Legislative Activity

The WINGS Act of 2026 expands federal student aid eligibility to cover essential aviation training costs, such as flight hours, simulator fees, and licensing exams, for students in qualifying degree programs. By updating the Higher Education Act, this legislation aims to reduce the financial barriers for students pursuing careers in the aviation industry. These changes will take effect starting with the 2027–2028 academic year.

The Enhancing K–12 Cybersecurity Act directs CISA to establish a centralized information exchange, providing schools with essential cybersecurity resources, training, and funding opportunities. The bill also creates a voluntary incident registry to track cyber threats and launches a technology improvement program to help schools deploy effective defense strategies. These initiatives aim to strengthen the digital security of elementary and secondary educational institutions nationwide.

The Stop Insider Trading Act restricts Members of Congress and their immediate families from purchasing individual stocks and requires public notice before selling existing holdings to prevent conflicts of interest. Additionally, the bill establishes a national photo identification requirement for voting in federal elections, including specific provisions for in-person and mail-in ballots.

The Main Street Act is comprehensive legislation designed to foster a more competitive and accessible banking environment by reducing regulatory burdens on community banks and credit unions. The bill streamlines application processes, modernizes supervision standards, and enhances transparency across federal financial agencies to encourage local lending and economic growth. Additionally, it promotes innovation and financial stability by facilitating bank-fintech partnerships and improving the tools available for managing liquidity and bank resolutions.

Tyler's Law mandates a comprehensive study by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the frequency, cost, and impact of fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments during overdose cases. Following the study, the Secretary must issue guidance on whether routine fentanyl testing should become standard practice for overdose patients. This guidance will also address staff training regarding existing drug test panels and the long-term health implications of such testing.

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 Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026 authorizes $10 million to fund a National Technical Assistance Center dedicated to supporting grandfamilies and kinship care households. The Center will provide training, resources, and coordination to help organizations better serve caregivers—particularly those aged 55 and older—and children with disabilities. By promoting evidence-based practices, the Act aims to improve the health, academic success, and overall well-being of these families across the nation.

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 STOP Senior Fraud Act empowers financial institutions to temporarily delay or refuse suspicious transactions involving older adults or vulnerable persons to prevent financial exploitation. The bill mandates employee training on fraud detection, establishes clear notification requirements for account holders and authorities, and provides liability protections for institutions acting in good faith.

The **21st Century ROAD to Housing Act** is a comprehensive bill designed to significantly increase housing supply, improve affordability, and modernize federal housing programs. It tackles issues from streamlining construction regulations and incentivizing local zoning reform to restricting large corporate home purchases and enhancing financing for manufactured homes. Ultimately, the Act aims to create more pathways to homeownership and ensure safer, more stable rental conditions across the country.

The "No Cashing In Act" increases transparency and accountability for former members of Congress by requiring them to file annual financial disclosures for up to ten years after leaving office. Additionally, the bill reduces federal pension payments for former members by the amount of income they earn from lobbying activities.

The "Protecting Investors Personally Identifiable Information Act" prevents the SEC from requiring national securities exchanges or associations to provide personally identifiable information about market participants. Personally identifiable information includes data that can identify an individual, such as name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, phone number, email, and IP address. This ensures sensitive personal data is not part of consolidated audit trail reporting requirements.

The Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2025 empowers mutual funds and transfer agents to protect vulnerable investors by delaying suspicious redemption requests. The bill requires participating firms to maintain trusted contact information and establishes formal internal procedures to identify and report potential financial exploitation. Additionally, it mandates that the SEC report to Congress with recommendations for further regulatory improvements to safeguard older and impaired adults.

The Organic Imports Verification Act of 2026 mandates annual residue testing for specific bulk-shipped imported organic feedstuffs identified through a confidential, risk-based protocol. The Secretary of Agriculture must report annually to Congress on the testing frequency, methods, and results for these covered feedstuffs. If prohibited substances are detected above allowable levels, the entire shipment must be excluded from organic sale.

This Act formalizes and strengthens the trilateral partnership between the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. It expresses Congressional support for continuing the strategic alignment established at the Camp David summit. Crucially, it mandates the establishment of a formal US-Japan-ROK Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue to deepen legislative engagement between the three nations.

This bill aims to block the use of transatlantic technology in Iranian-made drones, which are supplied to U.S. adversaries like Russia and terrorist groups. It directs the Departments of Commerce, State, and Defense to develop strategies to stop the export of critical drone components, such as specific microelectronics, to Iran. The legislation emphasizes preventing U.S. technology from supporting Russia's war in Ukraine and attacks on Israel.

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 Thwarting Regional Adversary Investments Now (TRAIN) Act mandates the Department of State to provide technical training to officials in friendly South and Central Asian nations. This training is designed to help them identify and mitigate legal and financial risks associated with accepting investments or loans from foreign adversaries. Furthermore, the Secretary of State must submit an annual report to Congress detailing the training provided and analyzing any new agreements signed by these countries with regional adversaries.