Legislative Activity

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 Kidd’s Stuttering Act mandates that Medicaid and CHIP programs include screenings for childhood-onset fluency disorders, such as stuttering, during well-child visits starting in 2029. The bill also establishes parity requirements to ensure that speech therapy services for these disorders are covered as comprehensively as other speech-related treatments. These measures aim to improve early detection and access to essential therapy for children and young adults.

The Harley Jacobsen Clinical Trial Participant Income Exemption Act of 2026 ensures that compensation received for participating in medical research is tax-exempt. Additionally, the bill mandates that these payments cannot be counted as income or resources when determining an individual's eligibility for federal assistance programs. This legislation aims to remove financial barriers for those contributing to vital clinical trials.

The SAFE Drugs Act of 2026 strengthens federal oversight of compounded drug products to enhance patient safety. The bill limits the compounding of copies of commercially available drugs, mandates new reporting for interstate compounding, and increases inspection and registration requirements for large-scale outsourcing facilities. Additionally, it authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adjust establishment fees to ensure adequate funding for safety oversight.

The Form 5500 Filing Simplification Act streamlines the annual reporting process for employee benefit plans by extending filing deadlines to a consistent nine-month-and-15-day timeframe. Additionally, the bill modernizes administrative requirements by mandating the acceptance of electronic signatures for all required filings. These changes aim to reduce the regulatory burden on plan administrators while improving filing flexibility.

The Citizenship Act of 2026 formally declares the current state of illegal immigration as an invasion and restricts birthright citizenship for children born to individuals designated as "invaders." The bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who are unlawfully present or engaged in birth tourism. Additionally, the legislation prohibits judicial review of the official declaration of an invasion.

The "Stop the Sexualization of Children Act" prohibits the use of federal education funds for programs, activities, or materials that expose children under 18 to sexually oriented content, including depictions of gender dysphoria or transgenderism. The bill includes specific exceptions for standard science curricula, religious texts, and designated classic works of literature and art.

This bill establishes the Blast Overpressure Research and Mitigation Task Force within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Task Force will improve healthcare and benefits for veterans affected by blast exposure by aligning research, establishing baseline measurements, and prioritizing translational research into related conditions. It is required to submit annual reports detailing its progress and recommendations for evaluating service-connected neurological injuries.

The SAFE for Kids Act of 2026 requires commercial entities that primarily distribute sexual material harmful to minors to implement age verification systems to block access by minors. These entities must use digital identification or a commercial age verification system, and cannot retain any collected data. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice are tasked with civil and criminal enforcement, respectively, and individuals are granted the right to file private lawsuits.

The Parkinson’s Protection for Firefighters Act adds Parkinson's disease to the list of illnesses presumed to be proximately caused by federal employment in fire protection activities. This legislative change ensures that federal firefighters diagnosed with Parkinson's disease receive appropriate recognition and benefits related to their service.

This bill establishes a formal research and development partnership between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The collaboration focuses on joint projects addressing national security, agricultural resilience, and supply chain integrity, including bioindustrial manufacturing feedstocks. The Secretaries must coordinate through an agreement, utilize competitive funding, and implement robust risk management to protect sensitive research.

The Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act prohibits recipients of federal research funding from collaborating with entities or individuals on U.S. government restricted lists. This rule applies to all aspects of federally funded research, including joint projects and data sharing. Federal agencies must issue uniform guidance on compliance and may grant national security-based waivers with required notification to Congress.

The Medical Device Electronic Labeling Act amends federal law to allow medical device manufacturers to provide required labeling entirely through electronic means, provided they ensure user access and offer paper copies upon request. This legislation aims to modernize labeling requirements while maintaining safety and effectiveness standards. The Secretary of Health and Human Services retains authority to add requirements or grant exceptions to these electronic labeling conditions. Furthermore, the bill mandates the FDA to seek public feedback on optimizing electronic labeling for professional-use medical devices.

The AI OVERWATCH Act establishes strict new export controls on advanced integrated circuits to designated countries of concern, including China, Iran, and Russia. It mandates a rigorous licensing process requiring detailed Congressional certification before high-performance chips can be transferred. Furthermore, the bill temporarily halts all licenses for these chips while requiring the development of a comprehensive national strategy to secure U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.

The START Act aims to streamline and increase transparency in the national apprenticeship system by establishing formal, time-bound processes for registering new apprenticeship programs. It clarifies the roles of state apprenticeship councils and establishes a new federal grant program to support states in expanding and improving registered apprenticeships. Furthermore, the bill mandates public posting of reciprocity and standards information to ensure clarity for program sponsors across state lines.

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.