Legislative Activity

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 strengthens U.S. policy by imposing mandatory sanctions on foreign persons and financial institutions that support Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, drone, and terrorist activities. The bill specifically targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors to cut off funding for these malign programs. Additionally, it expands the State Department’s "Rewards for Justice" program to incentivize the reporting of individuals who evade these sanctions.

The Medicaid VBPs for Patients (MVP) Act updates federal drug pricing regulations to formally support value-based purchasing arrangements in Medicaid and Medicare. By refining how drug prices are calculated and providing guidance for state-level implementation, the bill aims to improve patient access to innovative therapies while ensuring better health outcomes. Additionally, it creates necessary legal exceptions for these arrangements and mandates a GAO study to evaluate their long-term impact on costs and patient care.

This resolution recognizes the 10th anniversary of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) export shipment from the lower 48 states in February 2016. It celebrates this milestone as a turning point that established the U.S. as a leading global LNG supplier, significantly boosting economic growth and strengthening international energy security. The bill honors the innovation and hard work that supported this vital sector.

The Recycled Materials Attribution Act of 2026 establishes national standards for making recycled content claims in commerce. This bill recognizes mass balance accounting as an acceptable method for substantiating these claims, provided it adheres to a third-party certification system. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with updating its Green Guides to reflect these standards and will enforce prohibitions against misleading recycled content claims. Furthermore, the Act preempts state and local regulations concerning the enforcement of these federal standards.

The SELF DRIVE Act of 2026 establishes a federal framework for the safe testing and deployment of automated driving systems (ADS) across the United States. It mandates that manufacturers submit a comprehensive "safety case" demonstrating their ADS will not pose an unreasonable risk before vehicles can be sold. Furthermore, the bill creates a national repository for automated vehicle crash data and clarifies federal preemption over state laws regarding ADS sales and reporting.

This bill changes the legal home of the National Woman's Relief Corps by moving its incorporation and domicile from the District of Columbia to Illinois. It also relocates the organization's principal office to Murphysboro, Illinois. Furthermore, the legislation updates where legal documents must be served upon the Corps.

The Clawing back Lapsed Obligations from State Emergency programs (CLOSE) Act terminates three federal pandemic unemployment insurance programs established under the CARES Act. This legislation rescinds all remaining unspent federal funds associated with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation 30 days after enactment. The bill effectively ends these emergency benefit programs and reclaims the unused appropriations.

The Energy Emergency Leadership Act assigns specific, expanded responsibilities to an Assistant Secretary within the Department of Energy focused on energy emergencies and security. This role will manage critical areas like infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity, supply, and emergency response planning. The Act ensures these energy security functions are coordinated with other relevant federal agencies.

The SECURE Grid Act strengthens state energy security planning by mandating the inclusion of local electricity distribution systems in risk assessments. This legislation requires states to consult with equipment suppliers and address physical, cyber, and supply chain threats to enhance grid resilience. Furthermore, it mandates a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to evaluate the effectiveness of these updated state plans.

The Replacement Parts Availability Act exempts certain pre-existing replacement parts for complex durable and consumer goods from specific chemical regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act. This exemption generally applies unless the EPA Administrator determines, with substantial evidence, that the part significantly contributes to public health risks. The bill also ensures manufacturers of these exempted parts can continue using necessary chemicals and provides a minimum 10-year transition period for any permitted restrictions.

The **Clean Air and Economic Advancement Reform Act (CLEAR Act)** adjusts EPA timelines for reviewing air quality standards, shifting them to a 10-year cycle and allowing states more flexibility in developing compliance plans. The bill updates the definition of "exceptional events" to better account for wildfire mitigation activities and limits penalties when pollution spikes are demonstrably beyond a state's control. Finally, it modifies the makeup of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee to increase state representation and requires new impact assessments before setting air quality standards.

The Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Improvement Act aims to streamline the implementation of new air quality standards by requiring the EPA to publish necessary preconstruction permit guidance simultaneously with any new or updated standard. It also provides a temporary exemption for certain preconstruction permit applications from the 2024 Primary Annual Particulate Matter2.5 Standard until area designations are finalized. This ensures that permitting processes can proceed efficiently while maintaining requirements for installing best available control technology.

This bill establishes a statutory definition for an "essential health system" based on the volume of care provided to low-income and Medicaid patients. It requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate qualifying hospitals for a five-year period. Furthermore, the bill mandates MACPAC to create an annual index ranking all relevant hospitals based on these financial criteria and to review payment policies supporting these essential systems.

The Genomic Answers for Children’s Health Act of 2026 mandates that state Medicaid programs cover whole genome and whole exome sequencing for children with specific medical conditions, effective January 1, 2027. This sequencing is to be covered as a first-tier diagnostic test for genetic disorders, rare diseases, or conditions of unknown origin. The bill also directs the HHS Secretary to promote awareness and address implementation challenges for this new mandatory benefit.

The SHOWER Act revises the federal definition of a "showerhead" to align with the current industry standard, ASME A112.18.1/2024. This legislation specifically excludes safety shower showerheads from the federal definition. The Secretary of Energy is mandated to update federal regulations to reflect this change within 180 days of enactment.

This bill establishes the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act to streamline the environmental review and permitting process for natural gas pipelines. It designates the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as the sole lead agency for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews. The Act mandates coordination timelines and procedures for all participating federal and state agencies to ensure concurrent review and timely final authorizations. Furthermore, it requires public tracking of the permitting schedule and progress for all required agency actions.

This bill, the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act, officially authorizes Congress to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 U.S. Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. The medals will be struck by the Treasury and permanently displayed at specific national sports museums. The Act also permits the sale of duplicate bronze medals to cover production costs.

This act amends the Clean Air Act to clarify which plastic conversion facilities are exempt from being classified as solid waste incineration units. It automatically excludes facilities that convert plastics into products using specific advanced recycling methods, provided at least 50% of the output by mass qualifies as a usable product. The bill also establishes a petition process for other qualifying plastic conversion facilities to seek similar exclusion from incineration unit regulations.

The Main Street Lending Improvement Act of 2025 mandates a study by the Comptroller General on the timeline and distribution of small business loans within areas that include the Appalachian region. This study will compare loan disbursement processes between Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas from 2021 through 2024. The final report must include recommendations to increase loan accessibility, decrease funding times, and improve applicant communication.

The American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025 aims to rapidly expand wireless and wireline internet infrastructure by streamlining government approval processes at the state, local, and federal levels. It establishes strict deadlines for permit decisions, mandates automatic approval if deadlines are missed, and limits excessive fees to accelerate deployment. The bill also expedites environmental reviews for certain projects to reduce bureaucratic delays in building out modern communications networks.