Donald Norcross

This bill creates a new federal grant program to improve remedial education at colleges and universities, awarding minimum $500,000 grants over five years to institutions implementing evidence-based approaches such as accelerated courses, co-requisite models where remedial instruction accompanies college courses, and comprehensive support programs. The grants prioritize institutions serving low-income students and require applicants to use multiple measures to identify students needing help, consult with stakeholders, and develop plans for long-term program sustainability. The bill authorizes $162.5 million annually through fiscal year 2032 and establishes strict protections for student data, including criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosure and a prohibition on selling data to third parties or sharing it with law enforcement and immigration agencies. By supporting five proven remedial education models and requiring data collection to evaluate their effectiveness, the legislation aims to help underprepared students progress through coursework and complete degrees while building evidence about which approaches work best.

The Credit for Prior Learning Act amends federal higher education law to help students get credit for knowledge and skills gained outside traditional classroom settings. The bill allows colleges to include up to $2,000 per year in student financial aid packages to cover the costs of prior learning assessments, such as exam fees, with this amount adjusted for inflation annually. Prior learning assessments must meet specific standards, evaluating actual competency rather than just experience, and successfully passing an assessment must result in the student receiving academic credit toward their degree without additional coursework. The legislation also requires college accrediting agencies to verify that institutions maintain adequate standards for these assessments and that institutions publicly disclose their assessment practices. Additionally, colleges must report data on how many students use prior learning credits, broken down by race, income level, and Pell Grant recipient status, to increase transparency. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2027.

This bill authorizes the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Peter McGuire, a historic labor leader recognized as the "Father of Labor Day and of May Day." McGuire is credited with founding the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, serving as the first Secretary of the American Federation of Labor, and leading successful strikes that helped secure the eight-hour workday for thousands of workers in the late 1800s. The Secretary of the Treasury will design and strike the gold medal in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, and following its presentation, the medal will be permanently housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History for public display and research. The bill also authorizes the Treasury to produce and sell duplicate bronze versions to cover production costs. No specific funding amount or timeline is specified in the legislation.

This bill expands access to methadone for treating opioid addiction by allowing qualified addiction medicine physicians and addiction psychiatrists to prescribe methadone through pharmacies, rather than limiting it to specialized opioid treatment programs. Qualified practitioners must hold specific board certifications in addiction medicine or psychiatry, or meet standards set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and must use electronic prescribing for liquid or dispersible tablet formulations. The bill affects patients with opioid use disorder, healthcare providers, pharmacies, and state governments, with patients able to receive methadone through regular pharmacies while maintaining access to other addiction treatment services. The law takes effect 180 days after enactment, and the Drug Enforcement Administration must report to Congress annually on the number of registered practitioners, state requests to opt out, registration violations, and pharmacy orders for methadone. States retain the authority to request that the Attorney General stop registering prescribers within their borders if they choose not to participate in this expanded access model.

The PATH Act directs the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants to nonprofit partnerships for developing pre-apprenticeship programs that prepare workers in the building and construction trades, with a focus on serving underrepresented populations including racial minorities, women, veterans, American Indians, the long-term unemployed, and individuals from low-income and rural areas. Eligible applicants must include both industry employers and labor organizations working together, and must demonstrate experience running worker training programs and the ability to help participants achieve economic self-sufficiency. The federal government will cover 75 percent of project costs, with grantees responsible for the remaining 25 percent through cash or in-kind contributions, and initial grants will last up to three years with possible one-year extensions for programs meeting performance standards. Grant funds support training costs, curriculum development aligned with registered apprenticeship standards, participant assessments, and program evaluations, as well as optional stipends for participants and coordination with existing career and technical education programs. The bill authorizes $20 million in annual funding beginning in fiscal year 2027.

This resolution supports establishing a "National Learn to Swim Week" beginning on the fourth Sunday in June to raise public awareness about water safety and swimming instruction. The resolution highlights that drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four and the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages five to fourteen, with approximately 4,000 fatal drownings occurring annually in the United States. Research shows that formal swimming lessons can reduce drowning risk among young children by 88 percent, yet significant racial and economic disparities exist, with 64 percent of African-American children and 45 percent of Hispanic and Latino children lacking basic swimming skills. The resolution expresses the House's sense that all Americans should have access to swimming lessons and calls on federal, state, and local governments to fund swim instruction programs, integrate water safety education into school curricula, and support the National Water Safety Action Plan. This is a symbolic resolution that does not authorize any specific funding or create binding requirements, but rather advocates for increased swimming access and drowning prevention efforts across the country.

This resolution provides for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 5408) to accelerate workplace time-to-contract under the National Labor Relations Act.

