Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act would reverse certain restrictions on health insurance subsidies for lawfully present immigrants. Specifically, the bill would restore premium tax credits for immigrants who are legally present in the United States but ineligible for Medicaid based on their immigration status, allowing them to access federal help paying for health insurance premiums. The legislation would also give states the option to expand eligibility for their Basic Health Programs up to 250 percent of the federal poverty line, compared to the current 200 percent cap. These changes would take effect starting in 2026 and 2027, making health coverage more affordable for a population currently facing barriers to insurance. The bill was introduced by House Democrats and referred to the Committees on Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce.

The Ban Flock Act would prohibit the federal government from using automatic license plate readers (systems that capture and track vehicle license plates) without explicit congressional authorization. The bill would also prevent the federal government from purchasing these technologies or their data, and would withhold federal grants from state and local governments that use automatic license plate readers unless they pass laws banning the technology to the same degree as the federal prohibition. The law includes limited exceptions for toll collection systems, which would be permitted to use license plate readers solely for billing and payment purposes under strict rules requiring data deletion within 48 hours and prohibiting law enforcement use except with a warrant. The bill creates a private right of action allowing individuals and state attorneys general to sue for violations, with potential awards including actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. The restrictions would apply to most federal agencies and would take effect beginning the first fiscal year after the bill's enactment, with no specific funding amount specified in the legislation.

The Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act establishes a new federal program to address climate change while creating employment opportunities, particularly for workers from underserved communities. The program creates two operational components: a national climate service program and a grant program that recruit participants aged 17 and older (regardless of immigration status) for 9-12 month service periods working on climate, clean energy, and environmental projects such as building retrofits, renewable energy installation, and ecosystem restoration. Participants receive a minimum living allowance of $20 per hour, health insurance, childcare assistance, and up to $25,000 per service term for education or student loan repayment, with full labor rights including unionization and strike protections. The bill requires that at least 50 percent of resources support underserved communities and mandates prevailing wages, union-friendly policies, and coordination with tribal nations and local entities. The program is designed to scale from 50,000 positions in 2027 to 400,000 by 2031 in the national service program, with educational benefits excluded from participants' taxable income.

# Summary The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act establishes federal grant programs to modernize and upgrade public housing across the United States while creating employment and business opportunities for residents. Public housing agencies can apply for grants to conduct deep energy retrofits, replace aging infrastructure, install renewable energy systems, upgrade water quality, and improve accessibility in buildings. The bill also funds workforce development programs that provide job training, apprenticeships, and support services to public housing residents and allows them to participate in contracting opportunities related to these projects. Grant recipients must commit to converting all their public housing to carbon-neutral "zero-carbon homes" within ten years and cannot reduce the number of public housing units. The legislation emphasizes extensive resident engagement before projects begin, including at least two public comment periods and hearings. Contractors must follow prevailing wage requirements, use American-made materials, prioritize hiring public housing residents and former incarcerated individuals, and ensure that 20 to 50 percent of contracts eventually go to businesses owned by public housing residents. The bill appropriates unspecified funding for the capital backlog in public housing and for fiscal years 2027 through 2037, plus $1 billion for administrative costs, with no sunset date specified.

This bill would halt construction of new artificial intelligence data centers in the United States until Congress passes legislation establishing safety protections and regulations for AI development. The moratorium applies to data centers exceeding 20 megawatts of power capacity or specifically designed for large-scale AI model development. Before the moratorium can be lifted, Congress must enact laws requiring federal review and approval of AI products, ensuring AI economic benefits are shared broadly with workers rather than concentrated among tech company owners, establishing community approval rights for new data centers, prohibiting government subsidies for AI infrastructure, and requiring union jobs with prevailing wages. The bill also directs the Department of Energy to issue quarterly public reports on all AI data centers, tracking their energy use, water consumption, emissions, wages, and other environmental and labor metrics. Additionally, the legislation would restrict exports of computing hardware to countries lacking comparable AI safety regulations. The bill affects technology companies planning major data center expansions, particularly firms like Amazon, Google, and Meta currently building large-scale AI infrastructure facilities.

The Transparency in Medicare Advantage Steering Act requires Medicare Advantage insurance plans to report detailed information about the agents and brokers who enroll their members, starting January 1, 2028. Specifically, plans must report which enrollees were signed up through agents or brokers, how much compensation those agents or brokers received, and the form of that compensation. Beginning in 2030, the federal government will publicly release this compensation data on its website and add a flag to Medicare's medical records database to identify enrollees who were steered to plans by agents rather than choosing independently. The bill affects Medicare Advantage organizations, agents, brokers, and the roughly 28 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in these plans. The legislation contains no new federal spending but creates reporting requirements for insurance companies to increase transparency around potential financial incentives that may influence how beneficiaries are enrolled in specific plans.

The Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act would eliminate federal wage and overtime exemptions that currently apply to home care workers, including home health aides and personal care aides. Currently, these workers are exempt from minimum wage and overtime protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act, but this bill would end that exemption and require employers to pay them at least the minimum wage and overtime compensation when applicable. The bill narrows existing exemptions to apply only to casual babysitting services performed on an irregular basis, while protecting trained caregiving professionals. This legislation would primarily benefit millions of home care workers who often work long hours for low pay caring for elderly, disabled, and ill Americans. The bill was introduced in March 2026 with broad Democratic support but does not specify funding levels or implementation timelines.

The 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act would allow undocumented immigrants who worked on rescue, recovery, and cleanup operations after the September 11 attacks to become lawful permanent residents (green card holders). Eligible workers include those who performed at least 4 hours of service at lower Manhattan, Staten Island, or the Pentagon site between September 11-14, 2001, those with 24 hours of service through September 30, 2001, or those with 80 hours of service through July 31, 2002, as well as vehicle maintenance workers exposed to World Trade Center debris during that period. Applicants would have 18 months from the bill's enactment to apply, and the bill waives application fees for those making up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level or facing extraordinary hardship. The bill protects applicant information from immigration enforcement use and provides temporary work authorization during the adjustment process, without reducing the total number of immigrant visas available nationally.

Disrupt Explicit Forged Images And Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2025 or the DEFIANCE Act of 2025This bill expands civil remedies for the nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images (i.e., nonconsensual pornography). The bill also establishes a new federal civil action for nonconsensual conduct involving intimate digital forgeries (i.e., deepfakes). The term intimate digital forgery means any intimate visual depiction of an identifiable individual created using software, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or other computer-generated or technological means that looks authentic.With respect to the nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images, current law allows an identifiable individual to recover civil remedies, including litigation costs, damages, and injunctive relief. This bill increases the available damages by allowing the individual to recover punitive damages and by including, as part of actual damages, profits of the defendant that are attributable to the conduct at issue.The bill also allows an identifiable individual who is the subject of an intimate digital forgery to file a federal civil action against anyone who knowingly discloses, produces or possesses with intent to disclose, or solicits and receives the intimate digital forgery without the individual's consent. Under the bill, the identifiable individual may recover the same expanded civil remedies that are available for the nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images.Finally, the bill establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for filing civil actions involving nonconsensual intimate digital forgeries or nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images. The statute begins to run when the individual discovers the violation or turns 18, whichever is later.

This bill reauthorizes the federal Healthy Start Initiative, a program that works to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates, particularly in high-risk communities. The legislation extends funding authorization for the program through fiscal year 2030, providing $145 million annually from 2026 to 2030. The Healthy Start Initiative primarily benefits pregnant women, new mothers, and infants in communities with elevated rates of infant mortality and poor birth outcomes. The program typically serves low-income communities and communities of color through local organizations that provide prenatal care, health education, case management, and other supportive services to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

10 Percent Credit Card Interest Rate Cap Act This bill temporarily caps credit card interest rates at 10%.Creditors that knowingly violate this bill forfeit the entire interest of the debt. The bill also provides a private right of action for debtors to recover interest, finance charges, or fees. The action must be brought within two years of the violation. In addition, violations of this bill are subject to civil liability under the Truth in Lending Act, which is enforced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. These changes sunset on January 1, 2031.

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025This bill expands the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to give the Department of the Interior the authority to collect certain fees from applicants for, or holders of, geothermal leases through September 30, 2032. Specifically, Interior may direct those applicants or leaseholders to reimburse the United States for costs from (1) processing applications for geothermal leases on federal land, such as applications for geothermal drilling permits; and (2) inspecting and monitoring geothermal exploration and development activities, including reclamation activities.Interior may reduce the amount of the fee if it determines that (1) the full reimbursement would impose an economic hardship on the applicant, or (2) a less than full reimbursement is necessary to promote the greatest use of geothermal resources.Interior may use those fees only to the extent that they are provided in advance in appropriations acts for (1) processing applications for geothermal leases, and (2) inspecting and monitoring related exploration and development activities.Within five years of the bill's enactment, Interior must submit to Congress a report that includes an assessment of how the fees affect Interior's geothermal leasing program and any recommendations for updates to the fees and the program.

Oyster Reef Recovery Act of 2025This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a grant program to support the conservation of oyster reefs.Under the bill, NOAA must award grants and provide technical assistance to qualified entities to support the conservation, restoration, enhancement, or management of oyster reefs. (An oyster reef is a large colonial aggregation of living oysters and shells, rocks, or other items that have grown together and provide a habitat for other marine animals and plants.) Grants must be used for research, planning, construction, assessments, management, building capacity, monitoring, collaborating and sharing information, or workforce training with respect to the conservation, restoration, enhancement, or management of oyster reefs. Grant applicants must demonstrate that proposed projects will not reasonably interfere with commercial or recreational fishing or other water-related uses of the relevant area. Entities qualified to apply for grants are units of federal, state, local, or tribal government; nongovernmental institutions; nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; shellfish growers; shellfish harvesters; private individuals; and private entities.