This bill establishes minimum salary and wage standards for paraprofessionals and education support staff in public schools. It requires states to set a minimum annual salary of $45,000 for full-time staff (increasing with inflation after 2030) and a minimum hourly wage of $30 for part-time staff (also inflation-adjusted). The federal government will provide $25 billion in FY2026, with annual funding increases, to help states implement these standards through grants. States must ensure all local schools meet these minimums within 4 years of receiving funds, with 98% of grant money allocated directly to schools for salary increases or professional development.
This bill modifies SNAP (food stamp) rules to restrict where benefits can be used for restaurant meals. It limits eligible purchases to prepared food sections (like delis or hot bars) in grocery stores or supermarkets - not fast-food chains - and requires each meal to include at least one fruit/vegetable and one protein. The bill also prohibits spouses of SNAP recipients from using benefits for restaurant meals and mandates new reporting on program participation, spending, and effectiveness. These changes directly affect SNAP households seeking to use benefits at restaurants and participating retail stores.
HR 6655 exempts certain charitable organizations from needing to register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as commodity pool operators. It applies specifically to charitable organizations (as defined in the 1940 Investment Company Act) and their staff who provide commodity trading advice or manage pools *only* for the organization itself or certain excluded investment trusts. The bill removes the registration requirement under the Commodity Exchange Act for these activities, but does not affect obligations under securities laws. Charitable organizations must still comply with existing disclosure rules under the Investment Company Act for related activities.
This bill requires state agencies administering the SNAP (food stamp) program to provide recipient-level data to the USDA Secretary upon request. It directly affects state SNAP agencies, which must submit this data within 30 days (or sooner for urgent cases) in secure electronic formats. Key provisions include mandatory data sharing for program oversight and integrity, strict privacy safeguards under the Privacy Act, and potential withholding of federal funds for non-compliance. The bill also clarifies that this does not limit the USDA's existing authority to access state data for program administration.
This bill establishes a standardized annual program to measure food insecurity across U.S. households. It requires the Census Bureau to include specific, consistent questions about food access and hunger (like skipping meals or relying on limited food due to cost) in the Current Population Survey from 2026 onward. The Secretary of Agriculture must analyze this data, publish annual reports publicly, and submit them to Congress. The policy directly affects all households surveyed through the Census Bureau’s annual survey, with additional questions for households with children under 18. It aims to improve data consistency for tracking hunger and informing future policy, without creating new benefits or altering existing programs.
HR 6271, the Food Bank Emergency Support Act of 2025, appropriates $462.5 million to prevent cuts to food assistance benefits during funding shortfalls or government shutdowns. The funds are specifically designated under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to maintain existing benefit levels for programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and food bank commodity distributions. It ensures these services continue without interruption, including barring furloughs for personnel involved in food distribution during emergencies. The bill directly supports food banks, grocery retailers distributing benefits, and millions of low-income households relying on these services. It takes effect as if enacted on September 30, 2025.
American Hemp Protection Act of 2025 This bill repeals changes to the regulation of hemp products, which reimpose certain federal controls over some hemp products. Specifically, Congress enacted the FY2026 agriculture appropriations act (P.L. 119-37) on November 12, 2025. Effective November 12, 2026, the act modifies the statutory definition of hemp products that are considered to be lawful. This bill repeals the changes. As background, the 2018 farm bill excluded hemp from the Controlled Substances Act definition of marijuana and defined hemp . As a result, hemp and hemp-derived products at or below the 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana) concentration threshold were no longer regulated as Schedule I controlled substances. Registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration was no longer required to cultivate or handle hemp and hemp-derived products. However, hemp remained subject to Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration regulation. The 2025 changes to the definition of hemp, include changing the limit to a total THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis rather than only delta-9 THC, explicitly including industrial hemp, excluding seeds from a cannabis plant that exceed a certain THC concentration, and excluding various types of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Cannabinoids refer to unique chemical compounds that are found in hemp and marijuana (e.g., THC) and are known to exhibit a range of psychological and physiological effects.
HR 6088, the *Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025*, repeals specific sections (10101-10108) from a prior reconciliation law. This action revives previous provisions related to food security programs that were modified by those repealed sections. The bill directly affects federal food assistance and agricultural support programs by restoring their prior legal framework. It does not create new policies but reverses recent changes to existing food security measures.
This bill updates federal nutrition law to include Puerto Rico in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), allowing it to transition from its current funding method to the same SNAP benefits available to U.S. states. Puerto Rico must submit a 180-day plan to the USDA detailing its transition to SNAP, with approval required within another 180 days. The transition period lasts up to 5 years from the bill's effective date, during which Puerto Rico would continue receiving block grants while preparing for full SNAP participation. This change directly affects Puerto Rico's 1.4 million residents who currently receive nutrition assistance under a separate funding structure.
The MORE Act (HR 5068) would remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, effectively decriminalizing it at the federal level while establishing a new tax on cannabis products. The bill creates an Opportunity Trust Fund that would distribute tax revenues to support communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, including funding for expungement programs, job training, and equitable licensing initiatives for minority business owners. It also includes provisions to prevent discrimination based on cannabis use in federal programs, immigration proceedings, and workplace policies. The bill would require federal courts to expunge non-violent cannabis convictions and establish a process for resentencing individuals currently serving time for such offenses. These provisions aim to address racial disparities in cannabis enforcement and create more equitable opportunities in the legal cannabis industry.
The Middle Mile for Rural America Act extends the deadline for funding rural broadband infrastructure projects under the Rural Electrification Act from 2023 to 2031. This directly affects rural communities by providing more time to build the backbone internet networks that connect local areas to broader high-speed services. The key mechanism is amending Section 602(g) of the Rural Electrification Act to update the program's timeframe, allowing eligible projects to qualify for support through 2031. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes to support existing infrastructure funding, without adding new programs or resources.
HR 5038, the American Protein Processing Modernization Act, creates a formal process for meat and poultry processing plants to request operating at "alternate inspection rates" (higher than standard government-mandated rates) while meeting USDA food safety criteria. The bill requires the USDA Secretary to publish food safety criteria within 90 days and respond to facility requests within 90 days (with automatic approval if no response is given). Existing facilities already using alternate rates can continue if they maintain food safety standards or until their request is reviewed. The bill also outlines procedures for addressing noncompliance, including written notices, 180-day correction periods, and timelines for reverting to standard inspection rates if needed, while minimizing impacts on operations and animal producers.