The Give America a Raise Act would significantly increase the federal minimum wage over a four-year period, starting at $10 per hour and reaching $20 per hour by year four, with annual adjustments thereafter based on inflation or economic growth, whichever is greater. The bill also raises the minimum wage for tipped workers over six years from $6 to $20 per hour, eventually eliminating the separate tipped wage and requiring workers to keep all tips they receive. Young workers (under 20) hired for the first time and workers with disabilities would receive graduated wage increases toward the regular minimum wage, with new special certificates for disabled workers phased out. The bill takes effect roughly three months after enactment, with the Department of Labor required to publish notices 60 days before each wage increase.

The SEPSIS Act establishes a federal program to reduce sepsis deaths and hospitalizations in the United States, where sepsis affects 1.7 million Americans annually and kills approximately 350,000. The bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a sepsis team that will lead public education campaigns, improve data collection (particularly for children), develop quality measures, and share best practices based on proven protocols like those used in New York hospitals. The CDC will also provide annual briefings to Congress on hospital adoption of sepsis prevention practices and create a voluntary recognition program to honor hospitals with effective sepsis programs. The legislation authorizes $20 million per year from 2026 through 2030 to support these efforts, which aim to prevent deaths through early recognition and treatment of sepsis, a condition that experts say is preventable in most fatal cases.

The Save Our Ships Act establishes a new grant program within the Department of the Interior to help preserve historic military ships and submarines that are open to the public. The program will provide competitive grants to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations that operate museums, memorials, or educational centers displaying decommissioned military vessels, funding activities like physical repairs, environmental hazard mitigation, and educational programs related to maritime careers. The legislation covers vessels previously owned by the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, or the Department of Transportation, as well as certain merchant ships that were armed during military service. The program is authorized to receive $5 million per year starting in fiscal year 2026, with no specified end date. The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense, will administer the grants.

The Battery Fire Prevention Act creates a 30 percent tax credit for businesses in the recycling industry that purchase battery detection devices, such as those using X-ray technology or artificial intelligence to identify batteries in waste streams. To fund battery recycling initiatives, the bill imposes a 5 percent tax on all battery sales by manufacturers and importers beginning January 1, 2026, with revenue directed to a new Lithium Battery Buy-Back Trust Fund. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency must jointly establish a National Battery Recycling Program within five years that identifies approved recycling facilities, awards grants to support collection systems for used lithium batteries, and allows consumers to receive financial incentives for turning in old batteries. The bill affects battery manufacturers, recycling businesses, and consumers, with the tax credit and recycling program intended to reduce fire hazards by improving battery detection and recovery rates in the waste management process.

The Trust Through Transparency Act of 2025 requires all immigration enforcement officers from Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and deputized partners to wear and operate body cameras during public-facing immigration enforcement actions such as patrols, stops, arrests, and interviews. The recorded footage must be retained for six months by default but must be permanently deleted after that period unless it captures use of force, arrests, or involves complaints—in which cases it is kept longer. The bill allows various parties, including the officers involved, their supervisors, affected members of the public, and families of minors or deceased individuals, to request that footage be retained for up to three years if they assert it has evidentiary or training value. The legislation also requires the Department of Homeland Security to discipline officers who fail to comply with body camera requirements and to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the number of enforcement actions conducted, instances of noncompliance, and disciplinary actions taken, with these reports made publicly available on the DHS website within 30 days of submission.

This resolution supports the designation of a National Animal Rescue Day to create awareness for animal rescue programs throughout the year and address the challenge of pet overpopulation through continued spaying and neutering.

Faster Labor Contracts ActThis 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.

This bill would allow workers involved in labor disputes—including strikes and lockouts—to receive unemployment benefits, a benefit currently unavailable to them under federal law. The legislation amends tax and Social Security rules so that striking workers can collect unemployment compensation starting either 14 days after a strike begins, when a lockout starts, when employers hire permanent replacement workers, or when the dispute ends and workers become unemployed, whichever comes first. The bill also exempts these workers from the typical requirement to be actively seeking other employment while receiving benefits. The measure directly affects workers engaged in labor disputes and their families by providing income support during strikes and lockouts, though the bill specifies no direct federal funding amount, leaving implementation costs to existing unemployment insurance systems. This represents a significant policy shift that would increase the financial protection available to striking workers compared to current law.

Peter J. McGuire Labor Day Landmark ActThis bill designates the Peter J. McGuire Memorial and Peter J. McGuire Gravesite in Pennsauken, New Jersey, as the Peter J. McGuire Memorial National Commemorative Site.The Department of the Interior may enter into cooperative agreements to provide the public with educational and interpretive facilities and programs concerning the commemorative site. Interior may also provide technical and financial assistance to any entity with which it has entered into such cooperative agreement.

