Legislation

This bill establishes the Office of the Chief Economist within the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to serve as the agency's primary economic advisor. The Office will be responsible for conducting economic analysis, regulatory cost-benefit assessments, and specialized research. Furthermore, the legislation grants the CFTC authority to hire specialized staff for the Office outside of the standard competitive service hiring process.

The Veteran Data Accountability for Third-party Actors (Veteran DATA) Act prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from contracting for the sale of sensitive veteran information. This legislation mandates that all VA contracts involving veteran data must include clauses preventing contractors from selling or misusing that information. Furthermore, the VA Secretary must issue guidance and report to Congress on the implementation of these new data protection requirements within one year.

The Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026 establishes a national system for tracking and publicly reporting all financial judgments and settlements related to law enforcement misconduct. This requirement applies to federal, state, and local agencies, mandating detailed annual data collection on allegations, officer demographics, and payment sources. The collected information will be compiled into a public, searchable database maintained by the Department of Justice. Non-compliant state and local jurisdictions face potential reductions in federal grant funding.

The Aviation Weather Safety Improvement Act focuses on enhancing aviation safety by ensuring adequate staffing at Center Weather Service Units. It mandates coordination between the Department of Transportation, the National Weather Service, the FAA, and employee unions to meet staffing needs for safe air commerce. The bill also requires annual reports to Congress detailing the implementation of these new staffing coordination requirements.

The Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2026 establishes a pilot program to test and evaluate the home delivery of food packages for low-income seniors participating in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSF Program). This initiative provides competitive grants to State agencies to fund local entities that implement these delivery services, with a priority on serving rural areas. The Act authorizes $10 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to support these projects and requires detailed reporting on their effectiveness.

The Streamlining Federal Grants Act of 2026 aims to significantly improve the effectiveness and performance of federal grant programs by simplifying application and reporting requirements. It establishes a new Grants Council and mandates that agencies designate senior officials to oversee reforms and better coordinate with non-Federal entities. Ultimately, the law seeks to improve service delivery, especially for organizations historically underserved by federal funding.

The Community Risk Training and Response Act of 2026 establishes a federal grant program to help states develop standardized training and materials for implementing extreme risk protection orders. These grants, ranging from \$200,000 to \$500,000, will support technical assistance for law enforcement, courts, and healthcare providers. The goal is to ensure consistent, evidence-based processes for crisis intervention programs nationwide.

The Growing Reputable Academic Departments (GRAD) Act expands eligibility for existing federal grant programs benefiting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). This expansion specifically targets institutions offering qualified master's degree programs. The bill also updates the formula for distributing leftover funds within these grant programs.

The Justice for Shireen Act mandates that the FBI Director and Secretary of State submit a comprehensive, unclassified report to Congress within 30 days regarding the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. This report must identify responsible parties and any U.S. materials implicated in the incident. The findings will also be made publicly available on the Department of State's website.

The Southern Mongolian Human Rights Policy Act aims to support the human rights, cultural heritage, and guaranteed autonomy of Southern Mongolians facing systematic repression in China. The bill directs the President and Secretary of State to condemn abuses and advocate internationally for these rights. It also establishes mechanisms for sanctions against abusers, supports cultural preservation efforts, and requires reporting on the impacts of rare earth mining in the region.

This act, the Critical Minerals Independence Act, aims to bolster domestic supply chains by expanding the advanced manufacturing production credit. Specifically, it includes "black mass"—a key material derived from processing spent lithium-ion batteries—as an eligible component for this credit starting in 2025. This measure encourages the recycling and domestic processing of critical battery materials.

The National Bridge Funding Reform Act establishes a new dedicated National Bridge Program to fund the replacement, rehabilitation, and preservation of bridges on Federal-aid highways. This new program replaces and eliminates the existing Carbon Reduction Program and the PROTECT program. Funding for the new program will be apportioned to states based on a formula prioritizing total bridge deck area and the amount of bridge area in poor condition.

The Maximizing Transportation Efficiency Act establishes new grant programs and funding set-asides to promote Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, particularly in rural areas. It creates a competitive grant program within the DOT to fund TDM implementation in rural communities to improve access to jobs and services. Furthermore, the bill formally defines TDM and makes TDM projects eligible for several existing federal transportation funding streams, while also expanding eligibility for the congestion relief program.

This bill establishes the Coastal Storm Risk Management Trust Fund, funded annually by $\$1$ billion from offshore energy revenues. The fund provides dedicated resources for the federal share of costs related to authorized coastal storm risk management projects carried out by the Secretary of the Army. It also creates specific budgetary treatment for appropriations drawn from this fund.

The Community Bank Relief Act mandates the Federal Reserve Board to adjust the maximum allowable fees for certain prepaid card transactions to account for inflation. This ensures that fee caps remain relevant over time, with an initial adjustment based on the CPI from 2009 to 2025, followed by annual adjustments thereafter.

This act establishes a demonstration program to award federal grants to states for creating or expanding mobile vaccination units. These units aim to improve the delivery of recommended immunizations for all age groups. States receiving funds must use them for unit acquisition, equipment, and vaccine costs. The Secretary of HHS will report on the program's effectiveness by late 2027.

The Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 addresses systemic religious persecution in Nigeria, particularly against Christians, by extremist groups and certain militias. The bill outlines a strong U.S. policy to pressure the Nigerian government to end impunity, protect religious minorities, and repeal blasphemy laws. It mandates targeted sanctions against perpetrators and requires regular reporting on U.S. efforts to combat these atrocities.

The Airborne Act of 2026 establishes a new business tax credit to incentivize improvements in indoor air quality for commercial, public, and nonprofit buildings. This credit covers costs for air quality assessments, air cleaning system upgrades, and HVAC upgrades, with significantly increased amounts available for projects meeting prevailing wage and apprenticeship standards. The Act also creates a voluntary indoor air quality certification program managed by the Department of Energy and the EPA.

The Farmers AID Relief Act amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to establish new, specific criteria for determining county eligibility for Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIPWI) indemnity payments starting in the 2027 crop year. This legislation mandates the use of the NOAA IBTrACS data set, or a detailed alternative data set compiled from certified land-grant universities when necessary. The Secretary of Agriculture must issue implementing rules within 180 days of enactment.

The FEMA Accountability Act mandates that FEMA submit detailed monthly reports to Congress regarding the status of the Disaster Relief Fund. These reports must include comprehensive breakdowns of obligations, disbursements, and pending projects for every disaster declaration. Furthermore, FEMA is required to make this financial data publicly available online using a standardized format.