Legislation

The Detention Authority Clarification Act updates terminology in immigration inspection law and expands mandatory detention requirements. Specifically, it changes the term "alien seeking admission" to "applicant for admission." This change subjects applicants for admission to the same mandatory detention rules currently applied to other specified groups.

This resolution expresses support for designating May 2026 as "American Stroke Month." It encourages the public to learn the warning signs of stroke using the B.E.F.A.S.T. acronym. Furthermore, it promotes understanding personal risk factors and taking action to improve stroke prevention, response, and recovery efforts nationwide.

This Act significantly increases the excise tax on stock buybacks for large oil and gas companies from 1% to 25%. This higher tax applies specifically to corporations meeting a $1 billion average annual gross receipts threshold and primarily engaged in the oil or gas business. The 25% rate remains in effect until the national average weekly retail price of regular gasoline drops below a specified trigger point for five consecutive weeks.

The Hate Crimes Commission Act of 2026 establishes a temporary United States Commission on Hate Crimes to investigate factors contributing to hate crimes, improve reporting, and recommend prevention strategies. The bill also mandates a Government Accountability Office audit of the FBI's hate crime data collection methods to enhance accuracy and reliability. This legislation aims to address the persistent challenges in accurately tracking and combating bias-motivated violence across the nation.

The Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act of 2026 establishes a competitive grant program to support and expand career and technical education (CTE) programs focused on early childhood education. These grants will fund partnerships to develop curriculum, recruit and train educators, and provide student support services. The goal is to strengthen the early childhood education workforce by creating clearer career pathways and improving educational outcomes for students.

The SAFE for Survivors Act of 2026 comprehensively supports survivors of domestic and sexual violence by establishing job-protected safe leave, prohibiting employment discrimination, and ensuring access to unemployment benefits and insurance protections. The bill reauthorizes critical grant funding for workplace response resources and mandates reasonable accommodations to help survivors maintain employment and stability while recovering. These provisions aim to reduce the economic pressures that often trap victims in dangerous situations by strengthening their safety net across employment, benefits, and insurance sectors.

The OPEN Act aims to significantly increase transparency and accountability within immigration enforcement and detention. It mandates unrestricted Congressional access to all detention facilities and requires public reporting of officer misconduct, including excessive force and unauthorized actions. Furthermore, the bill establishes stricter standards for detainee rights, medical care, transfers, and prohibits immigration officers from making arrests without a warrant issued by a federal judge.

The Dietary Supplements Access Act aims to allow individuals to use tax-advantaged health accounts, such as HSAs and FSAs, to pay for certain dietary supplements. This provision establishes an annual cap of $500 for these expenses, while explicitly excluding energy drinks, soft drinks, and sodas. The changes are set to take effect for expenses incurred or paid after December 31, 2026.

The Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026 temporarily grants the Secretary of the Interior the authority to require geothermal lease applicants and holders to reimburse the government for administrative costs associated with processing leases and inspecting operations through September 30, 2032. This provision aims to offset federal expenses related to the geothermal leasing program. The Act also mandates a future report to Congress assessing the impact of these cost-recovery measures on the geothermal program.

This act modifies percentage depletion rules for small oil and gas producers, specifically for marginal properties. It introduces a new calculation for the depletion rate, removes existing taxable income limits, and doubles the daily oil production eligible for the deduction. These changes are designed to support small producers and rural jobs, taking effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2026.

The Chafee Opportunities for New Networks and Existing Connection Trust Act (CONNECT Act) updates the Chafee Foster Care Program to prioritize helping older youth in foster care build and maintain supportive, lifelong relationships. The bill mandates the development of federal guidance for states and tribes on best practices for facilitating peer support, mentoring, and connection-building activities. This aims to reduce isolation and better support youth in achieving their permanency goals.

The Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act of 2026 establishes a pilot program to award competitive grants to school food authorities promoting the preparation of meals using unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients. These grants prioritize high-need districts and support training, equipment upgrades, and employee compensation necessary for scratch cooking. Grantees must report on their increased use of whole ingredients and scratch-prepared menu items following the grant period.

The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act authorizes competitive grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and similar institutions for long-term facility improvements, technology upgrades, and infrastructure modernization. Priority for these grants will be given to institutions demonstrating the greatest need, limited fundraising ability, and high percentages of Pell Grant recipients. The bill also mandates immediate forgiveness for certain outstanding balances on existing HBCU Capital Financing Program loans. Finally, it requires comprehensive reporting and studies to assess the program's impact and future funding needs.

The GROUSE Act of 2026 establishes a new federal program to incentivize private landowners to restore native vegetation on eligible forest lands. This program offers cost-share payments covering 75% of restoration expenses for establishing habitat beneficial to upland wildlife. Landowners must develop a habitat plan in consultation with a qualified professional to participate in the five-year contracts.

The Kenya Merritt Renewing our Promise to Address Chemical Toxicity Act of 2026, or the Renewing our PACT Act of 2026, establishes a presumption that certain diseases are work-related for federal employees exposed to toxic burn pits during overseas contingency operations. This act amends federal workers' compensation law to link the list of covered diseases to those already recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs for service members. The goal is to ensure federal employees who suffered illness from toxic exposure receive appropriate compensation.

The Informed Foster Youth Act of 2026 strengthens requirements for children in foster care by mandating comprehensive case plans that integrate transition services and provide crucial records. This legislation ensures youth aged 14 and older receive a written list of their rights, annual credit reports, and essential identity documents upon discharge. The bill focuses on expanding personalized transition planning to better prepare older youth for independence in areas like housing, health insurance, and employment.

The GAME Act of 2026 prohibits large digital advertising platforms from displaying targeted advertisements for sports gambling directed at minors under 18. This ban takes effect one year after enactment and will be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Repeat violations may result in criminal prosecution and significant fines for the platform.

The Outage Refund Protection Act mandates that cable, satellite, internet, and telephone providers automatically credit customers for service outages lasting four hours or more, as well as upon service termination. This bill also requires the FCC and FTC to establish new rules improving customer service, transparency, and handling of missed appointments for large providers. Furthermore, it requires broadband providers to report service outages to the FCC following disaster declarations.

The Moms Matter Act establishes grant programs to improve maternal mental health equity and expand the specialized maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce. The first program funds community-based initiatives to provide integrated mental health services for pregnant and postpartum individuals, prioritizing high-need areas. The second program supports training and diversifying providers specializing in maternal mental health, with a focus on recruiting from and serving underserved populations.

The Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 significantly overhauls U.S. surveillance law by imposing new warrant requirements for accessing Americans' digital communications collected under foreign intelligence authorities. It bans federal agencies from purchasing personal data from commercial brokers and strengthens privacy protections for vehicle data and stored electronic records. Ultimately, the bill aims to enhance civil liberties and transparency while reauthorizing key intelligence collection programs through 2030.