HR 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, prevents federal agencies from banning lead ammunition or tackle on public lands and waters managed for hunting or fishing. It directly affects hunters and anglers using federal lands (like national wildlife refuges, public forests, and BLM lands) by blocking nationwide restrictions on lead products. The bill allows limited exceptions only for specific locations where wildlife decline is directly linked to lead use, and the restriction must align with state law or get approval from the state wildlife agency. This changes how federal land managers can regulate lead, requiring state coordination for any local restrictions.
S. Res. 650 is a Senate resolution that formally recognizes the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States. The resolution highlights their achievements in military service, business ownership, healthcare, science, arts, and civil rights advocacy through specific examples of individual women. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of their historical and ongoing contributions to American society.
The MAWS Act of 2026 establishes a 3-year pilot program (2027-2029) to purchase invasive blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. It authorizes $2 million annually to fund covered entities - manufacturers of pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed - to buy blue catfish caught in the watershed, requiring certification of origin and setting minimum prices based on market factors. The program mandates detailed reporting on environmental impacts, economic effects on watermen, and market responses to inform future policy. This directly supports watermen and processors by creating a market for invasive blue catfish while collecting data for potential expansion to other watersheds.
Home School Graduation Recognition Act This bill clarifies that students who complete their secondary education in a home school setting recognized under state law are high school graduates for purposes of eligibility for federal student aid.
Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 This bill imposes sanctions on certain foreign persons (individuals and entities) that are involved in Iran's petroleum sector as well as certain associated persons. The bill also requires or authorizes actions to facilitate the enforcement of sanctions on Iran. Specifically, the bill requires the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person that, after the bill's enactment, knowingly engages in any transaction related to the processing, export, or sale of oil, condensates, gas, liquefied natural gas, or other petrochemical products in whole or in part from Iran. The President must also impose sanctions on certain foreign persons associated with a sanctioned individual or entity. For example, the President must sanction the subsidiaries and corporate officers of a sanctioned business. The bill provides certain exceptions to these sanctions, including specifying that sanctions do not apply to the importation of goods or to conducting or facilitating transactions for humanitarian assistance. The Department of State must establish an interagency working group that shall seek to establish a multilateral contact group to coordinate international efforts to enforce sanctions on Iran. The bill expands the State Department rewards program to authorize a reward payment to any individual who furnishes information leading to the identification of a person (1) subject to sanctions under this bill, or (2) that has attempted or is attempting to evade sanctions under this bill.
Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act of 2025 This bill establishes an interest-bearing account for the nonfederal contributions for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, a cooperative effort between federal and nonfederal entities in Arizona, California, and Nevada. The program works to recover multiple species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Currently, the pace of funding exceeds the pace of work. The bill allows the nonfederal contributions deposited in the fund to be made available, without further appropriation, for the program in the future. However, amounts derived from interest earned on amounts in the fund are subject to the availability of appropriations.
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.
HR 5910 would expand leasing authority for federally recognized tribes by amending a 1955 law. Currently, the law only permitted leases of trust land for specific tribes (like the Chehalis), but this bill would extend that authority to all tribes listed under the 1994 Indian Tribe List Act. The change allows tribes to lease land held in trust for up to 99 years, providing greater flexibility for managing tribal resources. This directly affects all federally recognized tribes with trust land, enabling them to enter long-term leases without additional federal approval.
Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025 This bill modifies the Energy Act of 2020 to expand the definition of critical minerals to include critical materials designated by the Department of Energy (DOE). Under current law, DOE's critical materials list contains certain materials that are essential for energy, including those on the critical minerals list of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS's list, which contains certain minerals that are essential to the nation's economic or national security, is not required to include the materials on DOE's list. Currently, both lists include minerals with a high risk of supply chain disruptions, and both DOE and USGS must conduct a variety of efforts to ensure a secure and reliable supply chain of the minerals. By expanding the definition of critical minerals , this bill requires the USGS to include on its list the materials on DOE's list. Within 45 days of DOE adding a mineral, element, substance, or material to its critical materials list, the USGS must update its list to include such mineral, element, substance, or material.
This resolution designates February 21-28, 2026, as "National FFA Week" to honor the National FFA Organization’s work in agricultural education. It recognizes FFA’s role in developing leadership and career skills for students (with over 1 million members nationally) and celebrates the 50th anniversary of Alaska’s State FFA Association, which has 19 chapters and 493 members. As a symbolic resolution, it has no legal effect but formally expresses Senate support for FFA’s mission.
SRES 613 is a Senate resolution (not a law) recognizing the Army-Navy football game as "America’s Game." It expresses the Senate’s view that the annual game between the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy - held since 1890 - should remain the only major college football game played on the second Saturday of December. The resolution urges broadcasters, athletic conferences, and universities to avoid scheduling competing games during this time slot to preserve the event’s national prominence and its role in honoring military service. It does not create new laws or funding but calls for federal agencies to review policies supporting the game’s civic significance. (Note: This is a symbolic resolution, not a bill with binding effects.)
Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act This bill removes less-than-lethal projectile devices (e.g., certain TASERs) from regulation under the Gun Control Act. The term less-than-lethal projectile device means a device that (1) is not designed or intended to expel (and may not be readily converted to discharge) commonly used ammunition or projectiles exceeding a velocity of 500 feet per second; (2) is designed and intended to be used in a manner not likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; and (3) does not accept (and cannot be readily modified to accept) an ammunition feeding device. The bill also requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine whether a device satisfies the definition of a less-than-lethal projectile device within 90 days of a request.
