The Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (S 836) extends COPPA protections to teens aged 13-17 by requiring websites, apps, and online services to obtain verifiable consent from parents for children or from teens themselves before collecting or using their personal information for purposes beyond the service. It defines "personal information" broadly to include biometric data, voice recordings, persistent identifiers, and geolocation information, and prohibits using such information for individual-specific advertising without consent. The bill mandates clear notice about data practices and gives children and teens rights to access, correct, and delete their personal information. Additionally, it requires the FTC to conduct studies on mobile app oversight and the GAO to study teen privacy in financial technology products.
This bill, known as the State Veterans Homes Inspection Simplification Act, would allow certain State Veterans Homes that are already certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be automatically considered compliant with Medicare and Medicaid nursing home standards. Under this proposal, facilities meeting specific VA inspection and certification requirements would not need to undergo separate reviews by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, reducing duplication of effort. The legislation maintains oversight by requiring the VA to submit its inspection standards for review every two years, allowing CMS to conduct targeted surveys or complaints investigations, and mandating public reporting of inspection data on the Nursing Home Care Compare website. A Government Accountability Office report would be required three years after enactment to evaluate the bill's impact on survey efficiency, enforcement outcomes, and resident care quality.
The Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act establishes a regulatory framework for digital commodity exchanges, brokers, and dealers that handle digital assets like cryptocurrencies. It requires these entities to register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), implement customer protection measures including the use of qualified digital asset custodians, and meet transparency and reporting requirements. The bill defines key terms like "digital commodity" and creates new rules for how these entities must operate, while also establishing an Office of the Digital Commodity Retail Advocate to represent retail investors in digital commodity markets.
This bill, known as the Diabetes Foot Health Access and Modernization Act of 2026, makes two main changes to federal healthcare programs. First, it allows Medicaid to cover foot and ankle care services provided by podiatric physicians, ensuring patients have access to this specialized care. Second, it updates Medicare rules to clarify documentation requirements for diabetic shoes, specifying conditions under which patients can receive extra-depth or custom-molded footwear. The changes take effect on January 1, 2026, for Medicaid services and January 1, 2028, for Medicare shoe coverage.
This bill, titled the National Guard Protective Zone Act, creates a new federal crime for knowingly entering or staying within a designated area around National Guard members during authorized deployments. The law defines a protective zone as a 15-foot perimeter marked by signs, tape, or verbal warnings, making it illegal to enter with the intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the Guard member's duties. Penalties include fines and up to one year in prison, increasing to five years if the offender makes physical contact, throws an object, or spits on the service member. The legislation explicitly states that it does not prohibit First Amendment activities conducted outside the established protective zone.
This bill directs the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library to commission and place a statue of Clarence Mitchell, Jr. in a permanent public location within the United States Capitol. The legislation authorizes the committee to enter into agreements with an artist or organization to create the statue and permits the Architect of the Capitol to handle related contracts on the committee's behalf. Funding is authorized to cover the costs of obtaining and installing the statue, with no specific time limit for spending the allocated funds. The bill honors Mitchell, Jr., a civil rights leader and former NAACP Washington Bureau director, by recognizing his contributions to civil rights legislation through a physical memorial in the Capitol.
This bill would remove the federal approval for the drug mifepristone, which is used in combination with other medications to end pregnancies, and would make it illegal to distribute the drug for that purpose. It also creates a new federal lawsuit option allowing individuals to sue drug manufacturers for physical or mental harm they claim resulted from using mifepristone. The law would take effect 14 days after passing, with the new lawsuit provision becoming active 90 days after enactment.
This bill, titled the Failed Bank Executives Clawback Act, would give the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and federal regulators the authority to recover compensation from executives and other high-level personnel at banks that have failed. It directly affects directors, officers, controlling stockholders, and other individuals found primarily responsible for a bank's failure at institutions with over $10 billion in assets. The law would require these individuals to return bonuses, stock awards, and other compensation received in the three years before the bank's insolvency or resolution, with recovered funds going into the Deposit Insurance Fund. Additionally, the bill clarifies the Corporation's authority to take over certain financial companies regardless of how the takeover process was initiated.
Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term insurance carriers from denying or otherwise restricting coverage for living organ donors. Specifically, carriers may not deny, cancel, vary premiums, or otherwise impose conditions on policies based on an individual's status as a living organ donor. The bill also expressly specifies that recovery from organ-donation surgery constitutes a serious health condition that entitles eligible employees to job-protected medical leave. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must update educational materials on living organ donation to include information about the benefits and risks of living organ donation and the impact of donation on insurance access, particularly with respect to the bill's changes.
HRES 1109 is a symbolic resolution supporting National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, observed annually on March 10. It recognizes the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls in the U.S., particularly women of color who face higher infection rates and barriers to care. The resolution calls for increased investment in prevention, treatment, and education programs to reduce new infections and address health disparities, while emphasizing the need for culturally responsive services and comprehensive sexual health education. It does not create new laws or funding but expresses congressional support for ongoing efforts to end the HIV epidemic among women and girls.
HRES 1107 is a House resolution urging the President to issue a proclamation flying the U.S. flag at half-staff to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson. The resolution recognizes his civil rights leadership, including founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and his presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, which advanced racial equality and economic justice. This symbolic gesture directly affects the President (as the one who would issue the proclamation) and the public, who would observe the flag at half-staff.
This bill, titled the 21st Century Worker Act, establishes a new federal framework for classifying service providers as either employees or independent contractors. It creates specific criteria for mandatory employee classification, such as substantial economic relationships where workers are required to work full-time, and mandatory independent contractor status for licensed professionals, business entities, and those with limited economic relationships. For situations that do not fit these categories, the bill allows service providers to elect their own classification through a written agreement signed by both parties. The legislation also updates definitions of employee and employer in major federal laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act, National Labor Relations Act, and Internal Revenue Code, and requires annual reviews of worker classifications to ensure they remain accurate.
