HR 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act, restricts Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing certain investments like stocks in publicly traded companies. It requires 7-14 days' advance public notice before selling any such investment, including the sale date, description, and number of shares. Exceptions apply for work-related transactions (e.g., employer compensation) and reinvesting dividends. Violations trigger a fee of $2,000 or 10% of the investment’s value (whichever is greater), plus any net gain, paid from personal funds - not congressional allowances or campaign donations. The bill aims to prevent conflicts of interest by increasing transparency around congressional financial dealings.
The Kids Online Safety Act (S 1748) requires major social media platforms, online video games, and other "covered platforms" to implement specific safety features for minors (under 17). These features include default privacy settings that limit harmful design features like infinite scrolling and auto-play, parental controls for managing minors' accounts, and restrictions on advertising illegal products to minors. The bill also mandates annual transparency reports about how platforms are used by minors and requires platforms to provide clear notices about their content algorithms. It creates a Kids Online Safety Council to advise Congress on online safety issues for children. The law applies to platforms with more than 10 million monthly users in the U.S. and takes effect 18 months after enactment.
This bill, titled the No TSA Data for ICE Act, prohibits the Transportation Security Administration from sharing passenger data with U.S. Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It specifically bars these agencies from using TSA information or data from private brokers to perform immigration enforcement functions. Additionally, the legislation prevents the denial, suspension, or early termination of Trusted Traveler programs like PreCheck and Global Entry if an individual's participation in First Amendment-protected activities is the reason. The law defines the restricted data as personally identifiable information about flight passengers obtained from the TSA or private sector entities.
This joint resolution expresses the support of the U.S. House of Representatives for designating November 9 of each year as Gold Star Father's Day. The bill honors fathers who have lost a child while serving in the Armed Forces by recognizing their sacrifice and the unique bond between fathers and their children. It does not create new legal requirements or funding but serves as a formal statement of congressional backing for this observance, which has already been adopted by several state legislatures.
This resolution designates the week of August 2 through August 8, 2026, as "National Farmers Market Week" to recognize the importance of local food markets. It highlights how these markets support farmers' incomes, connect urban and rural communities, and promote sustainable farming practices. The measure serves as a symbolic gesture to celebrate the role farmers markets play in strengthening local economies and improving public access to fresh food.
The READ Act amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to improve reading instruction by defining specific terms like "science of reading" and "high-impact tutoring" and requiring states to exclude certain teaching models that rely on context clues. The bill directs federal literacy grants to states, with mandatory funding for low-performing states, to implement evidence-based strategies such as universal early literacy screenings, professional development for teachers, and the adoption of high-quality instructional materials. It also mandates that states report data on student progress and teacher training while prohibiting the Department of Education from issuing regulations that dictate specific instructional content or curricula. Additionally, the legislation expands research initiatives to study reading development and requires the federal government to provide states with detailed reports on academic outcomes and achievement gaps.
This bill, titled the Permanent CBDC Ban Act, aims to permanently prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency. It achieves this by amending the Federal Reserve Act to remove the specific legal authority that allows the Reserve to create such a digital currency. The legislation directly affects the Federal Reserve by stripping away its power to launch a digital version of the dollar. By deleting the relevant subsection of the law, the bill ensures that the Reserve cannot issue a CBDC in the future.
The Restoring Justice for Workers Act prohibits employers from forcing workers to agree to arbitration for workplace disputes and bans agreements that prevent employees from joining together to seek legal relief. Under this bill, any contract requiring arbitration before a dispute arises would be invalid, while agreements made after a dispute occurs must be truly voluntary, require plain language explanations, include a 45-day waiting period, and receive explicit written consent from the worker. The legislation also makes it illegal to retaliate against employees who refuse to sign arbitration clauses and ensures that courts, rather than arbitrators, decide whether these arbitration agreements are valid. Additionally, the act amends the National Labor Relations Act to explicitly forbid employers from interfering with employees' rights to engage in collective actions regarding their work. These changes apply to all workers, including independent contractors, and take effect immediately upon enactment.
The STOP the SWAMP Act strengthens penalties for witnesses who refuse to answer questions during congressional investigations or are convicted of lying, adding mandatory fines, jail time, and a ban on future federal employment. It also creates a streamlined process that allows any member of Congress to quickly introduce a resolution to cut off salary funds for federal employees who appear as witnesses in these investigations. By setting strict deadlines for committee reviews and votes, the bill aims to ensure that decisions to rescind these funds happen rapidly and are subject to judicial review.
The FASTER Act of 2026 expands the list of major food allergens regulated by the FDA to include barley, rye, and oats alongside wheat. This change requires food manufacturers to clearly label these gluten-containing grains, helping consumers with allergies and Celiac disease identify potential triggers. The law also mandates that the FDA update its compliance guides within a year to reflect these new allergen categories. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to produce a comprehensive report on Celiac disease, covering data on prevalence, diagnostic methods, prevention strategies, and potential treatments. These provisions apply to all foods entering the market starting one year after the law is enacted.
The Read for Reentry Act of 2026 directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on library services within state and federal prisons. This report will examine who currently has access to these services, how they are funded, and the demographic characteristics of incarcerated individuals who use them. The study will also analyze specific outcomes related to recidivism, parole compliance, workforce placement, and disciplinary infractions for those released from facilities offering library programs. Ultimately, the bill aims to gather data to inform Congress about the current state and impact of prison libraries.
This bill strengthens protections and administrative processes for whistleblowers who report violations to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It expands the definition of a whistleblower to include individuals reporting misconduct to supervisors or internal investigators, while also adding a right to a jury trial for those facing retaliation. The legislation requires registered entities to provide mandatory training to employees about whistleblower rights and mandates that the Commission issue preliminary decisions on award claims within one year. Additionally, the bill creates a separate account within the Commission's customer protection fund to finance education initiatives and administrative expenses, and it increases the fund's total capacity.
