Legislative Activity

The Guidance Out Of Darkness (GOOD) Act increases government transparency by requiring federal agencies to publish all active guidance documents in a single, centralized, and publicly accessible online location. This legislation ensures that policies, memoranda, and other informal agency directives are easily searchable and clearly marked if rescinded. By streamlining access to these documents, the Act helps the public better understand the regulatory interpretations that affect them.

The Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2025 streamlines the legislative process by allowing Congress to bundle multiple "midnight rules" issued during a presidential transition into a single joint resolution of disapproval. This measure simplifies the Congressional Review Act process, making it more efficient for lawmakers to overturn multiple end-of-term agency regulations simultaneously.

This joint resolution seeks to block an Environmental Protection Agency rule that granted California a waiver to enforce its own stricter vehicle emission standards. By disapproving this rule, the resolution prevents California from implementing the Advanced Clean Car Program and ensures that federal emission requirements remain the standard.

This joint resolution expresses congressional disapproval of an EPA rule that granted California the authority to enforce its own emission standards for small off-road engines, such as lawn mowers and leaf blowers. By passing this resolution, Congress effectively blocks the rule from taking effect.

This joint resolution seeks to nullify an EPA rule that granted California a waiver to establish its own motor vehicle pollution standards. By disapproving this action, the resolution aims to invalidate the legal authority behind California’s Advanced Clean Car Program and related Zero Emission Vehicle amendments.

The Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower (RISE) Act aims to improve college accessibility for students with disabilities by streamlining the documentation process for accommodations. The bill also mandates that colleges report data on students with disabilities and authorizes $10 million in funding for a national technical support center. These measures ensure greater transparency and support for students navigating the transition to postsecondary education.

This act officially designates the historic paths of US Highway 66, spanning from Chicago to Santa Monica, as the Route 66 National Historic Trail within the National Trails System. The Secretary of the Interior will manage the trail while respecting its historic character and consulting with affected Indian Tribes. Importantly, this designation prohibits the use of eminent domain for land acquisition and does not impose new regulatory requirements or buffer zones around the route.

The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 prohibits the sale or importation of connected vehicles, their parts, and related software originating from or controlled by covered adversarial countries (North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran). Enforced by the Secretary of Commerce, this law aims to mitigate national security risks associated with foreign adversary access to sensitive vehicle data and control systems. The Act establishes phased bans starting in 2027 for vehicles and software, and 2030 for hardware, while setting up processes for compliance, authorization, and enforcement.

The **Patients Deserve Price Tags Act** aims to increase healthcare affordability by mandating comprehensive price transparency across hospitals, laboratories, imaging centers, and ambulatory surgical centers. The bill requires these providers and health insurance plans to publicly disclose negotiated rates, cash prices, and standard charges in standardized, machine-readable formats. Additionally, it empowers patients with real-time cost-estimation tools and requires providers to issue detailed, itemized bills before initiating any collection actions.

The SEARCH Act of 2026 aims to foster competition in the digital search and AI markets by prohibiting major platforms from engaging in exclusionary conduct and self-preferencing. The legislation mandates that dominant search providers share essential data and search results with competitors, while also requiring them to offer users meaningful choices for default search engines. Additionally, the bill establishes strict transparency, compliance, and enforcement mechanisms overseen by the Federal Trade Commission to ensure a fair and open digital marketplace.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of the late Senator Lindsey Olin Graham, recognizing his decades of dedicated military service and his impactful career in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. It pays tribute to his commitment to national security, the rule of law, and the people of South Carolina. The Senate expresses its profound sorrow for his passing and extends its deepest condolences to his family.

The **Protecting American Taxpayers Act** is a comprehensive legislative package designed to combat fraud, reduce government waste, and ensure the integrity of federal spending programs. The bill implements stricter oversight for child care and health care payments, permanently bars those convicted of pandemic-related fraud from future Small Business Administration assistance, and rescinds unspent COVID-19 relief funds to reduce the national deficit. Additionally, it enhances whistleblower protections for government contractors, strengthens data-sharing to intercept improper payments, and establishes new safeguards against foreign influence and deep fake scams.

The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 establishes a national framework guaranteeing student-athletes the right to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) while mandating comprehensive health and academic protections. It also creates a new structure allowing conferences to collectively sell media rights under specific revenue-sharing and rivalry preservation rules. The bill empowers athletes with new enforcement mechanisms while preempting conflicting state laws to create uniform national standards.

The Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act prohibits licensed healthcare providers and transplant hospitals from denying organ transplants or related services to qualified individuals solely because of a disability. This legislation mandates reasonable modifications, auxiliary aids, and consideration of a patient's support network to ensure equal access throughout the entire transplant process. Exceptions only apply if a physician determines the disability is medically significant to the transplant, or if accommodations fundamentally alter the service.

The America the Beautiful Act reauthorizes and modifies the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund through fiscal year 2033, increasing its authorized funding to \$2.0 billion. This legislation broadens eligible lands for maintenance projects and prioritizes those receiving significant private donations. It also enhances transparency by requiring multi-year project lists and actively encouraging public contributions to address deferred maintenance across federal lands.

The Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act streamlines the approval process for biological products by automatically granting interchangeability status to biosimilars upon licensure. By removing the requirement for separate, redundant interchangeability determinations, this legislation aims to reduce regulatory burdens and accelerate patient access to affordable biosimilar medications.

This bill authorizes Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the volunteers and communities that supported the North Platte Canteen during World War II. The Canteen was a massive, entirely volunteer-run operation that fed approximately six million service members traveling across the country. The original gold medal will be permanently displayed at the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte, Nebraska. The bill also allows the U.S. Mint to produce and sell bronze duplicates of the medal.

This resolution honors the life and extensive public service of the late Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for Michigan. It recognizes his decades in Congress, highlighting key legislative achievements such as co-sponsoring the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and leading significant banking reforms. The Senate expresses its profound sorrow and adjourns in his memory.

This bill, TREY's Law, declares that nondisclosure or confidentiality agreements are void and unenforceable if they prevent the disclosure of sexual abuse against a minor. The legislation aims to protect survivors' rights to report crimes and cooperate with authorities by overriding any state or private contract that suppresses information about child sexual abuse. This law applies retroactively to all existing and future agreements.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of the late former United States Senator John Seymour of California. It recognizes his extensive public service, highlighting his career in business, local government, and his tenure in the U.S. Senate. The Senate expresses its deep sorrow and directs that official copies of this resolution be delivered to his family.