Legislative Activity

This resolution honors the life and extensive public service of the late Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for Michigan. It recognizes his decades in Congress, highlighting key legislative achievements such as co-sponsoring the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and leading significant banking reforms. The Senate expresses its profound sorrow and adjourns in his memory.

This bill establishes the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act to address the critical need for mental health support in schools. It provides federal grants to states to award subgrants to local educational agencies for recruiting, retaining, and hiring school-based mental health services providers in high-need schools. The goal is to help schools work toward recommended student-to-provider ratios for counselors, psychologists, and social workers.

The 988 Connect Act establishes a grant program to fund follow-up services for individuals contacting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It also mandates the FCC to ensure all 988 calls and texts are transmitted by mobile providers, including from non-activated phones. Furthermore, the bill requires multi-line phone systems to allow direct dialing to 988.

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.

This bill, TREY's Law, declares that nondisclosure or confidentiality agreements are void and unenforceable if they prevent the disclosure of sexual abuse against a minor. The legislation aims to protect survivors' rights to report crimes and cooperate with authorities by overriding any state or private contract that suppresses information about child sexual abuse. This law applies retroactively to all existing and future agreements.

The Safe Cloud Storage Act amends existing law to establish a secure framework for law enforcement agencies to utilize approved cloud service providers for storing child pornography and related materials. This legislation sets strict cybersecurity and evidence handling requirements for these vendors while granting them limited liability protections for their contractual duties. The bill ensures data remains secure, primarily within the U.S., and mandates regular audits and notifications to the Department of Justice.

The Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act of 2026 aims to preserve affordable housing by encouraging owners of manufactured home communities to sell to resident-owned cooperatives or non-profit entities. It establishes a significant federal tax credit equal to 75% of the seller's qualified capital gain from such a sale. This incentive is contingent upon the buyer agreeing to maintain the property as a manufactured home community for at least 50 years. The bill seeks to stabilize site fees and help low-income residents build wealth by securing the land beneath their homes.

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.

This bill formally codifies the long-standing editorial independence of *Stars and Stripes*, ensuring its reporting remains free from censorship or influence by the Department of Defense. It mandates that the newspaper adhere to the highest journalistic standards while serving service members, their families, and the public. The legislation protects the paper's ability to provide critical, independent coverage of military life and operations.

This joint resolution expresses Congressional disapproval of a new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would have required prior authorization for specific services under the WISeR Model. By disapproving the rule, Congress ensures that this CMS requirement will not take effect.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of the late former United States Senator John Seymour of California. It recognizes his extensive public service, highlighting his career in business, local government, and his tenure in the U.S. Senate. The Senate expresses its deep sorrow and directs that official copies of this resolution be delivered to his family.

The Jewish American Security Act addresses the rising threat of antisemitism across the nation. It mandates new protections for Jewish students against discrimination in educational settings and enhances security measures for Jewish communities through grant program modifications and threat assessments. Furthermore, the Act requires large online platforms to report on their content moderation practices regarding antisemitism and mandates government reports linking online activity to real-world violence.

The Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act of 2026 overhauls federal student loan programs to eliminate debt for educators serving in high-need schools and early childhood education settings. After five years of qualifying service, educators can receive 100% forgiveness on remaining federal student loans. The bill also provides monthly loan assistance while educators are actively serving, treating these payments as qualifying service toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This legislation aims to stabilize the educator workforce by significantly reducing the financial burden of student debt.

The MARCH for Military Servicemembers Act would repeal the existing prohibition on the Department of Defense (DoD) using its medical facilities and funds to provide abortion care. This action restores previous policy, allowing DoD medical resources to be used for abortion services without the current restrictions related to rape, incest, or life endangerment.

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 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.

This bill expands benefits and improves processes for the Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program. It establishes a new benefit for officers who suffer permanent partial disability in the line of duty and mandates stricter timelines and interim payments for delayed claims processing. Furthermore, the legislation requires increased outreach, annual audits, and expedites death benefit approval for 9/11 first responders certified by related federal funds.

This Senate resolution expresses the sense that access to mifepristone should be based on over 25 years of proven safety and effectiveness supported by peer-reviewed science. It calls for equitable and transparent laws and policies governing access to this time-sensitive medication abortion care. The resolution affirms the FDA's authority to regulate the drug based on the best available evidence, free from political interference.

This resolution officially designates the week of May 10 through May 16, 2026, as "National Police Week." It serves to recognize and honor the service, sacrifice, and valor of law enforcement officers across the United States. The measure encourages the public to observe this week by honoring law enforcement personnel and promoting awareness of their essential mission.

The Strength in Diversity Act of 2026 establishes a competitive grant program to support schools in developing and implementing strategies that increase racial and socioeconomic diversity. This funding aims to reduce racial isolation and concentrated poverty in public elementary, secondary, and early childhood education programs. Grantees must report on measurable improvements in student outcomes and progress toward increasing school diversity.