This bill prohibits U.S. universities from receiving federal research and development funding for five years if they previously accepted money from specific foreign governments for projects involving artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or quantum information science. The law targets institutions of higher education and restricts them from getting awards related to national security or military applications if they took funds from countries like China, Russia, Iran, or others listed in the text. It defines a "foreign source" broadly to include not only the listed governments but also their subsidiaries, agents, and entities with significant ownership ties to those governments. By banning these specific types of funding, the legislation aims to prevent potential security risks associated with foreign involvement in sensitive technological research.
This legislation requires institutions of higher education applying for federal research and development awards to certify they do not operate branch campuses in specific foreign countries. Federal research agencies must include this certification requirement in their application process. The bill lists prohibited nations including Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, China, Cuba, Turkey, Russia, and Qatar, with the option for the Secretary of State to add others. A branch campus is defined as a permanent, geographically separate unit that offers degree programs and maintains its own faculty and budget.
The NOPE Act of 2026 expands the congressional review process for U.S. sanctions targeting Russia, specifically including new executive orders and energy-related actions involving Russian crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, and other energy goods. Under this bill, Congress must review these specific energy sanctions until the Secretary of State certifies that Russia has ended its war in Ukraine and committed to a just peace settlement that compensates Ukraine for war damages. The legislation also creates an exception allowing the government to permit certain energy shipments during the initial review period if they are necessary for crew safety, emergency repairs, environmental protection, or to mitigate economic impacts in foreign countries.
The Local Law Enforcement Support Act of 2026 expands funding opportunities for local police departments through the Byrne JAG and COPS programs. These funds can be used to recruit and train officers, purchase protective gear, and acquire specific tools like digital forensics equipment, drone technology, and ballistics analysis systems. The bill also allows for investments in software for cyber investigations and victim services. By adding these categories to the list of eligible expenses, the legislation provides law enforcement agencies with more options for addressing modern crime challenges.
This bill prohibits U.S. universities from receiving federal research and development funding for five years if they previously accepted money from specific foreign governments for projects involving artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or quantum computing. The targeted foreign entities include China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, Turkey, and Qatar, as well as organizations closely tied to these nations. By restricting access to future defense-related grants, the legislation aims to prevent institutions that have collaborated with these countries on sensitive technologies from participating in subsequent national security research.
The Living Wage For All Act raises the federal minimum wage in a tiered schedule, requiring large corporations to reach $25 per hour by 2031 while giving smaller businesses a longer timeline to catch up. Once the standard is met, the law automatically indexes the minimum wage to two-thirds of the national median hourly wage to ensure it keeps pace with economic changes. The bill also eliminates the lower minimum wage for tipped employees and youth workers, phasing them out until they match the general standard, and extends similar protections to incarcerated workers. Additionally, the legislation restricts the issuance of special minimum wage certificates for workers with disabilities and mandates that employers provide technical assistance during the transition period.
The Defense Community Infrastructure Program Revisions Act expands an existing pilot program to include Coast Guard installations, which are currently under the Department of Homeland Security. This change requires the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with the Coast Guard Commandant when selecting and prioritizing funding projects for these facilities. Additionally, the bill ensures that grants awarded under this program can support any mission authorized for the Coast Guard. Ultimately, the legislation aims to align infrastructure support mechanisms with the operational needs of the Coast Guard alongside other military branches.
The Access to Donor Milk Act of 2026 expands federal support for nonprofit organizations that collect, test, and distribute pasteurized donor human milk. It amends existing child nutrition laws to allow state agencies to use funds for storing unprocessed milk donations and transferring them to these nonprofit banks. Additionally, the bill authorizes competitive grants to help these banks increase their capacity during declared disasters or public health emergencies. The legislation also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to launch a public awareness campaign educating parents and medical professionals about the benefits and safety of donor milk. Finally, it mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services convene a public meeting and issue draft safety standards for the collection and processing of donor human milk within 18 months of enactment.
The Build the Ballroom Act authorizes the President to construct a permanent ballroom on White House grounds to address space limitations for large formal events. This legislation allows the President to approve the project solely, provided the new facility includes necessary utilities, furniture, and the removal of existing structures. The bill cites past security incidents as a reason for keeping major events on campus rather than off-site. Ultimately, the act enables the creation of a secure, modern venue capable of hosting state dinners and other gatherings for over 200 guests.
The Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act aims to address the severe shortage and low wages of direct care professionals who support older adults and people with disabilities by increasing Medicaid funding, expanding training grants, and establishing new federal labor protections. To improve compensation and retention, the bill allows states to receive additional Medicaid funds if they implement specific workforce improvements, such as raising wages, providing paid leave, and ensuring stable scheduling, while also creating a national strategy to calculate fair labor costs. The legislation introduces comprehensive worker rights, including a requirement for written employment agreements, fair scheduling with advance notice, paid sick time, and a federal standard to prevent workplace violence. Furthermore, the bill establishes multiple grant programs to fund training, career advancement, and diversity initiatives, alongside a new commission to develop national training standards and a technical assistance center to address inequities within the workforce.
The Save America's Family Forests Act of 2026 provides tax incentives to encourage landowners to replant forests damaged by natural disasters. It increases the standard tax deduction for routine reforestation projects from $10,000 to $30,000 per property and adjusts these amounts annually for inflation. Additionally, the bill allows a special deduction of up to $1 million for expenses related to replanting trees destroyed by federally declared disasters, with specific rules to prevent double-dipping with other tax benefits. These financial benefits are designed to help taxpayers recover costs and promote forest regeneration without changing the underlying laws governing disaster relief or timber management.
This bill, the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act, aims to strengthen protections and incentives for individuals who report tax violations to the Internal Revenue Service. It directly affects whistleblowers who submit information about tax evasion or avoidance schemes and the IRS officials who evaluate those reports. Key changes include requiring Tax Court reviews of whistleblower awards to be conducted de novo based on the original administrative record, granting whistleblowers anonymity before the Tax Court unless a societal interest outweighs potential harm, and adding interest to award amounts if the IRS delays providing preliminary recommendations. The legislation also modifies IRS annual reports to include descriptions of top tax avoidance schemes disclosed by whistleblowers and corrects a provision regarding attorney fee deductions for whistleblowers.
