Legislative Activity

The Jimmy Deal Trafficking Survivors Assistance Act of 2026 mandates that the TSA designate a specialized point of contact at every airport to assist human trafficking survivors with air travel. These representatives will coordinate with nonprofit service providers to navigate security screenings, facilitate identity verification, and ensure survivors are safely escorted through the travel process. The bill also requires the TSA to provide trauma-informed training for these staff members and waive identity verification fees for survivors.

The Fairness for Immigrant Families Act of 2026 aims to keep families together by reducing deportations, eliminating restrictive reentry bans, and expanding pathways to legal status for long-term residents. The bill also establishes robust protections against immigration fraud, mandates greater transparency in agency processing, and fosters community trust by shielding crime victims and witnesses from enforcement actions. Together, these measures prioritize family unity and legal accountability while strengthening protections for vulnerable immigrant populations.

The Strengthening EFIN Confirmation for User Reliability and Electronic (SECURE) Tax Filing Act mandates that the IRS implement a real-time validation program for Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs). This legislation requires tax preparation software to verify an EFIN’s status before any electronic filing can occur, ensuring that only authorized and active users can submit tax documents. By establishing these security checks, the bill aims to prevent fraud and enhance the overall integrity of the electronic tax filing system.

The Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2026 establishes a new federal criminal offense for schemes intended to defraud veterans or their families of earned benefits. This legislation aims to protect those who have served by imposing significant fines and potential prison sentences of up to five years for violators.

This resolution expresses support for designating **July 10, 2026, as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day**. It honors the critical and often dangerous work these individuals perform to maintain the nation's electric grid, especially during emergencies. The day also commemorates the anniversary of the first IBEW president's line-of-duty death while restoring power.

This Act modernizes the process for federally insured credit unions to switch to private deposit insurance. It removes the requirement for a minimum 20% membership turnout for the conversion vote to pass. Additionally, it standardizes the advance notice period for such a vote to a minimum of 90 days.

The Tribal Warrant Fairness Act aims to enhance cooperation between the U.S. Marshals Service and federally recognized Indian Tribes. This legislation explicitly broadens the Marshals Service's duties to include Tribal fugitive matters and ensures Tribes are integrated into federal threat protection coordination efforts. Ultimately, the bill recognizes and supports Tribal law enforcement within federal frameworks.

The Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act mandates that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) submit annual reports to Congress detailing the status of specific, long-pending hydropower license applications. These reports will cover new, subsequent, and original license applications where intent to file was declared at least three years prior. The goal is to increase oversight and provide clarity on the timeline and progress of these complex licensing processes.

This act reauthorizes and extends the competitive grant program for large-scale water recycling and reuse projects. It increases the program's authorization period from five years to ten years.

The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2026 affirms the fundamental right of individuals to travel across state lines to receive reproductive health care that is legal in the destination state. This bill prohibits any government or person from restricting, sanctioning, or discriminating against individuals who travel for such care or those who assist them. It preempts conflicting state laws and establishes robust federal enforcement mechanisms, including civil actions for individuals and the Attorney General, while removing common immunity defenses for violators.

This act, the Small Business Wildfire Smoke Recovery Act, amends the Small Business Act to officially recognize smoke from wildfires as a qualifying disaster. This change will allow small businesses affected by wildfire smoke to access necessary federal disaster assistance programs.

The Microbusiness Support Act establishes a new direct loan program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) specifically for qualifying microbusinesses. This program will offer loans up to \$100,000 with a fixed annual interest rate of 6%. The SBA is tasked with quickly developing rules to implement the loan terms and operational details for this new support mechanism.

The Safe Bus Routes to School Act establishes a grant program administered by the Secretary of Transportation to help states and local governments enhance the safety of school bus routes and stops. This legislation allows federal highway safety funds to be used for infrastructure improvements like sidewalks and traffic calming, as well as non-infrastructure activities such as safety education. The primary goal is to reduce the risk of injury or death for children using school transportation.

The Veterans Protection from Fraud Act of 2026 enhances penalties for crimes committed against veterans. This legislation specifically amends federal law to include "targeted veterans of any age" as a category of vulnerable victims. Consequently, offenders who target veterans will face stricter punishments under existing statutes.

This resolution designates the week of April 20 through 26, 2026, as National Dark Sky Week to recognize the importance of preserving dark skies and reducing light pollution. It highlights the cultural, economic, and scientific value of the night sky, which is increasingly obscured by artificial light. The bill encourages federal agencies and communities to promote responsible lighting practices and expand opportunities for stargazing and astronomical education.

This bill establishes the Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act to significantly advance geothermal energy technologies, including enhanced, closed-loop, and supercritical systems. It mandates expanded research, the creation of public subsurface data repositories, and the drilling of deep exploration boreholes to better characterize U.S. geothermal resources. The legislation also authorizes new grant programs to accelerate the commercial readiness of these next-generation systems.

This bill establishes a Geothermal Ombudsman and a Geothermal Permitting Task Force within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These new entities are designed to streamline and expedite the federal permitting process for geothermal energy projects on public lands. The Ombudsman will serve as a liaison, resolve disputes, and monitor permit processing across BLM offices.

The Energy Consumer Protection Act of 2026 strengthens federal enforcement against energy market manipulation and false reporting. This legislation grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) new authority to prohibit individuals or entities who violate market manipulation or false reporting rules from trading electric energy or natural gas. These new prohibitions apply to violations under both the Federal Power Act and the Natural Gas Act.

The Fair and Transparent Gas Prices Act of 2026 directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a comprehensive study into potential anti-competitive practices within the oil and gas industry. This investigation will analyze how company conduct, including stock buybacks, affects consumer prices and fuel supply. The FTC must report its findings and recommend legislative or administrative actions to ensure fair and transparent gas markets.

The Federal Mechanical Insulation Act of 2026 amends existing law to formally recognize the installation of high-efficiency mechanical insulation as a required energy and water efficiency measure in all federal buildings. This ensures that federal energy evaluations specifically identify and prioritize the installation of mechanical insulation that meets or exceeds ASHRAE Standard 90.1 requirements.