Legislative Activity

The Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026 increases financial support for veterans pursuing apprenticeships and on-the-job training by boosting monthly housing and educational stipends. The bill also removes specific attendance requirements for veterans entering the construction industry, making it easier for them to utilize their earned benefits while gaining hands-on career experience.

The AI Fraud Accountability Act of 2026 establishes federal criminal and civil penalties for using AI-generated digital impersonations to commit fraud. The bill mandates the creation of a NIST-led working group to develop best practices for detecting and preventing such fraud while fostering international cooperation to combat these crimes. It also includes a savings clause to protect First Amendment rights, such as parody, satire, and journalism.

The Contract Our Veterans Act of 2026 strengthens federal support for veteran-owned small businesses by establishing new sole-source and restricted-competition contracting authorities. The bill sets a government-wide goal of awarding at least 5% of federal contract dollars to these businesses and mandates enhanced reporting and advocacy requirements across federal agencies.

The Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act mandates the installation of advanced situational awareness equipment at all contract air traffic control towers currently lacking these tools. The bill requires the FAA to provide comprehensive controller training and establishes a reimbursement program for airport sponsors who independently invested in certified systems prior to this legislation.

The NIDIS Reauthorization Act of 2026 updates and extends the National Integrated Drought Information System to improve drought prediction, monitoring, and response. The bill mandates the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and enhanced modeling to provide more accurate, timely data. Additionally, it authorizes annual federal funding through 2030 to support these critical water management and forecasting initiatives.

This resolution officially recognizes the annual Army-Navy football game as "America's Game" due to its deep patriotic tradition and role in inspiring military service. It urges that the game maintain its exclusive television time slot on the second Saturday of December to maximize national attention. The resolution calls on networks and associations to avoid scheduling competing games during this time to honor the service members involved.

The Maverick Act authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to transfer decommissioned F-14 Tomcat aircraft to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. This legislation enables the restoration and public display of these aircraft for educational and commemorative purposes. All costs associated with the transfer, maintenance, and operation of the aircraft are the sole responsibility of the Commission.

The Carbon Resource Innovation Act expands the existing tax credit for carbon capture to include facilities that capture carbon in solid or liquid form. This legislation amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow facilities capturing carbon in solid or liquid states to qualify for the carbon oxide sequestration credit. To be eligible, facilities must capture a minimum of 1,000 metric tons of qualified carbon annually.

The Long-Distance Corridor Relief Enhancement Act modifies federal requirements for selecting intercity passenger rail corridors. Specifically, it creates an exception that prevents the Secretary of Transportation from requiring or considering non-Federal funding for long-distance route corridors accepted into the program after October 1, 2023. This aims to ease funding considerations for these specific long-distance rail projects.

The Trade Transparency Unit Strategy Act mandates the development of a strategy to expand the use of Trade Transparency Units for sharing trade and financial data to combat international money laundering. This strategy must be submitted by the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with other key departments, within 180 days of enactment. The bill also requires an independent assessment of this strategy by the Comptroller General.

This act establishes the Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recreation Pass Act, providing eligible law enforcement officers and firefighters with a free annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. The bill defines eligible individuals as those employed by federal, state, local, or tribal governments whose duties involve fire suppression or criminal law enforcement/supervision. The Secretary of the Interior is tasked with making these passes available upon proof of eligibility.

This bill, the Written Informed Consent Act, expands existing Veterans Health Administration requirements for informed consent. It mandates that the VA update its directive to include five additional classes of medications—antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and narcotics—under the informed consent process. This ensures veterans receive comprehensive information before starting these treatments.

The JAIL Act establishes a civil right of action allowing individuals harmed by repeat violent offenders released on bail to sue the judge or government entity responsible for that release. This legislation specifically removes judicial immunity as a defense in such cases. The bill targets harm caused by defendants charged with a crime of violence who have a prior conviction for a crime of violence.

The Good Government Act of 2025 significantly restricts Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from holding, purchasing, or selling specific "covered financial instruments" during their term of service. Members must either divest these assets or place them into an approved qualified blind trust within 120 days of enactment or starting service. The Act establishes strict reporting requirements and imposes escalating civil penalties, equal to a Member's monthly salary, for non-compliance.

The Improving Veterans Access to Congressional Services Act of 2025 establishes a program allowing Members of Congress to use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities to meet with their constituents. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must create regulations ensuring these spaces are accessible, available during business hours, and subject to fair rental rates. These regulations strictly prohibit political campaigning or activities that interfere with VA operations or patient privacy.

The Strengthening Resources for Our Schools (SROS) Act aims to support school safety by providing a federal tax exclusion for retirement income received by qualified school resource officers (SROs). This benefit applies to former military personnel or law enforcement officers currently serving as SROs. Furthermore, SROs who serve for at least 10 years will receive this retirement income exclusion for life.

The Hiring Preference for Veterans and Americans With Disabilities Act grants state and local election offices the option to prioritize hiring veterans and individuals with disabilities as election workers. Furthermore, it allows these offices to give preference to the spouses or dependents of service members stationed away from home. This legislation also waives residency requirements for these non-resident military family applicants.

The Plant Safety Authorities Coordination Act of 2025 revises the federal definition of "transporting gas" to clarify regulatory scope. This legislation specifically excludes certain gas gathering activities in rural areas and the movement of gas solely for on-site plant operations. These exclusions ensure that localized, plant-supportive gas movement is not subject to federal transportation regulations.

The Safety Funding Parity Adjustment Act of 2025 establishes new rules for how the Secretary of Transportation adjusts annual highway safety funding between Section 402 and Section 405 programs, effective October 1, 2026. The primary goal is to ensure that the rate of increase for Section 402 funding is generally four times the rate of increase for Section 405 funding when both programs receive an increase. This act mandates specific proportional transfers between the two funds to achieve this targeted parity ratio under various funding scenarios.

The Long-Distance Corridor Relief Act modifies the criteria the Secretary uses when selecting long-distance intercity passenger rail corridors for support. This bill mandates that the Secretary must disregard any existing or anticipated non-Federal funding when evaluating these specific long-distance routes for selection. Essentially, it removes the consideration of outside funding for these corridors during the selection process.