The CLINIC Assistance Act establishes a federal grant program to fund law school clinics and pro bono programs that help employees and retirees challenge denied benefits and pursue legal claims related to their health insurance and retirement plans. The Department of Labor will award grants of up to $500,000 per year to accredited law schools to support attorney-supervised programs where law students provide free legal assistance in benefit appeals, lawsuits under federal employee benefits law, and disputes with healthcare providers over unpaid costs. The bill authorizes $5 million annually for the program from fiscal year 2026 through 2030 and requires the Labor Department's Employee Benefits Security Administration to coordinate with participating law schools and refer participants to these clinics. This legislation aims to improve access to legal representation for ordinary workers and retirees who otherwise might not afford an attorney to fight denied benefit claims.

This bill directs the Department of Defense to connect the federal Job Corps program with the defense industry workforce. Specifically, it requires the Defense Department to inform military recruits who are ineligible for enlistment about Job Corps opportunities that provide training for skilled industrial jobs in defense manufacturing, shipbuilding, and related sectors. The bill also amends existing law to allow Job Corps centers to accept grants and donations directly, and gives Job Corps center operators more flexibility to hire staff, develop training programs, and partner with schools and employers without requiring prior approval from federal administrators. Additionally, the legislation extends special incentive provisions for shipbuilding workforce development to include the Job Corps program and streamlines enrollment for military members and veterans. The bill does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines but aims to address shortages of skilled workers in defense industries through curriculum development, equipment, and facility investments.

This resolution recognizes April as "Community College Month" to celebrate the more than 1,000 community colleges across the United States. The resolution highlights that these institutions serve approximately 10.5 million students and play a critical role in providing affordable access to higher education, workforce training, and economic opportunity. Community colleges charge an average annual tuition of $4,050 for in-district students and serve a diverse population including working adults, low-income students, parents, veterans, and first-generation college students. The resolution notes that community colleges contribute significantly to the nation's economy, with their alumni generating nearly $900 billion in added income to the national economy and every dollar of public funding returning $6.80 in tax revenue. This is a symbolic resolution with no funding or implementation requirements, simply asking Congress to recognize the importance of community colleges to American prosperity and competitiveness.

This joint resolution uses a congressional disapproval process to reject a Department of Education rule regarding the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program that was published on October 31, 2025. If approved by both chambers of Congress, the rule would be invalidated and have no legal effect. The resolution was introduced by Representative Joe Courtney and co-sponsored by dozens of lawmakers, primarily Democrats, and was referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. The measure targets federal student loan program policies without specifying the exact changes the Department of Education's rule would have made. No funding or specific implementation timeline is mentioned in the resolution, as it is designed simply to overturn the regulation if it passes both the House and Senate.

Student Loan Interest Elimination ActThis bill eliminates interest on existing and new federal student loans beginning on July 1, 2026. Specifically, for existing federal student loans, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish and implement procedures to (1) modify the terms of Federal Direct Loans so that beginning on July 1, 2026, no interest shall accrue on such a loan; and (2) allow a borrower to opt out of this loan modification.Additionally, ED must establish and implement procedures to (1) refinance eligible loans that are not Federal Direct Loans (e.g., privately held Federal Family Education Loans and Perkins Loans), and (2) allow a borrower to opt out of this loan refinancing. The bill outlines the terms and conditions of these refinanced loans, including by prohibiting ED from charging origination fees and specifying that no interest shall accrue on these loans.For new federal student loans made on or after July 1, 2026, the bill sets the applicable interest rate at 0%.The bill establishes the Education Affordability Trust Fund. ED must deposit all payments made on federal student loans into this trust fund. The Education Affordability Trust Fund Board, as established by this bill, must transfer the assets from investments of this trust fund to ED to pay for the administrative costs of carrying out federal student loan programs.The bill allows ED to use excess amounts of funds in the trust fund to carry out a Supplemental Pell Grant Program.

Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2025This bill deems an individual receiving outpatient observation services in a hospital as an inpatient for purposes of satisfying the three-day inpatient hospital-stay requirement with respect to Medicare coverage of skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. (Generally, individuals must have been an inpatient at a hospital for at least three days in order to qualify for SNF services. An individual's time spent under observation at a hospital for purposes of determining whether the individual should be admitted does not count towards this requirement.)

