The Medicaid RAC Improvement Act of 2026 strengthens oversight of the Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractor program to better detect and recover incorrect payments. It requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to establish clear communication rules for when state program exceptions expire and mandates detailed annual reports on audit results, including amounts recovered and underpayments. The bill also expands the program to include Medicaid managed care plans, requiring these organizations to allow audits of their claims and cooperate with recovery efforts. Additionally, the legislation directs the government to study barriers preventing states from participating in the program and to run a five-year demonstration project to increase state involvement. Finally, it clarifies that audits can review payments made up to four years prior to the current fiscal year.
This bill authorizes the presentation of Congressional Gold Medals to the four crew members of the Artemis II mission to recognize their historic achievement in advancing human space exploration. The legislation directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the medals, which will feature the faces of the astronauts and be struck by the Secretary of the Treasury. In addition to the gold medals, the bill permits the minting and sale of duplicate bronze versions to help cover production costs, with any proceeds returned to the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
The Stop Lawmakers From Predicting Act prohibits Members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependent children from trading on prediction markets regarding government policies, actions, political outcomes, or any events related to their congressional duties. This restriction applies to any purchase, sale, or agreement dependent on these specific outcomes while the individual is in federal service. If a covered individual violates these rules, they must pay a fee equal to the greater of $2,000 or 10% of the transaction value, plus any net profit made from the trade. The law also forbids paying these penalties using personal allowances, campaign funds, or other official accounts, and it requires the supervising ethics office to issue guidance on how to interpret the new restrictions.
This bill redesignates the existing National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund as the America's Legacy Restoration Fund to address deferred maintenance on federal lands. It directs revenue from recreation fees and a portion of energy development income into the fund, which must be used primarily for repairing critical infrastructure like roads, trails, and buildings managed by agencies such as the National Park Service and the Forest Service. The legislation establishes strict rules requiring that most funds go toward non-transportation projects, mandates transparency through public dashboards tracking project status, and sets aside a small percentage for matching private donations. Additionally, the bill increases entrance fees for foreign visitors to ensure they contribute to the fund, while prohibiting the use of these specific funds for land acquisition or employee bonuses.
HR 2978, the GUARD Act, allows state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to use existing federal grant funds for investigating elder financial fraud, "pig butchering" investment scams, and general financial fraud. The bill directs these funds toward hiring specialized staff, training on blockchain tools and transnational fraud, purchasing investigative software, improving data collection, and creating financial sector liaisons to coordinate with banks. It requires annual reports from law enforcement on fund usage and outcomes, and mandates federal agencies to submit comprehensive reports to Congress on scam statistics, enforcement actions, and funding allocation. The legislation directly affects law enforcement agencies and aims to strengthen efforts against fraud targeting vulnerable populations, particularly elderly individuals.
HR 2152, the AI PLAN Act, requires the Treasury, Homeland Security, and Commerce departments to create annual reports addressing AI risks in financial crimes. These reports must detail current defenses against AI-driven fraud, misinformation, deepfakes, voice cloning, and foreign election interference, plus list available and needed resources (like technology and funding) to protect U.S. financial systems. The bill directs agencies to submit legislative recommendations within 90 days of each report to help combat these threats. It primarily affects federal agencies and indirectly impacts businesses and individuals targeted by AI-powered financial crimes.
The Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act aims to improve housing stability for current and former foster youth by expanding their access to federal housing assistance and supportive services. It amends existing laws to allow states to use funding for services such as financial literacy counseling, help with lease contracts, and assistance with security deposits and moving costs. The bill also clarifies that these supportive services do not count toward spending limits on room and board, enabling more funds to be used for housing support. Additionally, it requires the Departments of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development to create joint guidance within a year to better coordinate programs for youth aging out of foster care. Finally, the act mandates a report to Congress within three years detailing how many eligible youth are receiving housing aid and the outcomes of these programs.
The Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2025 allows federal appellate and district court judges to permit media coverage of court proceedings - including photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising - at their discretion. It requires judges to obscure witnesses' faces and voices upon request (for non-parties), prohibits broadcasting jurors or attorney-client conferences, and mandates that the Judicial Conference create mandatory guidelines within six months for protecting vulnerable witnesses like crime victims or minors. The law includes a three-year sunset for district court media authority and prohibits interlocutory appeals of judges' media coverage decisions. This bill directly affects federal courts, media organizations, and witnesses, balancing public access with due process and witness safety protections.
S 1146, the "Cameras in the Courtroom Act," requires the U.S. Supreme Court to permit television coverage of all publicly open court sessions. This directly affects the Supreme Court (as the entity implementing the rule) and the public (who would gain access to live coverage of proceedings). The bill's key provision states that the Court may block TV coverage in a specific case only if a majority of justices determine it would violate a party's fair trial rights. The law does not mandate coverage but sets a default rule allowing it unless the Court unanimously decides otherwise for due process reasons.
The SABER Act of 2026 expands the permissible uses of the Ukraine Support Fund to allow the Ukrainian government to purchase defense articles and services specifically for responding to and recovering from Russian aggression. This legislative change directly affects the administration of U.S. foreign aid by modifying existing statutes to include these new categories of spending. The bill removes previous restrictions that limited the fund's use, thereby providing Ukraine with greater flexibility to address the consequences of the ongoing conflict.
The Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act amends the Federal Power Act to modify how federal licenses for hydropower projects are issued. Specifically, it requires that license conditions include measures to reasonably mitigate direct adverse effects on federal reservations and fish populations within applicable river systems. These changes aim to ensure that new or existing hydropower projects address environmental impacts on protected lands and aquatic species before a license is granted. The bill directly affects hydropower project developers and federal agencies responsible for licensing and environmental oversight.
HR 941, the Small LENDER Act, creates a 3-year compliance period and a subsequent 2-year penalty-free period for small lenders required to report small business lending data under a new rule. It directly affects financial institutions that originated at least 500 small business loans in each of the previous two years (defined as loans to businesses with under $1 million annual revenue). The bill delays full enforcement of new data reporting requirements, giving lenders time to adjust without penalties during the grace periods. This changes how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforces reporting rules for smaller lenders focused on small business loans.
