SRES-185-119
Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2643; text: CR S2669)
Sponsored by Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
What it does
This resolution designates the week of April 21 through April 25, 2025, as "National Home Visiting Week." It is a commemorative resolution only — it does not create, modify, or fund any program, and it does not carry the force of law.
Who benefits
Organizations and advocates that provide or promote home visiting programs (such as nurse-family partnerships and early childhood development services) may gain public visibility. Families who use home visiting services could benefit indirectly from increased public awareness.
Who is hurt
No group is directly or materially harmed by this resolution. There are no mandates, spending changes, or regulatory effects.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that designating a national awareness week draws public and legislative attention to home visiting programs, which research — including studies from the Nurse-Family Partnership and the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) review — links to improved maternal and child health outcomes. They contend that symbolic recognition can build momentum for future funding and policy action in an underserved area of preventive healthcare.
Opponents argue
Opponents could argue that commemorative resolutions consume limited Senate floor time without producing any tangible policy or funding outcome for home visiting programs. They might contend that families and providers who need support would be better served by direct legislative action — such as reauthorizing or expanding the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program — rather than a symbolic designation.