Legislative Activity

The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025 establishes a new program to expedite mortgage processing for tribal members seeking to buy, build, or improve homes on trust land. It mandates strict, short deadlines for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to approve or deny mortgage applications, with automatic approval if deadlines are missed. The Act also creates a Realty Ombudsman position within the BIA to ensure compliance and resolve disputes related to these land transactions.

The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is a comprehensive bill that reauthorizes and updates nearly all major U.S. agricultural programs through 2031. It focuses on strengthening domestic food supply chains, expanding disaster assistance and conservation efforts, and reforming federal support for farmers, rural development, and trade. Key provisions include modernizing crop insurance, increasing rural broadband access, and enhancing research into agricultural innovation and security.

This concurrent resolution sets the proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2026 and outlines spending targets through 2035, projecting continued annual deficits and growth in the national debt. It directs committees to propose legislation affecting homeland security and the judiciary via a reconciliation process, while establishing flexible, deficit-neutral reserve funds for future policy adjustments. Finally, it solidifies the procedural rules for enforcing these budget allocations across both chambers of Congress.

This bill proposes a short-term extension of specific surveillance authorities under Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). It moves the expiration date for these authorities from April 30, 2026, to June 12, 2026.

The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 provides funding and sets strict operational rules for DHS agencies, including CBP, TSA, and FEMA, for the fiscal year 2026. The bill allocates over $60 billion while imposing significant oversight requirements on management, border enforcement, and disaster response activities. Key provisions focus on increasing accountability through body camera mandates, restricting new pilot programs without clear plans, and speeding up disaster aid processing. Division B of the act includes technical adjustments and extensions to ensure government funding remains continuous through various continuing resolutions.

This bill combines two major components: the **Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act**, which reforms and extends key surveillance authorities like Section 702 of FISA with new privacy protections and criminal penalties for misuse, and the **Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act**, which explicitly prohibits the Federal Reserve from creating or issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) to the public. In essence, the legislation tightens oversight on foreign intelligence gathering while blocking the creation of a government-controlled digital currency.

This resolution establishes the expedited House procedures for considering several key pieces of legislation, including a major multi-year farm bill (H.R. 7567) and bills related to parental consent in schools and correcting military grave markers. It sets strict debate limits and waives most procedural objections to ensure swift consideration of these measures. The resolution also outlines the process for considering the fiscal year 2026 budget resolution and a bill amending the Clean Air Act regarding ethanol waivers.

This bill amends federal law to reclassify clergy and religious workers as employees for Social Security and Medicare tax purposes, requiring churches to withhold these taxes. It also repeals the existing religious exemption that allows clergy to opt out of Social Security coverage. Furthermore, the Act establishes a process for currently exempt clergy to revoke their exemption and mandates the IRS to report on informing these workers of their new options.

The IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act aims to strengthen protections and streamline processes for IRS whistleblowers. Key provisions include establishing a *de novo* review standard for award disputes in Tax Court and allowing whistleblowers to maintain anonymity during court proceedings. The bill also mandates interest payments on awards that are significantly delayed by the IRS.

This bill expresses the disapproval of Congress regarding a Bureau of Land Management rule that withdrew federal lands in specific Minnesota counties under Public Land Order No. 7917. By disapproving the rule, Congress renders it legally void.

The Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act of 2026 (HEATS Act) streamlines geothermal energy development by eliminating the federal drilling permit requirement for activities on non-federal surface land when the U.S. ownership interest in the subsurface is less than 50%. This change exempts qualifying projects from major federal reviews under NEPA and the Endangered Species Act, allowing operations to commence shortly after state permit submission. The Act maintains federal oversight regarding royalty collection and excludes all activities on Indian lands.

The FIRE Act reforms how the EPA handles air quality data affected by wildfires and prescribed burns under the Clean Air Act. It establishes clearer standards for states to exclude wildfire-related air quality data from regulatory decisions, focusing on causality rather than event predictability. The bill also updates regulations regarding air quality data influenced by actions taken to mitigate wildfire risk, such as prescribed fires.

The Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act revises federal energy efficiency standards for government buildings. This bill ensures that the use of fossil fuels will not automatically disqualify a federal building from receiving a green building certification. It also repeals outdated energy efficiency regulations and sets a deadline for the Secretary of Energy to issue updated rules.

This resolution expresses the House of Representatives' strong support for rural communities as vital drivers of the U.S. economy, energy production, and food supply. It highlights recent legislative actions aimed at strengthening rural areas through energy independence, improved healthcare access, manufacturing growth, and expanded broadband connectivity. The bill affirms that a clean environment and a strong economy can coexist while supporting the prosperity of these essential communities.

This resolution sets the House floor schedule for considering four distinct legislative items. It establishes expedited procedures for bills related to repealing federal building efficiency standards, supporting rural communities, amending the Endangered Species Act, and streamlining geothermal energy permitting. The rules limit debate and motions for each measure to facilitate prompt votes.

This bill allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to grant licensees of certain hydropower projects, licensed before March 13, 2020, an extension of up to six additional years to begin construction. This extension is available upon request and demonstration of good cause. The legislation also addresses projects whose original deadlines expired recently, allowing for reinstatement of the license before the extension period begins.

The Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends and updates critical federal support programs for rural healthcare providers through fiscal year 2030. This legislation reauthorizes key Medicare payment adjustments for small and low-volume rural hospitals, ensuring their continued operation. Furthermore, it refines grant programs supporting rural health services and networks, emphasizing that funds must directly benefit and involve rural underserved populations.

The Kari's Law Reporting Act mandates that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issue a public report detailing its enforcement of existing requirements for multi-line telephone systems. This report must assess manufacturer and vendor compliance with Section 721 of the Communications Act of 1934. Furthermore, the FCC is required to outline any compliance obstacles and suggest policy improvements or legislative recommendations.

The Emergency Reporting Act mandates the FCC to hold annual public hearings and issue detailed reports following the activation of its Disaster Information Reporting System. This legislation also requires the FCC to investigate and recommend improvements for how network outages are reported to enhance public safety communications. The goal is to increase transparency and resilience of communications networks during emergencies.

This bill establishes an interagency strike force to ensure federal land management agencies prioritize and expedite the review of requests for communications use authorizations. The strike force will set goals, monitor progress, and report to Congress on its effectiveness in speeding up broadband deployment reviews on federal lands.