Legislative Activity

The Preventing Forced Abortions Act of 2026 prohibits federal courts from enforcing surrogacy contract provisions that mandate abortion at the request of an intended parent. The bill ensures that surrogate mothers remain entitled to their full contractual compensation regardless of their refusal to undergo an abortion. Additionally, it grants federal district courts jurisdiction over civil disputes involving such surrogacy agreements.

This bill officially changes the street address of the post office facility named in honor of Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. It amends a previous law to update the facility's address from 324 to 211. This ensures all official records correctly reflect the new location of the Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office.

This act, the Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025, prohibits the Secretary of Labor from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the proposed rule regarding heat injury and illness prevention published in August 2024. This restriction extends to any future standard substantially similar to the one proposed.

The Ratepayer Protection Act establishes a new federal standard requiring electric utilities to ensure large industrial customers (100 MW or more) fully cover the costs of necessary infrastructure upgrades. This mandates that large-load customers provide financial assurances before construction begins, protecting existing ratepayers from bearing the risk of future contract terminations. States must consider and adopt this standard within two years, unless they have already implemented similar requirements.

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 Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act directs the Secretary of Energy to assess how artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing can enhance the capacity and efficiency of the bulk-power system. This assessment will identify current uses, potential benefits, and existing barriers to adopting these advanced technologies. The resulting report will include recommendations for overcoming these barriers to promote grid modernization.

The Valuing Employee Stock Today Act modernizes rules for Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) by allowing direct distribution of S corporation stock to employees. It also clarifies that Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are exempt from being included in the regular rate of pay calculation for overtime purposes. This legislation aims to encourage broader employee equity participation.

This bill, titled the "National Fossil Act," officially designates the American mastodon as the national fossil mammal and the *Tyrannosaurus rex* as the national fossil dinosaur of the United States. It amends federal law to formally recognize these two prehistoric species.

The Congressional Records Protection Act restricts government entities from obtaining official records of Members of Congress and their staff through warrants or subpoenas, with exceptions for criminal investigations. If such records are sought, the Member or employee must be notified before or at the time of execution. Furthermore, the government generally cannot review the seized materials for 30 days following notification.

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 Patients First Act of 2026 is comprehensive legislation designed to stabilize Medicare physician payments, improve patient access to primary care, and transition the current quality reporting system to a more clinician-led framework. By modernizing reimbursement formulas, reducing financial volatility for providers, and increasing transparency in value-based care models, the bill aims to ensure a more sustainable and predictable healthcare environment. These reforms seek to lower out-of-pocket costs for patients while supporting the long-term viability of medical practices.

The Energy Emergency Leadership Act formally assigns responsibility for energy security and emergency preparedness to an Assistant Secretary within the Department of Energy. This legislation ensures a dedicated focus on protecting critical energy infrastructure from physical and cybersecurity threats while providing technical support to state, local, and Tribal partners.

The SECURE Grid Act strengthens state energy security by requiring that state plans address physical and cybersecurity risks to local distribution systems. The legislation mandates federal technical assistance for states, streamlines the planning process, and requires a GAO report to evaluate the effectiveness of these security measures by 2030.

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.

The Workforce Dignity Act officially renames "sheltered workshop" to "community rehabilitation program" across various federal laws. This change is purely terminological and does not alter the substance or legal application of the affected programs. The bill ensures consistency in federal language concerning programs for individuals with disabilities.

The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026 aims to improve the accuracy and predictability of Medicare physician payments. The bill reforms budget neutrality calculations, mandates periodic updates to practice expense cost data, and establishes a 2.5% cap on annual conversion factor fluctuations. These measures are designed to ensure more stable reimbursement rates for healthcare providers.

The Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act requires public schools to obtain parental consent before changing a minor student's gender marker, pronouns, or preferred name, or altering sex-based accommodations. Additionally, the bill prohibits the use of federal education funding to teach or advance concepts related to gender ideology. This legislation aims to ensure parental involvement in significant decisions regarding their children's records and school environment.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 aims to combat sophisticated, cross-jurisdictional organized retail and supply chain theft. It achieves this by strengthening federal laws regarding money laundering and stolen property offenses, including lowering monetary thresholds for prosecution. Furthermore, the bill establishes a dedicated Center within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate federal, state, and local enforcement efforts against these criminal organizations.

The Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026 establishes a federal ban on performing dismemberment abortions, carrying criminal penalties for physicians who knowingly violate the law. This ban includes exceptions only when necessary to save the life of the mother. The Act also allows for civil lawsuits by the woman or her parents against violators, while explicitly stating that other abortion methods remain unaffected.

The St. Louis Postal Accountability and Reform Act addresses significant service failures within the USPS St. Louis region, as documented by recent Inspector General audits. This bill mandates the Postmaster General to submit a detailed report to Congress outlining performance, workforce challenges, and the accuracy of internal reporting for mail delivery in the area. Furthermore, it requires the USPS to describe new management accountability systems designed to prevent the recurrence of these documented operational problems.