Legislative Activity

The Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026 extends vital funding for ALS research and clinical trial programs through 2031. This legislation strengthens oversight by enhancing grant review processes, improving safety reporting requirements, and mandating a comprehensive five-year FDA action plan to accelerate the development of treatments for rare neurodegenerative diseases.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act authorizes $6 million in annual federal grants over seven years to support the National Law Enforcement Museum. This funding will enhance public education, community outreach, and critical officer safety and wellness programs. By fostering greater understanding between law enforcement and the public, the bill aims to support the profession and improve safety for officers nationwide.

The American Franchise Act aims to protect the traditional franchise business model by clarifying the definition of a "joint employer." This legislation establishes that a franchisor is only considered a joint employer if it exercises "substantial direct and immediate control" over the essential terms of employment for a franchisee's workers. This change specifically targets liability risks associated with maintaining brand standards, ensuring franchisors are not automatically held responsible for local labor practices. The new standard applies prospectively to future legal proceedings.

The "Combating Illicit Xylazine Act" aims to combat the illegal use of xylazine by adding it to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, which would allow for increased regulation and tracking of the substance. The bill includes exemptions and delayed effective dates for certain requirements to ease the transition for legitimate users, such as veterinarians and animal handlers. It also directs the Sentencing Commission to review sentencing guidelines for xylazine-related offenses and mandates reports to Congress on the prevalence and impact of illicit xylazine use. Finally, it will include xylazine in Arcos tracking.

The Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to mandate the destruction of imported goods that pose a significant public health risk and have been refused admission into the U.S. This legislation removes the option for owners to export these hazardous items and requires them to cover all destruction costs. Owners are granted due process through formal notice and hearing procedures before any destruction order is finalized.

This bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Lafayette, Louisiana, as the "Rodney C. Hamilton Sr. VA Clinic." This renaming honors the legacy of Marine Corps veteran Rodney C. Hamilton Sr., who was instrumental in the clinic's establishment and dedicated his life to serving fellow veterans.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to streamline and modernize the prior authorization process within Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and significantly increases transparency regarding approval rates and decision times starting in 2027. Furthermore, it establishes new enrollee protections and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timeframes for medical services.

The Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act prohibits payment card networks and processors from assigning specific merchant category codes to firearms retailers. This legislation aims to protect consumer privacy by preventing the tracking of firearm and ammunition purchases through specialized financial classification. The Attorney General is tasked with enforcing these provisions and reporting annually on compliance.

The Equal Campus Access Act of 2025 ensures that public colleges and universities receiving federal funding must grant religious student groups the same rights, benefits, and privileges afforded to all other student organizations. This legislation prohibits discrimination against religious groups based on their beliefs, speech, leadership, or standards of conduct. Essentially, it mandates equal access to campus resources for all student organizations.

This bill, the Great American Outdoors Act 250, significantly reforms and renames the existing public lands restoration fund to the America’s Legacy Restoration Fund. It secures dedicated funding streams, primarily from energy revenues and new fees on foreign visitors, to address critical deferred maintenance across the National Park Service, Forest Service, and other public land agencies. The legislation establishes strict spending priorities for infrastructure repair while also creating pilot programs for enhancing outdoor recreation and sportsmen's access. Finally, it mandates increased transparency and accountability through standardized metrics and public reporting on all funded projects.

This bill proposes amending the Communications Act of 1934 to establish a specific content descriptor for video programming that depicts or discusses gender identity, transgender, or non-binary topics. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is directed to review whether the existing TV Parental Guidelines voluntarily incorporate this descriptor and ensure its consistent transmission for programming marketed to children. If industry compliance is insufficient, the FCC must issue regulations to mandate this new descriptor, ensuring compatibility with existing parental control technologies.

The "In God We Trust Act" mandates the prominent display of the national motto, "In God We Trust," on every federal public building. This requirement applies to all buildings owned or leased by the federal government within one year of the bill's enactment.

This resolution officially designates May 15, 2026, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week of May 10-16, 2026, as National Police Week. It honors the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, specifically recognizing 363 officers lost in 2025. The bill expresses unwavering support for law enforcement and acknowledges the need for proper resources to ensure officer safety.

The Save Our Shrimpers Act mandates that the U.S. representative at international financial institutions must vote against and formally oppose any financial assistance for projects related to shrimp farming, processing, or exports in borrowing countries. This action aims to protect the domestic shrimping industry. The Treasury Secretary can waive this requirement if deemed in the U.S. national interest, and the mandate is set to expire after seven years.

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 Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act significantly narrows the federal beneficial ownership information reporting requirements. This legislation limits reporting obligations exclusively to foreign individuals and foreign-connected companies. Furthermore, it mandates the deletion of all previously collected data pertaining to domestic persons and entities.

The Equal Treatment for Farmers Act amends federal agriculture laws to remove "socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers" as a distinct category for program eligibility, set-asides, and definitions across various USDA programs. This legislation also explicitly prohibits the Department of Agriculture from giving any preference or priority based on race or gender in its programs. The bill aims to standardize eligibility criteria across farm loans, crop insurance, and conservation efforts.

The Protecting Families from Fertility Fraud Act of 2026 establishes a new federal crime for knowingly misrepresenting the source of DNA used in assisted reproductive technology (ART) or artificial insemination. This offense, which applies when interstate or foreign commerce is involved, carries penalties of a fine and up to 10 years in prison. The bill also extends the statute of limitations for prosecution once the perpetrator is identified.

The Defending Women in the Workplace Act clarifies the interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It establishes that, for the purposes of federal anti-discrimination law, the terms "because of sex" or "on the basis of sex" do not include gender identity.

The Words Matter Act of 2025 mandates a comprehensive update across all federal laws, replacing the outdated terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" or "individuals with intellectual disabilities." This change is strictly a linguistic update intended to align federal statutes with current, respectful terminology. The Act explicitly states that this language revision does not alter eligibility for benefits, rights, or responsibilities under any existing federal program. Agencies are required to update their regulations to reflect this new terminology while maintaining a record of the previous language used.