Legislative Activity

This resolution expresses the support of the House of Representatives for Charleston, South Carolina, to host the 2027 annual session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly. It highlights the city’s world-class infrastructure and honors the legacy of the late Senator Lindsey Olin Graham by advocating for the event to proceed as originally planned.

The Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026 extends vital funding for ALS research and clinical trial programs through 2031. This legislation strengthens oversight by enhancing grant review processes, improving safety reporting requirements, and mandating a comprehensive five-year FDA action plan to accelerate the development of treatments for rare neurodegenerative diseases.

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.

The D.C. Taxing Authority Review Act requires explicit congressional approval for any District of Columbia legislation that imposes or increases taxes or fees, or relates to Title 47 of the D.C. Code. Under this bill, such acts will no longer take effect automatically after the standard review period but must instead be passed by a joint resolution of Congress. Additionally, the legislation establishes expedited, one-hour debate limits in the Senate for these specific approval resolutions.

This bill, the Pharmacists Fight Back in Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans Act, establishes new rules for Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) administering prescription drug benefits for federal employees. It mandates specific reimbursement rates for pharmacies and prohibits PBMs from engaging in anti-competitive practices like steering patients to affiliated pharmacies. The legislation also institutes civil monetary penalties and potential debarment for PBMs that fail to comply with these new requirements.

The Title IX Clarification Act of 2026 amends Title IX to explicitly define "sex," "female," and "male" based on an individual's biologically determined sex and reproductive system. This legislation clarifies the scope of sex-based protections under federal education law. The changes take effect immediately upon enactment.

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 **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.

This bill aims to significantly improve the regulation of securities markets by increasing accountability and transparency at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It mandates rigorous cost-benefit analyses for new rules, strengthens congressional oversight through mandatory testimony, and requires independent reviews of the SEC's cybersecurity and rule effectiveness. Furthermore, the legislation streamlines audit oversight by dissolving the PCAOB and integrating its functions directly into the SEC.

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 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 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 Budgeting for a Better America Act fundamentally reforms the federal budget process by shifting to a two-year (biennial) cycle to promote stability and long-term planning. It also establishes a bipartisan commission tasked with developing a deficit-reduction plan that Congress must consider under fast-track procedures. Finally, the bill mandates greater transparency through required long-term financial reports and expanded participation in budget oversight.

The VA Home Loan Navigator Act establishes a new, free program to provide comprehensive housing loan support services to veteran borrowers. This program will offer education, guidance, and assistance navigating all aspects of their VA home loan benefits, from eligibility to foreclosure prevention. Services will be delivered by independent, neutral third-party organizations approved by the VA and HUD. Participation is entirely voluntary for the borrower.

This resolution condemns actors defrauding the U.S. Government and emphasizes that robust, government-wide fraud prevention reforms are essential for national financial prosperity. It asserts that federal agencies must verify eligibility and claims *before* issuing payments to curb massive improper spending. The House views this shift to proactive verification as the primary solution to the ongoing fiscal emergency caused by fraud.

The Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act significantly expands legal immunity for firearm manufacturers, sellers, and trade associations by redefining terms within existing federal law. It mandates the immediate dismissal of pending lawsuits against these entities and establishes strict new standards for any exceptions that might apply. Furthermore, the bill preempts state and local laws that attempt to impose liability based on the criminal misuse of qualified products.

This Act strengthens financial accountability across federal agencies by expanding the duties of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) to oversee critical areas like risk management and internal controls. It mandates the creation of agency-specific financial management plans tied to a new governmentwide four-year strategy. Furthermore, the bill requires more robust annual reporting from agencies and the OMB Director to ensure transparency regarding financial performance and progress.