Legislative Activity

The INSIGHT Act mandates the Department of Labor to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the status of employee benefit plan investigations. It also establishes new requirements for when the Department provides "adverse assistance" to individuals for use in lawsuits against plan fiduciaries, requiring written agreements and subsequent reporting to Congress. Finally, the bill amends ERISA to reinforce the policy of promoting the voluntary sponsorship of private pension plans.

The PARITY Act, or Promoting Access and Revenue Integrity Through Institutional Transparency Act, aims to provide regulatory relief for institutions of higher education. This is achieved by repealing two specific provisions within the Higher Education Act of 1965 that currently impose requirements or restrictions on participating institutions.

The Faster Department of Veterans Affairs Construction Act of 2026 aims to streamline the construction and alteration of VA facilities. This bill directs the VA to utilize recognized commercial building codes and standards instead of federal ones where appropriate. It mandates at least three annual pilot projects to test this new approach between 2027 and 2031, with required reporting to Congress.

Tyler’s Law directs the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive study on the current practices, costs, and benefits of fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments. Following this study, the Secretary will issue formal guidance to help hospitals improve their testing protocols for patients experiencing overdoses. This legislation aims to enhance clinical responses to the fentanyl crisis and improve patient health outcomes.

The Gaining Meaningful Experiences from Service (GAMES) Act expands access to military adaptive sports programs for veterans. By removing the one-year post-separation application deadline, the bill ensures that more veterans can participate in these beneficial athletic programs regardless of how long they have been out of service.

The Review Every Veteran’s Claim Act of 2025 prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from denying a veteran's claim for benefits solely because the veteran failed to appear for a scheduled medical examination. This legislation ensures that missed appointments do not automatically result in claim rejection, requiring the VA to consider all other evidence submitted. The bill broadens existing protections to cover all claims for benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The Veterans SPORT Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must now provide eligible veterans with coverage for adaptive prostheses and terminal devices specifically designed for sports and other recreational activities. This amendment expands the medical services the VA furnishes, ensuring veterans have access to necessary equipment for physical recreation.

The Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025 makes technical updates to VA regulations regarding burial benefits. This bill clarifies the process when a veteran's family chooses to provide their own urn or marker instead of receiving one from the VA. The legislation also reorganizes benefit numbering for clarity, applying these changes to veterans who passed away on or after January 5, 2021.

The Raising Awareness for Youth Suicide Prevention Act (RAYS Act) requires school districts receiving federal funds to provide students with easy access to mental health and suicide prevention resources. Under this legislation, contact information for crisis lifelines must be included on student identification cards or prominently displayed on school websites and digital portals. Additionally, the bill mandates federal outreach campaigns to ensure students, parents, and staff are well-informed about available mental health support.

The Health Care for Homeless Veterans Act grants the Department of Veterans Affairs permanent authority to provide essential treatment and rehabilitation services to homeless veterans suffering from serious mental illness. By removing previous expiration dates, this legislation ensures these critical support programs remain a permanent fixture of VA care.

The Joint Medical Facilities Fund Act of 2026 permanently establishes a dedicated fund to streamline the joint operation and financing of medical facilities shared by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This legislation formalizes funding mechanisms, maintenance protocols, and administrative oversight to ensure efficient resource allocation for combined federal healthcare centers.

The Dalilah Law restricts the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and holders of specific work visas. It mandates English proficiency for all applicants and requires states to recertify current CDL holders to maintain federal transportation funding. Failure to comply with these eligibility and testing requirements will result in the withholding of federal funds for non-compliant states.

The SAFE Drugs Act of 2026 aims to enhance the safety and oversight of compounded drug products. It restricts pharmacies from frequently copying commercially available drugs and introduces new annual reporting requirements for out-of-state compounding activities. Furthermore, the bill imposes stricter FDA inspection schedules and mandatory registration for large-scale compounding facilities.

The No Funding for Foreign Agents Act prohibits the U.S. federal government from providing any direct or indirect financial assistance to entities controlled by agents of specified "covered foreign principals." This restriction targets entities acting for or under the direction of governments or political parties from a list of designated nations. The bill clearly defines who qualifies as an agent and what constitutes financial assistance, while including specific exceptions for certain existing foreign assistance programs.

The Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower (RISE) Act aims to improve support for postsecondary students with disabilities. It standardizes the types of documentation colleges must accept to verify a student's disability status and requires institutions to increase transparency regarding accommodations. Additionally, the bill authorizes funding for a national technical support center and mandates that colleges report key data on enrolled and graduating students with disabilities.

The Student Loan Tax Elimination Act aims to reduce the cost of federal student loans by eliminating origination fees. This change will apply to new Federal Direct Loans and Direct Consolidation Loans disbursed or applied for after July 1 following the enactment of the law.

The PELL Act eliminates federal grant programs that provide funding to institutions based on the racial or ethnic demographics of their student bodies. It replaces this funding structure by significantly increasing the maximum award amount for the need-based Federal Pell Grant program. Furthermore, the bill prohibits federal agencies from considering the racial composition of institutions when awarding grants.

This bill officially renames the United States Postal Service facility located at 520 South Walnut Street in Bloomington, Indiana, as the "Curt Cignetti Post Office." This designation requires all official documents and records to use the new name for the facility.

The AI Workforce PREPARE Act is comprehensive legislation designed to help the U.S. government understand, forecast, and respond to the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the American workforce. It establishes new data collection methods, creates specialized research hubs, and mandates public forecasting competitions to track AI adoption and job displacement. Ultimately, the bill aims to ensure that federal job training, unemployment, and workforce policies are informed by the best available data on AI's evolving role in the economy.

The Putting American Workers First Act amends the National Labor Relations Act to prohibit employers and labor organizations from employing or representing unauthorized aliens. This measure establishes these actions as unfair labor practices, though it includes a good-faith exception based on using established employment verification systems. Furthermore, discharging an unauthorized alien cannot be used as evidence of animus against an employee's protected labor rights.