The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act expands eligibility for facilities to convert into rural emergency hospitals by relaxing certain operational requirements and clarifying rules for units providing psychiatric, rehabilitation, or obstetric care. It establishes a new payment structure that increases reimbursement by 5 percent for diagnostic laboratory tests starting in 2027 and allows these hospitals to use swing beds for extended care services. The legislation also ensures that rural emergency hospitals are recognized as health professional shortage areas to attract medical staff and includes their services in Medicaid coverage plans. Additionally, the bill permits facilities that revert to critical access hospital status to regain their previous necessary provider designation and makes them eligible for specific improvement grants.
The RESULTS Act of 2026 provides federal funding to help states build and modernize systems that connect data across education and workforce sectors, from early childhood programs to employment outcomes. These grants require states to create secure databases that link records from schools, colleges, and job training programs while protecting student privacy and allowing for data analysis by researchers and policymakers. The bill also mandates that states establish specific leadership roles, such as a Chief Data Officer, and use the funds to improve how they report on student success and labor market trends. Additionally, the legislation updates existing rules to allow states to use national wage records for measuring job placement outcomes and encourages the adoption of standardized data formats to ensure information can be easily shared across different states.
The Retirement Simplification and Clarity Act allows employees aged 50 and older to roll over their employer-contributed retirement funds directly into an annuity. It also requires retirement plans to provide clear, plain-language explanations to participants about distribution options, including details on taxes, deadlines, and what types of funds cannot be rolled over. These changes aim to make the retirement process easier to understand by standardizing the information given to workers and clarifying the rules for moving money between accounts. The provisions will take effect for taxable years starting after December 31, 2026.
This bill, titled the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act, authorizes the President to impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities accused of participating in or facilitating forced organ harvesting in China. The sanctions include blocking property and interests in property within the United States and making listed individuals inadmissible to the United States or ineligible for visas. The bill requires the President to submit lists of sanctioned persons to congressional committees and mandates a report on China's organ transplant policies and practices, including an assessment of whether forced organ harvesting constitutes an atrocity. The sanctions authority includes exemptions for humanitarian assistance and national security activities, and the entire provision expires five years after enactment.
The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act requires hospitals, clinical diagnostic laboratories, imaging services providers, and ambulatory surgical centers to publicly disclose detailed pricing information for healthcare services in machine-readable formats. This includes standard charges, discounted cash prices, payer-specific negotiated rates, and other relevant pricing data that consumers can easily access and compare. The law applies to all facilities that provide services to Medicare beneficiaries, with implementation dates starting in 2026 for hospitals and 2027 for other providers. Non-compliant facilities face daily civil monetary penalties ranging from $300 to $10,000 per day, depending on facility size and duration of non-compliance.
This resolution designates July 25, 2026, as "National Day of the American Cowboy" to honor the historical and cultural contributions of cowboys to the United States. It encourages citizens to observe the day with ceremonies and activities that recognize the cowboy's role in establishing the American West and its enduring presence in literature, media, and the economy. The measure highlights values associated with the cowboy archetype, such as integrity, hard work, and environmental stewardship, while noting that the role transcends gender, ethnicity, and political affiliation.
This resolution formally recognizes the 100th anniversary of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, honoring its century-long contribution to the golf industry. The bill does not change any laws or allocate funds; instead, it serves as a symbolic commendation for the organization's work in advancing greenkeeping standards, promoting environmental stewardship, and supporting education and workforce development. By acknowledging the association's role in managing golf courses and its impact on the economy and communities, the measure highlights the professional achievements of its members without imposing new regulatory requirements.
The State of Men's Health Act aims to address rising health risks and premature death among men by establishing a new Office of Men's Health within the Department of Health and Human Services. Before creating this office, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on men's health disparities and recommend ways to improve federal coordination and awareness. Once established, the new office will coordinate screening programs for conditions like prostate cancer and diabetes, maintain a database of best practices, and report its findings to Congress. The legislation does not authorize new funding, meaning the office must operate using existing budget resources.
This bill reauthorizes and expands the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act through 2031, extending funding for research into treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It requires drug manufacturers to share interim clinical trial data with the FDA to better assess the progress of investigational drugs and clarifies that phase 3 clinical trial definitions include combined phase 2/3 trials and planned trials not yet enrolling participants. The legislation also mandates the FDA to publish an updated five-year action plan for ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases, including resource needs and coordination strategies with broader disease communities. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report on the program's implementation four years after enactment.
The Preventing Forced Abortions Act of 2026 prohibits federal courts from enforcing any part of a surrogacy agreement that forces a surrogate mother to have an abortion. Instead, the law mandates that courts must uphold the financial compensation promised to the surrogate, even if the contract includes penalties or reduced payments for refusing an abortion. This legislation grants federal district courts specific authority to hear civil cases involving surrogacy contracts and defines key terms such as "abortion" and "surrogate mother" to clarify the scope of the protections.
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 restricts the importation, sale, and use of connected vehicles and related technology from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea to protect national security. Starting in 2027, the bill generally bans these vehicles if they originate from or are controlled by these countries, with separate restrictions on software and hardware taking effect in 2030. The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to issue specific exemptions for items that do not pose a security risk and must publish a list of approved products. The law also requires companies to submit declarations confirming their vehicles comply with the rules and imposes heavy fines for violations.
The Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve transparency and predictability in certifying new aircraft and technologies. It directs the FAA to publish a plan within 180 days to streamline handling technical issues during certification, set standard timelines for key steps (like applicant responses), and convert stable issues into published policies. The bill also mandates updated guidance on delegating certification tasks to ensure safety and efficiency, especially for emerging sectors like advanced air mobility. The FAA must consult with industry stakeholders and report annually to Congress on implementation progress.