Protecting America's Workers ActThis bill expands the coverage of requirements governing workplace safety and health to include protection for federal, state, and local government employees. However, the bill does not cover working conditions otherwise covered by federal requirements for mine safety and health.The bill revises requirements governing worker protection, including byexpanding protections for whistle-blowers, such as protections for employees who refuse to perform work because they reasonably believe the work would result in serious injury or illness and for employees who aid inspections;directing employers to furnish a hazard-free place of employment to all individuals performing work, not just employees;directing employers to report work-related deaths or certain injuries, illnesses, or hospitalizations;establishing rights for victims, or representatives of victims, with respect to inspections or investigations of work-related bodily injuries or deaths; andsetting the permitted period for employers to correct serious, willful, or repeated violations while citations for the violations are being contested.The bill also revises enforcement and oversight of workplace safety, including byincreasing civil and criminal penalties for certain violations,requiring the Department of Labor to investigate fatalities or significant incidents in the workplace,expanding enforcement requirements relating to state occupational safety and health plans,expanding requirements for workplace health hazard evaluations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, andrequiring Labor to provide training programs concerning employee rights and employer responsibilities.

H.Res. 340 is a symbolic resolution recognizing April 2025 as "Community College Month" to celebrate the more than 1,000 community colleges operating across the United States. The resolution highlights the importance of these institutions, which serve approximately 10.2 million credit and noncredit students and function as the primary source of workforce training and affordable higher education access in the country. Community colleges are notably affordable, with average annual tuition of under $4,000 for in-district students, and serve a diverse population including working adults, low-income students, veterans, and first-generation college students. According to the resolution, community college graduates contributed $898.5 billion to the national economy in 2020, and every dollar of public funding for community colleges generates $6.80 in tax revenue. This resolution does not allocate funding or create any new programs—it simply expresses congressional recognition of community colleges' economic and educational significance to the nation.

Strengthening Efforts for Relief and Vital Incentives for Community Service and Engagement Act or the SERVICE ActThis bill makes changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.Under the current PSLF program, the Department of Education (ED) must cancel the balance of interest and principal due on a borrower's Federal Direct Loans after the borrower makes 120 monthly loan payments while employed in a public service job and, at the time of loan forgiveness, the borrower is employed in a public service job.Among other changes to the PSLF program, this bill reduces from 120 to 96 the number of monthly payments required for loan forgiveness;expands qualifying monthly payments, deferments, and forbearances allowed under the PSLF program;removes the requirement that a borrower must be employed in a public service job at the time of loan forgiveness;establishes a reconsideration process for borrowers who have their initial PSLF application denied; andprohibits interest capitalization on loans after deferment or forbearance.The bill directs ED to (1) establish an online portal that provides borrowers with information on loans and the PSLF program, and (2) establish and regularly update a database listing public service jobs.The bill allows an eligible teacher to use the same teaching service to qualify for both the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program and the PSLF program.The Government Accountability Office must study and report on the feasibility of establishing data matching agreements for PSLF that allows borrowers to forgo requesting employment certification from their employer.

Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers ActThis bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in health care, social service, and similar sectors.Specifically, Labor must issue an occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers to take actions to protect workers and other personnel from workplace violence. The standard applies to employers in the health care sector, in the social service sector, and in sectors that conduct activities similar to those in the health care and social service sectors. Among other elements, the standard must require each employer to (1) develop a workplace violence prevention plan, (2) promptly investigate incidents of workplace violence, and (3) provide relevant training and education to employees. The bill requires certain hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to comply with this standard as a condition of Medicare participation.

The Hidden Fee Disclosure Act requires health insurance plan service providers—including pharmacy benefit managers, third-party administrators, and other vendors—to disclose all hidden fees and compensation to employers and plan fiduciaries in plain language, breaking down costs by individual service rather than lumping them together. Starting January 1, 2026, these providers must annually reveal specific compensation sources such as drug manufacturer rebates, spread pricing profits, administrative fees, and payments from affiliated entities within 60 days of each plan year. The disclosures must comply with privacy laws and protect individual medical information while detailing operational costs like claims processing and network management. Within one year of enactment, the Department of Labor must issue regulations establishing clear disclosure standards that account for different compensation practices across service providers. The legislation is designed to help employers and employees understand exactly what they are paying for health plan services and reduce opaque fees that have been hidden from plan sponsors.