The Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2026 restricts federal agencies from entering into settlement agreements that require payments to third parties unless those funds directly remedy actual harm or compensate for services rendered. This law prohibits officials from directing settlement money to entities other than the United States for purposes such as slush funds or unrelated projects. To ensure compliance, the bill mandates annual reports to the Congressional Budget Office detailing the distribution of settlement funds and requires federal Inspectors General to publicly report any violations to congressional committees. These reporting requirements are set to expire seven years after the bill is enacted.
The Safeguard Kids Act amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to require schools to teach students about the dangers and responsible use of artificial intelligence technologies, including chatbots. It also mandates that schools provide counseling for mental health issues that may arise from a student's use of these AI tools. By adding these specific requirements to existing education funding provisions, the bill directly affects elementary and secondary schools receiving federal support. The legislation defines artificial intelligence chatbots as systems that engage in interactive, natural-language communication with users.
The Protecting American Taxpayers Act is a comprehensive bill designed to combat government fraud, recover misused funds, and strengthen oversight across various federal programs. It directly affects federal agencies, state governments administering public assistance, small businesses, veterans, and contractors by imposing new reporting requirements, extending statutes of limitations for fraud cases, and restricting financial assistance to entities linked to foreign agents or the Taliban. Key mechanisms include requiring child care payments to be based on recorded attendance rather than enrollment, mandating investigations into sudden spikes in health care spending, prohibiting small businesses with convicted fraudsters from receiving loans, and creating a new officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs dedicated to scam prevention. Additionally, the legislation rescinds unspent pandemic-era funds for deficit reduction, expands whistleblower protections for defense and non-defense contractors, and establishes stricter rules against transferring public assistance money abroad via remittance transfers.
The TOTAL Screen Time Act directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to create a voluntary technical standard that allows parents and guardians to set screen time limits across various devices like phones, tablets, and computers. This standard must protect the privacy of minors by avoiding centralized data collection and unnecessary data sharing between devices while maintaining device cybersecurity. The bill requires the NIST Director to consult with government agencies, device developers, medical professionals, and advocacy groups before establishing the standard. Additionally, the Director must submit regular reports to Congress and the public detailing the progress of developing and adopting this standard until 2032.
The High Court Gift Ban Act prohibits federal judicial officers from accepting gifts from sources likely to appear before them, unless the gift is under $50, the total annual value from that source remains $100 or less, or it falls under specific exceptions like gifts from relatives or public events. The law defines a "gift" broadly to include items, services, and reimbursements, while allowing exceptions for personal hospitality within IRS limits and certain professional benefits available to the general public. Enforcement mechanisms include referrals to the Attorney General for violations, which can result in civil or criminal penalties similar to those for other federal ethics breaches. The bill requires the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference to create implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment to ensure compliance.
The Fair Seeds for Farmers Act limits intellectual property protections for plants, specifically preventing patents from being granted on plant varieties, germplasm, or other biological materials used for breeding and research. Under this bill, farmers and researchers would be unable to face legal enforcement for contractual agreements that restrict their ability to save seeds, conduct experiments, or propagate plants, provided they are not using the Plant Variety Protection Act or the Plant Patent Act. The law applies to patent applications and contracts created on or after its enactment, while leaving existing patents valid if they were filed before the bill takes effect. This measure aims to ensure that plant-related research and traditional farming practices remain free from restrictive patent claims.
This bill directs the U.S. Secretary of State to create and execute a plan to end the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) across the Middle East. The legislation requires a detailed strategy that assesses current programs like education and healthcare, identifies new organizations to take over these services, and outlines how to fund and oversee the transition without interrupting aid. Once the plan is submitted to Congress, the State Department must begin implementing it within a year while coordinating with host countries and international partners. The bill emphasizes maintaining service continuity and ensuring that any successor groups meet strict standards for transparency and accountability.
The Menopausal Workers' Fairness Act of 2026 expands federal employment protections to explicitly cover workers experiencing menopause and related symptoms, requiring employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so causes significant business hardship. Under this bill, it would be illegal for employers to discriminate against or retaliate against qualified employees who request accommodations for issues such as hot flashes, fatigue, or mood changes, while also mandating that medical information regarding these conditions remains confidential. The legislation includes a specific list of low-cost adjustments, such as allowing extra restroom breaks or flexible sitting and standing, that employers must grant without requiring extensive documentation. Enforcement and legal remedies for violations will follow the same procedures currently used for age and disability discrimination claims, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is tasked with issuing detailed regulations within a year of the law's passage.
This bill, known as the Birthright CLAIM Act of 2026, modifies existing laws to restrict automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are not U.S. citizens or nationals. Under the new rules, a child born to two non-citizen parents would not be considered a citizen at birth if at least one parent is unlawfully present in the country or lacks lawful permanent residency. Additionally, the legislation extends the residency requirements for children born abroad to U.S. citizens, requiring a longer period of continuous residence before the child can claim citizenship. The bill also introduces a paternity verification process where DNA testing is mandatory to confirm a father's identity before the government issues citizenship documents like passports or Social Security numbers. If paternity cannot be verified through this testing, the child would not receive these documents until the verification is complete.
This bill extends a pilot program that allows checked luggage to bypass additional security screening when traveling from specific foreign airports to the United States. Under the new rules, passengers can keep their bags with them until reaching their final destination without needing to re-screen them at U.S. airports, provided the bags were initially checked using explosives detection systems and U.S. Customs and Border Protection has received and reviewed images of the luggage. The extension also increases the program's duration from six years to ten years, allowing the Transportation Security Administration to continue testing this streamlined process for direct international flights.
The Department of Energy Nuclear Transparency Act requires the Department to publicly announce specific actions regarding certain high-risk nuclear facilities within 24 hours of taking them. These announcements must be posted on the Department's website and include summaries of changes to safety standards, full safety analysis reports (with commercially sensitive details redacted), and agreements to authorize new facilities. Additionally, the law mandates an annual report to Congress detailing the Department's activities related to authorizing these nuclear facilities. This legislation directly affects the Department of Energy's management of nuclear sites and increases public access to information about safety measures and regulatory approvals.
The Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026 requires the Department of Homeland Security to submit a report every three years. This report will detail how the Urban Area Security Initiative has transitioned to jurisdictions that are no longer eligible for its funding. The law mandates that the first report be provided within 18 months of the act's enactment.
