The Methane Removal Research and Innovation Act of 2026 directs the Department of Energy to create a research initiative aimed at developing methods to remove methane from the atmosphere. This program will fund multidisciplinary teams to study various scientific approaches, including biological methods, chemical reactors, and new materials, while also assessing costs and social barriers. The initiative is authorized to receive $25 million annually from 2027 to 2031 and requires the Secretary of Energy to report progress and scientific findings to Congress every three years.
The AI Incident Reporting Act requires artificial intelligence developers to report specific high-risk incidents to the Secretary of Commerce within seven days of discovery. These reportable events include attempts to evade oversight, unauthorized theft of model weights, capabilities that could accelerate cyberattacks or weapon development, and any incidents posing serious risks to national security or public safety. To encourage transparency, the bill provides legal protections that prevent reported information from being used against developers in lawsuits or regulatory enforcement actions, while also mandating that sensitive data be kept confidential. Developers must submit detailed descriptions of these incidents, and the government must notify key congressional leaders immediately if a report indicates an imminent threat. The Act also establishes a framework for the Secretary to define which AI models are covered and to enforce compliance through civil penalties of up to $2 million for violations.
The Local Foods for Healthy Schools Act of 2026 creates a new program to help state and local governments purchase and distribute food grown within 400 miles of schools. This initiative provides $200 million annually to eligible state agencies, which can either buy local produce directly or give funds to school districts for that purpose. The bill defines local foods as minimally processed agricultural products and requires recipients to submit reports on their purchases while ensuring funds supplement rather than replace existing state support.
This bill authorizes Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal to individuals who fought for or with the United States in the Pacific theater during World War II and subsequently became prisoners of war. The legislation specifically recognizes the service and sacrifice of those who defended locations such as Bataan and Corregidor, including Filipino soldiers and civilians who served alongside U.S. forces. To implement this award, the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate will arrange for the creation of a gold medal by the Secretary of the Treasury, which will be presented to the Smithsonian Institution for display. The act also allows for the production of duplicate bronze medals to cover the costs of the original gold medals, with any proceeds from these sales deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
The SAFER Health Act of 2026 strengthens privacy protections for individuals by restricting how healthcare providers and insurers can share information related to abortions, miscarriages, stillbirths, and ectopic pregnancies. Under this bill, these entities are generally prohibited from disclosing such data in any legal proceedings unless the individual gives specific permission or the disclosure is necessary for a professional liability defense or investigating physical harm when the individual cannot consent. The legislation also requires health IT systems to separate this sensitive data from other records and mandates that state laws offering weaker privacy protections be overridden by federal rules. Finally, the Department of Health and Human Services will be tasked with updating existing regulations and running a public outreach campaign to inform healthcare organizations and patients about these new privacy requirements.
This bill, known as the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, aims to combat unpaid wages by strengthening penalties for employers who violate federal labor laws and providing workers with better tools to recover stolen money. It directly affects employees across industries who are currently at risk of not receiving their full compensation for hours worked, tips, or benefits. Key provisions require employers to provide detailed paystubs and final payments within 14 days of termination, increase civil fines for violations, and extend the time limit for workers to file lawsuits from two to four years. Additionally, the legislation creates a new grant program to fund community partnerships between the Department of Labor and local organizations to educate workers, assist with claims, and improve enforcement efforts.
The Next Generation Shipping Act establishes a $10 billion funding program over ten years to support the development and deployment of zero-emission vessels and clean alternative fuel technologies. Administered by the Department of Transportation, the program provides grants, low-interest loans, and loan guarantees to eligible entities such as shipowners, manufacturers, and port authorities, while explicitly prohibiting the use of funds for automated vessel systems. To guide these efforts, the bill creates an advisory committee representing diverse stakeholders including labor groups, environmental organizations, and industry leaders to evaluate technologies and identify gaps. Additionally, the legislation mandates that funded projects prioritize workforce training, community benefits, and environmental justice, ensuring that laborers receive prevailing wages and that local communities are engaged throughout the project lifecycle.
The Prior Authorization Accountability Act requires health insurance plans and issuers to publicly report detailed data on their prior authorization processes starting in 2027. This includes submitting information on approval and denial rates, appeal outcomes, processing times, and the specific use of artificial intelligence or other automated technologies in making coverage decisions. The bill mandates that these reports be available on public websites for both individual and group coverage, allowing consumers to compare how different plans handle requests for medical services. Additionally, the legislation updates the Affordable Care Act to ensure that health plans sold through insurance exchanges display this new transparency data to help shoppers make informed choices.
The Data Infrastructure Energy Measurement and Standards Act directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop better methods for measuring energy and water use in data centers, including those running artificial intelligence models. This research program aims to create standardized definitions and reporting guidelines that account for different power systems, cooling setups, and varying workload demands. The bill also requires the agency to coordinate with industry experts and international partners to establish global standards while sharing data to improve future energy demand forecasts. To support these efforts, the legislation authorizes $10 million in funding for each of the fiscal years 2027 through 2029.
The AI Security and Innovation Act establishes a new Center for AI Security and Innovation within the National Institute of Standards and Technology to assess risks and improve the security of artificial intelligence systems. This center will evaluate threats such as data leaks and model tampering, develop voluntary safety standards, and conduct research on advanced AI capabilities developed by both U.S. and foreign entities. The bill defines key terms like "artificial intelligence model" and "covered frontier system," and authorizes $20 million annually from 2027 to 2032 to fund the center's activities. While the center director will consult with various federal agencies and AI developers, the legislation explicitly prohibits the center from having regulatory or enforcement powers. The center is authorized to operate for five years before its provisions expire.
The AI-Ready Federal Data Guidelines Act directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to create voluntary guidelines helping federal agencies prepare data for training artificial intelligence models. These guidelines will cover data formatting, labeling, quality checks, documentation, and maintenance to ensure datasets are usable by AI systems. The bill also allows for short-term pilot programs in specific sectors like biotechnology to test these guidelines and assess their effectiveness. Additionally, the NIST Director must provide regular briefings to Congress on the progress of implementing these standards.
The Workforce for AI Trust Act directs the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to expand the American workforce capable of developing and governing artificial intelligence. It establishes new fellowship programs to train graduate and postdoctoral researchers from diverse fields, including the humanities and social sciences, to focus on the trustworthy design and evaluation of AI systems. Additionally, the bill requires NIST to create a standardized framework that defines the skills and roles needed for AI work, aiming to help industries and government agencies better identify and fill talent gaps. These provisions also mandate that peer review panels for AI research include experts from multiple disciplines to ensure broad perspectives are considered during the evaluation process.
