Legislative Activity

The Gateway to Careers Act of 2026 establishes a new federal grant program to fund career pathway partnerships across the country. These competitive grants, administered by the Department of Labor, will support collaborations between workforce agencies, educators, and employers to develop and implement programs in high-demand sectors. Funds must support both program development, such as integrated education and training, and essential student support services like childcare and transportation. The goal is to improve employment outcomes and measurable skill gains for participants by addressing barriers to education and work.

The Relief for Families of the Fallen Act provides significant income tax relief for the families of public safety officers who die from injuries sustained in the line of duty. This bill exempts income taxes for the year of death and prior years back to when the injury occurred. Eligibility will be determined by the Treasury Secretary based on existing federal death benefit criteria.

This resolution supports designating the week of April 27 through May 1, 2026, as "National Specialized Instructional Support Personnel Appreciation Week." It recognizes the vital role of over one million school-based professionals, such as counselors, social workers, and therapists, in removing barriers to learning for all students. The bill encourages awareness of how these experts improve student outcomes, mental health, and school climate.

The Medication Competition Act establishes a clear pathway for the FDA to approve biosimilar and interchangeable versions of biologic drugs. It sets rigorous standards for safety and efficacy, requiring biosimilars to be highly similar to the reference product. The bill also institutes a one-year exclusivity period for the first approved interchangeable product and outlines procedures for resolving related patent disputes.

The Protecting Stolen Encrypted Data Act of 2026 authorizes the U.S. government to identify, recover, manipulate, or destroy sensitive personal and classified data that has been unlawfully obtained by foreign entities. This legislation directs the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence to develop strategic frameworks for addressing these security threats to protect the economic and national interests of the United States.

The Child Care Tax Benefit Outreach and Assistance Act establishes a dedicated Business Child Care Liaison within the IRS to promote and expand employer-provided child care benefits. This role will serve as a primary resource for businesses and tax professionals, helping to navigate tax incentives like the section 45F credit and Dependent Care FSAs. Additionally, the Liaison is tasked with coordinating federal outreach efforts and providing annual reports to Congress to identify strategies for increasing access to child care support.

The Housing and Economic Development Act mandates increased collaboration between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to streamline jointly funded projects. By requiring a formal memorandum of understanding and a comprehensive interagency report, the bill aims to reduce administrative burdens and improve the efficiency of housing and economic development initiatives.

The Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act establishes a National Science Foundation grant program to improve how mathematical and statistical modeling are taught in public schools to better prepare students for data-driven careers. The bill also mandates a comprehensive study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to identify best practices and modernize K-12 modeling education. Through these initiatives, the legislation aims to bridge the gap between current classroom instruction and the evolving needs of the STEM workforce.

The Family-to-Family Reauthorization Act of 2026 extends crucial funding for family-to-family health information centers. This legislation ensures continued support for these centers through September 2026 and appropriates $6 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

The Stronger Start for Working Families Act aims to significantly expand access to the refundable Child Tax Credit. This legislation lowers the required earned income threshold for eligibility from \$3,000 to just \$1. These changes are set to take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Improving Veteran Access to Care Act aims to enhance healthcare accessibility for our nation's veterans. This legislation focuses on streamlining processes and improving the overall quality of care available to those who have served.

This act expands eligibility for the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) to include the spouses of certain veterans and service members. It ensures that spouses of eligible veterans and those who died while serving can now access the intensive career services provided by the DVOP.

The Closing the Contraception Coverage Gap Act aims to ensure Medicare beneficiaries receive contraceptive items, services, and drugs with no out-of-pocket costs, effective January 1, 2027. This legislation amends Medicare Parts B, C, and D to mandate comprehensive, cost-free coverage for contraception. Additionally, the bill requires studies on prescription drug access for disabled beneficiaries and current contraceptive coverage gaps in other health plans.

The No Red Tape For Addiction Treatment Act aims to improve access to care for opioid use disorder by requiring state Medicaid programs to cover essential medication-assisted treatments without imposing prior authorization or dosage limits. This legislation ensures that necessary treatments are readily available to patients. Additionally, the bill mandates a report from MACPAC to study current utilization management controls and administrative burdens affecting treatment access under Medicaid.

The Fast Track To and Through College Act establishes a competitive grant program to help states accelerate students' time to degree, lower college costs, and boost completion rates. This is achieved by aligning high school and postsecondary education through guaranteed credit transfer pathways and early college options. Furthermore, the bill allows eligible high school students participating in these pathways to receive Federal Pell Grants to cover educational expenses. States receiving grants must prioritize historically underrepresented students and ensure pathway participation reflects state demographics.

The Reliable Artificial Intelligence Research Act of 2025 establishes a program within the Department of Homeland Security to fund research focused on improving AI security and reliability. This initiative will specifically support advancements in adversarial robustness, interpretability, and red-teaming through dedicated prize competitions. The Act authorizes significant funding to drive innovation in making critical AI systems more trustworthy and understandable.

The Rural Hospital Flexibility Act of 2025 aims to strengthen rural healthcare infrastructure by expanding the uses of Medicare rural hospital flexibility program grants. This includes supporting the transition of critical access hospitals to rural emergency hospitals and providing assistance for graduate medical education recruitment. The bill also establishes new technical assistance grants and modifies the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program to streamline funding for eligible small rural hospitals.

This bill reauthorizes the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and sets the federal funding share for state and tribal cybersecurity grants for fiscal year 2026. It authorizes $300 million for these programs in FY2026. Additionally, the bill extends the authorization for the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program by one year.

This bill establishes the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act, aiming to formally recognize Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) by requiring the Office of Management and Budget to consider creating a distinct occupational category for them in the federal classification system. The legislation also authorizes significant federal grants to states to establish or expand paid family and medical leave programs. If a separate DSP classification is not created, a report explaining the decision must be submitted to Congress.

The Pray Safe Act of 2025 establishes a Federal Clearinghouse within the Department of Homeland Security to share evidence-based best practices for the safety and security of nonprofit organizations and houses of worship. This Clearinghouse will also serve as a central resource for identifying and accessing relevant federal security grant opportunities. The Act mandates that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress on existing federal security funding for these organizations. This entire Act is set to expire four years after its enactment.