This bill designates tax return preparers as official voter registration agencies, allowing them to distribute voter registration forms to clients. It requires in-person tax preparers to display registration forms visibly in their offices and online preparers to provide a prominent hyperlink to registration forms during their services. The law applies to professional tax preparers who handle at least 100 individual tax returns annually and to certified volunteer tax preparers receiving federal funding. Tax preparers are exempt from certain administrative duties like accepting completed forms or submitting them to election officials, and the Secretary of the Treasury must provide guidance and update volunteer tax site requirements to support these new responsibilities.
This bill, titled the "End Polluter Welfare for Enhanced Oil Recovery Act of 2026," eliminates federal tax credits related to enhanced oil recovery (EOR). It directly affects oil and gas companies that utilize or plan to utilize EOR methods. Specifically, the bill strikes Section 43 of the Internal Revenue Code, thereby ending the existing Enhanced Oil Recovery Credit. Furthermore, for new facilities constructed after the bill's enactment, it removes eligibility for the carbon capture tax credit (Section 45Q) when captured carbon oxide is used for enhanced oil recovery. These changes discontinue tax incentives that support specific oil extraction techniques.
HRES 971 is a non-binding resolution condemning China's economic and military actions against Japan following Japanese officials' comments about Taiwan. It specifically addresses China's travel advisory (causing $1.2 billion in tourism losses), a ban on Japanese seafood imports, and military drills near Japanese territory. The resolution reaffirms U.S. support for the U.S.-Japan alliance under their mutual security treaty and calls on China to cease coercion. It emphasizes U.S. commitment to upholding a "free and open Indo-Pacific" based on international law. This resolution directly affects Japan's economy and security, with no new legal obligations but serving as a formal U.S. policy statement.
HR 7669, the "Rejecting the Erasure of Afghan Women and Girls Act," requires the U.S. Secretary of State to submit a report within 180 days of enactment. The report must detail Taliban-imposed restrictions on Afghan women and girls since August 2021 and determine whether these restrictions constitute crimes against humanity, torture under the Convention against Torture, or gross human rights violations under U.S. law. This bill directly addresses the situation of Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule by mandating a formal U.S. government assessment of those restrictions. The legislation focuses on establishing a factual basis for potential policy responses through this required report.
HR 3447, the Chip Security Act, requires manufacturers to equip specific advanced integrated circuits (classified under export control numbers like 3A090) with security mechanisms before exporting them. These mechanisms must verify location and prevent unauthorized access, diversion, or tampering. The law mandates this for covered chips within 180 days of enactment, with a follow-up assessment within one year to develop additional security requirements. It directly affects U.S. chip exporters and importers of these high-tech products, aiming to strengthen export control compliance and national security.
This bill requires the U.S. Department of State to develop a strategy within 120 days to strengthen nuclear energy cooperation with Europe and reduce Russian influence in the nuclear sector. The strategy must assess reactor types, fuel cycles, and U.S. nuclear technology investments to decrease Russia’s market share in uranium, enrichment, and reactor supply by 2030. It authorizes $30 million annually (2025-2029) for U.S. engagement, including capacity building and countering Russian disinformation, targeting European countries with active nuclear programs. The bill directly affects U.S. foreign policy coordination, European energy security, and the competitiveness of U.S./European nuclear technology against Russian suppliers like Rosatom.
Love Lives On Act of 2025 This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans. The bill provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation or special pension benefits to such spouse. Additionally, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries. The bill also expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.
This concurrent resolution formally recognizes Congress's duty to protect the rights and economic security of working women, who make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce. The document highlights concerns about wage gaps, workplace discrimination, and recent policy changes that have weakened protections for women, particularly women of color. It calls for Congress to support equal pay, workplace safety, access to healthcare, paid leave, and the right to unionize, while also condemning actions that undermine civil rights enforcement and workplace protections. The resolution serves as a statement of principle rather than a law that creates new legal requirements.
The Rural America Health Corps Act creates a demonstration program to help health professionals work in rural areas by offering loan repayment assistance. Eligible individuals must commit to five years of full-time employment in a rural health professional shortage area to receive payments on their student loans. The program would pay one-fifth of the loan principal and interest each year of service, with a maximum total payment of $200,000 per person. This initiative is designed to address healthcare access challenges in rural communities by incentivizing medical professionals to serve in underserved areas.
This bill prohibits federal government officials, including the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and their employees, from using their official positions to profit from trading prediction market contracts based on material nonpublic information. It requires these covered individuals to report any prediction market transactions exceeding $250 to their supervising ethics office within 30 days, detailing the contract value, timing, platform, and profit or loss. The legislation establishes penalties of up to $500 or double the profit made for violations and mandates ethics offices to create implementation rules and publish procedures within 180 days of enactment.
This bill establishes a new annual wealth tax on individuals with net assets exceeding $50 million, requiring them to pay a percentage of their total asset value each year. The tax applies a 2 percent rate to assets between $50 million and $1 billion, with a higher rate of 3 percent or 6 percent on assets above $1 billion depending on whether a universal health insurance program is enacted. Married couples are taxed as a single unit, and certain assets like primary residences and small personal items are excluded from the calculation. The legislation also mandates enhanced reporting requirements for asset values, requires the IRS to audit at least 30 percent of taxpayers subject to this tax annually, and authorizes $100 billion in funding over ten years to support enforcement and administration of the new tax system.
The Safety in Shared Skies Act of 2026 requires the Department of Defense to test and certify automatic surveillance systems on its aircraft that fly in U.S. airspace at least once every 90 days. Under this law, the Defense Secretary must report testing results and any system failures to Congress every six months for the first two years of the bill's operation. Additionally, the Defense Department Inspector General will conduct audits to verify compliance with these testing requirements and submit a report on whether these oversight measures should continue beyond the initial period. This legislation directly affects the Department of Defense and its aircraft operations by establishing regular safety checks and transparency requirements.
