HR 7932, the HONOR Gold Star Families Act, increases the death gratuity paid to families of service members who died in the line of duty. It raises the current $100,000 payment to $200,000 for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2026. The bill also adds an annual cost-of-living adjustment to this amount, increasing it each January 1 based on the previous year’s inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index. This directly affects Gold Star Families - those who have lost a service member in military service - by providing a larger initial payment and ensuring future payments keep pace with inflation.
This bill, titled the Take Back Our Hospitals Act of 2026, would prohibit Medicare from paying hospitals or skilled nursing facilities owned or controlled by private equity funds, real estate investment trusts, or corporations owned by those funds. The law defines control as owning 10 percent or more of voting securities or having the power to direct management and policies through contracts or other means. Facilities currently owned by these firms would have a three-year transition period before the prohibition takes full effect. The bill also establishes joint and several liability, meaning the owning firm would be responsible for any penalties if the facility violates the rule, and provides for notice, hearings, and judicial review for affected facilities.
SRES 638 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing that law enforcement personnel from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) temporarily assigned to civil immigration enforcement should return to their primary counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and counterintelligence roles during active conflicts with Iran. It specifically targets agents diverted from critical national security duties - such as FBI personnel working on Iranian oil investigations or DHS cybersecurity staff - to immigration work without strategic justification. The resolution cites concerns that this reassignment reduces capacity to prevent terrorist threats, especially following U.S. military actions against Iran. It urges the administration to prioritize national security missions over immigration enforcement during periods of active hostility with Iran.
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.
# Summary of the Water Rights Settlement Act
This is a comprehensive U.S. federal law establishing a settlement agreement regarding water rights for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. The key elements include:
1. **Water Delivery System**: Establishes the "iiná bá - paa tuwaqat'si pipeline" (a water delivery system) to provide municipal water to the tribes, with specific provisions for design, construction, and operation.
2. **Water Rights Settlement**: Creates a comprehensive settlement of water rights claims that:
- Replaces and satisfies all claims of the tribes against the United States
- Provides specific water entitlements (including Navajo Nation Cibola Water, Navajo Nation Fourth Priority Water, Hopi Tribe Cibola Water, and Upper Basin water)
- Establishes detailed accounting rules for different types of water under the Colorado River Compact
3. **Enforceability Requirements**: Sets a deadline (June 30, 2035) by which the settlement must be fully implemented, with specific conditions that must be met for the settlement to become effective.
4. **San Juan Southern Paiute Reservation**: Creates the San Juan Southern Paiute Reservation on approximately 5,400 acres within the Navajo Indian Reservation, with provisions for boundary surveys, legal descriptions, and jurisdiction.
5. **Sovereign Immunity Waiver**: Provides limited waivers of sovereign immunity for the tribes in specific legal proceedings related to the settlement.
6. **Water Accounting Rules**: Establishes specific accounting rules for different types of water deliveries (Upper Basin vs. Lower Basin) that affect how water is counted under the Colorado River Compact.
7. **Unique Circumstances**: Acknowledges that the water transfers and diversions authorized under this act address "critical Tribal and non-Indian water supply needs under unique circumstances," including the Navajo Nation's location in both the Upper and Lower Basins of the Colorado River.
The law also includes provisions to preserve existing water rights, prevent the law from establishing precedents for other tribes' water rights, and ensure that environmental laws remain enforceable.
The VALOR Act (HR 7598) ensures veterans with pending disability claims don't pay unnecessary housing loan fees. It requires the VA to refund or credit fees paid by veterans who later have their disability claims approved. Specifically, if a veteran pays a housing loan fee before their disability claim is decided and the claim is approved after payment, the VA must reimburse the fee amount. This directly affects veterans applying for VA-guaranteed home loans while awaiting disability compensation decisions. The bill creates a clear, automatic reimbursement process without requiring veterans to file separate claims for refunds.
HRES 1110 is a non-binding House resolution expressing the U.S. House of Representatives' disapproval of the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption and urging Japan to enact a nationwide ban. It references the U.S. 2018 ban on this practice (under the Agriculture Improvement Act) and notes similar bans in South Korea, Taiwan, and cities like Shenzhen and Jakarta. The resolution affirms shared U.S.-Japan values on animal welfare, encourages bilateral cooperation on animal rights, and clarifies it does not interfere with protected cultural or religious practices. As a symbolic diplomatic statement, it has no legal force but aims to influence Japan’s policies on animal welfare.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish at least five centers of excellence focused on innovative therapies for treating veterans with specific conditions like PTSD, depression, and chronic pain. The VA Secretary must select facilities based on competitive peer reviews that evaluate scientific merit, research capabilities, and partnerships with medical schools for training. Each center must include an advisory committee with veteran representatives and develop a national data repository to track treatment outcomes. The legislation authorizes $30 million annually for research and education activities at these centers while ensuring geographic distribution across the country.
This bill, titled the Gas Prices Relief Act of 2026, would temporarily eliminate the federal gasoline tax for fuel sold between the date of enactment and October 1, 2026. The legislation directly affects gasoline producers, dealers, and consumers by setting the tax rate to zero during this period while requiring producers and dealers to pass the savings directly to consumers. To maintain funding for road infrastructure and environmental programs, the bill mandates that the Treasury transfer equivalent amounts from the general fund to the Highway Trust Fund and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund. Additionally, the bill includes enforcement provisions that impose monetary penalties on fuel sellers who fail to pass the tax savings on to consumers.
This bill would require infant formula manufacturers to conduct standardized testing for specific pathogens and microorganisms in both their facilities and finished products. It mandates that companies report positive test results to the FDA within one business day and retain records of these findings for inspections. The legislation also requires the FDA to notify congressional committees within one business day of receiving positive test results or issuing certain inspection classifications. Additionally, the bill establishes clear inspection standards that apply to all infant formula products regardless of where they are made.
This bill, known as the Mail Ballot Integrity Act, would require states to stop sending unsolicited mail-in ballots to voters for federal elections. Under the law, individuals must actively request a mail-in ballot by submitting a written or electronic request that includes a sworn statement confirming they meet specific eligibility criteria. The bill limits who can receive these ballots to groups such as active-duty military personnel, students living away from home, clergy, people with disabilities, seniors aged 65 and older, and others with temporary mobility or residency issues. States could maintain lists of voters who previously qualified for mail-in voting, but only if those voters continue to meet the established eligibility requirements. The changes would take effect for federal elections occurring on or after the bill is enacted.
