The Federal Workforce Reproductive Rights Protection Act prevents federal agencies from relocating headquarters or major operations to states with laws restricting or banning abortion, while also barring the use of funds to build or lease facilities in those locations. To support federal employees who need to access reproductive health care, the bill allows workers to decline transfers to restrictive states, grants up to 21 days of paid leave for travel to obtain such services, and provides reimbursement for travel costs without requiring disclosure of the specific medical procedure. Additionally, the legislation prohibits government agencies from investigating an employee's use of abortion services when reviewing security clearances or making personnel decisions and protects workers from retaliation if they exercise these new rights.
The Support our Firefighters Act establishes a new paid rest and recuperation leave program for federal wildland firefighters working for the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior. Under this law, these employees would receive paid time off immediately after completing a qualifying fire incident, with specific rules requiring a minimum number of rest days following periods of deployment. The bill also allows for the transfer of up to $5 million in funding from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior to help sustain salary increases for these workers. Additionally, the legislation updates existing overtime rules to remove specific year limits, ensuring that wildland firefighters can work extended hours without hitting caps in future years.
The Right to Vote Act establishes legal protections against government actions that make it more difficult for citizens to vote in federal elections. It prohibits any rule or practice that diminishes voting ability unless the government proves it is the least restrictive way to achieve an important interest, and it similarly blocks substantial impairments unless they significantly further a specific government goal. The bill creates a new legal pathway for voters to challenge these restrictions in federal court, requiring judges to expedite these cases and shifting the burden of proof to the government to justify any voting barriers. These protections apply to all U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia for elections occurring on or after September 1, 2026.
This bill authorizes the presentation of Congressional Gold Medals to the four crew members of the Artemis II mission to recognize their historic achievement in advancing human space exploration. The legislation directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the medals, which will feature the faces of the astronauts and be struck by the Secretary of the Treasury. In addition to the gold medals, the bill permits the minting and sale of duplicate bronze versions to help cover production costs, with any proceeds returned to the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
This bill redesignates the existing National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund as the America's Legacy Restoration Fund to address deferred maintenance on federal lands. It directs revenue from recreation fees and a portion of energy development income into the fund, which must be used primarily for repairing critical infrastructure like roads, trails, and buildings managed by agencies such as the National Park Service and the Forest Service. The legislation establishes strict rules requiring that most funds go toward non-transportation projects, mandates transparency through public dashboards tracking project status, and sets aside a small percentage for matching private donations. Additionally, the bill increases entrance fees for foreign visitors to ensure they contribute to the fund, while prohibiting the use of these specific funds for land acquisition or employee bonuses.
The SAFE VISITS Act requires DHS to annually analyze threats from foreign visitors seeking access to state/local government officials, information, facilities, or systems, and provide security guidance to affected governments. It mandates DHS to identify high-risk targets, offer tailored vetting assistance, and request debriefings after visits involving foreign nationals. The bill directly affects state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments by formalizing DHS support to mitigate security risks from foreign visitors. DHS must also research improved methods for sharing threat information with these governments. This policy change focuses on enhancing security awareness without restricting legitimate visits.
The PASTEUR Act of 2026 establishes a government program to financially support the development and commercial availability of new antibiotics needed to fight drug-resistant infections. Under this bill, the Secretary of Health and Human Services can enter into contracts with pharmaceutical sponsors to provide annual payments ranging from $75 million to $300 million for drugs that treat specific resistant pathogens and address unmet medical needs. To receive these funds, companies must agree to manufacture the drugs in the United States, report resistance data, educate healthcare professionals on proper usage, and adhere to environmental best practices. The legislation also creates a new advisory group to evaluate drug applications and authorizes grant programs to help hospitals and outpatient clinics improve their antibiotic stewardship and resistance monitoring.
The Keep Kids in School Act creates a federal grant program to help public schools reduce chronic absenteeism and improve safety for students. The Department of Education will provide funds to states, which will then distribute money to local school districts for specific interventions like hiring counselors, offering teacher stipends for home visits, and covering transportation costs. The bill defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent or more of school days and prioritizes funding for states with the highest rates of absenteeism among vulnerable student populations. Additionally, the act requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on effective methods for reducing absenteeism and improving student well-being, with findings reported to Congress and the Education Department.
The Small Farm Conservation Act creates a dedicated subprogram within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to provide financial and technical assistance specifically for small-scale agricultural producers. This new initiative allocates at least 30 percent of program funds between 2027 and 2031 to support farms that are smaller than their state's median size, with special eligibility for socially disadvantaged groups, veterans, and those in high-poverty areas. Key provisions include a minimum payment of $2,500, a 50 percent bonus for soil health management on operations of 50 acres or less, and a streamlined application process designed to reduce administrative burdens. To ensure effective delivery, the bill requires the Natural Resources Conservation Service to hire and train staff familiar with small farm challenges, designate coordinators in every state, and publish outreach materials in multiple languages.
The Farmers' Market Local Revitalization Act of 2026 increases funding and modernizes two federal nutrition programs that provide benefits at farmers' markets for seniors and low-income women, infants, and children. For seniors, the bill raises the minimum benefit to $35, removes spending caps, and allows funds to be used for electronic payment systems and delivery services, while also reserving a portion of funds for states that previously did not participate. The program for women, infants, and children similarly increases benefit amounts and permits up to 10 percent of funds to be used for technology upgrades and administrative costs. The legislation also authorizes new funding levels for these programs starting in fiscal year 2027 and requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on integrating these nutrition programs to reduce administrative burdens.
The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2026 strengthens the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure individuals with long-term care needs have a federally protected right to live in their own homes or integrated community settings rather than institutions. It mandates that states and insurance providers offer community-based services, provide maximum control over care choices to individuals, and establish enforceable plans to transition people out of institutional facilities. The bill also creates new enforcement mechanisms, including a task force to study barriers to community living, requirements for public participation in planning, and the ability for individuals to sue for damages if they are denied these community-based options.
This bill allows farmers to receive prevented planting payments from the USDA when they cannot plant crops due to a lack of irrigation water. To qualify, the farm must have functional irrigation infrastructure, a history of irrigating those acres in the past four years, and land that cannot support dry farming. The legislation also sets up a penalty system where payment amounts decrease by 50% for the fifth through eighth consecutive years of drought, 75% for the ninth and tenth years, and are completely eliminated starting in the eleventh year. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of Agriculture to update regulations to include drought at the water source as a valid cause for payment eligibility and to involve local committees in disaster determinations.
