The Child Safety and Well-Being Act of 2026 establishes a new federal Children's Commission to advocate for the interests of all children and specifically marginalized youth, including foster care recipients and those facing systemic barriers. This 15-member commission, appointed by the Comptroller General, will conduct research, review federal regulations, and issue reports to ensure that child well-being is considered in government policies and legislation. The bill also creates a Children's Commissioner to lead the commission and requires agencies to share relevant data, while authorizing $7.5 million annually from 2027 through 2034 to fund these operations.
The PRIDE Act of 2026 expands the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion to include LGBTQI+ individuals and businesses. It amends existing financial and housing laws to require the office to consider gender identity and sexual orientation when enforcing regulations and supporting small businesses. The bill formally defines LGBTQI+ as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex and sets a standard where more than 50 percent of a business's ownership and profits must accrue to LGBTQI+ individuals to qualify as LGBTQI+-owned. This change directly affects the Department of the Treasury's oversight of financial institutions and the Small Business Administration's lending programs. By updating the legal definitions within the Dodd-Frank Act and related housing legislation, the bill ensures that federal support and compliance measures explicitly cover the LGBTQI+ community.
The Tax Relief for First Responder Beneficiaries Act expands tax benefits for families of public safety officers who die in the line of duty. It allows surviving beneficiaries, not just dependents, to receive certain compensation without paying federal income tax, and it extends survivor annuity benefits to children or beneficiaries of life insurance policies. These changes apply to taxable years starting after December 31, 2022, ensuring broader financial support for the families of fallen first responders.
The Postsecondary Student Success Act of 2026 creates a competitive grant program to help colleges improve graduation rates for high-need students, including those from low-income backgrounds, first-generation families, and military-connected individuals. To receive funding between 2027 and 2032, eligible institutions must submit plans detailing how they will use evidence-based strategies, such as better advising, accelerated learning options, and improved transfer pathways, to support student retention and completion. The law requires that at least 20 percent of the available funds go to projects using the most rigorously tested methods and mandates that 2 percent be reserved specifically for Tribal Colleges and Universities. Additionally, the Department of Education must evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and report the results to Congress within 18 months of the bill's enactment.
This bill, known as the Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act, expands legal protections for firearm manufacturers and sellers by strengthening their immunity from civil lawsuits. It requires courts to immediately dismiss any pending cases against these companies that are based on the criminal or unlawful misuse of a gun by a third party, while also clarifying that sellers are not liable for negligence in entrusting products to others. The legislation further restricts who can file such suits by prohibiting foreign governments from bringing these claims and adding a specific exception for victims under the age of 17, though it maintains immunity for cases involving design or manufacturing defects. Additionally, the bill allows companies to move these cases to federal court and grants them the right to appeal dismissal orders immediately, along with the ability to recover legal fees if they win. Finally, it preempts state and local laws that attempt to impose liability on these entities for the same types of misuse-related harms.
The Pedestrian Protection Act directs the federal government to update vehicle safety standards to better protect pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users. It requires the Secretary of Transportation to create new rules within three years regarding vehicle design features like hoods, bumpers, and weight, as well as minimum visibility standards within four years. Additionally, the bill mandates that the government publish comparative ratings for these safety technologies and develop a system to inform consumers about how well a vehicle allows drivers to see vulnerable road users. These changes aim to reduce collisions and injuries by establishing specific performance criteria that vehicle manufacturers must meet.
This bill proposes changes to the Social Security system that would affect workers, retirees, and survivors. Starting in 2028, it requires individuals to pay Social Security taxes on a decreasing percentage of their earnings above the annual cap, eventually eliminating the tax on excess income by 2032. The legislation also adjusts how benefits are calculated by increasing the portion of high earnings that count toward future payments and creating a new index to track inflation specifically for elderly consumers. Additionally, it modifies benefits for widows and widowers in two-income households and ensures that Supplemental Security Income recipients are not penalized by changes to their Social Security benefits.
The Stop Serial Litigation Act of 2026 limits the amount of legal fees the government can award to private parties in administrative and court cases to prevent repetitive lawsuits. It caps annual fee awards at $300,000 for most organizations and non-profits, while also setting a maximum hourly rate of $175 for attorneys in most cases, with a lower rate of $125 for veterans and social security matters. Additionally, the bill requires detailed itemized records of how attorneys spend their time and restricts payments to expert witnesses to rates no higher than what the government itself pays. These rules apply to cases involving various federal agencies but include specific exceptions for the Veteran's Administration and the Social Security Administration.
The ReCement Act amends federal regulations to allow cement manufacturers to use non-hazardous secondary materials as fuel or ingredients without classifying them as waste. This change directly affects the cement industry by permitting the use of recovered resources that meet specific legitimacy criteria, such as being managed as valuable commodities or processed before use. By updating the definition of what constitutes waste under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the bill aims to increase material efficiency in cement production through the incorporation of alternative fuels and recovered materials.
The Federal Flood Risk Management Act of 2026 requires federal agencies to evaluate and manage flood risks when planning, building, or funding projects in floodplains. Under this law, agencies must use climate-informed science to determine flood zones and generally add a safety margin of two to three feet above standard flood levels to ensure structures remain safe over their intended lifetimes. The bill mandates that agencies consider nature-based solutions to avoid building in flood-prone areas, notify local governments and the public of proposed projects in these zones, and update their standards every five years based on new scientific data. Additionally, the act requires agencies to inform private parties about flood hazards before approving financial transactions for structures in at-risk areas and to report annually on how these new requirements affect their operations.
This bill, known as the Supreme Court Justice Circuit Riding Act, would require Supreme Court justices to travel across the country to serve as judges in federal appeals courts, a practice that had ended in 1911. Under the new rules, justices must sit on at least one panel of an appeals court for a minimum of 10 days of oral arguments each year, while also being eligible to vote on panel rehearings but barred from participating in full court en banc reviews. The legislation mandates that these appearances occur in person rather than via video or teleconference and establishes a system for reimbursing travel and lodging expenses. Additionally, the bill adds a disqualification provision to prevent a justice from voting on any case after they have already participated in it as a circuit judge. Finally, the Chief Justice is tasked with creating regulations within 180 days to manage the assignment of justices to specific circuits.
The Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act of 2026 eliminates a federal tax credit that allowed parents to deduct contributions to scholarship granting organizations from their income. By removing these specific tax breaks, the bill prevents the use of public tax dollars to support private school vouchers and scholarship programs. This change directly affects families who currently rely on these tax incentives to fund education outside the public school system. The provisions take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.
