William Keating

Tick Identification Pilot Program Act of 2025

This bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to states to implement tick-identification programs, which must allow individuals to electronically report tick incidents and receive feedback from experts regarding the appropriate follow-up action.

Save Healthcare Workers Act

This bill establishes a new criminal offense for knowingly assaulting hospital personnel during the performance of their official duties in a manner that interferes with their performance of the duties or limits their ability to perform the duties.

Violations are subject to a fine, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both. Violations that involve dangerous weapons, result in bodily injury, or are committed during a declared public emergency are subject to an enhanced penalty of a fine, imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both.

Additionally, the bill authorizes grants to reduce the incidence of violence at hospitals, including violence or intimidation against hospital personnel in the performance of their duties.

Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act

This bill specifies certain requirements for private health insurers regarding coverage of individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD) who are also covered under Medicare.

In particular, the bill specifies that insurers may not limit benefits, including limiting network composition, in a manner that will affect ESRD Medicare beneficiaries differently compared to others without ESRD. The bill additionally specifies that insurers are not required to include a particular renal dialysis provider or a particular number of such providers as part of their networks.

Community News and Small Business Support Act

This bill establishes a temporary business tax credit for expenses incurred by an eligible small business to advertise in local media. The bill also establishes a temporary refundable tax credit for a percentage of wages paid by an eligible employer to local news journalists. (Limitations apply.)

Under the bill, an eligible small business (a business with an average of fewer than 50 employees) may claim a tax credit for (1) 80% of local media advertising expenses, up to a maximum of $5,000, in the first year of the tax credit; and (2) 50% of such expenses, up to a maximum of $2,500, in the subsequent four years. (Other conditions and limitations may apply.)

The bill also allows an eligible employer to claim each calendar quarter a refundable tax credit against Medicare payroll taxes for (1) 50% of wages paid to a local news journalist in the first four calendar quarters of the tax credit, and (2) 30% of such wages paid in each calendar quarter in the subsequent four years.

However, under the bill, the tax credit for local news journalist wages is limited to $12,500 in wages paid per local news journalist per quarter and the wages of no more than 1,500 local news journalists may be included. Further, the tax credit may not be claimed for wages for which certain other tax credits (e.g., the tax credit for paid family and medical leave) are claimed. (Other conditions and limitations may apply.)

Access Technology Affordability Act of 2025

This bill allows a refundable federal tax credit, through 2030, equal to the amounts paid for qualified access technology for use by a blind individual who is the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or a dependent of the taxpayer. (Limits apply.)

The bill defines qualified access technology as hardware, software, or other information technology with the primary function of converting or adapting information that is visually represented into forms or formats usable by blind individuals.

The tax credit is limited to (1) amounts paid that are not compensated by insurance or otherwise, and (2) an aggregate amount of $2,000 (adjusted for inflation) per blind individual in any period of three consecutive taxable years.

Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 2026

This bill repeals certain work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The requirements apply to able-bodied adults who are ages 18-65 and have no dependent children under the age of 14. Individuals who do not meet certain work requirements are generally prohibited from receiving more than 3 months of SNAP benefits over a 36-month period.

COLAs Don't Count Act of 2026

This bill revises requirements for determining eligibility and benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to exclude income received from certain (1) cost-of-living adjustments under the Social Security Act and to railroad retirement and veterans' benefits, and (2) supplementary payments under the Social Security Act.

Senior Hunger Prevention Act of 2026

This bill expands and modifies nutrition programs for older adults and adults with disabilities, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).

Under the bill, a household's eligibility for SNAP benefits may be certified for 36 months if all adult household members are elderly or disabled, an increase from 24 months. The bill also expands the SNAP medical expense deduction and increases the minimum allotment for households with one and two persons.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish an elderly simplified application program that allows a state to implement a streamlined SNAP application and certification process for households where all adult household members are elderly or disabled and have no earned income.

The bill also directs USDA to authorize public-private partnerships between USDA, retail food stores participating in SNAP, and community-based organizations to provide free or low-cost food delivery under SNAP, including through the use of private funds.

Further, the bill reauthorizes CSFP, provides additional funding for the program, and expands eligibility to include low-income adults with disabilities. CSFP benefits may also be certified for 36 months. Currently, benefits may be certified for not less than one year, but not more than three years.

The bill also expands eligibility for the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program to include adults with disabilities, provide a 36-month certification period, and include minimum and maximum benefit amounts.

Under the bill, USDA must also establish various related grant programs.

Faster Labor Contracts Act

This bill establishes mandatory deadlines for parties negotiating an initial collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and provides for mediation and arbitration to finalize CBAs.

Under the bill, CBA negotiations must begin within 10 days after an employer receives a written request from a newly recognized or certified bargaining representative. The bill provides that parties must make every reasonable effort to conclude and sign a CBA. Further, the bill provides that, if the parties have not reached an agreement after 90 days, either party may request mediation by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The bill directs FMCS to use its best efforts to secure an agreement.

If mediation does not result in an agreement within 30 days (or an additional period agreed to by both parties), FMSC must refer the parties to an arbitration panel to render a decision settling the dispute. The panel must consider specified factors, including the employer's financial prospects and employees' cost of living. The resulting CBA is binding on the parties for two years. (Parties may agree to amend the terms during the two-year period.)

The bill specifies that (1) an employer must maintain current wages, hours, terms, and conditions of employment during negotiations; and (2) an employer's duty to collectively bargain continues even if a representative has been decertified.

The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress regarding the average number of days between the certification or recognition of a bargaining representative and the date the initial CBA was executed.