The Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2025 protects U.S. property interests in Western Hemisphere countries with U.S. free trade agreements. It requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to identify and list ports, harbors, or marine terminals where a foreign government has nationalized, expropriated, or seized U.S.-owned land (since January 2024) through actions like contract repudiation or forced control. Once listed, the President must prohibit vessels using these sites from importing goods, docking passenger vessels, or conducting maintenance in the United States. This directly affects U.S. persons (citizens or businesses) with property in designated locations.
This bill requires the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to collect and publish detailed data on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in its existing energy reports. Specifically, it mandates reporting on the raw materials used (including location by state, U.S., or country), production volumes, and import sources for SAF. The data must follow consistent statistical methods to avoid double-counting. This affects the energy industry by increasing transparency around SAF supply chains but does not create new regulations or funding.
This bill prohibits the Department of Transportation from providing any federal grants or funds to local governments (including cities, counties, or other state subdivisions) that are classified as "sanctuary cities." A sanctuary city is defined as any local government that restricts sharing immigration status information with federal authorities or refuses to comply with certain immigration detainer requests from Homeland Security. The Secretary of Transportation may grant a limited waiver for specific projects if they certify it serves national interest and notify Congress 15 days in advance. The law directly affects jurisdictions with policies limiting cooperation on immigration enforcement, withholding all DOT funding for transportation projects.
HR 4500, the HELP Act, exempts certain commercial vehicles transporting livestock, insects, or aquatic animals from federal hours-of-service rules and electronic logging device (ELD) requirements. This directly affects livestock haulers who operate covered vehicles, including when driving empty to pick up or return from deliveries. The bill removes two specific regulatory burdens: the mandatory rest periods under 49 U.S.C. § 311 and ELD tracking under 49 U.S.C. § 31137. It applies only to vehicles defined as "covered livestock hauling vehicles" under the law, which includes all commercial livestock transport for commercial purposes. The exemption aims to provide operational flexibility for this specific segment of the transportation industry.
HRES 594 is a non-binding resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives condemning the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries. It cites specific examples like violence against Christians in Nigeria (including attacks on Palm Sunday and Yelewata), restrictions in Egypt (such as limited worship spaces and forced conversions), and blasphemy-related violence in Pakistan. The resolution urges the President to prioritize protecting persecuted Christians in U.S. foreign policy, including through diplomatic engagement and trade negotiations with affected countries. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new laws or directly affect any individuals, but aims to influence U.S. diplomatic efforts.
S 2316, the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, requires electronic communication service providers and remote computing services to report to the Attorney General when they have actual knowledge of certain drug-related crimes involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, counterfeit prescription drugs, or unauthorized prescription medications. Providers must submit detailed reports within 60 days, including account information and relevant data about the crime, but not the content of communications. The bill imposes civil penalties of up to $190,000 for failing to report and $100,000 for submitting false reports, while protecting providers from being required to monitor content or scan for violations. It exempts broadband internet and text messaging service providers from these requirements and mandates annual reports from the Attorney General on the number and outcomes of submitted reports. The law aims to improve law enforcement's ability to address drug trafficking while maintaining privacy protections for users.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 This bill provides FY2026 appropriations to the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the science agencies, and several related agencies. The bill provides appropriations to the Department of Commerce for the International Trade Administration, the Bureau of Industry and Security, the Economic Development Administration, the Minority Business Development Agency, Economic and Statistical Analysis, the Bureau of the Census, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Departmental Management. The bill provides appropriations to DOJ for Justice Operations, Management, and Accountability; the Executive Office for Immigration Review; the Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Parole Commission; Legal Activities; the U.S. Marshals Service; the National Security Division; Interagency Law Enforcement; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Federal Prison System. The bill also provides appropriations to DOJ for state and local law enforcement activities, including the Office on Violence Against Women, the Office of Justice Programs, and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The bill provides appropriations for science agencies, including the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Space Council, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation. The bill provides appropriations to related agencies, including the Commission on Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Legal Services Corporation, the Marine Mammal Commission, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the State Justice Institute. The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.
This bill prohibits Medicare from paying for orthotics or prosthetics delivered directly to patients without in-person training from a qualified provider (a "drop shipment"), ensuring beneficiaries receive proper fitting and use instructions. It expands the list of healthcare providers who can prescribe these devices to include physical therapists, occupational therapists, orthotists, and prosthetists. The bill also specifically requires Medicare to cover replacements for custom-fitted orthotics and custom-fabricated orthotic devices, aligning with existing rules for prosthetic replacements. These changes aim to improve patient safety and access to properly fitted devices under Medicare.
The Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2025 prohibits selling goods or services at grossly excessive prices during exceptional market shocks like natural disasters, energy shortages, or public health emergencies. It creates a presumption of violation when companies with "unfair leverage" (revenue over $1 billion, dominant market position, or other factors) increase prices beyond normal market fluctuations. The law requires public companies to disclose detailed pricing information in SEC filings during these emergencies, including explanations for price increases and how costs affected pricing. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general would enforce the law, with civil penalties up to 5% of a company's revenue for violations. The bill also appropriates $1 billion to fund FTC enforcement efforts.
This bill requires electronic communication service providers (like social media platforms) and remote computing services (like cloud storage) to report certain controlled substances violations to the Attorney General. Providers must submit reports within 60 days of discovering fentanyl, methamphetamine, or counterfeit prescription drug sales, including account information and details about the violation. The bill includes penalties for failure to report ($380,000 for repeat violations) and for submitting false reports ($100,000), while exempting broadband and text messaging providers from these requirements. It also mandates annual reports from the Attorney General on the number of reports received, investigations conducted, and how violations were discovered.
HR 1919, the "Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act," prohibits the Federal Reserve from developing, testing, or issuing any central bank digital currency (CBDC) or similar digital assets. It specifically bans the Fed from offering direct financial products to individuals, maintaining individual accounts, or issuing CBDCs directly or indirectly through intermediaries like banks. The bill also blocks the Fed from using any digital asset for monetary policy and clarifies that physical currency's privacy protections remain intact. This policy directly affects the Federal Reserve System's ability to create or manage digital monetary tools.
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This act permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Under the act, offenses involving fentanyl-related substances are triggered by the same quantity thresholds and subject to the same penalties as offenses involving fentanyl analogues (e.g., offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger a 10-year mandatory minimum prison term). Additionally, the act establishes a new, alternative registration process for certain schedule I research. The act also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration. Finally, the act expresses the sense that Congress agrees with the interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act in United States v. McCray , a 2018 case decided by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. In that case, the court held that butyryl fentanyl, a controlled substance, can be considered an analogue of fentanyl even though, under the Controlled Substances Act, the term controlled substance analogue specifically excludes a controlled substance.
