The Airport Regulatory Relief Act of 2025 allows the federal government to use state highway standards instead of federal aviation standards for pavement construction at smaller airports. It directly affects nonprimary airports serving aircraft weighing 60,000 pounds or less, which are typically smaller community airports. The bill requires states to notify the federal Secretary of Transportation if they want to use their highway standards, and the Secretary must confirm the standards won’t compromise safety. This change simplifies construction requirements for eligible airports by aligning them with existing state infrastructure rules.
Extending WIC for New Moms Act This bill amends the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to extend the eligibility periods for breastfeeding and postpartum women. Specifically, a state program may elect to certify a breastfeeding woman for up to 24 months (currently 1 year) postpartum. The bill also expands the eligibility period for postpartum women to up to 24 months after termination of pregnancy (currently 6 months). The Department of Agriculture must submit a report to Congress evaluating the effect of these changes to the program on (1) maternal and infant health outcomes, (2) breastfeeding rates, and (3) qualitative evaluations of family experiences under WIC.
This resolution expresses support for designating the week of April 6 through April 10, 2026, as National Assistant Principals Week. It directly affects assistant principals in U.S. schools by formally recognizing their contributions to student success and school leadership. The bill honors the work of assistant principals who manage daily school operations, support teachers, maintain safe environments, and help ensure high-quality education for all students. It encourages communities to observe the week with ceremonies and activities that raise awareness about the important role assistant principals play in education.
HR 7518 amends the 1990 Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act to establish minimum staffing requirements for two federal forestry research institutes. It mandates that the Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico maintain a staff of at least 50 individuals, and the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry must have at least 30 staff members, both with adequate resources. These provisions require the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure sufficient staffing to advance scientific research, demonstration, and knowledge exchange related to tropical and Pacific Island forestry. The bill directly affects these two federally funded research institutes and their operational capacity.
This bill creates new funding opportunities for rural health facilities (like hospitals, clinics, and long-term care centers) in areas with populations under 50,000. It allows these facilities to use existing Rural Development Agency funds to refinance debt, update telehealth/equipment, or cover operating costs - provided the assistance preserves health access and improves the facility’s financial health. Eligibility requires the facility to be in a rural area or a persistent poverty area (defined as a 20%+ poverty rate for 30 years), and the Secretary may waive certain requirements for insolvent facilities in distressed communities. The law amends existing farm and rural development programs to directly support rural health infrastructure without creating new funding streams.
HR 7455 amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to allow certain eligible states to receive their federal food assistance funds as cash instead of physical commodities. This change would let states directly purchase food from commercial markets using these funds, rather than receiving commodities through the federal system. The bill affects states that meet the definition of "eligible State" under the 2018 Farm Bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018). The key provision replaces the current process where the federal government buys and distributes food with a system where states use cash for direct procurement.
The Opportunities in Organic Act establishes a new federal program to support farmers and ranchers transitioning to organic certification and expanding organic operations. It provides cost-share payments for organic certification (up to $1,500 per producer, with higher amounts allowed for socially disadvantaged farmers or in high-cost regions) and funds eligible nonprofits to deliver technical assistance, transition support, and supply chain development. The program specifically targets socially disadvantaged farmers, organic producers, and farms in vulnerable or under-resourced areas, with annual funding starting at $50 million for 2027-2028 and increasing to $100 million annually by 2030.
This bill, titled the No Bailout for Crypto Act, prohibits the U.S. government from providing financial assistance to companies and systems involved in digital asset activities to prevent their failure or bankruptcy. It specifically bars Federal agencies from using emergency liquidity facilities, the Exchange Stabilization Fund, or other taxpayer resources to support digital asset intermediaries, decentralized finance protocols, or regulated financial service providers operating in the digital asset space. The legislation aims to establish a clear rule that digital asset market participants cannot receive taxpayer-funded bailouts, while maintaining the Federal Reserve's existing authority to lend to traditional depository institutions.
This bill, known as the Protecting and Enhancing Public Access to Codes Act of 2026, adds a new section to the U.S. Copyright Code to address standards that are incorporated by reference into federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The legislation requires standards development organizations to make these incorporated standards freely available online at no cost to the public, including searchable tables of contents and indexes, while still protecting the organizations' copyright rights. The bill defines key terms such as "incorporated by reference" and "standards development organization" to clarify which materials fall under these requirements. It also establishes that copyright protection for these standards continues even after they are referenced in laws, provided the organization makes them publicly accessible online within a reasonable time of being notified about the incorporation. The measure aims to balance public access to technical standards used in regulations with the ability of standards organizations to fund their work through licensing and sales.
S 2903, the Safe Step Act, requires health insurance plans and employers offering health coverage to establish a clear, timely process for patients or doctors to request exceptions when step therapy protocols (where insurers require trying cheaper drugs first) would harm a patient. It mandates approval for exceptions if prior drugs failed, delay would cause severe harm, a drug is unsafe, or a patient is stable on their current medication. Plans must respond to requests within 72 hours (or 24 hours in emergencies) and cover the requested drug without extra cost-sharing. The bill also requires annual reports to the government on exception requests, approvals, denials, and trends by medical condition or specialty. This directly affects patients on health plans with step therapy, their doctors, and the insurers managing those plans.
This bill (S 1677, Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act) requires health insurance plans to cover medically necessary treatments for congenital anomalies or birth defects affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. It mandates coverage for reconstructive services, dental/orthodontic care, and related treatments during the course of medical treatment, while excluding purely cosmetic procedures not medically necessary. Plans may apply cost-sharing requirements similar to those for other medical services but must provide notice about these coverage requirements to participants by January 1, 2026. The bill also directs a study on provider network adequacy and cost impacts related to these coverage requirements, to be completed by December 2027.
This bill requires the U.S. Secretary of State to work with the Secretary of Defense and submit a report to Congress within 180 days on emerging threats facing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The report will examine military, cyber, and political dangers from countries like Russia, Belarus, China, and Iran, while also assessing current U.S. and NATO security presence in the region. It includes recommendations for improving defense cooperation, cybersecurity, and democratic resilience in the Baltic states, and highlights opportunities to strengthen bilateral and multilateral partnerships. The legislation reflects Congress's view that supporting these NATO allies aligns with U.S. national security interests.
