Legislation

The Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2026 significantly updates federal overtime exemptions for executive, administrative, and professional employees. It establishes a phased-in increase to the minimum salary threshold required for these "white-collar" roles to be exempt from overtime pay, eventually tying the threshold to national earnings data. Furthermore, the bill tightens the duties test by lowering the allowed percentage of time spent on non-exempt work from 40% to 20%.

The Aaron Salter, Jr., Responsible Body Armor Possession Act bans civilians from purchasing, owning, or possessing "enhanced body armor," defined as armor meeting or exceeding specific high-level ballistic resistance standards. This prohibition includes exceptions for government entities and covered law enforcement officers. Knowingly violating this ban is subject to fines and up to five years in prison.

The Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act aims to expand access to vital lung cancer screenings and tobacco cessation services. It mandates that Medicaid cover annual lung cancer screenings with no out-of-pocket costs and expands tobacco cessation coverage to all Medicaid enrollees without prior authorization. Furthermore, the bill prohibits prior authorization requirements for annual lung cancer screenings under Medicare and private health insurance plans starting in 2028, alongside funding for education and outreach.

The Animal Violence Exposes Real Threat of Future Violence Act of 2026 (AVERT Future Violence Act) mandates a federal study to investigate the link between animal cruelty and future violence against humans. It also authorizes a grant program to help eligible entities develop early intervention and rehabilitation resources for those who commit animal cruelty. The overall goal is to use findings from the study to create policies that prevent future violence.

The Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act of 2026 establishes a new federal framework to manage the rapid interconnection of large energy users, like data centers, to the interstate transmission grid. It mandates that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) create formal interconnection procedures requiring these large loads to fully cover the costs of necessary grid upgrades. Furthermore, the bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to collect data and establish an AI testbed to study and mitigate the impact of growing energy demand on grid reliability and consumer electricity costs.

The Maritime Cybersecurity Act mandates regular cybersecurity vulnerability assessments for software and hardware at covered maritime facilities. It requires facility owners to report on the use of technology from foreign entities of concern and certify compliance with cybersecurity standards. The Department of Homeland Security will use these assessments and reports to strengthen security against cyber threats in the marine transportation system.

The MARKET Act of 2026 mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to annually assess and report on U.S. agricultural export risks associated with foreign adversaries. This report must identify vulnerabilities in key export markets and recommend strategies to diversify trade toward nonadversarial countries. The goal is to reduce U.S. dependence on markets controlled by nations posing a national security risk.

The CLOSE THE GAP Act aims to significantly streamline and expedite the process for approving and modifying communications facilities on federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service. It mandates new regulations for standardized application processing, establishes rigorous data tracking for transparency, and provides exemptions from certain environmental reviews for upgrades and projects on previously analyzed sites. Furthermore, the bill integrates communications projects into the FAST Act's expedited permitting process and requires the creation of online portals for application submission.

The PETSAFE Act aims to improve emergency preparedness for companion animals by increasing the federal cost share for related activities to 90%. This legislation ensures that state and local disaster plans specifically account for the needs of animal shelters. The bill allows grant funding to be used for essential pet supplies, veterinary care, and emergency sheltering equipment.

The Section 232 Public Transparency Act mandates the timely public release of non-classified and non-proprietary information from reports concerning import investigations that may threaten national security. This ensures greater transparency by requiring the Secretary to publish relevant report sections by a set deadline, either 270 days after the investigation starts or upon submission to the President.

The All Students Count Act of 2026 mandates that states disaggregate student performance data for Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander subgroups. This change amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to reflect the diverse educational needs within these populations. The goal is to provide detailed, actionable data to better identify and support specific student groups often misrepresented as homogeneous.

The Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026 addresses the growing shortage of general surgeons across the U.S., particularly in rural areas. The bill mandates a comprehensive study by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to evaluate current methods for designating surgical shortage areas. This study must analyze new methodologies, including one based on surgeon-to-population ratios within specific service areas, to accurately identify where general surgery access is inadequate. Ultimately, the legislation aims to establish a clear process for designating and addressing these critical general surgery shortage areas.

The Legalizing Premium Health Care Act of 2026 fundamentally reforms Medicare by guaranteeing beneficiaries the freedom to choose any qualified provider. It allows Medicare recipients (excluding those also on Medicaid) to enter into private, written contracts with professionals for covered services, setting the terms of payment directly. This legislation also preempts state laws that limit the charges eligible professionals can set for services provided under these new contractual arrangements.

This bill, the "No Tax on Border Patrol Agent Overtime Act," seeks to exclude specific overtime and supplemental compensation received by Border Patrol agents from federal taxation. It expands the definition of "qualified overtime compensation" under the Internal Revenue Code to cover various forms of extra pay beyond an agent's regular rate. This change would apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Gateway to Careers Act of 2026 establishes a new federal grant program to fund career pathway partnerships across the country. These competitive grants, administered by the Department of Labor, will support collaborations between workforce agencies, educators, and employers to develop and implement programs in high-demand sectors. Funds must support both program development, such as integrated education and training, and essential student support services like childcare and transportation. The goal is to improve employment outcomes and measurable skill gains for participants by addressing barriers to education and work.

The Keeping Immigrants and Destinations Safe Act (KIDS Act) generally prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from detaining children, individuals with cognitive disabilities, or their primary caregivers. It also severely limits immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of designated "sensitive locations" like schools and medical facilities. These restrictions only yield to enforcement actions based on valid criminal warrants. Violations of the sensitive location restriction can result in the termination of removal proceedings.

This bill establishes an interagency task force, led by CISA, to coordinate federal efforts against state-sponsored cyber threats from the People's Republic of China targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, specifically mentioning actors like Volt Typhoon. The task force is required to produce detailed annual reports assessing risks, trends, and necessary resources to counter these threats. These reports will include classified assessments regarding potential disruption during a major conflict and must provide unclassified executive summaries for public release.

The Blocking CCP Spy Tech Act of 2026 mandates a national security review of communications equipment and services from specific Chinese technology companies to assess potential risks to U.S. national security. Based on this evaluation, the FCC will either add the identified technology to the official list of equipment posing security risks or clear it. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Defense to determine if any of these entities should be identified as Chinese military companies operating in the U.S.

The CCP Sanctions Shot Clock Act mandates the Secretary of the Treasury to update the Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List within one year of receiving a presidential report identifying qualifying foreign persons. This ensures that individuals named in the report who are not already sanctioned are promptly added to the list.

The Subpoena Abuse Prevention Act reforms government access to customer records held by phone and internet companies by requiring specific identification for all subpoenas. It prohibits using subpoenas to target constitutionally protected activities and mandates that the government certify the subpoena's lawful purpose. Furthermore, the bill requires federal agencies to issue annual public reports detailing their use of administrative subpoenas.