This bill amends federal housing laws to ensure that tenants using marijuana legally under state law are not discriminated against in federally assisted housing. It removes federal prohibitions on state-compliant marijuana use, distribution, possession, sale, or manufacture from definitions of "drug-related criminal activity" and "illegal use of a controlled substance" in housing regulations. Public housing agencies and federally assisted housing providers must now follow state marijuana laws and cannot deny admission or evict tenants based solely on legal state-legal marijuana activity. The bill also requires HUD to establish smoke-free zones for marijuana similar to existing tobacco rules within 90 days of enactment.
The Fair Competition for Small Business Act of 2025 amends the Clayton Act to allow legal claims for violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act or for violations of the bill's own section (section 2). This technical change would directly affect small businesses and other entities involved in antitrust litigation by expanding the grounds for lawsuits under the Clayton Act. The key mechanism is a modification to the Clayton Act that references the bill's provisions, creating a new basis for claims. The bill does not specify additional substantive rules beyond this amendment.
The Public Health Air Quality Act of 2025 requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a national network for monitoring hazardous air pollutants near communities, focusing on facilities emitting specific chemicals linked to health risks like cancer and respiratory issues. The bill mandates fenceline monitoring at 100 high-priority facilities that emit chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, and other hazardous air pollutants, with public reporting of data within 7 days of collection. It also requires deployment of 1,000 low-cost air quality monitoring systems in communities disproportionately impacted by pollution, with data made accessible in multiple languages and formats. The Act authorizes $146 million for implementation during fiscal years 2026-2027 to support these monitoring requirements and public transparency efforts.
This bill exempts certain non-lethal projectile devices (like pepper ball guns or rubber bullets) from federal firearms and ammunition taxes. It directly affects manufacturers, producers, and importers of these devices by removing tax obligations under IRS Code sections 4181 and 5845. Key provisions define "less-than-lethal" devices as those not expelling standard firearm ammunition, operating below 500 feet per second, and not convertible to lethal weapons. The Secretary of the Treasury must annually update a public list of qualifying devices and report to Congress on non-qualifying devices that exceed the velocity limit.
The Shelter Act creates a 25% nonrefundable tax credit for individuals and businesses that make qualified disaster mitigation expenditures to protect homes and businesses from natural disasters. For individuals, the credit is limited to $3,750 per year (or $7,500 for joint returns) with a cumulative lifetime limit of $15,000 per dwelling unit. Qualified expenditures include measures like reinforcing roofs, creating water barriers, installing storm shelters, and other resilience improvements that meet specific safety standards. The credit phases out for higher-income taxpayers and is only available for properties in areas affected by natural disasters within the past 5 years. The credit applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.
Essential Caregivers Act of 2025 This bill prohibits certain health care facilities from limiting the access of essential caregivers to residents of those facilities, including during designated emergency periods. Specifically, the bill generally prohibits Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, Medicaid intermediate care facilities, and associated inpatient rehabilitation facilities from restricting the access of essential caregivers to residents of the facilities, including during emergency periods in which visitation rights are otherwise restricted. During emergency periods, facilities may restrict access for an initial period of up to seven days and for one additional maximum seven-day period (if the additional period is approved by the state health department). Facilities may restrict access for a total of 7 days (or 14 days with the approval of the state health department) during an emergency period. Essential caregivers must agree to comply with any safety protocols set by the facility, which may be no more stringent for caregivers compared to those for staff. Caregivers who fail to comply with these requirements may be denied access, subject to an appeals process.
This bill amends a section of federal law to change the reference from "the White House" to "the People's White House" in a specific legal citation (Section 307104 of Title 54, U.S. Code). It is a purely procedural change to the text of the law, not a substantive policy shift. The bill does not alter historic preservation standards, protections, or funding for the White House grounds. It simply updates the formal name used within the legal code.
This bill, the Protecting Ballot Measures From Foreign Influence Act of 2025, bans foreign nationals from contributing money to state and local ballot initiatives and referendums. It amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to explicitly include these state and local voting measures under the existing prohibition on foreign contributions for federal elections. The key provision requires that contributions to ballot measures - like state-level policy votes - must not come from foreign individuals or entities. The law would apply to all contributions made after its enactment date.
The MAP for Care Act establishes a Medicare program enabling beneficiaries (Medicare Part A or Part B enrollees) to register certified advance directives - such as living wills or durable powers of attorney for health care - through accredited online vendors. It requires vendors to meet security standards for storing and sharing directives, ensuring near real-time access for beneficiaries, their designated health care proxies, and providers during medical emergencies. The program includes a state-by-state index of advance directive forms on Medicare’s website, educational resources, and annual surveys to assess accessibility and usability, while respecting existing state laws governing advance directives. Beneficiaries may voluntarily enroll, update, or terminate their directives at any time without cost.
This bill establishes a Diversity and Inclusion Administrator at the Department of Labor to increase African American participation in apprenticeships. It requires all new and renewing registered apprenticeship programs to submit plans boosting African American enrollment and creates competitive grants for programs targeting underserved communities in fields like construction, healthcare, and tech. The grants fund outreach, mentoring, and support services to help African American youth access and complete apprenticeships. The bill directly affects African American young people and apprenticeship programs nationwide, with $2 million authorized for fiscal year 2026.
The EFFECTIVE Food Procurement Act would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to change how it buys food for programs like school meals and food banks. The bill directs USDA to prioritize purchasing foods that support beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged producers, and environmentally sustainable practices, while emphasizing worker well-being and climate-friendly food production. USDA would need to report annually on how much it spends on these priority food categories and track greenhouse gas emissions from its food purchases. The bill also creates a pilot program for "best value" procurement that considers more than just cost, and provides grants to help small and minority farmers meet USDA vendor requirements. These changes aim to make USDA's $20 billion+ annual food procurement more equitable and environmentally sustainable.
HR 6726 amends housing counseling programs under the 1968 Housing and Urban Development Act to improve oversight and effectiveness. It requires counseling organizations to serve diverse geographic areas (urban and rural) and mandates regular performance reviews by HUD, including evaluating counselors based on borrower default rates for covered loans. The bill also requires HUD to provide foreclosure mitigation counseling to borrowers 30+ days delinquent on FHA, VA, USDA, or similar loans, with costs covered by the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund if eligibility rules are met. These changes directly affect HUD-funded counseling agencies, mortgage counselors, and borrowers with specific loan types facing delinquency. The reforms focus on accountability, quality control, and expanding access to foreclosure prevention services.
