Legislative Activity

This joint resolution seeks to overturn a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection decision to withdraw guidance regarding "Unfair Returned Deposited Item Fee Assessment Practices." By disapproving this withdrawal, the resolution aims to restore the regulatory oversight of these specific fee practices.

The Grocery, Farm, and Food Worker Protection Act of 2026 establishes a $50 million grant program to provide financial stabilization payments to essential food and agricultural workers affected by disasters. Administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, the program distributes funds through labor unions and membership organizations to support workers during times of crisis.

The DHS Hiring Review Act mandates a comprehensive audit and review of hiring practices within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to verify background checks, cross-reference state and local misconduct records for new hires, and certify that all agents have completed required training. Additionally, it tasks the Government Accountability Office with overseeing these processes to ensure accountability and improve future recruitment and retention.

The Homeland Security Improvement Act aims to enhance oversight, accountability, and professional standards within the Department of Homeland Security’s border and immigration agencies. The bill establishes an independent Border Oversight Commission and a new Office of the Ombudsman to address public concerns, investigate complaints, and improve transparency. Additionally, it mandates comprehensive training for personnel, requires rigorous data collection on enforcement activities, and prohibits the separation of families at the border except under specific child-welfare circumstances.

The LOCATE Act mandates that U.S. immigration authorities provide timely, transparent updates to the Online Detainee Locator System regarding the status and location of individuals in custody. The bill establishes strict reporting deadlines for transfers, releases, and other custody events, while requiring the Department of Homeland Security to conduct annual compliance audits. Additionally, it ensures that family members and legal representatives are notified of significant changes in a detainee's status.

The Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2026 prohibits retail food stores from charging grossly excessive prices and bans the use of surveillance technology to set customized prices for individual consumers. The law mandates that all prices must be displayed using clear, non-digital methods like physical labels, and it grants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) authority to enforce these provisions. Violators face significant civil penalties, and consumers are granted the right to sue for damages.

This bill establishes a program between the Department of Energy and NOAA to advance weather modeling through the development of new computing technologies. The goal is to accelerate the transition of advanced computing techniques, like AI and high-performance computing, into operational use to improve predictions of high-impact weather events. The legislation mandates collaboration, coordination to prevent duplication, and regular reporting to Congress on progress.

The CLEAN SMART Act of 2026 establishes a Network of National Laboratories to accelerate the cleanup of radioactive and hazardous defense waste managed by the Department of Energy. This Network will develop new technologies, review cleanup plans, and lower overall lifecycle costs for environmental remediation. The Act also mandates improved coordination across federal agencies and establishes protocols for better program management and technology deployment within the cleanup mission.

The Fair Repair Act requires Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to make necessary documentation, parts, and tools available to owners and independent repair providers on fair and reasonable terms. This legislation prohibits OEMs from using practices like parts pairing to restrict independent repair or steer consumers toward authorized services. Enforcement is granted to the Federal Trade Commission, treating violations as unfair or deceptive acts, while excluding motor vehicles and medical devices from these requirements.

The Nutrition Administration Assistance Act of 2026 authorizes $1,000,000 annually from 2026 to 2030 to provide dedicated funding to states. These funds are specifically designated to cover administrative costs for three existing federal food assistance programs: the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, and the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. This legislation aims to ensure smoother operation and delivery of these vital services.

This bill amends the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act to allow for an extension of key dates related to the completion of the Regional Water System. Such an extension requires the agreement of all involved parties: the Pueblos, the United States, the State, the City, and the County.

The New Mexico Land Grant-Mercedes Historical or Traditional Use Cooperation and Coordination Act establishes a framework for federal agencies to collaborate with New Mexico’s community land grants. It requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to create a memorandum of understanding to streamline permit processes and address fee waivers for traditional, noncommercial land uses. Additionally, the bill ensures that these historical activities are considered during federal land use planning, while protecting existing tribal rights and state authority.

The **Language-Inclusive Support and Transparency for Online Services (LISTOS) Act of 2025** aims to ensure equitable safety and moderation standards across all languages on major online platforms. The bill requires covered platforms to maintain consistent enforcement of policies across different languages, provide transparent annual reports on their moderation staffing and automated processes, and ensure that reporting tools and policies are accessible in every language they support. Additionally, it establishes an FTC advisory group to develop best practices for language-sensitive technologies and grants the FTC and state attorneys general authority to enforce these requirements.

This bill authorizes specific adjusted interest payments to the Navajo Nation, Taos Pueblo, and Aamodt Settlement Pueblos trust funds. It makes technical corrections related to these water rights settlements and waives certain prior interest due to the Aamodt Pueblos. The legislation also clarifies that investment earnings on these funds are available for use.

The Strengthening Sanctions on Fentanyl Traffickers Act of 2025 aims to combat the flow of illicit synthetic narcotics into the United States. It mandates prioritizing sanctions identification against individuals and entities from the People's Republic of China involved in the fentanyl supply chain. The bill also strengthens existing sanctions on major Mexican drug cartels and expands presidential authority to impose broad economic sanctions on foreign persons involved in the global illicit drug trade.

The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 aims to strengthen domestic food security by repealing specific sections of a previous law (Public Law 11921). This repeal effectively reinstates the original statutes that were previously altered by those sections.

This Act amends the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act to establish new supplemental trust funds for groundwater and surface water development. It also creates a new grant program to fund mutual-benefit water infrastructure projects with non-Pueblo entities, including provisions for alternative offset infrastructure. These amendments update definitions and provide specific mandatory funding allocations, adjusted for inflation, to support these water management and infrastructure goals.

The Disarm Hate Act prohibits individuals convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime, or those who received an enhanced sentence for a misdemeanor motivated by hate or bias, from purchasing or possessing firearms. This legislation specifically targets convictions involving threats or physical force motivated by bias against protected characteristics. It also makes it illegal for others to transfer firearms to these prohibited persons.

The Fire Innovation Unit Act of 2025 establishes a seven-year public-private partnership pilot program to test and deploy new wildfire technologies. This program will connect private entities with federal agencies to demonstrate innovations in areas like fuels reduction, modeling, and autonomous suppression systems. The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior must coordinate testing, evaluate effectiveness, and report annually to Congress on scaling successful technologies.

The School Meals for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 ensures the continued use of Medicaid data for automatically enrolling eligible children in free and reduced-price school meal programs. It also codifies the existing methodology for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for schools. Furthermore, the bill mandates that the multiplier used in the CEP calculation must be set at exactly 1.6 for all subsequent school years.