Legislative Activity

The Self-Initiation Trade Enforcement Act of 2026 establishes a dedicated task force within the Department of Commerce to proactively identify and investigate unfair foreign trade practices, such as illegal subsidies and dumping. By monitoring global trade data and prioritizing the needs of small and medium-sized U.S. businesses, the task force aims to protect domestic industries from harmful international competition.

The Lifelong Learning Act amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to increase funding reservations for incumbent worker training and transitional jobs programs. It also establishes new performance reporting requirements for incumbent worker training programs. Finally, the bill expands flexibility by allowing local workforce development boards to serve as one-stop operators under specific conflict of interest safeguards.

The Spotted Wing Abatement Trust Act of 2026, or SWAT Act, addresses the significant damage caused by the invasive spotted wing drosophila to U.S. fruit crops. This bill establishes a dedicated research and mitigation fund within the USDA, administered by APHIS. The fund is authorized to receive $6.5 million annually for five years to support efforts to reduce the pest's harmful effects.

The Streamlining Federal Grants Act of 2026 aims to significantly improve the effectiveness and performance of federal grant programs by simplifying application and reporting requirements. It establishes a new Grants Council and mandates that agencies designate senior officials to oversee reforms and better coordinate with non-Federal entities. Ultimately, the law seeks to improve service delivery, especially for organizations historically underserved by federal funding.

This bill mandates the Department of Defense to develop and report on a new, comprehensive cyber workforce strategy by January 2027. The strategy must assess progress on the existing framework, detail workforce size and goals, and outline resource requirements. It also requires identifying roadblocks and opportunities for leveraging external partnerships and commercial tools to improve talent acquisition and development.

This bill reauthorizes funding for essential monitoring, assessment, and research activities within the Great Lakes Basin through fiscal year 2030. It ensures continued support for understanding and protecting the Great Lakes fishery resources.

This bill directs the Department of Defense (DoD) to assess and develop a roadmap for implementing open technical standards to verify the origin and history of its public digital media. The roadmap must outline strategic objectives, required processes, and resource needs for establishing digital content provenance capabilities. The Secretary of Defense is required to brief Congress on these findings by July 2026.

This bill aims to increase competition in defense contracting by expanding how the Department of Defense evaluates past performance to include commercial and non-government projects. It directs the Secretary of Defense to identify and eliminate unnecessary procedural barriers that hinder small businesses and nontraditional contractors. Additionally, the legislation mandates that procurement policies prioritize cost-efficiency and the quality of goods and services.

This bill, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Retirement Technical Corrections Act, adjusts retirement benefits for certain CBP Officers hired around July 2008 to ensure they receive the correct annuity entitlements. It mandates the Secretary of Homeland Security to correct these benefits retroactively for eligible individuals. Furthermore, the Comptroller General must review CBP's hiring practices related to these retirement benefits.

The Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to enhance transparency in lobbying registration. This bill requires lobbyists to explicitly state whether they are exempt from registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. This ensures clearer disclosure regarding potential foreign agent activities.

The HELP Response and Recovery Act repeals obsolete contracting requirements within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Following this repeal, the Secretary of Homeland Security must submit annual reports detailing how the change has promoted taxpayer savings. These reports will also provide specific information on FEMA contracts awarded under urgent circumstances without competitive bidding.

The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act aims to streamline the federal disaster recovery process by establishing a single, unified intake system for all disaster assistance programs. This system will allow survivors to submit one consolidated application, track their status, and enable agencies to share necessary data securely. The goal is to reduce applicant burden and speed up the delivery of aid following a declared disaster.

The SAFER SKIES Act expands the authority of federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement to counter unauthorized drone threats to public safety and critical infrastructure. It establishes strict training, certification, and reporting requirements for state and local agencies utilizing these new counter-drone measures. Furthermore, the bill increases criminal penalties for using drones during felonies or to smuggle contraband and allows grant funds to be used for purchasing public safety drones and counter-UAS technology.

This bill mandates the Department of Defense (DoD) to develop and submit a strategy for accelerating its response to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination from its activities. The strategy must prioritize cleanup based on health risks and establish clear timelines for remediation efforts. Furthermore, the DoD is required to create a public online dashboard detailing funding, cleanup status, and timelines for every affected military installation.

The BIOSECURE Act of 2025 prohibits federal agencies from contracting with or using federal funds to support biotechnology providers identified as national security risks. This measure aims to safeguard sensitive biological data by restricting the use of equipment and services from designated "biotechnology companies of concern." The Director of OMB is tasked with establishing and maintaining a list of these prohibited entities. The Act includes specific waiver authorities and exceptions for national security and overseas healthcare needs.

This bill mandates the Secretary of Defense to provide alternative drinking water to households whose private wells are contaminated with PFOS and PFOA originating solely from Department of Defense activities. Eligibility is restricted to homes downgradient from a military installation where contamination previously exceeded EPA levels and where other nearby households already receive similar relief. The provision of water—such as bottled water or connection to a municipal system—must be coordinated with existing environmental cleanup efforts.

The Emergency Response Authority Act allows state governors, with Department of Defense consent, to order National Guard Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) members to assist with state disaster response for up to 14 days annually. States must fully reimburse the federal government for the costs associated with this duty. This provision clarifies liability protections for members serving under these state-directed orders.

This Act settles historical land claims of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community regarding uncompensated transfers of reservation lands to the State of Michigan. It provides the Community with a $33.9 million payment as just compensation for the lost "Reservation Swamp Lands" and "Reservation Canal Lands." In exchange, the bill extinguishes all future claims by the Community to those specific lands, thereby confirming clear title for current non-Indian landowners. The settlement also prohibits the use of these funds for gaming purposes.

The Quantum Readiness and Innovation Act of 2025 mandates the creation of guidance for upgrading computer systems to post-quantum cryptography to defend against future quantum attacks. It requires the development of a national strategy outlining how federal agencies should assess and execute their transition to quantum-safe security measures. Furthermore, the Act establishes a voluntary pilot program to assist high-risk entities in upgrading critical systems.

This act, the Veterans Affairs Peer Review Neutrality Act of 2025, aims to strengthen the quality of care within the Veterans Health Administration by eliminating conflicts of interest in medical peer reviews. It mandates that reviewers with direct involvement in a case must recuse themselves. Furthermore, it ensures that reviews of VA medical facility peer review committee members are conducted by a neutral committee at a different VA facility.