Legislation

The American Manufacturing Revitalization Exchange Program Act of 2026 establishes a temporary international workforce exchange program to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing sector. This program will send skilled U.S. workers to allied nations for hands-on training in strategically important manufacturing fields. The goal is to build expertise, share best practices, and develop a more skilled domestic workforce to fill critical labor gaps.

The Safeguarding American Families and Expanding Social Security Act of 2026 makes several key changes to Social Security. It temporarily taxes high earners above the current wage cap and modifies the benefit calculation formula to increase replacement rates for lower earners while adding a small component based on previously untaxed high earnings. Finally, the bill mandates that future cost-of-living adjustments will be based on a new index reflecting the spending patterns of elderly consumers.

The Support our Firefighters Act establishes paid rest and recuperation leave for federal wildland firefighters within the Forest Service and Department of the Interior. It also permanently waives overtime pay caps for these federal employees. Furthermore, the bill authorizes a limited transfer of funds between agency accounts to ensure continuity of base salary increases and associated premium pay for wildland firefighters.

This bill authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to recognize the collective heroism of the individuals who defended Bataan, Corregidor, and other locations in the Pacific theater during World War II. The medal honors the extraordinary sacrifice of U.S. service members and Filipino forces who fought and endured imprisonment by Imperial Japan. Following the presentation, the medal will be permanently displayed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The legislation also allows for the production and sale of bronze duplicate medals.

The Postsecondary Student Success Act of 2026 aims to boost participation, retention, and completion rates for high-need students in higher education. It authorizes competitive grants for eligible institutions to implement proven, evidence-based student success activities. The Act reserves funding specifically for Tribal Colleges and prioritizes grants for programs using the most rigorously evaluated reforms.

The Federal Workforce Reproductive Rights Protection Act restricts federal agencies from relocating operations to states with restrictive abortion laws. It also provides federal employees with travel allowances and administrative leave to access out-of-state reproductive healthcare services. Furthermore, the bill prohibits using reproductive health decisions as a factor in security clearance determinations or other personnel actions.

This bill prevents the Secretary of Agriculture from closing any existing Forest Service research and development facility. Such closures are prohibited unless specifically authorized by a future Act of Congress.

The Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act strengthens worker protections by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act to mandate pay transparency, guarantee timely final pay, and significantly increase penalties for wage theft. It also extends the statute of limitations for filing wage claims and establishes a federal grant program to support local efforts in preventing wage theft and assisting workers with recovery. Overall, the bill aims to ensure workers receive the full wages they are owed through stricter enforcement and greater accountability for employers.

The Stop Serial Litigation Act of 2026 aims to reform the recovery of attorney fees and costs when parties prevail against federal agencies. It tightens documentation requirements for fee applications and establishes annual caps of $300,000 on total awards for most organizations. Furthermore, the bill sets specific hourly rate ceilings for attorneys and expert witnesses in agency adjudications and civil actions against the government.

The Budgeting for a Better America Act fundamentally reforms the federal budget process by shifting to a two-year (biennial) cycle to promote stability and long-term planning. It also establishes a bipartisan commission tasked with developing a deficit-reduction plan that Congress must consider under fast-track procedures. Finally, the bill mandates greater transparency through required long-term financial reports and expanded participation in budget oversight.

This Act establishes the National Task Force on Caregiving Youth of Veterans to address the needs of young people who provide unpaid care to veterans and service members. The Task Force will conduct a national study to assess the impact on these youths and develop policy recommendations for federal agencies. Its goal is to ensure these vital caregivers receive appropriate recognition, support, and resources.

The Countering Russian Trafficking Act targets the systematic abduction and forced transfer of Ukrainian children by Russian state and non-state actors. This bill directs the President to impose sanctions on individuals and entities involved in these severe human trafficking crimes, including those facilitating the children's deportation, indoctrination, and illegal placement. Congress declares this activity one of the most severe ongoing human trafficking crimes of the 21st century requiring an aggressive response.

The Sustainable Homeownership Act aims to strengthen the mortgage market by imposing new insurance requirements on high loan-to-value mortgages purchased by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. It also mandates that these enterprises transfer the majority of their credit risk to the private market and establishes new capital and return-on-equity regulations. Finally, the bill modifies how loan limits are adjusted annually, linking them to slower growth in median household income or housing prices.

The Combat Pay Protection Act mandates a one-time corrective increase and subsequent annual adjustments for certain special and incentive pays for members of the Armed Forces to keep pace with inflation and basic pay growth. These required increases will override any existing statutory caps that would otherwise limit the pay adjustments. Additionally, the bill clarifies and streamlines the authority for providing bonuses and special pays to members of the Reserve components.

This resolution expresses Congress's recognition of Medicaid as a vital lifeline for millions of Americans' healthcare. It highlights the significant, damaging cuts to the program enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). The bill urges federal agencies to immediately assess the impact of these cuts and new requirements on state programs and enrollees.

The Methane Removal Research and Innovation Act of 2026 establishes a dedicated Methane Removal Research Initiative led by the Department of Energy. This initiative will fund multidisciplinary research to advance scientific understanding and develop practical methods for removing methane from the atmosphere. The bill authorizes $25 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to support this critical research effort.

The National Fab Lab Network Act of 2026 establishes a nonprofit corporation to create and support a national network of local digital fabrication laboratories (fab labs). These labs will provide universal access to tools that turn digital designs into physical objects, aiming to promote STEM skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development across the U.S. The corporation will work to establish at least one fab lab in every Congressional District, prioritizing underserved communities.

The AI Incident Reporting Act mandates that developers of advanced artificial intelligence models posing serious national security or public safety risks must report specific dangerous incidents to the Secretary of Commerce. This system requires reporting on issues like evasion of human control, theft of model weights, and capabilities related to cyberattacks or CBRNE weapons. The bill establishes strict confidentiality protections for submitted information while setting civil penalties for non-compliance.

The Saving Today’s Acute-Care Resources (STAR) Act extends reduced Medicare payment rates for long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) through fiscal year 2032. It introduces a new pathway for LTCHs to be exempt from these site-neutral payments based on a high clinical severity threshold for certain patient discharges. The bill also modifies existing exemption criteria related to prior intensive care unit stays and ventilator use to allow for qualifying preceding stays in LTCHs or critical access hospitals.

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to share data on veterans enrolled in both VA and Medicare programs. This coordination aims to prevent duplicate payments and services when administering the Veterans Community Care Program. Additionally, the VA must identify specialized Medicare Advantage plans that offer specific benefits beneficial to veteran health.