S. Res. 650 is a Senate resolution that formally recognizes the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States. The resolution highlights their achievements in military service, business ownership, healthcare, science, arts, and civil rights advocacy through specific examples of individual women. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of their historical and ongoing contributions to American society.
This bill, titled the Stop Insider Trading Act, would restrict Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from purchasing stocks in publicly traded companies. It requires these individuals to provide advance public notice at least seven days before selling any covered investments, with the notice filed with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate. The law includes exceptions for certain occupational transactions and reinvested dividends, and establishes penalties including fees and mandatory sales for violations.
The End Veterans Overdose Act of 2026 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide opioid overdose rescue medications (like naloxone) at no cost and without a prescription to veterans and their designated caregivers at VA pharmacies. It also mandates that veterans and caregivers receive clear information on how to use these medications. The law restricts VA from using personal information collected under this program for employment decisions, as evidence of drug use, or for addiction claims. Additionally, the VA must submit annual reports to Congress detailing how many veterans and caregivers received the medication, assessing potential expansions to family members and non-VA providers, and tracking usage trends.
HR 7031, the "Making National Parks Safer Act," requires the National Park Service to assess emergency communications centers in national parks regarding their use of modern 9-1-1 systems. Within one year of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of the Interior must evaluate current system implementation, estimate costs for purchasing and maintaining these systems, and identify challenges like jurisdictional or technical issues. The Secretary must then report findings to Congress and develop a plan to install the systems at affected parks, consulting with state/local emergency officials and federal agencies like the FCC. This bill directly affects national park emergency centers and aims to improve emergency response coordination through standardized communication systems.
HR 5688, the Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act, changes rules for issuing commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) to people who don't live in the state where the license is issued. It allows states to issue CDLs to foreign nationals with lawful U.S. immigration status and work-related visas (valid for up to one year or until their stay ends), requiring states to verify status before issuing and keep records for two years. For residents of U.S. territories like Puerto Rico, it requires proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency before issuing CDLs, with similar verification and record-keeping rules. The bill directly affects commercial drivers from foreign countries and U.S. territories seeking CDLs in states where they are not residents.
Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act or the GUARD VA Benefits Act This bill imposes fines on individuals for soliciting, contracting for, charging, or receiving any unauthorized fee or compensation with respect to the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of any claim for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. The attempted commission of such offenses is also punishable by fine.
This resolution formally recognizes 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, acknowledging the ecological and economic importance of these lands to the United States. The bill highlights that rangelands cover a significant portion of U.S. territory and support domestic production of food, fiber, and energy while providing critical ecosystem services like carbon storage and wildfire risk reduction. It encourages federal agencies, universities, and organizations to engage in education, research, and outreach activities related to sustainable rangeland management during the designated year. The measure does not create new laws or funding but serves to raise awareness and promote collaboration among stakeholders involved in rangeland stewardship.
This bill would allow federal law enforcement officers, including retired officers, to purchase firearms that have been retired from federal service. It requires the General Services Administrator to create a program where officers can buy these surplus weapons within six months of retirement, provided they are in good standing with their agency. The firearms would be sold at salvage value, which reflects their age and condition, and the program must be established within one year of the bill's enactment. The legislation defines eligible officers and firearms using existing legal definitions while excluding certain machineguns that were not lawfully possessed before specific federal restrictions took effect.
Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 This bill imposes sanctions on certain foreign persons (individuals and entities) that are involved in Iran's petroleum sector as well as certain associated persons. The bill also requires or authorizes actions to facilitate the enforcement of sanctions on Iran. Specifically, the bill requires the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person that, after the bill's enactment, knowingly engages in any transaction related to the processing, export, or sale of oil, condensates, gas, liquefied natural gas, or other petrochemical products in whole or in part from Iran. The President must also impose sanctions on certain foreign persons associated with a sanctioned individual or entity. For example, the President must sanction the subsidiaries and corporate officers of a sanctioned business. The bill provides certain exceptions to these sanctions, including specifying that sanctions do not apply to the importation of goods or to conducting or facilitating transactions for humanitarian assistance. The Department of State must establish an interagency working group that shall seek to establish a multilateral contact group to coordinate international efforts to enforce sanctions on Iran. The bill expands the State Department rewards program to authorize a reward payment to any individual who furnishes information leading to the identification of a person (1) subject to sanctions under this bill, or (2) that has attempted or is attempting to evade sanctions under this bill.
The Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (S 836) extends COPPA protections to teens aged 13-17 by requiring websites, apps, and online services to obtain verifiable consent from parents for children or from teens themselves before collecting or using their personal information for purposes beyond the service. It defines "personal information" broadly to include biometric data, voice recordings, persistent identifiers, and geolocation information, and prohibits using such information for individual-specific advertising without consent. The bill mandates clear notice about data practices and gives children and teens rights to access, correct, and delete their personal information. Additionally, it requires the FTC to conduct studies on mobile app oversight and the GAO to study teen privacy in financial technology products.
This bill, titled the American Families First Assistance Act, would restrict eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for most aliens in the United States. It directly affects non-citizen immigrants by removing their ability to receive federal cash assistance for low-income families under the existing welfare program. The key provision amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to disqualify qualified aliens from TANF block grants, with specific exceptions for certain categories of immigrants including nationals of Cuba. This change would limit access to financial support for families with children who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
HR 6062 transfers approximately 25 acres of federal land from the Department of the Interior (DOI) to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for its Advanced Training Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, while returning about 71.51 acres from CBP back to DOI to expand Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The bill requires adjusting park boundaries to exclude the transferred CBP land and include the returned land, with a survey finalizing exact boundaries. It specifies no monetary reimbursement for the transfers and allows CBP to revert unused land back to DOI for park inclusion. The transfer relies on a specific 2021 National Park Service map for land descriptions.
