Legislative Activity

The Blind Americans Return to Work Act of 2026 establishes a 20-year demonstration project to modify Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for blind individuals. This project removes the consideration of substantial gainful activity when determining disability eligibility for participants. Instead, benefits will be reduced based on earned income above a specific threshold, allowing blind Americans to work without immediately losing their SSDI entitlement.

The Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2026 extends the authorization for critical sport fish conservation and restoration programs through 2031. This legislation maintains essential funding for state-level projects while updating the allocation formulas for multistate conservation grants and the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund.

The TIME for Overdose Justice Act eliminates the statute of limitations for prosecuting drug offenses that result in death or serious bodily injury. By removing these time constraints, the bill ensures that law enforcement can pursue justice for victims and their families regardless of when the violation occurred.

The Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests (FISH) Act of 2025 strengthens U.S. efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and associated human rights abuses. The bill mandates the creation of a public list of vessels and owners engaged in illicit fishing, imposes visa sanctions on identified offenders, and enhances international enforcement and data-sharing capabilities. Additionally, it authorizes funding for fisheries management and research to ensure the sustainability of global fish stocks.

This bill establishes the LINC VA Act to create a pilot program for a community integration platform connecting veterans with local support services like housing, healthcare, and job training. The platform will coordinate services, track referrals, and collect standardized data on veterans' social needs. The program will be evaluated to assess its impact on veterans' health outcomes and access to necessary resources.

The Sanctions Targeting Aggressors of Neighboring Democracies with Taiwan Act of 2026 establishes a framework for immediate, severe economic sanctions against China should it engage in hostile actions against Taiwan. The legislation mandates broad financial restrictions, investment bans, and significant tariffs on Chinese entities and their supporters to deter military or cyber aggression. It also provides the U.S. government with tools to penalize foreign actors while maintaining limited flexibility for national security interests.

This resolution officially designates February 16, 2026, as "National Elizabeth Peratrovich Day." It honors the Tlingit civil rights leader whose advocacy led to the passage of the nation's first anti-discrimination law in 1945. The day calls upon the public to remember her work and continue the pursuit of equality for Alaska Natives and Native Americans.

The RURAL Rate Act establishes a minimum payment floor for certain medical services provided in Alaska, effective January 1, 2026. This bill mandates that the practice expense and work geographic payment indices for these services in Alaska be increased to a minimum value of 1.67 if they would otherwise fall below that threshold.

The Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act restructures and updates the existing Marine Debris Act to enhance NOAA's ability to fund marine debris projects. This legislation also modifies the structure and expands the scope of the Marine Debris Foundation, explicitly including outreach and funding opportunities for Indian Tribes. Finally, the Act reauthorizes the marine debris program through fiscal year 2029 and standardizes key definitions within the law.

The Bycatch Reduction and Research Act of 2025 aims to significantly reduce the unintended capture of non-target species in federal fisheries. It mandates extensive new research on Alaska salmon life history and ecosystem factors affecting marine species. The bill also establishes partnerships to build a flume tank for gear testing and creates new funding mechanisms to assist the fishing industry in adopting bycatch-reducing technology. Finally, it streamlines processes for electronic monitoring and reporting to improve data integration for management.

The Advancing Digital Support for Mental Health Services Act requires large digital advertising platforms to report annually to the FTC on their public service advertisements promoting mental and behavioral health resources. These reports will detail the volume and value of such ads, including those focused on local or free resources. The FTC will then summarize this data for Congress, with all reporting requirements expiring five years after enactment.

This joint resolution seeks to disapprove the Bureau of Land Management's rule regarding the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision. If enacted, this action would nullify the submitted rule, preventing it from taking effect.

This resolution expresses the Senate's opposition to the Chinese Communist Party's historical revisionism regarding Allied victory in World War II. It commemorates the vital contributions of the Republic of China to the Allied victory and acknowledges Japan's postwar role in promoting peace and stability in Asia. The bill urges the U.S. government to counter CCP propaganda and ensure accurate teaching of history concerning U.S. allies.

The Measuring Availability of Providers (MAP) for Veterans Act mandates a feasibility study on building new, full-service VA hospitals in Alaska, Hawaii, and New Hampshire. It also requires the public release of these study results within one year. Furthermore, the bill clarifies that a veteran's eligibility for the Veterans Community Care Program, based on their state lacking a full-service VA facility, is locked to the date this Act is enacted.

This bill reauthorizes and extends key Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs established under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to combat marine plastic pollution. Specifically, it extends the authorization for these critical infrastructure programs through the year 2030.

The VISIT USA Act transfers \$160 million from the Travel Promotion Fund to Brand USA to support international tourism promotion. This funding is specifically allocated from existing unobligated balances collected through certain travel-related fees. The transfer is made within 30 days of the law's enactment.

The Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act of 2025 addresses operational failures of diesel vehicles in extreme cold. It directs the EPA to revise regulations allowing manufacturers to temporarily suspend engine derate or shutdown functions triggered by emissions control faults when temperatures are below freezing. Additionally, the bill provides a year-round exemption from Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system requirements for vehicles primarily operated in far northern latitudes or areas with persistently freezing conditions. This measure aims to ensure essential transportation and safety in cold weather regions without waiving overall emissions compliance.

The DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act directs the Department of Energy and NASA to formally collaborate on research and development projects that benefit both agencies. This collaboration focuses on key areas such as advanced propulsion, quantum information sciences, and Arctic resilience. The bill also establishes new mechanisms for transferring research funds between federal agencies to support NASA's science and engineering missions.

The Pay Our Military Act of 2025 ensures that active duty and reserve military personnel continue to receive pay and essential allowances if Congress has not passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026 by the start of that year. This legislation provides automatic continuing appropriations to cover military salaries, support staff, and necessary contractor payments during any funding lapse. The authority granted by this Act is set to terminate on September 30, 2026, or sooner if a comprehensive budget is enacted. Furthermore, the provisions of this Act are made retroactively effective as of September 30, 2025.

The Judicial Efficiency Improvement Act restructures the federal appellate system by splitting the Ninth Circuit into a new Ninth Circuit and a new Twelfth Circuit. This legislation adjusts the total number of judicial circuits to fourteen and establishes new judgeships across various federal courts. The Act also sets forth a transition plan for handling existing cases and outlines a staggered schedule for adding new district court judgeships through 2035.