Legislative Activity

This resolution supports designating a "National Learn to Swim Week" beginning on the fourth Sunday in June to raise awareness about water safety. It emphasizes that learning to swim is a lifesaving skill that significantly reduces the risk of drowning, which is a leading cause of death for young children. The bill encourages federal, state, and local efforts to promote and expand access to affordable swimming lessons for all Americans.

The Next Generation Shipping Act establishes a federal program to fund research, development, and deployment of zero-emission and clean alternative fuel vessels and supporting infrastructure. This initiative prioritizes projects that advance maritime decarbonization, ensure strong labor standards, and benefit environmental justice communities. The Act also creates an Advisory Committee to guide the program, focusing on identifying technology needs and evaluating progress toward cleaner shipping. Notably, the legislation explicitly prohibits funding for any automated vessel technologies.

The Green Ribbon Act of 2026 establishes a Department of Education program to recognize schools achieving excellence in environmental literacy, emission reductions, and positive health impacts. It also creates a parallel award program for non-formal learning institutions through the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Furthermore, the Act establishes a new Office of School Infrastructure and Sustainability within the Department of Education to provide technical assistance and oversee these initiatives.

The SHARE Act of 2025 establishes new federal requirements for the FBI to share criminal history record information with states participating in professional licensing interstate compacts. This information sharing is strictly for the purpose of conducting background checks on applicants seeking to practice a profession in another compact state. States receiving this data are severely restricted on how they can use or further disseminate the detailed criminal history, generally only being permitted to report a binary "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" determination back to the compact's Commission.

This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop best practices, standards, and methodologies for accurately measuring the energy and water consumption of data centers, with a special focus on AI workloads. The legislation also mandates a study on data availability to improve energy demand forecasting capabilities for these facilities. The goal is to enhance measurement accuracy and promote standardized data sharing among stakeholders.

The RETURN Act aims to improve the IRS's handling of tax refund claims by establishing a mandatory 12-month review period. If the IRS disallows a claim, it must provide a detailed explanation and appeal instructions to the taxpayer. If the IRS misses this deadline, the interest rate on the overpayment increases by one percentage point, capped at $500 per claim.

The Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 2026 provides a pathway to lawful permanent residence for eligible Haitian nationals who have been continuously present in the United States since June 26, 2024. This legislation allows qualified individuals and their immediate family members to apply for green cards within a three-year window, regardless of their current immigration status. The bill ensures that these adjustments occur outside of existing numerical visa limits and provides protections against deportation while applications are pending.

The Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act strengthens worker protections by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act to mandate pay transparency, guarantee timely final pay, and significantly increase penalties for wage theft. It also extends the statute of limitations for filing wage claims and establishes a federal grant program to support local efforts in preventing wage theft and assisting workers with recovery. Overall, the bill aims to ensure workers receive the full wages they are owed through stricter enforcement and greater accountability for employers.

This bill, the Diversity Visa Protection and Modernization Act, aims to prevent the executive branch from indefinitely or broadly suspending the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. It reaffirms that only Congress can halt the entire program, while allowing for narrowly tailored, temporary, or country-specific restrictions under strict transparency and notification requirements. The Act protects eligible visa selectees from losing their opportunities due to unexplained administrative pauses.

This bill authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to recognize the collective heroism of the individuals who defended Bataan, Corregidor, and other locations in the Pacific theater during World War II. The medal honors the extraordinary sacrifice of U.S. service members and Filipino forces who fought and endured imprisonment by Imperial Japan. Following the presentation, the medal will be permanently displayed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The legislation also allows for the production and sale of bronze duplicate medals.

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.

The Federal Workforce Reproductive Rights Protection Act restricts federal agencies from relocating operations to states with restrictive abortion laws. It also provides federal employees with travel allowances and administrative leave to access out-of-state reproductive healthcare services. Furthermore, the bill prohibits using reproductive health decisions as a factor in security clearance determinations or other personnel actions.

The Right to Vote Act establishes the fundamental right of every citizen to vote in federal elections and prohibits governments from imposing undue burdens on this right. It sets strict standards for when a government action that diminishes or substantially impairs voting can be upheld, requiring it to be the least restrictive means of furthering an important governmental interest. The Act also authorizes private citizens to bring civil actions in federal court to challenge violations, with expedited proceedings and provisions for awarding attorney's fees.

The SAFE Training for OB-GYNs Act establishes a federal grant program to help residency programs expand training in reproductive healthcare for professionals whose education is restricted by state abortion laws. This funding will support training programs and reimburse travel expenses for providers seeking necessary care education out of state. The program is authorized with $10 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

The LIFT the BAR Act repeals decades-old restrictions that barred many lawfully present noncitizens from accessing essential federal public benefits. This legislation restores eligibility for programs like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, and housing assistance for qualified noncitizens. The bill also updates terminology, replacing "alien" with "noncitizen" throughout relevant statutes.

The State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act establishes a federal grant program administered by the Attorney General to help states and tribal governments develop, improve, or evaluate their firearms dealer licensing programs. Eligible applicants must already have a law in place requiring state or tribal licensing for firearms dealers, which includes specific standards for application, inspection, and enforcement. Grant recipients must report annually on their licensing activities, and the Attorney General will report findings to Congress.

This resolution expresses the House's urgent call for Congress to restore and strengthen civil rights and fair political representation for all Americans. It specifically condemns recent Supreme Court decisions that have weakened the Voting Rights Act and enabled partisan gerrymandering. The bill asserts that Congress must act boldly, including considering Senate and Supreme Court reforms, to protect multiracial democracy.

The Juvenile Firearms Safety Act of 2026 establishes new federal prohibitions regarding the transfer and storage of firearms involving juveniles. This bill makes it unlawful for adults to knowingly provide a firearm to a juvenile intending criminal or self-harm use, or to store a firearm unsafely if a juvenile gains unauthorized access and causes injury or death. The Act outlines specific penalties for violations, with enhanced consequences if the firearm is used in a crime or results in injury or death.

The Stop Spying Bosses Act establishes comprehensive federal protections regarding the collection and use of employee data by employers. It strictly limits what data employers can collect, bans surveillance unrelated to essential job functions, and mandates transparency about data practices. The bill also grants workers rights to access and correct their data, creates a new Department of Labor division to oversee the law, and establishes robust enforcement mechanisms, including private lawsuits and the invalidation of forced arbitration agreements.

This bill authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to honor the American citizens and organizations who rescued Jews and other refugees from Nazi persecution between 1933 and 1945. The medal recognizes their heroic efforts, which saved tens of thousands of lives during the Holocaust. Following the award, the gold medal will be permanently housed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Act also permits the production and sale of duplicate bronze medals to cover production costs.