Legislative Activity

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 strengthens U.S. policy by imposing mandatory sanctions on foreign persons and financial institutions that support Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, drone, and terrorist activities. The bill specifically targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors to cut off funding for these malign programs. Additionally, it expands the State Department’s "Rewards for Justice" program to incentivize the reporting of individuals who evade these sanctions.

The "No Tax on Drill Pay Act" seeks to provide financial relief to members of the National Guard and Reserve by excluding their inactive-duty training compensation from federal gross income. By eliminating federal taxes on this pay, the bill aims to increase the take-home earnings of service members for their training efforts. This change would apply to all qualifying compensation received following the date of the bill's enactment.

The Diabetes Foot Health Access and Modernization Act of 2026 improves patient care by officially recognizing doctors of podiatric medicine as physicians within the Medicaid program. Additionally, the bill streamlines Medicare documentation requirements to ensure patients with diabetes have better access to essential therapeutic footwear.

The Stop Unemployment Fraud Act aims to enhance the integrity of the unemployment insurance system by mandating stricter identity verification and data-matching procedures for state agencies. The bill prohibits the use of self-attestation for eligibility, establishes rigorous work-search requirements, and provides states with new tools and funding incentives to detect and prevent improper payments. Additionally, it grants the Secretary of Labor oversight authority to monitor compliance and enforce corrective actions to ensure program accountability.

This bill authorizes the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony commemorating the Days of Remembrance of victims of the Holocaust. The specified date for this event is April 14, 2026. Any necessary physical preparations for the ceremony must adhere to the conditions set by the Architect of the Capitol.

The Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act aims to promote de-escalation by exempting specific, clearly defined less-than-lethal projectile devices from federal firearm restrictions and excise taxes. This legislation provides a formal process for determining which devices qualify for these exemptions under both federal law and the National Firearms Act. The bill also modernizes tax regulations by exempting qualifying less-than-lethal devices and their ammunition from federal excise taxes.

The Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement (SAFE) Act aims to combat "chameleon carriers" who evade safety regulations and enforcement actions. It mandates a GAO study on the prevalence and impact of these carriers and requires the FMCSA to develop an advanced automated tool to detect them during the DOT registration process. The bill ensures human oversight remains in final registration decisions and establishes reporting requirements on the tool's effectiveness.

The Incentivize Savings Act mandates how federal agencies must handle unspent appropriations by dedicating the majority to debt reduction and allowing a portion for employee retention bonuses. This legislation also restricts future budget requests to only account for inflation unless the agency fully spends its prior allocation. Ultimately, the bill aims to encourage fiscal responsibility by linking unspent funds to debt reduction and limiting budget growth.

This Act authorizes the President to impose sanctions on foreign individuals or entities that obstruct Lebanon's parliamentary elections or interfere with the voting rights of Lebanese citizens living abroad. It establishes Congressional findings emphasizing the importance of free and fair elections for Lebanon's stability. The law requires the President to report regularly to Congress on identified actors and sanctions imposed.

The Make Elections Great Again Act establishes new federal standards for voter identification, citizenship verification for registration, and statewide voter list maintenance for federal elections. It also standardizes election administration by mandating paper ballots, banning ranked-choice voting, and implementing strict new rules for requesting and returning mail-in ballots. The bill aims to increase election integrity through enhanced documentation and procedural uniformity across states.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE America Act) mandates that individuals must provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. It also establishes a federal requirement for voters to present a photo ID indicating U.S. citizenship when casting a ballot in federal elections. The bill outlines specific acceptable forms of proof and requires states to implement verification programs to ensure only citizens are registered and voting.

This act mandates that the Commissioner of Social Security regularly advertise the Ticket to Work program to all disabled beneficiaries. Information must be sent to every eligible beneficiary within one year of the law's enactment, and then every six months thereafter. This ensures disabled beneficiaries are consistently informed about available employment support programs.

The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act establishes a process for victims of human trafficking to seek the expungement of federal arrests and the vacatur of certain federal criminal convictions resulting from their victimization. It also creates a new duress defense in federal criminal trials for individuals who committed offenses while being trafficked. Furthermore, the bill allows courts to reduce the sentences of current prisoners who committed offenses as a direct result of trafficking.

The Buying American Cotton Act of 2026 establishes the Domestic Cotton Consumption Credit to incentivize the use of U.S.-grown cotton in products sold domestically. This new business tax credit is calculated based on the volume of U.S. cotton used, the market price, and where the product was processed. The bill mandates digital tracing to verify the supply chain and offers significantly increased credit multipliers for products containing U.S.-made cotton yarn or fabric.

The AI OVERWATCH Act establishes strict new licensing requirements for exporting advanced integrated circuits to designated countries of concern, including China and Russia. This legislation mandates detailed national security certifications to Congress before any license can be approved for these high-performance technologies. Furthermore, the bill creates an exemption process for trusted U.S. companies while terminating existing licenses for these sensitive exports.

The Eastern Mediterranean Gateway Act supports key Eastern Mediterranean nations—Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel—as strategic partners for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The bill directs the U.S. to prioritize diplomatic engagement, energy security, and defense cooperation in the region. It also mandates several reports to Congress detailing implementation, multilateral initiatives, and potential expansions of successful U.S.-Israel partnership models to other regional allies.

The Shutdown Fairness Act automatically appropriates necessary funds to ensure federal employees and essential contractors receive their regular pay during a government shutdown. This legislation mandates timely payment for covered personnel, regardless of whether they were deemed "excepted" or furloughed. The funds are charged against the agency's subsequent regular appropriations once they are enacted.

The Evidence-Based Grantmaking Act requires federal agencies to prioritize and mandate the use of evidence-based practices when awarding and managing specific public and community service grants. This legislation mandates that agencies clearly define intended outcomes, prioritize applicants using proven methods, and conduct ongoing evaluations to ensure funds achieve their goals. The law also establishes a timeline for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and agencies to define "evidence-based" practices and report annually to Congress on implementation progress.

The Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act of 2026 establishes a special pay system to increase the base pay for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officers by 35 percent. This legislation also provides a similar 35 percent wage increase for certain hourly BOP employees involved in inmate custody. The new pay authority is set to expire after five years, unless the Department of Justice Inspector General reports measurable progress in reducing the use of non-custodial staff for officer duties and excessive overtime.

This bill amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to temporarily exclude certain False Claims Act recoveries from being deposited into the Crime Victims Fund through fiscal year 2029. It also mandates a comprehensive audit by the Department of Justice Inspector General on the Fund's sustainability and the impact of recent legislative changes. The resulting report will provide recommendations for improving the Fund's effectiveness and oversight.