Legislative Activity

This resolution officially designates specific dates in 2026 as National Seersucker Day, Seersucker Thursday, and Seersucker Appreciation Month. It honors the history and cultural significance of the breathable seersucker fabric, recognizing its connection to American tradition and the working person. The bill encourages the public to celebrate by wearing their best seersucker attire on these designated days.

The **READ Act** aims to combat the national literacy crisis by promoting reading instruction aligned with the science of reading across K-12 education. It establishes new grant programs to support states in implementing evidence-based policies, improving teacher training, and ensuring early identification and intervention for struggling readers. Furthermore, the bill mandates that schools notify parents when their child is identified as being at risk for reading difficulties.

This bill, the "Stopping Illegal Minor Simulations Act" (SIMS Act), prohibits the creation and provision of chatbots that simulate minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct or conversation. It establishes federal criminal and civil penalties for covered entities that willfully violate this ban. The law includes exemptions for research and law enforcement investigations.

This Act modifies the New Markets Tax Credit rules to better support rural economic development. It adjusts how "high migration rural counties" are defined by excluding institutional populations from migration calculations. Additionally, the bill lowers the poverty threshold for census tracts in counties where the federal government owns a significant portion of the land, making them more eligible for investment incentives.

The Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2026 prohibits the Department of Labor from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing OSHA's proposed 2024 heat safety standard. Congress finds the proposed rule too rigid, burdensome, and confusing for both businesses and workers across diverse industries. This legislation prevents the adoption of that specific, prescriptive standard or any substantially similar regulation.

The Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act mandates that colleges standardize how they present financial aid offers to students, requiring clear, consumer-friendly formats. This legislation directs the Department of Education to develop standard terminology and a model form that clearly separates costs, grants, and loans. The goal is to ensure students easily understand the true net price they will have to pay.

The Save America’s Family Forests Act of 2026 aims to incentivize forest restoration through tax code modifications. It significantly increases the immediate deduction limit for general reforestation expenses for businesses. Additionally, the bill creates a new, substantial tax deduction for reforestation costs following a qualified natural disaster. These provisions are designed to encourage the timely replanting and recovery of damaged timber properties.

The ADVICE Act establishes an advisory committee within the Department of Labor to improve the standardization and integration of registered apprenticeship data across various state and federal systems. This committee will provide recommendations on how to better track apprenticeship outcomes, reduce reporting burdens, and increase data interoperability. Following the committee's report, the Secretary of Labor must develop a policy plan and seek funding to help states implement these data improvements.

The Mined in America Act of 2026 aims to bolster U.S. national security and energy independence by promoting domestic proof-of-work mining and high-density computing. The bill establishes a federal certification program for mining operations that meet strict security and sourcing standards, while providing these certified entities with access to federal energy grants and procurement preferences. Additionally, the Act creates a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and mandates federal studies to advance the development of secure, energy-efficient mining hardware and decentralized artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The SMART Act modernizes national service programs like AmeriCorps by increasing administrative flexibility, enhancing program oversight, and expanding eligibility. It improves the member experience by offering more diverse financial benefits, including new career training options and a direct pathway to federal employment. Additionally, the bill secures funding for these vital volunteer programs through 2031 to ensure their continued impact on communities nationwide.

The Veteran Access to Neurosurgery Act of 2026 establishes a five-year pilot program to improve neurosurgical access for veterans in rural areas. By allowing for market-based rate adjustments, the program incentivizes qualified surgeons to provide essential care where standard VA reimbursement rates are insufficient. This initiative aims to reduce wait times and travel distances for veterans requiring specialized surgical services.

The Removing Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Limitations Act of 2026 eliminates the 190-day lifetime cap on Medicare-covered inpatient psychiatric hospital services. Starting January 1, 2027, this legislation ensures that beneficiaries have continuous access to essential mental health care without restrictive lifetime limits.

The Securing Accountability in Foreign Entries Act strengthens U.S. customs oversight by requiring that importers of record maintain a verified physical presence or established business footprint within the United States. The bill mandates that all duties and fees be paid directly through verified U.S. bank accounts and increases the minimum continuous import bond requirement to $100,000. These measures aim to enhance accountability, ensure the collection of revenue, and improve compliance for goods entering the U.S. market.

The Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2026 aims to strengthen the cybersecurity posture of the healthcare sector by mandating closer coordination between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The bill establishes new cybersecurity standards for healthcare entities, including requirements for multifactor authentication and encryption, while creating a grant program to assist organizations in adopting these protections. Additionally, it enhances breach reporting transparency, provides specialized cybersecurity guidance for rural health providers, and directs the development of a strategic plan to grow the healthcare cybersecurity workforce.

The Last Sale Valuation Act of 2026 modifies customs valuation rules by establishing that the dutiable value of imported goods will be based on the price paid in the *last sale* leading up to importation, especially in transactions involving multiple sales. This act clarifies the definition of "sold for exportation to the United States" for duty calculation purposes. It also grants U.S. Customs and Border Protection the necessary access to records to verify these adjusted values.

This bill officially designates the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Lafayette, Louisiana, as the "Rodney C. Hamilton Sr. VA Clinic." The naming honors Mr. Hamilton for his military service, including receiving the Purple Heart, and his dedicated efforts in securing the establishment of the clinic. This designation ensures the facility will carry his name in all official records.

This Senate resolution affirms the critical importance of the Social Security program to the American people and expresses the Senate's commitment to preserving and strengthening it for all generations. It establishes August as Social Security Awareness Month to promote public education on the program's history and financial future. Furthermore, the resolution calls for bipartisan action to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security and prevent benefit cuts.

The VetPAC Act of 2025 establishes the Veterans Health Administration Policy Advisory Commission, composed of experts appointed by the Comptroller General. This new commission is tasked with conducting comprehensive reviews of VHA operations, including quality of care, staffing, and technology. The Commission will then submit annual reports to Congress containing recommendations for improving the delivery of veteran healthcare.

The MAP for Care Act establishes a voluntary Medicare Advance Directive Certification Program to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to create and maintain certified advance directives. This program requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to accredit vendors who provide secure, accessible electronic living wills or durable powers of attorney. The goal is to ensure beneficiaries' healthcare wishes are known and followed if they become incapacitated.

The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act 2.0 aims to streamline the veterans' benefits appeals process through several key reforms. It establishes new deadlines for evidence submission and offers veterans more flexibility in managing their appeals while preserving their place in line. The bill also mandates improvements to electronic notifications, requires more detailed decision notices from the Board of Veterans' Appeals, and introduces new procedures for decision reconsideration. Finally, it requires comprehensive reviews of the appeals system and mandates annual public reporting on appeal outcomes.