Legislation

The Agriculture and National Security Act establishes a new Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for National Security to centralize security coordination within the department. This role will advise the Secretary and liaise with national security agencies regarding vulnerabilities in the food and agriculture sector, especially concerning emerging technologies. Furthermore, the Act mandates regular, detailed reports to Congress assessing security gaps and outlining corrective actions.

The PRICE Act, or Protect and Respect ICE Act, aims to increase penalties for individuals who assault, resist, or impede officers or employees of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This legislation specifically doubles the maximum jail time and corresponding fines for committing such offenses against ICE staff.

The Federal Disaster Housing Stability Act of 2025 establishes temporary eviction and foreclosure moratoriums following a federally declared disaster. This act prevents landlords from initiating evictions or increasing rent for 120 days, and halts mortgage foreclosure proceedings for six months in affected areas. These protections apply to covered dwellings and mortgages from the date of the disaster declaration.

The Fairness in Higher Education Accreditation Act revises federal recognition standards for accrediting agencies, prohibiting them from basing decisions on the race, color, sex, or national origin of a school's constituents. The bill also establishes new "free inquiry" standards based on First Amendment principles for public institutions, while providing broad religious exemptions. Finally, it grants affected institutions a specific right to sue if their accreditation is threatened due to an agency violating these new prohibitions.

The Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act reauthorizes and increases dedicated federal funding for training health professionals in geriatrics. Specifically, it appropriates \$48,245,000 annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2030. This funding supports programs designed to improve the quality of healthcare provided to older adults.

The Stopping Propaganda Indoctrination Nationally (SPIN) Act restricts the active domestic distribution of information released overseas under the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948. This bill ensures that while the government cannot widely disseminate this material within the U.S., it must be made available for examination upon request. Access is limited to specific groups, including press representatives, researchers, and members of Congress, only after the information has been released internationally.

This bill, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2026, sets the funding levels and operational restrictions for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and numerous independent agencies for Fiscal Year 2026. It allocates significant resources for financial security, judicial operations, and D.C. services while imposing strict limitations on agency spending, regulatory actions, and specific policy implementations across the board. Key provisions include restrictions on IRS technology spending, prohibitions on developing a Central Bank Digital Currency, and controls over D.C.'s local spending authority.

The Strengthening Our Workforce Act of 2025 establishes a pathway to conditional lawful permanent residency for certain undocumented immigrants present in the U.S. as of January 1, 2024, who have worked in designated "covered professions." Eligible individuals receive immediate work authorization and must maintain continuous employment in these essential fields for two years to automatically transition to full permanent resident status. The bill outlines specific eligibility criteria, including continuous presence and work history, while imposing restrictions based on criminal history.

This Senate resolution expresses a profound lack of confidence in Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., citing numerous actions that allegedly undermine public health, scientific integrity, and the legal duties of his office. The resolution details accusations of illegal funding cuts, mass firings of career staff, and the dismantling of key advisory committees. Therefore, the Senate declares that the Secretary should be removed from his position.

The Safeguarding Department of Veterans Affairs Dependent Education Benefits Act of 2025 aims to protect education benefits for victims of abuse. This bill allows spouses or children to petition for the reinstatement of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance benefits that were previously transferred but terminated due to the service member's conviction or administrative separation for dependent abuse. The process requires victims to apply with evidence, and denials can be appealed to the Secretary of Defense or Homeland Security.

This bill establishes a new grant program administered by the Secretary of Agriculture to help specialty crop producers become more competitive. These grants will assist eligible entities in purchasing advanced mechanized or automated equipment and providing necessary training for its use. Recipients must provide matching funds equal to at least 50 percent of the total project cost. The covered technology ranges widely, including harvesting tools, sorting machinery, traceability systems, and advanced IoT and robotic equipment.

The National Security Climate Intelligence Act of 2025 mandates that the intelligence community regularly assess the national security and economic impacts of climate change. This requires the Director of National Intelligence to produce a comprehensive Intelligence Community Assessment on these effects, with the first due within four years of enactment and subsequent reports at least every six years. Any classified assessments must include an unclassified executive summary for broader understanding.

The Child Care for Working Families Act establishes comprehensive federal programs to ensure access to high-quality, affordable child care and universal preschool for young children. The legislation creates an entitlement program for child care, mandates that provider reimbursement rates cover actual costs and ensure living wages for staff, and establishes free, universal preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Additionally, it provides dedicated funding to stabilize childcare providers and extend the operating hours and compensation for Head Start staff.

The Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act makes it a federal crime to publicly release the name of a federal law enforcement officer with the intent to obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation or immigration enforcement action. Violators of this new prohibition face potential fines and imprisonment of up to five years. The bill updates federal statutes to explicitly include immigration enforcement operations within the scope of obstruction laws.

The Debt, Earnings, and Cost Information Disclosure for Education Act, or DECIDE Act, aims to increase transparency for student loan borrowers. This bill mandates that the Secretary of Education update the College Scorecard annually with crucial data for every federal aid-eligible program. This new information will include median earnings ten years out, median student loan debt levels, and repayment/default rates for program completers. The goal is to provide prospective students with clearer accountability metrics before they enroll.

The Safer Truckers Act of 2025 updates Commercial Driver's License (CDL) eligibility by requiring applicants to be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or authorized to work in commercial driving by USCIS. This bill also mandates that states annually report on their enforcement of English language proficiency standards for CDL holders. These measures aim to enhance safety and compliance within the commercial trucking industry.

The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2025 establishes automatic 14-day continuing appropriations to fund federal programs immediately when Congress fails to pass a budget. This mechanism prevents service disruptions while imposing strict limits on official travel and legislative business for Congress and certain executive branch officials during funding lapses. The Act ensures that spending during these extensions is accounted for against the final enacted budget.

The Restore Trust in Congress Act establishes strict new rules prohibiting Members of Congress and their immediate families from owning or trading specific financial assets, referred to as "covered investments," while in office. Covered individuals must divest existing prohibited holdings within a set timeframe or face significant financial penalties, including fines and forfeiture of profits. The legislation aims to eliminate conflicts of interest arising from personal financial trading while serving in federal office.

The Biobased Market Expansion Act of 2025 significantly strengthens federal requirements for purchasing biobased products by mandating annual goal increases and tightening exemptions for non-compliance. This legislation promotes U.S.-made goods by establishing domestic price advantages and improving transparency through public reporting of purchasing data and any unmet goals. Furthermore, it requires updated training for contracting officers and directs the GAO to review the program's effectiveness within two years.

This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop guidelines to improve access to the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program for individuals currently in custody. Specifically, it mandates assistance for incarcerated individuals to pre-apply or prepare applications for TWIC cards before release. The goal is to reduce barriers to employment for returning citizens by streamlining the credentialing process.