Labor & Employment

in committee · United States · House Aug 2, 2025

HR 4852: Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025

The Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 establishes a national training plan for structural firefighters to respond to wildfires and wildland-urban interface fires, with $5 million annually for training grants. It creates an Under Secretary of Agriculture for Fire Coordination to improve federal-state-local coordination in wildfire response and authorizes $20 million annually for research on firefighter health, including PFAS exposure in firefighting equipment. The bill also provides $100 million for supplemental grants to fire departments and EMS organizations for wildfire response equipment and training, and sets criteria for mental health support for first responders. It requires reports to Congress on training effectiveness and coordination challenges within one year of enactment.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill authorizes $20M annually for firefighter health research including PFAS exposure, directly funding healthcare research related to medical professionals.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds firefighter training, health research, and coordination, directly supporting worker safety and professional development in the labor sector.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Workplace Safety Tags Emergency Management Public Safety

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 9, 2026

S 4025: Addressing Teacher Shortages Act of 2026

This bill, titled the Addressing Teacher Shortages Act of 2026, creates a federal grant program to help schools and school districts recruit and keep high-quality teachers, with a focus on rural areas, high-need subjects like STEM and special education, and underrepresented communities. The program provides competitive grants to eligible entities such as local school districts for at least five years to fund activities like teaching residencies, mentor programs, Grow Your Own initiatives that train local community members as teachers, and 2+2 partnerships between community colleges and universities. Grant recipients must match federal funds with non-federal contributions unless waived due to economic hardship, and the program prioritizes applications that include partnerships with minority-serving institutions and prepare paraprofessionals or substitute teachers for licensure.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates federal grants to recruit and retain high-quality teachers in under-resourced communities, directly supporting education through funding and teacher development programs.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill establishes federal grants to recruit and retain teachers, improving employment conditions and supporting educator workforce stability in under-resourced areas.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Financial Aid Teachers Professional Licensing

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 5, 2026

S 4016: Stop Unemployment Fraud Act

This bill, titled the Stop Unemployment Fraud Act, requires states to verify the identity of unemployment compensation claimants using government-issued IDs and supporting documents, while also mandating data matching with systems like the National Directory of New Hires to detect fraud. It prohibits states from relying solely on a claimant's self-attestation to prove eligibility and strengthens work search requirements by mandating that claimants maintain and submit weekly records of job search activities. The legislation also allows states to use up to 5% of recovered overpayments or collected contributions to fund fraud prevention efforts, technology upgrades, and proper employment classification systems.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill strengthens fraud prevention in unemployment benefits, protecting taxpayer funds and promoting fiscal responsibility by reducing government waste.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill strengthens unemployment fraud prevention and work search requirements, protecting worker benefits and ensuring proper eligibility for unemployment compensation.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 26, 2026

HR 8102: Workforce Investments Accountability Act

This bill, the Workforce Investments Accountability Act, strengthens how federal workforce training programs are measured and held accountable by updating performance metrics and reporting requirements under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It directly affects state and local workforce agencies, training providers, and program participants by requiring more detailed outcome tracking including earnings gains, employment retention, and completion rates. The bill mandates standardized reporting templates, allows access to wage records for better outcome measurement, and introduces stricter sanctions for states and local areas that fail to meet performance targets, including funding reductions and reallotment to higher-performing states. Additionally, it requires at least 50 percent of certain training funds be used for direct skills development services rather than administrative costs.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill strengthens workforce training program accountability by improving outcome tracking, which supports worker development and employment standards.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Workforce Development

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 11, 2025

HR 2051: Coast Guard Sustained Funding Act of 2025

This bill ensures Coast Guard personnel and contractors continue receiving pay during Coast Guard-specific funding gaps. If the Coast Guard's annual appropriations bill isn't enacted before the fiscal year begins (without a continuing resolution), the bill automatically provides funds for military members (including reservists on active duty), civilian employees supporting operations, and qualifying contractors. It prevents furloughs for these groups during such gaps without requiring new legislation. The bill applies only to Coast Guard-specific funding lapses, not general government shutdowns.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesPrevents furloughs by automatically funding Coast Guard personnel during appropriations gaps, ensuring continuous government spending on essential operations.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill ensures Coast Guard personnel and contractors receive pay during funding gaps, preventing furloughs and protecting employment stability for workers.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 17, 2026