H.R. 4896, introduced in August 2025, establishes comprehensive protections for warehouse workers at large distribution centers and warehouses with 200 or more employees. The bill creates a new Fairness and Transparency Office within the Department of Labor to oversee enforcement and requires covered employers to disclose all productivity quotas, performance measures, and workplace monitoring methods to workers within 180 days of enactment. Employers are prohibited from setting quotas that interfere with meal breaks, bathroom access, safety compliance, or union activity, must provide paid 15-minute rest breaks every four hours, and cannot measure worker performance in intervals shorter than one day. The law is enforced through multiple agencies—the Department of Labor, the Federal Trade Commission, and OSHA—with civil penalties ranging from approximately $77,000 to $770,000 per violation, strong anti-retaliation protections, and a presumption that adverse actions within 90 days of workers exercising their rights are retaliatory. The bill authorizes funding through fiscal year 2035 and requires OSHA to develop new ergonomic and medical standards for warehouse workers within the next three to four years.

Workers' Memorial Day This bill establishes Workers' Memorial Day as a federal holiday.

H.R. 2736, the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025, establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights among state and local government employees. The bill requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to evaluate whether each state's laws meet these standards—including employee rights to organize, union recognition through majority vote, binding arbitration for bargaining impasses, and payroll deduction of union fees—within 180 days of enactment. If states fall short, the Authority must create enforcement rules within one year to administer union elections, investigate complaints, and issue enforceable orders. The legislation preserves existing state collective bargaining agreements and exempts certain employees (state militia, employees in small political subdivisions) and benefits (pensions) from federal requirements, while prohibiting lockouts and strikes that would disrupt emergency or public safety services.

No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) ActThis bill excludes from the tax deduction for ordinary and necessary business expenses amounts paid or incurred to influence employees with respect to labor organizations or labor organization activities. The bill also imposes information reporting requirements related to such expenses and imposes penalties for failure to comply. Under the bill, amounts paid to influence employees with respect to labor organizations include amounts paid (including wages and other costs) in connection with an action that results in a complaint or settlement related to an unfair labor practice or a finding of interference, influence, or coercion related to railway employees’ rights to organize and bargain collectively;for any meeting or training attended by employees and at which labor organizations are discussed; andthat require certain employer disclosures and financial reporting.(Some exceptions apply.) The bill requires employers to file a return reporting certain information related to expenses paid to influence employees with respect to labor organizations and imposes a penalty for noncompliance. The amount of the penalty is the greater of (1) $10,000, or (2) $1,000 multiplied by the number full-time equivalent employees. Additional penalties apply for violations that continue for more than 90 days. The bill also imposes information reporting requirements on persons conducting activities on behalf of another person to influence employees with respect to labor organizations.The bill allows certain penalties for noncompliance with the reporting requirements to be waived if noncompliance is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.

Seizure Awareness and Preparedness ActThis bill directs the Department of Education to award competitive grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for carrying out a program that supports elementary and secondary students who have epilepsy or a seizure disorder. Specifically, LEAs must use these subgrants to train school personnel on seizure awareness and preparedness that covers individualized health care plans and individualized emergency health care plans for students who have epilepsy or a seizure disorder.

Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act or the TREATS ActThis bill permanently allows health care practitioners to prescribe certain controlled substances for treating substance use disorders via telehealth without evaluating the patient in person. Generally, a health care practitioner may not prescribe a controlled substance via telehealth unless they first conduct an in-person medical evaluation. Federal regulations currently provide a temporary exception to this requirement, allowing practitioners to prescribe schedule II-V controlled substances for legitimate medical purposes (such as treating substance use disorders) via telehealth without an in-person evaluation. However, this temporary regulatory flexibility expires on December 31, 2025.The bill permanently allows practitioners to prescribe schedule III-V controlled substances for the treatment of a substance use disorder via telehealth without conducting an in-person evaluation. In such instances, a practitioner may conduct a telehealth evaluation using audio-only or audio and video equipment.

The Parity Enforcement Act of 2025 creates civil monetary penalties for health insurance plans and insurers that violate mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. Currently, federal law requires that mental health and substance use disorder benefits be treated fairly compared to medical and surgical benefits, but enforcement mechanisms are limited. This bill strengthens enforcement by allowing penalties against plan sponsors, service providers, plan administrators, and insurance issuers that fail to comply with these parity rules. The legislation takes effect one year after enactment and applies to group health plans offered through employers. While the bill does not specify the penalty amounts, it empowers regulators to impose financial consequences for violations, giving them stronger tools to ensure that insurance coverage for mental health and addiction treatment is not unfairly restricted compared to other medical care.