This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for military force in or against Cuba from its enactment until December 31, 2026, unless Congress declares war or passes specific statutory authorization. The restriction applies to all government funds and prevents military actions without congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution. An exception allows military force consistent with the War Powers Resolution's provisions for urgent situations requiring immediate action. The legislation directly affects the U.S. Department of Defense and federal budget processes by limiting how funds can be used for military operations targeting Cuba.
Love Lives On Act of 2025 This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans. The bill provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation or special pension benefits to such spouse. Additionally, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries. The bill also expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.
This concurrent resolution formally recognizes Congress's duty to protect the rights and economic security of working women, who make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce. The document highlights concerns about wage gaps, workplace discrimination, and recent policy changes that have weakened protections for women, particularly women of color. It calls for Congress to support equal pay, workplace safety, access to healthcare, paid leave, and the right to unionize, while also condemning actions that undermine civil rights enforcement and workplace protections. The resolution serves as a statement of principle rather than a law that creates new legal requirements.
This bill extends eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to new mothers for up to two years after giving birth, instead of the current six-month limit. It also adjusts the breastfeeding requirement to allow continued participation for 24 months rather than one year, helping families receive nutritional support during a longer postpartum period. The legislation requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a report to Congress within two years evaluating how these changes affect maternal and infant health, breastfeeding rates, and family experiences. Directly affected individuals include new mothers and their infants who currently lose access to WIC benefits before the end of their first year postpartum.
This bill creates two grant programs to help prevent suicide among individuals under 26 years old by funding health care and education initiatives. The first program provides up to $20 million to states, health departments, hospitals, and other organizations to train health care providers on identifying suicide risks, discussing firearm safety, and connecting at-risk individuals with support services. The second program allocates $10 million to medical and nursing schools to develop curricula on suicide prevention and safe firearm storage for health care professionals. Additionally, the bill authorizes the use of up to 15 percent of the first grant's funds to distribute secure gun storage devices at reduced or no cost to households with youth, along with counseling on their use. The Department of Health and Human Services will maintain an informational website and submit annual reports to Congress on the programs' progress through fiscal year 2030.
The Data to Save Moms Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to maternal mortality review committees, prioritizing diverse community members and addressing participation barriers like training and transportation. The bill requires these committees to review cases of severe maternal morbidity and deaths linked to mental health or substance use conditions, while also consulting with community organizations to understand nonclinical factors in pregnancy-related deaths. Additionally, the act mandates a comprehensive review of maternal health data collection processes and quality measures, including a specific study on American Indian and Alaska Native individuals and grants for research at minority-serving institutions to better understand disparities in maternal outcomes.
This bill, the Outpatient Surgery Access Act of 2026, changes how Medicare calculates payment updates for surgeries performed at outpatient surgical centers. Starting in 2027, these centers will receive annual payment increases that match the updates given to other outpatient hospital services, rather than using a separate calculation method. The legislation also removes a specific budget neutrality adjustment that previously limited payment increases for these facilities and ensures that spending data from the new payment system is included in future budget calculations. These changes directly affect Medicare reimbursement rates for outpatient surgical procedures without altering the underlying services provided.
The Kira Johnson Act establishes a federal grant program to support community-based organizations in improving maternal health outcomes for populations facing higher rates of maternal mortality and health disparities. It allocates $100 million annually from 2027 to 2031 for grants that fund programs addressing social determinants of health, culturally congruent care, and support for midwifery practices. The bill also creates a separate $5 million annual funding stream for training all maternity care employees on bias reduction, trauma-informed care, and respectful service delivery. Additionally, the legislation requires hospitals and health systems to establish compliance programs that allow patients to report bias and mandates regular public reporting on these efforts. A study by the National Academies and ongoing evaluation by the GAO will assess the effectiveness of these initiatives in improving patient experiences and health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups.
The Data to Save Moms Act aims to improve maternal health outcomes by increasing funding and support for maternal mortality review committees across the United States. The bill provides $10 million annually from 2027 to 2031 to help these committees recruit more diverse community members, including people with personal experiences of maternal mortality or severe health complications, and to address barriers like transportation and compensation that prevent participation. It also requires committees to conduct outreach to racial and ethnic minority communities and publicly report on their review processes and diversity efforts. Additionally, the legislation directs the Health and Human Services Secretary to study maternal health data collection methods, conduct a specific study on American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health outcomes, and award grants to minority-serving institutions for research on maternal mortality disparities.
The Perinatal Workforce Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance encouraging hospitals, insurers, and maternity care providers to recruit and retain diverse healthcare professionals, including midwives, physician assistants, and perinatal health workers, while incorporating implicit bias and racism training into their practices. The bill authorizes $15 million annually from 2027 to 2031 for grants that establish or expand accredited education programs for perinatal health professionals, prioritizing schools that recruit students from racial and ethnic minority groups and those planning to practice in areas with maternal health disparities. Additionally, the legislation creates a separate grant program for nursing schools to provide scholarships to students pursuing careers in maternal and perinatal health, with similar diversity and training requirements. The act also requires the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on respectful maternity care practices and mandates periodic reports from the Government Accountability Office on barriers to maternal health education and access to care.
SJRES 103 is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule on reproductive health services for veterans. The resolution, if passed, would block the VA rule from taking effect by invoking the Congressional Review Act (Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code), meaning the rule published in the Federal Register (December 31, 2025) would have no legal force. This directly affects the VA’s ability to implement new guidelines for reproductive health services at its facilities, preserving existing policies instead. The resolution does not create new policy but halts a specific administrative rule.
This joint resolution seeks to disapprove a rule issued by the National Credit Union Administration that would remove fee reporting requirements. If passed, the resolution would nullify the rule, meaning credit unions would need to continue reporting fees as previously required. The measure directly affects the National Credit Union Administration and financial institutions operating under its oversight. It uses the Congressional Review Act process to overturn federal agency rules without changing the underlying law.
