Proposed legislation related to our safety net: August 26, 2025 - October 8, 2025

ADA, affordable housing, childcare, FMLA, foster care, SNAP, and unemployment, in alphabetical order, not in order of importance. Whichever impacts you is the most important.

ADA

September 3, 2025 alert. September 9, 2025 meeting. 2:00PM(EDT). “Untapped Talent in America: Removing Barriers to Work and Supporting Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities.” Meeting Details – video only, transcript and meeting documents are not available as of December 31, 2025.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

S.2719 - LIFT Homebuyers Act of 2025 (Low-Income First-Time Homebuyers Act of 2025). To establish a program to provide low- and moderate-income first-time, first-generation homebuyers with access to affordable and sustainable wealth-building home loans.
Introduced September 4, 2025 by Mark Warner (D-VA). Cosponsored by three Democrats and no Republicans. Still in committee.
Comment: This is such a fairly-written bit of legislation. It provides a path to generational wealth, to home ownership… We need this bill.

S.2720 - Yes in God’s Backyard Act. To provide technical assistance and grants for faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education, and local governments to increase the supply of affordable rental housing.
Introduced September 4, 2025 by Mark Warner (D-VA). Cosponsored by five Democrats and no Republicans. Still in committee.
Comment: Mark Warner was an “abstract” for me before June when I started this project. He’s grown on me. His bills do what they say, are relatively simple and easy to read, and are fair.

H.R.5529 - Fair Housing for Disabled Veterans Act. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to disregard veteran disability compensation or pension payments in determining income for purposes of the low income housing tax credit and qualified residential rental project bonds.
Introduced September 19, 2025 by Linda Sánchez (D-CA). Cosponsored by nine Democrats and eight Republicans. Still in committee.
Comment: Very simple bill that does exactly what it says.

CHILDCARE

No legislation.

FMLA

H.R.5390 - FAMILY Act (Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act). To provide paid family and medical leave benefits to certain individuals.
Introduced September 16, 2025 by Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). Cosponsored by one-hundred-and-ninety-nine (199!) Democrats and no Republicans. Still in committee.
Comment: If you read nothing else, read Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s announcement of this proposed legislation. Note the word “paid” in To provide paid family and medical leave benefits to certain individuals.
If this were to pass, the USA would finally join the rest of the civilized world.
Note: The Senate version of this bill has been drafted, but has not yet been officially introduced. This is another go-round for legislation introduced in 2023.

H.R.5397 - HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act (Helping with Equal Access to Leave and Investing in Needs for Grieving Mothers and Fathers Act). To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide leave for the spontaneous loss of an unborn child.
Introduced September 16, 2025 by Ashley Hinson (R-IA). No cosponsors. Still in committee.
Comment: Would amend the existing FMLA (unpaid leave) to include entitlement to leave “because of the spontaneous loss of an unborn child of the employee or spouse of the employee.”

FOSTER CARE

No legislation.

SNAP

H.R.5055 - Increasing Nutrition Access for Seniors Act of 2025. To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to simplify supplemental nutrition assistance program access for elderly and disabled individuals.
Introduced August 26, 2025 by Josh Riley (D-NY). Cosponsored by thirteen Democrats and one Republican [Michael Lawler (R-NY)]. Still in committee.
Comment: Simply trying to make it easier for low-income senior citizens to qualify for SNAP benefits.

September 2, 2025 alert. September 9, 2025 meeting. 10:00AM(EDT) | 1300 Longworth House Office Bldg, Washington, D.C. “Exploring State Options in SNAP.” Meeting Details include video of meeting, list of witnesses, and PDFs of their testimony before the House Agriculture Committee. Transcript is not available as of December 31, 2025.

S.2707 - FEED Act of 2025 (Food Eligibility for Education and Development Act of 2025). To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to exclude certain student income from eligibility determinations.
Introduced September 4, 2025 by Jon Husted (R-OH). Cosponsored by Cory Booker (D-NJ). Still in committee.
Comment: This would allow students enrolled in technical or trade schools to exclude income earned during training for determining eligibility under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.

S.2717 - Student Loan Deduction Act of 2025. To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow for deductions of student loan payments from income.
Introduced September 4, 2025 by Peter Welch (D-VT). Cosponsored by eight Democrats and one Independent (Bernie Sanders-VT). Still in committee.
Comment: Similar to S.2707 (above), student loan repayments would be deducted from income when determining eligibility under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.

H.R.5129 - Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025. To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require that supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits be calculated using the value of the low-cost food plan.
Introduced September 4, 2025 by Alma Adams (D-NC). Cosponsored by three Democrats and no Republicans. Still in committee.
Comment: I learned something. I didn’t know that SNAP benefits were based on a calculation of a “thrifty food plan” = family of four consisting of one man and one woman between 19-50 years of age, one child between 6-8, and one child between 9-11. Currently SNAP benefits are minimum of $23/month (yes, really) with maximum of $994, depending on which state you live in.
Alma Adams proposes that the USDA calculate SNAP benefits based on their calculations for a low-cost food plan, and not the bare bones “thrifty” plan, removing the thrifty plan altogether.

H.R.5223 - RESTORE Act of 2025 (Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials Act of 2025). To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to allow individuals with drug offenses to receive benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
Introduced September 9, 2025 by Steve Cohen (D-TN). Cosponsored by John Rutherford (R-FL). Still in committee.
Comment: Would do what it says – persons with drug convictions would be eligible for SNAP benefits. The bill would also override any state prohibitions against SNAP eligibility for drug offenders.

S.2778 - Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025. To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish a program for the procurement of domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables to provide healthier school meals.
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Ron Wyden (D-OR). Cosponsored by Peter Welch (D-VT) and Michael Bennet (D-CO). Still in committee.
Comment: This bill would essentially turn what was a “pilot project” into a full-blown program.

S.2792 - Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025. To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require that supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits be calculated using the value of the low-cost food plan.
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Cosponsored by JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Still in committee.
Comment: This is the Senate version of H.R.5129 (above). Same comments as with that proposed bill.

S.2944 - No Shame at School Act of 2025. To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require mandatory certification for certain students and reduce stigma associated with unpaid school meal fees.
Introduced September 30, 2025 by Tina Smith (D-MN). No cosponsors. Still in committee.
From the bill: OVERT IDENTIFICATION PROHIBITED.—A local educational agency or school food authority may not, based on the status of a covered child as a covered child—(i) physically segregate the covered child; (ii) overtly identify the covered child—(I) through the use of special tokens or tickets; or, (II) by an announcement or a published list of names; or (iii) identify or stigmatize the covered child by any other means.
Comment: Does exactly what it says. My heart breaks for children who are shamed because they cannot afford a school lunch.

H.R.5718 - SNAP Back Act of 2025. To reinstate exemptions to SNAP work-requirements for homeless individuals, veterans, and former foster youth.
Introduced October 8, 2025 by Gwen Moore (D-WI). Cosponsored by three Democrats and no Republicans. Still in committee.
Comment: Why is this a Democratic bill?

UNEMPLOYMENT-UNDEREMPLOYMENT

H.R.5206 - Empowering Striking Workers Act of 2025. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Social Security Act to provide that an individual engaged in a labor dispute may receive unemployment benefits.
Introduced September 8, 2025 by Donald Norcross (D-NJ). Cosponsored by forty Democratis and no Republicans. Still in committee.
Comment: Another bill that proposes exactly what its title states. If you work for a unionized company and your company goes on strike, you qualify for unemployment benefits.
Interestingly, the bill adds a provision that if an employer hires permanent replacement workers or locks out striking union employees, the employee is also entitled to unemployment compensation.

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