Shontel Brown

Feed Hungry Veterans Act of 2025

This bill expands eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for certain disabled veterans, including those determined to be catastrophically disabled. In addition, those disabled veterans who are eligible for SNAP under this bill are exempt from the general SNAP work registration and employment and training requirements.

The bill takes effect on October 1, 2030.

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.

This resolution expresses support for the designation of International Black Aviation Professionals Day. It also encourages the observation of the day through recognition and celebration of the contributions of Black aviation professionals.

Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act of 2025

This bill requires the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and the Treasury to develop and implement a strategy to prevent or intercept the importation or trafficking of machinegun conversion devices. The term machinegun conversion device means parts or combinations of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun.

The bill also specifies that proceeds derived from the illegal trafficking of a machinegun are subject to seizure and forfeiture.

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.)

Caring for Survivors Act of 2025

This bill increases the monthly rate of dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Dependency and indemnity compensation is a monthly payment made to eligible survivors (i.e., spouses, parents, or children) of (1) certain veterans who died as a result of a service-connected condition; (2) service members killed while on active military duty or active or inactive duty for training; or (3) veterans who did not die from a service-connected condition, but were totally disabled by a service-connected disability for a certain period of time.

The bill also (1) reduces, from 10 years to 5 years, the period of time that certain veterans must have been rated totally disabled due to a service-connected disability in order for a survivor to qualify for benefits; and (2) specifies the amount that is payable to survivors of veterans who were rated totally disabled for a period of less than 10 years before their death.

American Teacher Act

This bill establishes grants to increase the minimum salary of public elementary and secondary school teachers. It also authorizes a national campaign regarding the value of the teaching profession.

First, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award four-year grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to establish a minimum annual salary of $60,000 (to be adjusted annually for inflation) for these teachers.

Second, the bill directs ED to award grants to eligible SEAs to provide cost-of-living adjustments to the annual base salary of teachers.

Finally, the bill authorizes ED to carry out a national campaign to (1) increase awareness about the importance of teachers and the value of the teaching profession, (2) encourage secondary school and college students to consider teaching as a professional career, and (3) diversify the pool of individuals who enter the teaching profession.

Feed Our Families Act of 2025

This bill provides appropriations for carrying out the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 during the first 90-day period of a lapse in discretionary appropriations for carrying out the act during any fiscal year beginning after FY2024. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 is the authorizing statute for several Department of Agriculture nutrition and food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Woman on the Twenty Act of 2025

This bill bars the printing of any $20 note after December 31, 2028, which does not prominently feature a portrait of Harriet Tubman on the front face of the note.

The Department of the Treasury shall release to the public the preliminary design of the $20 note prominently featuring a portrait of Harriet Tubman no later than December 31, 2026.

Mamas and Babies in Underserved Communities Act of 2025

This bill establishes Department of Health and Human Services grants for public or nonprofit private health care providers to expand and improve maternal health care services (including prenatal, postnatal, and postpartum care) and reduce disparities in access to such care. Health care providers are eligible to apply if they serve one or more minority, low-income, or medically underserved communities.

Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act or the HERO Act

This bill establishes a series of programs relating to the behavioral health of law enforcement officers, first responders, 9-1-1 operators, and other public safety officers and health care providers.

The programs include

• a public safety officer suicide-reporting system at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

• a grant program for peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs within fire departments and emergency medical services agencies, and

• a grant program for behavioral health and wellness programs for health care providers.

Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act

This bill prohibits political appointees and special government employees from accessing Social Security data systems that contain personally identifiable information about Social Security beneficiaries.

Specifically, political appointees and special government employees may not access systems maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that issue or record Social Security account numbers, that are used to determine eligibility for or to pay Social Security benefits, or that otherwise contain personally identifiable information about individuals receiving or applying for benefits.

The bill also establishes a civil right of action for an individual whose information was negligently accessed or disclosed in violation of these provisions. The individual may bring suit against the United States if the violator was a U.S. employee or officer, or against the violator if they were not a U.S. employee or officer. Such a claim must be brought within two years of the affected individual’s discovery of the violation. Upon a finding of liability, defendants are liable for specified monetary damages.

If an individual is criminally charged or subject to proposed disciplinary or adverse action by a federal or state agency for having accessed or disclosed information in violation of these provisions, SSA must notify the individual whose information was accessed or disclosed of the violation as soon as practicable.

Finally, the bill requires the SSA Office of the Inspector General to investigate and report to Congress on any unauthorized access to or disclosure of information in a beneficiary data system.

Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act

This bill temporarily prohibits the closure or consolidation of, or other limitation of access to, Social Security Administration (SSA) offices and stations, and sets forth procedural requirements for future changes to office and station availability.

Specifically, the bill prohibits through at least January 21, 2029, the closure or consolidation of, or other limitation of access to, SSA field offices, hearing offices, and resident stations. On or after that date, SSA must submit a report to Congress justifying its process for selecting stations and offices to be closed, consolidated, or limited. The prohibition is lifted 180 days after the submission of such report.

The bill also sets forth requirements that must be met before SSA may close, consolidate, or otherwise limit access to an office or station after the initial moratorium expires. At least 120 days before such a change takes effect, SSA must provide public notice to individuals in affected areas, including information on how lost access to SSA services will be replaced. SSA must also conduct at least two public hearings on each such change.

Further, SSA must provide a hearing to any individual who makes a timely showing that a determination to close, consolidate, or limit an office or station is arbitrary, capricious, or deficient in another specified manner.

Finally, a closure, consolidation, or limitation may not result in the total number of SSA offices or stations falling below the number of such offices or stations in operation on January 20, 2025.

John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025

This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.

A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if, during the previous 25 years:

• 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state;

• 10 or more violations occurred, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself; or

• 3 or more violations occurred and the state administers the elections.

A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years.

States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as redistricting.

States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices.

The bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights.

The bill outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the extent of any history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision.

This resolution recognizes, and expresses support for preserving and investing in, freedmen's settlements.

Freedmen's settlements generally were established before and after emancipation by free and formerly enslaved African Americans to create self-sustaining communities away from racial violence and economic discrimination.

Original Black History Month Resolution of 2025

This resolution recognizes the importance of commemorating Black History Month as it acknowledges the achievements of Black Americans throughout the nation's history.