Legislation

The LIFT the BAR Act repeals decades-old restrictions that barred many lawfully present noncitizens from accessing essential federal public benefits. This legislation restores eligibility for programs like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, and housing assistance for qualified noncitizens. The bill also updates terminology, replacing "alien" with "noncitizen" throughout relevant statutes.

The Open Meetings Act of 2026 mandates increased transparency for meetings of federal judicial conferences and councils. This legislation requires these bodies to provide the public with advance notice and free, accessible live audio streaming of their proceedings. Archives of these meetings must also be made publicly available shortly after they occur, with specific exceptions for legally or sensitively confidential discussions.

The COVID-19 Commuter Benefits Distribution Act addresses how certain one-time payments from employer-sponsored commuter benefit accounts are taxed. This bill specifies that a one-time qualified payment, up to the account's highest balance during a defined period, will be treated as taxable income to the employee. Furthermore, this payment will not affect the tax-free status of other regular distributions from the account.

The Small Farm Conservation Act establishes a dedicated Small Farm EQIP subprogram to provide enhanced financial and technical conservation assistance to small-scale agricultural producers. This subprogram mandates minimum payments, offers increased incentives for soil health management on smaller farms, and reserves significant funding for tailored support. It aims to streamline the application process and ensure equitable access for historically underserved groups, including beginning and limited-resource farmers.

The PASTEUR Act of 2026 aims to combat antimicrobial resistance by creating a novel federal subscription contract program to ensure the availability of critical new antibiotics. This program will provide substantial annual payments to drug sponsors in exchange for guaranteed access to their life-saving medicines. The Act also establishes an advisory group, funds grants for antimicrobial stewardship in healthcare settings, and enhances national surveillance of resistance data.

The Keep Kids in School Act establishes a federal grant program administered by the Department of Education to help states and local school districts reduce chronic absenteeism. Funds are intended to support evidence-based interventions, such as hiring support staff or improving transportation, to foster safer learning environments. The bill also mandates a study by the Comptroller General on the causes and effective solutions for chronic absenteeism.

This joint resolution disapproves a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rule that would have implemented prior authorization for certain Medicare services under the WISeR model. The rule aimed to reduce wasteful spending by requiring pre-approval for specific procedures. Due to this congressional disapproval, the CMS rule will not take effect.

This resolution expresses support for designating **July 10, 2026, as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day**. It honors the critical and often dangerous work these individuals perform to maintain the nation's electric grid, especially during emergencies. The day also commemorates the anniversary of the first IBEW president's line-of-duty death while restoring power.

Tristan's Law establishes a federal grant program to enhance the safety of children around frozen dessert trucks. States become eligible for these grants by implementing laws that require these trucks to be equipped with specific safety features, such as specialized signal lamps and stop signal arms. The bill also mandates a Department of Transportation study on pedestrian injuries involving these trucks and the feasibility of further safety measures.

This Act restricts U.S. nonmilitary foreign assistance from supporting organizations that promote abortion, gender ideology, or discriminatory equity ideology. It places specific requirements on foreign and domestic organizations receiving these funds to ensure separation from prohibited activities. The bill also includes narrow exceptions for life-saving medical situations and allows the Secretary of State to waive provisions for national security interests.

The DNII Act of 2026 establishes a strict, mandatory order of succession for temporarily filling the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) position. This new order prioritizes the Senate-confirmed Principal Deputy Director and other Senate-confirmed ODNI officials before allowing the use of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act as a last resort. The Act ensures continuity in the leadership of the Intelligence Community by setting clear, high-level qualifications for any acting DNI.

This resolution expresses support for designating June 11, 2026, as "Anti-Illicit Trade Awareness Day." It highlights the severe, multi-trillion-dollar global threat posed by illicit trade, which fuels crime, undermines national security, and harms legitimate businesses. The bill calls for increased public awareness, government action, and whole-of-society approaches to combat these illegal activities year-round.

The Treatment and Homelessness Housing Integration Act of 2025 establishes a demonstration grant program to better connect homeless individuals receiving supportive housing with necessary behavioral health treatment. This program will award grants to Continuums of Care that successfully refer eligible participants to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. The goal is to integrate housing support with essential treatment services for vulnerable populations.

This bill directs the presentation of Congressional Gold Medals to the crew of the Artemis II mission to recognize their historic achievements in returning humans beyond low Earth orbit. The medals will honor the crew's role in setting new space exploration records and paving the way for future lunar and Mars missions. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike these medals and produce bronze duplicates for sale.

The Organic Imports Verification Act of 2026 mandates annual residue testing for specific bulk-shipped imported organic feedstuffs identified through a confidential, risk-based protocol. The Secretary of Agriculture must report annually to Congress on the testing frequency, methods, and results for these covered feedstuffs. If prohibited substances are detected above allowable levels, the entire shipment must be excluded from organic sale.

The Voting Systems Protection Act establishes strict federal oversight for the seizure of election materials, requiring state officials to monitor the handling of any federally seized voting equipment or records under a court warrant. It imposes severe criminal penalties on federal officials who tamper with or destroy these materials and prohibits federal seizure of election materials during a restricted 240-day window surrounding federal elections, except in narrowly defined emergency circumstances. Furthermore, the bill mandates that federal agencies provide 48 hours advance notice to state and congressional officials before conducting any seizure.

The SKILL Act establishes a new federal tax credit for employers who support qualifying educational and workforce training programs. This credit incentivizes businesses to partner with public colleges to develop curricula, offer apprenticeships, or provide internships for programs designed to be completed in two years or less. States will competitively allocate these credits to employers, subject to a national cap of $500 million annually through 2031.

The EXCLAVE Act of 2026 mandates that federal agencies must specifically consider and address the unique regulatory burdens faced by residents of pene-exclaves when issuing new rules. If a rule may impose such a burden, agencies are required to hold dedicated public meetings for those residents. Furthermore, agencies must respond to comments received from these communities in the final rule and the OMB must establish a list identifying all U.S. pene-exclaves.

The VA Coaching into Care Act establishes a three-year pilot program to operate a toll-free hotline connecting veterans' friends and family with licensed mental health counselors. Staffed by VA psychologists and social workers, the hotline will offer guidance on discussing mental health with veterans and provide appropriate referrals. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must report on the program's success and recommend future continuation or expansion.

The Save Our Pedestrians Act of 2026 mandates that states dedicate 5% of their federal highway safety funds to projects specifically targeting high-risk pedestrian crossings starting in fiscal year 2027. This set-aside funding must be used to implement safety improvements at locations identified as having a high frequency of pedestrian crashes resulting in injury or death. The Secretary of Transportation is responsible for enforcing this new spending requirement.