This bill would add pharmacist services to Medicare Part B coverage for beneficiaries, specifically covering pharmacist-led testing and treatment for illnesses like flu, COVID-19, or strep throat during public health emergencies. It defines covered services as those performed under state law, often requiring collaboration with a physician, and sets payment at 80% of the lesser of the actual charge or 85% of physician payment rates. Pharmacists would be prohibited from balance billing for these services, ensuring Medicare beneficiaries pay only their standard copayment. The changes would take effect January 1, 2026.
The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2025 establishes a competitive federal grant program to fund projects improving recycling access in underserved communities. It authorizes $30 million annually (2025-2029) for grants to states, local governments, tribes, or public-private partnerships to build infrastructure like transfer stations, expand curbside collection, or reduce transport costs. Grants must be $500,000-$15 million, with 70% reserved for projects in communities lacking a materials recovery facility within 75 miles. The program requires grantees to report on implementation and outcomes, excluding funding for recycling education.
This bill authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative $5 gold and $1 silver coins marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The coins must feature designs honoring victims and first responders (including the inscription "Never Forget") and will be sold only during 2027-2028. All surcharges ($35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin) collected from sales will fund the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, with no net cost to the federal government. The coins are legal tender but primarily intended for collectors, not circulation.
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act authorizes the creation of a new Smithsonian museum dedicated to women’s history, to be located within the National Mall Reserve in Washington, D.C. If the site is managed by another federal agency, the bill requires that agency to transfer the land after notifying Congress and relevant committees. The museum must ensure exhibits and programs accurately represent diverse women’s experiences by consulting a broad range of experts and community voices. The Smithsonian will submit biennial reports to Congress detailing how the museum meets these representation standards.
The Chinese CBDC Prohibition Act of 2026 bans money services businesses in the United States from conducting any transactions involving the central bank digital currency issued by the People's Republic of China. This law directly affects financial institutions, such as banks and money transfer operators, by prohibiting them from processing payments, deposits, or exchanges related to this specific digital currency. The prohibition applies to both direct and indirect transactions, ensuring that no U.S. entity can facilitate the use of the Chinese digital currency within the regulated money services sector. By adding a new section to the existing U.S. Code, the bill creates a clear legal barrier to prevent the integration of this foreign digital currency into the American financial system.
The Blocking CCP Spy Tech Act of 2026 directs U.S. national security agencies to evaluate whether specific communications equipment and services from seven Chinese companies pose a risk to national security. If these agencies fail to make a determination within a year or find the technology risky, the Federal Communications Commission must add the equipment to a banned list that prevents U.S. telecom providers from using it. The law also requires the Secretary of Defense to decide if these same entities should be classified as Chinese military companies operating in the United States. This process directly affects telecommunications companies and federal agencies responsible for maintaining secure communication networks.
The CCP Sanctions Shot Clock Act requires the U.S. Treasury Department to update a specific list of Chinese military-industrial companies within one year of a presidential report. This provision directly affects foreign entities identified in that report by mandating their inclusion on the Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List if they have not already been added. Once updated, the Treasury must publish the revised list in the Federal Register to ensure transparency. Essentially, the bill sets a strict deadline for finalizing sanctions-related additions to this watchlist.
The REPORTS Act requires federal agencies to analyze how new major rules affect people living in poverty and issues of racial inequity before publishing them. Additionally, it mandates the Government Accountability Office to produce annual reports examining the economic impacts of specific government programs on these same groups. The legislation allows these analyses to optionally include an assessment of the racial wealth gap, with definitions for key terms set by the Office of Management and Budget or the Comptroller General.
The Our Doctors First Act of 2026 prohibits Medicare from providing federal funding for the graduate medical education of doctors who are not U.S. citizens or nationals. This change applies to hospitals and non-hospital training providers, requiring them to stop counting non-citizen residents and interns toward their Medicare payments starting one year after the law is enacted. To enforce this rule, the bill imposes escalating financial penalties on facilities that knowingly count ineligible trainees, ranging from a percentage of the payment amount for a first offense to a five-year ban on receiving Medicare education funds for repeated violations.
The GME Transparency Act of 2026 requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding for graduate medical education to report the citizenship and immigration status of their medical residents. Under this law, hospitals must submit deidentified data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by the end of each fiscal year, using a standardized form provided by the agency. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will then compile this information and submit an annual report to Congress detailing the number and percentage of residents who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or hold specific nonimmigrant statuses. This reporting will be broken down by state and will include categories for individuals with asylum status, those with special immigrant status, and other lawfully present aliens. The bill directly affects hospitals participating in Medicare-funded residency programs and aims to increase transparency regarding the demographic composition of the physician workforce.
The Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act bans the imposition of the death penalty for any federal crime committed after the law takes effect. It also requires that individuals currently sentenced to death under federal law be resentenced to a different punishment. This legislation directly affects the federal criminal justice system by eliminating capital punishment as a sentencing option.
The CARE for RPA Crews Act directs military department secretaries to create a new status identifier for remotely piloted aircraft crews conducting combat operations. This status would hold equivalent merit to the existing combat status identifier currently used by traditional military personnel. The law requires this new system to be established within 180 days of the bill's enactment. By granting this recognition, the legislation aims to formally acknowledge the combat roles played by drone operators.
