The NO FAKES Act of 2026 establishes a new property right for individuals to control the creation and use of their digital voice and visual likeness replicas, extending protection to both living people and their heirs for up to 70 years after death. The bill requires companies and platforms that distribute these digital replicas or sell tools to create them to obtain explicit authorization from the right holder, while also setting up a notification system for online services to remove unauthorized content. Additionally, the law preempts existing state laws regarding digital likeness rights and includes specific penalties and safe harbor protections for platforms that comply with the new requirements.
The SBA Artificial Intelligence Utilization Act of 2026 requires the Small Business Administration to submit annual reports detailing its use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. These reports must cover the benefits and risks of this technology, including how it impacts operations, and outline strategies to maintain human oversight in important decisions. Additionally, the bill mandates that the SBA Administrator provide a briefing to congressional committees within 30 days of submitting each report. This legislation directly affects the SBA by establishing a formal process for evaluating and managing the adoption of AI tools within the agency.
HR 7396 establishes the Office of Native American Affairs within the Small Business Administration to specifically support Native American entrepreneurs and tribal economic development. The Office targets programs to help small businesses owned by tribal members and promotes economic growth in Indian country, providing culturally tailored assistance like training, counseling, and access to capital. It requires an appointed Assistant Administrator with tribal expertise to develop policies, collaborate with federal agencies, and provide grants to tribes or tribal organizations for outreach programs. The Office must submit annual reports to Congress on its activities and effectiveness, and its authority expires seven years after enactment. This bill directly affects Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and small businesses owned by tribal members.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to study how military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence increase the risk of suicide among service members and veterans. Within 18 months of passing, these agencies must submit a report and briefing to Congress and the public detailing these findings. A year after the report is released, the departments must update their clinical suicide prevention guidelines to include these specific risk factors. The legislation directly affects military personnel, veterans, and the agencies responsible for their healthcare and safety protocols.
The Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2026 aims to increase financial aid for college students by doubling the maximum Federal Pell Grant award to $10,000 for the 2026-2027 school year, with amounts rising annually to reach $15,000 by 2031-2032. The bill also changes the funding structure so that Pell Grants become a mandatory program that automatically adjusts for inflation rather than relying on annual congressional appropriations. Additional provisions expand eligibility to include students with negative financial aid indexes, provide special rules for recipients of means-tested benefits, and allow Dreamer students who become citizens or permanent residents to qualify for aid. The legislation further restores the total number of semesters a student can receive Pell Grants from 12 to 18 and modifies how institutions determine satisfactory academic progress to reduce penalties for students struggling with course requirements.
This bill proposes changes to the Social Security system that would affect workers and retirees by allowing a portion of earnings above the current cap to be taxed and counted toward future benefits. It introduces a temporary mechanism where 80% of income exceeding the contribution base is taxable in 2026, with this percentage decreasing by 20 points annually until it reaches zero in 2030. Additionally, the legislation increases the benefit formula to include 5% of earnings above the cap and adjusts how cost-of-living increases are calculated by using a new index specifically for elderly consumers. These changes aim to expand the amount of income considered for benefit calculations while modifying how future benefit amounts are adjusted for inflation.
The Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2026 aims to increase financial aid for college students by raising the maximum Pell Grant amount to $15,000 by the 2031-2032 award year and ensuring the program is fully funded through mandatory spending rather than annual appropriations. The bill also expands eligibility for students who receive means-tested government benefits by automatically assigning them a lower financial need score, while simultaneously allowing Dreamer students - undocumented immigrants who meet specific criteria such as graduating high school or serving in the military - to qualify for federal aid. Additional provisions restore the total number of semesters a student can receive Pell Grants from 12 to 18 and adjust the rules for satisfactory academic progress to reduce penalties for students who struggle to meet grade requirements. Finally, the legislation restores Pell Grant eligibility for some students who previously received outside scholarships and sets the law's effective date for July 1, 2026.
The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2026 strengthens the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure individuals with long-term service and support needs have a federally protected right to live in their communities rather than institutions. It requires states and insurance providers to offer community-based services that allow people to maintain independence, control their own care, and access affordable, integrated housing. The bill mandates that public entities and insurers create enforceable transition plans to move people out of institutions, conduct self-evaluations to identify barriers, and establish clear grievance procedures for resolving complaints. Enforcement is handled by the Department of Justice, which can investigate violations, while individuals may also file civil lawsuits to seek damages or court orders preventing institutionalization.
The Protect Every Preschooler Act of 2026 expands the federal Gun Free School Zones Act to include early childhood education programs and preschools. This change directly affects firearm regulations by prohibiting the possession of guns in these specific educational settings, which were previously not explicitly covered under the law. The bill achieves this by amending the United States Code to add definitions for early childhood education programs and preschools to the list of protected areas. Consequently, individuals attempting to carry firearms into these locations would be subject to federal penalties under the existing gun-free zone provisions.
The SAFEGUARD Veterans Act of 2026 strengthens protections for veterans by imposing stricter penalties on individuals who charge unauthorized fees for helping with benefits claims and requiring that only accredited representatives or those under their supervision provide such assistance. Key provisions include creating an online searchable list of recognized and suspended agents, mandating warnings on Department websites about potential predatory practices, and adding questions to claim forms to identify anyone who charged fees for coaching or filing assistance. The bill also updates federal laws to prohibit the use of automated telephone equipment for making repeated calls to federal agencies and requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a more accessible digital system for recognizing representatives and processing complaints. Additionally, the Department must conduct a review of its current regulations regarding representation and report its findings to Congress within 180 days of the law's enactment.
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.
