants to local and tribal governments that employ fewer than 175 law enforcement officers. Grant funds may be used for various activities, including to provide de-escalation training and improve recruitment and retention.

First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War.

This resolution recognizes Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on U.S. history and to commemorate the contributions of African Americans. It calls for the United States to (1) honor the contribution of pioneers who helped to ensure its legacy; and (2) move forward as a nation "indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Kids' Access to Primary Care Act of 2025

This bill modifies payments for Medicaid primary care services. Specifically, the bill applies a Medicare payment rate floor to Medicaid primary care services that are provided after the date of enactment of the bill and extends the payment rate to additional types of practitioners (e.g., obstetricians).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must conduct a study on the number of children enrolled in Medicaid, the number of providers receiving payment for primary care services, and associated payment rates before and after the bill's implementation.

Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act

This bill requires states to establish a process through which qualifying out-of-state providers may temporarily treat children under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) without undergoing additional screening requirements.

Specifically, states must establish a process through which qualifying out-of-state providers may enroll for five years as participating providers to treat individuals under the age of 21 without undergoing additional screening requirements.

A qualifying out-of-state provider (1) must not have been excluded or terminated from participating in a federal health care program or state Medicaid program; and (2) must have been successfully enrolled in Medicare or a state Medicaid program based on a determination that the provider posed a limited risk of fraud, waste, or abuse.

The bill’s changes take effect three years after enactment.

Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2025

This bill extends through FY2035 the special duty-free rules for various apparel products imported from Haiti, including the duty-free treatment provided for a limited amount (referred to as tariff preference levels) of certain apparel products assembled in and imported from Haiti.

The bill directs the President to proclaim such modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) that may be necessary to restore preferential treatment to articles that became ineligible for such treatment due to prior revisions to the HTS.

Ethan's Law

This bill establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels.

At the federal level, the bill establishes statutory requirements for firearms on residential premises to be safely stored if a minor is likely to gain access without permission or if a resident is ineligible to possess a firearm.

An individual who violates the requirements is subject to criminal penalties. A firearm stored in violation of the requirements is subject to seizure and forfeiture.

At the state and tribal levels, the bill requires the Department of Justice to award grants to implement functionally identical requirements for the safe storage of firearms.

Forest Data Modernization Act of 2025

This bill directs the Forest Service to expand and update its Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. Under the existing program, the Forest Service collects, analyzes, and reports on information about the condition of forest resources in the United States, such as data concerning wildfires or other forest management issues.

The bill directs FIA to include forest carbon in its inventory.

The bill also requires FIA's strategic plan to include a detailed description of the organization and procedures necessary to (1) understand and report on changes in land cover and use, and (2) evaluate carbon-related data variables.

FIA must update the strategic plan within six months and every five years thereafter. Among other items, the first update must include (1) a plan to implement nationally consistent data collection protocols and procedures; and (2) a plan to expand current data collection, further integrate remote sensing technology, or both.

FIA must also prepare and publish a compilation of certain forest statistics every two years.

Additionally, the bill requires FIA to continue (1) the Timber Products Output survey, and (2) the National Woodland Owner Survey.

To provide data consistency, FIA must include a clear definition of forest when reporting data.

Finally, FIA (1) must also establish an office, a data platform, or both to process and respond to complex data requests submitted by external organizations; and (2) may impose fees on the organizations submitting the requests.

This resolution supports the designation of February 15-22, 2025, as National FFA (Future Farmers of America) Week.

It also celebrates the 90th anniversary of New Farmers of America (NFA), which served Black vocational agriculture students in segregated public schools until NFA and FFA became one organization in 1965.

The resolution also commemorates the 75th anniversary of the federal charter for the Future Farmers of America.

This resolution designates March 7, 2025, as National Speech and Debate Education Day.

Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act

This bill excludes from gross income (for federal tax purposes) certain grants received for broadband deployment.

As background, contributions of capital to a corporation generally are not taxable income. However, under an exception enacted in 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, grants from a government or civic organization are not contributions to capital and, thus, treated as taxable income. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considered certain grants from a government or civic organization contributions of capital and, thus, not taxable income.

The bill specifically excludes from gross income grants received for broadband deployment from the

• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program;

• NTIA State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program;

• NTIA Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program;

• NTIA Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program;

• Department of Agriculture ReConnect Program;

• Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund; and

• NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the Broadband Infrastructure Program.

The bill also requires the IRS to issue guidance on the exclusion from gross income of such grants.

The bill applies to funds received in tax years ending after March 11, 2021.

Alternatives to Prevent Addiction In the Nation Act or the Alternatives to PAIN Act

This bill reduces cost-sharing and prohibits the imposition of certain utilization requirements under the Medicare prescription drug benefit for certain non-opioid pain management drugs.

Specifically, the bill requires such drugs to be covered without a deductible and to be placed on the lowest cost-sharing tier (if any). The bill also prohibits the imposition of prior authorization requirements (i.e., requiring prior approval from a plan) or step therapy requirements (i.e., requiring the use of alternative drugs before a drug is covered under a plan) with respect to such drugs.

Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act

This bill requires the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation within the Securities and Exchange Commission to report on issues encountered by rural-area small businesses.