The RISE from Trauma Act establishes grants for community coordinating bodies to address trauma and build resilience, particularly for children and youth affected by violence, substance use, or other traumatic experiences. These grants (up to $6 million each for 4 years) require diverse community stakeholders - including healthcare providers, schools, law enforcement, and community organizations - to collaborate on identifying local needs and developing trauma-informed strategies. The legislation prioritizes communities with high rates of overdose deaths, violence-related deaths, or involvement in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. It also expands existing programs like the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, creates hospital-based interventions to prevent readmissions after trauma events, and establishes training for schools, law enforcement, and healthcare providers in trauma-informed care. Funding is authorized at $600 million annually from 2026-2033 for these initiatives.
The FAAN Act (S 3435) provides $1 billion in federal grants to nursing schools in underserved areas to address nursing workforce shortages. It directly affects nursing schools located in medically underserved regions, rural communities, or areas with health professional shortages, prioritizing institutions serving underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, low-income students, and rural populations. Key provisions require grantees to expand enrollment (especially for underrepresented students), modernize facilities with technology like simulation labs, strengthen clinical partnerships, and hire diverse faculty. Schools must report annually on outcomes, including student demographics and program impacts, with a comprehensive report to Congress after five years. The bill aims to strengthen nursing education capacity and emergency response readiness through these targeted funding mechanisms.
This bill amends federal law to remove a specific deadline for completing background checks on firearm purchases. It deletes the requirement that background checks must be completed within 10 business days, as previously established under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. The change directly affects firearm sellers (such as licensed dealers) who conduct these checks, removing a strict timeline for completing the process. The bill focuses on technical adjustments to existing background check procedures without altering the underlying requirements for the checks themselves.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act prohibits inappropriate seclusion and restraint in schools, including mechanical, chemical, and certain physical restraints that pose safety risks. It requires schools to use less restrictive interventions first, train staff in crisis intervention, and notify parents within 24 hours of any restraint incident. The law mandates meetings between schools and parents after incidents to discuss prevention strategies and provides documentation requirements. It applies to all public schools receiving federal funding, with specific protections for students with disabilities. States must submit compliance plans and report on restraint use, including demographic data on affected students.
The Honor Our Promise to Veterans Act of 2025 improves veterans' access to care by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to schedule non-urgent appointments within seven days and urgent appointments within 48 hours of a veteran's request. The bill establishes an MST Aware rating program for community care providers who complete specific training on military sexual trauma and women veterans' care, and mandates regular reporting on appointment wait times and provider quality. It also creates new educational programs like "Start and Stay at VA" to recruit and retain healthcare staff, along with requirements for transparent staffing data and improved capital asset management for VA facilities. The legislation includes detailed reporting requirements for VA infrastructure projects and aims to enhance the overall quality and efficiency of veterans' healthcare services.
This bill creates a new federal grant program to fund public transit improvements in cities. It provides 80% federal funding for urban transit systems to cover operating costs (like vehicle service), security enhancements (including personnel), and safety projects identified by safety committees. Recipients must certify they will maintain or increase their own funding levels for these services and cannot use funds to switch to third-party on-demand transit providers. The grants are allocated based on each city's reported transit operating expenses from the previous year.
The HIRRE Prosecutors Act of 2025 establishes a federal grant program to help state, local, tribal, and territorial prosecutor offices hire, retain, and train prosecutors and support staff. It authorizes $10 million annually (2026-2030) for competitive grants, covering up to 75% of eligible costs, with preference given to rural, tribal, and areas rehiring laid-off prosecutors. Grantees must cover the remaining 25% of costs (or qualify for a waiver), and funds cannot replace existing state/local funding but must supplement it. All funded projects require data tracking and annual performance evaluations by the Attorney General.
HR 6682, the Endometriosis CARE Act, requires federal agencies to advance research, improve treatment access, and increase awareness for people with endometriosis - a chronic condition causing pelvic pain and fertility challenges affecting an estimated 10% of reproductive-age individuals. The bill mandates $50 million annually for NIH research on endometriosis treatments and cures, directs HHS to analyze barriers like insurance coverage and provider shortages in accessing care, and funds public education campaigns targeting underserved racial, ethnic, and minority groups. It also requires HHS to develop provider training materials on diagnosis and care, and to commission a National Academies study on disparities in endometriosis treatment across race, geography, and insurance status. The legislation focuses on data collection, education, and research rather than altering existing insurance coverage or treatment protocols.
The RISE from Trauma Act establishes new federal grant programs to support community-based approaches for preventing and mitigating trauma, particularly for children and youth who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing trauma. It authorizes $600 million annually (2026-2033) for local coordinating bodies that bring together representatives from health, education, criminal justice, and community organizations to develop trauma-informed strategies. The bill also creates hospital-based intervention programs to reduce readmissions for trauma survivors, reauthorizes school-based trauma support services, and funds training for front-line providers to better identify and respond to trauma. The legislation focuses on evidence-based approaches to build resilience and address trauma in communities facing high rates of violence, substance use, and other trauma-inducing conditions.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act prohibits the use of unlawful seclusion and restraint in schools receiving federal funding, including physical restraint that restricts breathing or blood flow, chemical restraint not prescribed for medical treatment, and mechanical restraint. The bill requires schools to use less restrictive interventions first, mandates that staff using physical restraint be trained and certified through State-approved programs, and requires immediate parent notification after any restraint incident. States must develop plans to monitor compliance, collect and report data on restraint incidents (disaggregated by race, disability status, and school type), and implement positive behavioral interventions. The bill provides $40 million annually for five years to support states in implementing these requirements and improving school climate through evidence-based approaches.
This bill amends the Higher Education Act to extend the loan limits for graduate and professional students indefinitely. It removes the previous expiration date (June 30, 2026) for these limits, meaning graduate and professional students will continue to have access to the same federal loan amounts without a set end date. The key change modifies Section 455(a) by eliminating the sunset provision and updating the effective date language in the law. This directly affects students pursuing advanced degrees who rely on federal loans for tuition and living expenses. The bill makes a technical adjustment to existing student loan policy without creating new benefits or altering eligibility criteria.
This bill establishes new requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) working with Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and Medicaid programs. It mandates that PBMs pay pharmacies a specific reimbursement amount based on drug acquisition costs plus a fixed fee, pass through manufacturer rebates directly to beneficiaries at the point of sale, and prohibits steering practices that direct patients to specific pharmacies. The bill applies to Medicare Part D plans and Medicaid managed care organizations beginning January 1, 2027, affecting how PBMs interact with pharmacies and handle drug rebates. Violations could result in criminal penalties of up to $1 million or 10 years in prison for willful noncompliance. The bill aims to increase transparency and fairness in pharmacy drug pricing for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