HR 7961: H–1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act

This bill exempts H-1B visa holders working in healthcare from a presidential restriction that requires a $100,000 payment for entry into the United States. It directly affects foreign medical professionals and healthcare workers who hold H-1B nonimmigrant visas. The legislation removes the additional fee requirement for these workers while limiting any fees that may be charged to the standard amount already established under immigration law. The bill defines healthcare workers using the existing definition from the Affordable Care Act and was introduced in the 119th Congress in March 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill exempts H-1B healthcare workers from additional entry fees, improving access for foreign medical professionals and protecting healthcare workforce availability.90% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill exempts healthcare workers from restrictive entry fees, protecting immigrant access to employment and services.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill exempts healthcare workers from additional entry fees, protecting their ability to work and supporting labor mobility in healthcare sector.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 5, 2026

S 4010: 21st Century Worker Act

This bill, titled the 21st Century Worker Act, establishes a new federal framework for classifying service providers as either employees or independent contractors. It creates specific criteria for mandatory employee classification, such as substantial economic relationships where workers are required to work full-time, and mandatory independent contractor status for licensed professionals, business entities, and those with limited economic relationships. For situations that do not fit these categories, the bill allows service providers to elect their own classification through a written agreement signed by both parties. The legislation also updates definitions of employee and employer in major federal laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act, National Labor Relations Act, and Internal Revenue Code, and requires annual reviews of worker classifications to ensure they remain accurate.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill clarifies worker classification to protect service providers from misclassification, strengthening employment standards and worker rights.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 12, 2026

HR 7922: Small Business Dependent Care FSA Opportunity Act

This bill creates a tax credit for small employers who set up new dependent care flexible spending plans for their employees. The credit covers startup costs like plan establishment and employee education expenses, but only for the first three years after the plan begins. To qualify, the employer must not have previously offered a similar plan to the same employees, and the plan must include at least one non-highly compensated employee. The maximum credit is $500 in the first year and the next two years, or up to $250 per eligible employee, capped at $5,000 total.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides tax credit to small employers for dependent care plans, reducing tax burden and promoting workforce support programs.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides tax credit for dependent care flexible spending plans, expanding access to healthcare-related financial support for small employers and employees.75% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides tax credit for small employers to establish dependent care flexible spending plans, expanding employee benefits and supporting worker welfare.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Tags Small Business

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 4, 2025

HR 660: WISER Act of 2025

The WISER Act of 2025 provides automatic discharge status upgrades and a $25,000 one-time payment to eligible female veterans involuntarily separated from military service between April 1951 and February 1976 under Executive Order 10240. It directly affects women veterans who served during that period and were separated due to pregnancy, childbirth, or childcare responsibilities. The bill establishes two programs: one to upgrade discharge status (treating veterans as if they completed their service) and another to pay $25,000 to eligible veterans or their surviving spouses if the veteran dies after enactment. Eligibility is automatic for those separated under Executive Order 10240, with additional consideration for veterans who had childbirth-related events within 10 months of separation.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides discharge upgrades and financial compensation to female veterans separated due to pregnancy/childcare, protecting workers' rights and expanding employment benefits for a specific group.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProvides $25,000 payment and automatic discharge upgrades to female veterans unjustly separated for pregnancy/childbirth, directly expanding benefits and correcting historical inequities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Military Families Veteran Benefits Veteran Healthcare

Track

in committee · United States · House Feb 18, 2025

HR 1410: 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025

HR 1410 expands access to mental health care for 9/11 responders and survivors by allowing licensed mental health providers (not just physicians) to conduct initial health evaluations and certifications under the World Trade Center Health Program. It adjusts the program’s funding formula to account for changing enrollment numbers by linking annual funding to the previous year’s enrollment ratio, and clarifies that deceased individuals are excluded from enrollment counts. The bill also extends the timeframe for adding new health conditions to the program’s list and requires a 2028 report assessing long-term funding needs through 2090. These changes aim to streamline eligibility, improve care access, and ensure sustainable funding for the program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill adjusts funding formula for 9/11 health program and expands mental health access, strengthening government spending for essential public health services.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands mental health provider access beyond physicians and adjusts funding to sustain WTC Health Program, directly improving patient access and program stability.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands mental health care access for 9/11 responders and survivors, strengthening worker benefits and health protections under the World Trade Center Health Program.75% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill expands mental health care access for 9/11 responders and survivors under the World Trade Center Health Program, improving healthcare benefits for this veteran-related group.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Workplace Safety

Track