Legislative Activity

This resolution expresses support for designating July 2026 as "American Grown Flower and Foliage Month." It highlights the economic importance of the domestic floral industry and encourages consumers to choose U.S.-grown products to support American farmers, small businesses, and jobs.

This bill officially renames the United States Postal Service facility located at 86-014 Farrington Highway in Wai'anae, Hawai'i. The building will now be known as the "U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa Post Office Building." This designation applies to all official records and references to the facility.

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 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 Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 proposes making daylight saving time the permanent, year-round standard time across the United States. By advancing standard time zones by one hour, the bill eliminates the need for biannual clock changes. Additionally, it provides states that currently observe standard time year-round the option to maintain their existing timekeeping practices.

The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026 modernizes the H-2A visa program to better support the agricultural industry by streamlining application processes and establishing a centralized online portal for employers. The bill updates labor certification, housing, and wage requirements while expanding the definition of eligible agricultural work to include a broader range of activities. Additionally, it enhances worker protections—including new heat illness prevention standards—and provides greater administrative efficiency for federal agencies managing the program.

The Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025 aims to protect students' rights to join single-sex social organizations at colleges receiving federal funding. This bill prevents institutions from taking adverse action against students or groups solely because of sex-based membership policies. It ensures these organizations are treated fairly compared to other campus groups regarding participation and privileges. Ultimately, the Act safeguards a student's freedom to choose their associations, including single-sex clubs.

The Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act mandates updated threat analyses of the northern border every two years, with the first due by September 2, 2026. Following each analysis, the Department of Homeland Security must update its border strategy or formally explain why an update is unnecessary. The bill also requires classified briefings for Congress and the development of performance measures for Air and Marine Operations along the northern border.

This bill, the Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act, modernizes the hydropower licensing process under the Federal Power Act. It expands the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's authority to impose conditions on licenses to ensure hydropower projects reasonably mitigate direct adverse effects on federal reservations and local fish populations.

The **Take Care of America’s Veterans Act** is a comprehensive bill designed to strengthen benefits and modernize services across compensation, education, health care, and VA operations. It eliminates benefit offsets for disabled retirees, expands educational flexibility, sets new standards for timely health care access, and invests in VA technology and infrastructure. Overall, the legislation aims to provide faster, fairer, and more comprehensive support for veterans and their families.

The Abraham Accords Expansion Act of 2026 formally expands the mission of the Presidential Envoy for the Abraham Accords to include Central Asia and the Caucasus. This legislation directs the Envoy to promote normalization and integration efforts in these strategically important regions, aligning with U.S. national security and economic interests. The Act utilizes existing authorities and funding to carry out these expanded duties.

This bill, the **Enhanced Alerts for Missing Loved Ones with Disabilities Act of 2026**, expands existing alert systems to specifically include information about missing adults with developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia. It mandates that these critical health details be included in missing person alerts issued by law enforcement. Furthermore, the Act requires updated training for responding to cases involving missing children and adults with developmental disabilities.

The "Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2025" aims to combat trade-related crimes by establishing a specialized task force within the Department of Justice, enhancing the investigation and prosecution of illegal activities related to imports and exports. It mandates the Attorney General to develop partnerships, provide training, and submit annual reports to Congress on the progress and financial needs in addressing these crimes. The act allocates \$20 million for fiscal year 2026 to support these efforts, with a focus on bolstering the Criminal Division's capacity to prosecute trade-related offenses.

The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act prohibits the VA from reporting veterans to the NICS background check system solely because a fiduciary was appointed to manage their benefits. This legislation ensures that a VA finding of mental incompetence or the appointment of a fiduciary alone is not used to treat a veteran as a "mental defective" for gun control purposes. Furthermore, the VA must notify the Attorney General about past transmissions of this information that lacked a proper legal basis.

This act officially establishes the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and designates its location on the National Mall, requiring the transfer of land jurisdiction to the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is mandated to preserve and present the history and achievements of biological women in the United States. Furthermore, the legislation requires that exhibits and programs reflect diverse political viewpoints and authentic experiences of women, as guided by a broad array of knowledgeable sources.

This bill officially designates the "America 250 flag" as a national symbol to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It authorizes this special flag, featuring the number 250 within the circle of stars, to be flown alongside the U.S. flag at government buildings worldwide during the Semiquincentennial celebration. The act recognizes the flag as a symbol of the nation's founding and commitment to liberty.

This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue commemorative gold and silver coins marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The coins will honor the victims, first responders, and survivors, with designs selected in consultation with the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. All surcharges from the sale of these coins will be paid directly to the Memorial and Museum to support its operations and maintenance.

This bill supports designating May 29, 2026, as "Mental Health Awareness in Agriculture Day." The goal is to raise awareness about the unique mental health challenges faced by the agricultural industry and workforce. It also aims to continue reducing the stigma associated with mental illness in this vital sector.

The End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces Act of 2026 establishes a new grant program to fund local, state, and tribal entities in their efforts to locate, investigate, and disrupt illegal opioid distribution. The Attorney General, through the COPS Director, will award grants for hiring, training, equipment, and establishing or expanding multi-jurisdictional task forces. The legislation prioritizes support for Tribal law enforcement and task forces, authorizing $70 million annually from 2027 through 2031.