Legislative Activity

The Stock Buyback Accountability Act of 2026 significantly increases the excise tax on corporate stock repurchases from 1% to 4%. It also tightens the rules for calculating this tax by preventing corporations from offsetting the tax liability with the value of stock issued to highly compensated executives and certain top earners. This legislation aims to discourage excessive stock buybacks by increasing the cost and limiting available deductions.

This resolution designates June 6, 2026, as National Naloxone Awareness Day to increase public understanding and access to naloxone, the life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses. The day aims to educate the public on how to use naloxone and reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorder. It encourages broad support for expanding the availability and distribution of this critical medication.

This bill authorizes Congress to award a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment collectively. This recognition honors the regiment's crucial and heroic service during the Revolutionary War, notably as one of the first integrated military units in American history. The original medal will be displayed at the Rhode Island State Library, and bronze duplicates may be sold to cover production costs.

This resolution formally acknowledges and apologizes for the decades of discrimination and mistreatment faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who served in the U.S. military, Foreign Service, and federal civil service. It condemns past and recent discriminatory policies that led to wrongful terminations and exclusions. The resolution commits the nation to pursuing equal rights, protections, and respect for all LGBT servicemembers and federal employees moving forward.

The JAWBONE Act prohibits federal agencies from coercing private speech platforms, including AI systems, into taking specific content actions against protected speech. It establishes a federal cause of action allowing harmed parties to sue for violations of this prohibition. Furthermore, the Act mandates the creation of standards for logging government communications with these platforms and establishing a public portal to report these interactions.

This bill, the Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act of 2026, authorizes the President to declare a smoke emergency when severe wildfire smoke significantly impacts air quality in a state. Upon declaration, federal agencies like FEMA can provide emergency assistance, including resources for smoke shelters and air monitoring. The Act also allows the Small Business Administration to offer relief grants to small businesses affected by the declared emergency.

The Community College Agriculture Advancement Act of 2026 establishes a grant program to strengthen agriculture and natural resources programs at community colleges. These competitive grants will help institutions expand workforce training, education, and research, prioritizing coordination with local industry for experiential learning. The Act also authorizes funding to designate regional or national Centers of Agriculture Advancement.

The Natural Climate Solutions Research and Extension Act of 2026 establishes natural climate solutions as a priority for USDA research and extension grants. This legislation directs funding toward land management practices that enhance carbon storage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across agricultural lands, forests, and wetlands. The supported practices will emphasize biodiversity, climate resilience, and the incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge.

The Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2026 addresses the growing energy and environmental challenges posed by rapidly expanding AI infrastructure. The bill mandates a comprehensive study by the EPA and other agencies on the full lifecycle impacts of AI, from hardware manufacturing to data center operation. It also establishes a stakeholder consortium to develop measurement standards and requires annual public reporting from AI data center operators on their resource consumption and pollution. Ultimately, this legislation aims to mitigate the negative environmental effects of AI while promoting its beneficial applications.

The No Toxic Chemicals in Food Packaging Act of 2026 aims to enhance food safety by automatically classifying several hazardous chemicals, including PFAS and certain phthalates, as unsafe for use in food contact materials. This legislation requires the FDA to consider vulnerable populations when reviewing alternatives to these banned substances. The new federal standard allows states and localities to maintain or enact stricter regulations protecting public health.

The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2026 affirms the fundamental right of individuals to travel across state lines to receive reproductive health care that is legal in the destination state. This bill prohibits any government or person from restricting, sanctioning, or discriminating against individuals who travel for such care or those who assist them. It preempts conflicting state laws and establishes robust federal enforcement mechanisms, including civil actions for individuals and the Attorney General, while removing common immunity defenses for violators.

The Open Courts Act of 2026 mandates the creation of a modern, centralized electronic system for federal court records, accessible to the public via a separate interface. This system must feature modern development principles, robust search capabilities, and free public access, while establishing new funding mechanisms to cover its operation. The bill also sets standards for digital accessibility, cybersecurity, and long-term online availability of court documents.

The Email Privacy Act modernizes federal electronic communication laws by standardizing terminology and expanding protections for stored data. Crucially, it mandates that law enforcement obtain a warrant to access the content of any electronic communication, regardless of how long it has been stored. The bill also clarifies the conditions under which service providers can voluntarily disclose customer communications.

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 establishes the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act to address the critical need for mental health support in schools. It provides federal grants to states to award subgrants to local educational agencies for recruiting, retaining, and hiring school-based mental health services providers in high-need schools. The goal is to help schools work toward recommended student-to-provider ratios for counselors, psychologists, and social workers.

The Elder Pride Act amends the Older Americans Act to explicitly recognize and address the needs of LGBTQI and HIV-positive older adults. It establishes a new Office of LGBTQI Inclusion within the Administration on Aging to coordinate services and promote access. Furthermore, the Act creates a dedicated grant program to fund rural outreach initiatives specifically targeting LGBTQI older individuals and those in other protected classes.

The SAFE for Survivors Act of 2026 comprehensively supports survivors of domestic and sexual violence by establishing job-protected safe leave, prohibiting employment discrimination, and ensuring access to unemployment benefits and insurance protections. The bill reauthorizes critical grant funding for workplace response resources and mandates reasonable accommodations to help survivors maintain employment and stability while recovering. These provisions aim to reduce the economic pressures that often trap victims in dangerous situations by strengthening their safety net across employment, benefits, and insurance sectors.

The IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act aims to strengthen protections and increase fairness for individuals reporting tax fraud. It grants the Tax Court the authority to conduct a fresh, independent review of denied whistleblower awards and mandates that awards are protected from federal budget sequestration cuts. Furthermore, the bill enhances whistleblower privacy by allowing anonymity in Tax Court proceedings and requires the IRS to pay interest on awards delayed beyond a specified timeframe.

This bill reauthorizes and extends the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program through fiscal year 2030. The program allows eligible small, rural hospitals to receive Medicare payments based on reasonable costs for inpatient services to promote financial stability. It maintains participation limits and requires a report evaluating the program's impact on rural access to care and costs.

The Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act of 2026 establishes a competitive grant program to support and expand career and technical education (CTE) programs focused on early childhood education. These grants will fund partnerships to develop curriculum, recruit and train educators, and provide student support services. The goal is to strengthen the early childhood education workforce by creating clearer career pathways and improving educational outcomes for students.