Legislative Activity

The MERICA Act of 2026 amends the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to bring hardrock minerals under its leasing authority. This legislation expands the scope of minerals the Secretary of the Interior can lease on acquired lands to include base metals, precious metals, and gemstones. The Act specifically defines "hardrock mineral" while excluding certain existing mineral resources like coal and oil.

The Welfare Fraud Deterrence and Recovery Act of 2026 significantly increases criminal penalties for welfare fraud, including mandatory minimum sentences. The bill also establishes severe immigration consequences for noncitizens convicted of fraud, including automatic denaturalization and deportation. Finally, it creates a dedicated Task Force to investigate fraud, pursue civil recovery of lost funds, and establish a dedicated Welfare Fraud Recovery Fund.

The Deportation Acceleration Act mandates real-time sharing of noncitizen criminal convictions with immigration authorities to immediately initiate removal proceedings. It expands the use of expedited removal for noncitizens with a felony or two misdemeanors and shortens appeal windows in criminal removal cases. Furthermore, the bill incentivizes cooperation from local jurisdictions while penalizing "sanctuary jurisdictions" by withholding federal highway funds.

The DATA Act of 2026 establishes a new category of utility called a Consumer-Regulated Electric Utility (CREU) designed to serve new, isolated electric loads. This bill grants CREUs broad exemptions from federal regulation under the Federal Power Act, FERC, DOE, and PURPA, provided they remain physically disconnected from the bulk-power system. The exemption ends immediately if the CREU connects to the main grid for any primary or backup power supply.

The National Guard Protective Zone Act establishes a federal crime for knowingly interfering with a National Guard member's designated protective zone. This zone is defined as an area within 15 feet of a Guard member, clearly marked, during an authorized deployment. Violators face penalties, though the law explicitly protects First Amendment activities conducted outside this defined zone.

The Asylum Reform and Loophole Closure Act aims to significantly tighten asylum eligibility requirements in the United States. This bill makes asylum generally unavailable for individuals who transited through a safe third country without seeking protection there, and permanently bars those with prior illegal entry or visa fraud. Furthermore, it raises the standard for credible fear interviews and sets a 180-day limit for family detention during certain removal proceedings.

The Put American Students First Act aims to enforce a federal prohibition against public colleges and universities offering in-state tuition rates or other financial benefits to aliens not lawfully admitted for permanent residence. This legislation mandates that such individuals must be charged the higher out-of-state tuition rate. Furthermore, it requires colleges to verify the immigration status of students receiving benefits and imposes penalties on states and institutions that fail to comply with these new requirements.

The Biological Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2025 aims to safeguard U.S. biotechnology by controlling the export of sensitive synthetic DNA and RNA sequences to foreign adversaries, particularly those identified as national security threats. The bill establishes a mandatory licensing requirement managed by the Secretary of Commerce for transferring digital sequences of synthetic biology data to designated "foreign entities of concern." This action is taken in response to concerns that foreign laws compel cooperation with state intelligence, risking the theft of U.S. intellectual property for military modernization.

The Lowering Egg Prices Act of 2025 aims to reduce consumer egg costs by streamlining regulations for surplus broiler hatching eggs. This legislation immediately removes current storage restrictions on these specific eggs when sold to egg breakers for processing into liquid egg products. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to issue a new rule within 180 days to formalize these revised storage and sale allowances.

The American Citizens First Act aims to restrict federal public benefits exclusively to U.S. citizens and nationals. It also establishes grounds for denaturalization of naturalized citizens involved in acts undermining domestic tranquility. Furthermore, the bill expands the use of expedited removal procedures and mandates comprehensive security reviews for certain Afghan nationals admitted since January 2021. Finally, it automatically terminates Temporary Protected Status (TPS) if country conditions no longer support the designation or if the crime rate among TPS nationals exceeds the national average by 20 percent.

The CLEAR Act of 2025 aims to streamline energy project development by limiting repeated legal challenges through a "single action" rule for all related authorizations. It also establishes a deferential standard for judicial review of federal agency decisions, requiring courts to uphold agency discretion unless an abuse is found. If procedural errors are identified, courts must remand the issue to the agency with a strict 180-day deadline for correction, during which the project authorization remains valid. Furthermore, the bill imposes strict deadlines and participation requirements for filing lawsuits challenging project authorizations.

The Combating Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals Act of 2025 updates existing law to combat the proliferation of counterfeit and "copy-cat" drugs. It broadens the scope of sanctions and intelligence gathering beyond just fentanyl to include all illicit drugs. The Act also clarifies definitions and expands eligibility for waivers concerning access to prescription medications currently facing shortages.

The Reliable Power Act mandates that the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) conduct annual long-term assessments of the bulk-power system's ability to meet future energy demand. If the ERO identifies a risk of generation inadequacy, it must notify the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC then reviews any pending agency actions that could affect generation resources, requiring agencies to modify or justify actions that might negatively impact grid reliability before finalizing them.

The Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act of 2025 mandates that all commercial driver's license (CDL) tests must be administered exclusively in English. Furthermore, the bill establishes a mandatory one-year waiting period before an individual can upgrade from a standard driver's license to a CDL. Finally, it grants the Secretary of Transportation the authority to revoke a state's permission to issue out-of-state commercial licenses if that state fails to comply with federal regulations.

The Fair Sentencing Act prohibits federal judges from considering a defendant's perceived gender identity as a mitigating factor when determining a sentence. This legislation amends federal sentencing statutes to ensure gender identity is not used to lessen a sentence or influence rehabilitation considerations. The U.S. Sentencing Commission is required to update the Sentencing Guidelines Manual to reflect this new restriction within 30 days of enactment.

The Protect Our Prosecutors and Judges Act of 2025 expands the federal authority for qualified current and retired prosecutors and Federal judges to carry concealed firearms across state lines. This authority mirrors that currently granted to law enforcement officers. To qualify, individuals must meet specific identification and ongoing firearms training certification requirements set by their former agency, state, or a certified instructor. The bill also provides definitions for who qualifies as a "qualified prosecutor" or "qualified Federal judge" under these new provisions.

The American Medicine Safety and Security Act establishes strict employment conditions for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning individuals with ties to designated foreign countries of concern (China, Russia, or Iran). This bill prohibits nationals of these countries from working at the FDA and mandates that current employees report immediate family ties to these nations or face termination. Furthermore, it imposes a 10-year ban on former FDA employees working for entities based in these countries and restricts access to sensitive drug and device data for employees with such foreign ties.

The American Workforce Act establishes a new federally supported program managed by the Commerce Department to create formal, on-the-job training contracts between businesses and qualified U.S. citizens without a bachelor's degree. These contracts require employers to provide paid work, structured education, and aim for specific wage outcomes, supported by government education subsidies and hiring bonuses. The Act mandates rigorous reporting on program success, compliance monitoring, and includes a sunset provision, causing the program to automatically expire after ten years unless reauthorized.

The Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act of 2025 mandates that federal and state prisons use an inmate's biological sex for housing assignments to ensure separation between sexes. This law requires the Bureau of Prisons to adhere to biological sex standards and conditions federal funding for states on their compliance with similar housing restrictions. The goal is to prevent violence by ensuring inmates are housed according to their biological sex, with limited exceptions for temporary situations.

The OPT Fair Tax Act amends tax law to specifically subject income earned by F-1 visa holders during Optional Practical Training (OPT) to Social Security and Medicare taxes. This change removes the current exemption for OPT employment, treating those earnings as standard employment for federal tax purposes.