Legislative Activity

This bill reauthorizes the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000. It extends the existing authorization date from 2026 to 2028.

The Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authorization Act authorizes the construction of a regional water system to ensure an adequate water supply for several counties in Montana and North Dakota. The Secretary of the Interior will partner with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority, with the federal government covering up to 75% of the planning, design, and construction costs. The Act also requires the Western Area Power Administration to supply necessary electrical power for the system's operation. This legislation explicitly preserves all existing state water laws and management authority.

The PARTNERS Act of 2026 grants states the authority to enforce federal requirements for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans operating within their borders. This legislation allows states to ensure MA organizations comply with all applicable federal standards. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to coordinate enforcement efforts with participating states.

The Accelerating Forest Management Act aims to speed up forest management projects on federal lands to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health. It streamlines environmental reviews, allowing for expedited processes for projects up to specified acreage limits. The bill also codifies a categorical exclusion for certain salvage harvesting on BLM lands and extends funding for the Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund.

The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026 streamlines federal housing programs to better support tribal communities. The bill simplifies environmental review processes, expands homeownership and rental assistance opportunities, and reauthorizes critical funding through 2032. Additionally, it enhances tribal authority over housing management, improves access to loan guarantees, and establishes new support programs for homeless or at-risk Native American veterans.

This act eliminates the Federal Insurance Office and establishes a new United States Insurance Representative within the Treasury to coordinate international insurance policy. The Representative gains authority to preempt state insurance laws only if they conflict with international agreements and treat foreign insurers less favorably. Additionally, the bill adds a State Insurance Commissioner as a voting member to the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC).

The Protecting Private Job Creators Act creates an exception to SEC Rule 15c2-11 specifically for fixed-income securities. This change exempts certain debt instruments, such as bonds and debentures, from the rule's quotation requirements. This aims to ease regulatory burdens on private job creators dealing with these types of securities.

The Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act seeks to release specific Wilderness Study Areas—Middle Fork Judith, Hoodoo Mountain, and Wales Creek—from outdated wilderness study requirements. This action allows land managers to implement existing, collaboratively developed management plans. These plans aim to enhance sportsmen opportunities, improve public access, and support wildlife and wildfire mitigation efforts on these lands.

This Joint Resolution expresses the disapproval of Congress regarding a specific rule issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) concerning the Miles City Field Office's Resource Management Plan Amendment. By invoking the Congressional Review Act, this action immediately nullifies the BLM's decision and prevents it from taking effect.

This Act formally establishes federal responsibility for the operation, maintenance, and funding of the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, which was built to protect the pallid sturgeon. It explicitly prohibits transferring any financial or operational burdens of the channel to the local, non-federal Lower Yellowstone Irrigation District or Project. The legislation ensures continuous federal funding and preserves the existing functions of the irrigation project.

The SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act amends existing law to extend the statute of limitations for fraud-related crimes concerning the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant and Restaurant Revitalization Grant programs. This legislation establishes a 10-year window for filing criminal prosecutions or civil enforcement actions related to fraud and false claims for these COVID-19 relief funds.

The Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act aims to promote ecosystem restoration projects in floodplains by streamlining regulatory processes. This bill exempts such projects from certain map change fees and allows for conditional approval within regulatory floodways under specific engineering and safety criteria. Ultimately, it directs FEMA to issue guidance to facilitate these beneficial restoration efforts.

The National Cemetery Access Act mandates that all national cemeteries managed by the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the National Park Service must remain open to the public on all federal legal public holidays. This ensures continuous access for visitors to honor veterans and their families throughout the year.

The Retirement Investment Choice Act aims to permanently establish the rules set forth in Executive Order 14330 into federal law. This action codifies the executive order, which focuses on democratizing access to alternative assets within 401(k) retirement plans. By enacting this into statute, the bill ensures these investment options remain available to plan participants regardless of future executive actions.

The IMAGES Act of 2025 significantly updates the National Flood Mapping Program to enhance the accuracy and detail of flood rate maps. It mandates the inclusion of property-level data like roads and parcel information on these maps and requires regular accuracy checks. Furthermore, the bill establishes a public data repository for raw flood modeling information and dedicates a portion of insurance fund revenue specifically for map maintenance.

The Crow Revenue Act authorizes a complex land and mineral exchange involving the Crow Tribe, the State of Montana, and private entities to resolve aspects of the Tribe's water rights settlement. This legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey federal mineral interests to Montana in exchange for Montana conveying specific mineral interests to the United States, to be held in trust for the Crow Tribe. The Act also facilitates separate exchanges involving surface rights and ensures that funds received by the Tribe are protected from affecting other federal benefits.

The Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act mandates that regulatory bodies explicitly include rural-area small businesses when considering advisory roles and consultations related to capital access. This amendment ensures that the unique needs of rural businesses are recognized alongside other specific small business categories, like women-owned businesses. The goal is to improve capital access for job creators in rural America.

The COAL POWER Act, officially the Combating Overregulation And Limitation of Proven, Operable, Working Energy Resources Act, directly repeals a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule concerning emission standards for coal- and oil-fired power plants. This legislation effectively nullifies the specified EPA regulation, removing its legal standing.

The SEC Modernization Act enacts significant internal restructuring within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by realigning several key offices, including moving them under the General Counsel and into the Division of Corporate Finance. This legislation streamlines reporting structures by consolidating the offices of Public Affairs and Legislative Affairs, and merging investor education functions under the Investor Advocate. While mandating these initial organizational changes, the Act retains the Commission's future flexibility to reorganize offices if deemed necessary for investor protection.

The CFPB Budget Integrity Act limits the amount of unspent funds, or "unobligated balances," the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) can retain to no more than 5% of a specified statutory amount. Any excess savings must be transferred to the Treasury general fund. This legislation also enhances reporting requirements to provide greater transparency regarding the CFPB's retained balances.