The Build Housing Affordably Act requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to study how the Build America, Buy America Act affects affordable housing projects, including costs, delays, and the efficiency of the waiver process. The bill mandates that the department must complete this study and submit a report to Congress within 90 days. Until that report is delivered, the new material sourcing rules will be paused for 60 days, and any waiver requests submitted during that time must be decided within 90 days or automatically granted. This legislation directly impacts builders, developers, and contractors working on federally assisted housing projects by temporarily removing compliance requirements and setting strict timelines for administrative decisions.
Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 This bill expands a requirement for federal agencies to report expenditures on the USAspending.gov website to include other transaction agreement expenditures. (Other transaction agreements, or OTAs, are contractual instruments other than standard procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements; they are exempt from many federal procurement laws and regulations). Under current law, federal agencies must report expenditures on federal awards to USAspending.gov with the term federal award defined as federal grants, loans, cooperative agreements, contracts, and certain other types of expenditures. This bill expands the definition of federal award to include expenditures under OTAs, and therefore such expenditures must be included on the USAspending.gov website. The Department of the Treasury must ensure that data relating to OTAs are automatically transmitted to the website and a centralized view of this data is available on the website. Treasury must also annually post on the USAspending.gov website a report that includes (1) the total amount of federal spending on federal awards for which data has not been posted on the website, and (2) the reason why such spending data was not posted. For 10 years after enactment, the Office of Inspector General of specified federal agencies must periodically submit to Congress and make publicly available a report assessing the agency's spending data and use of data standards.
S 825 requires the Justice Department to develop a report within 150 days on programs providing evidence-based mental health care for public safety officers, including police, firefighters, EMTs, and 911 dispatchers. The report must outline how to deliver trauma-informed care, peer support, and family services through in-person or telehealth options, while ensuring confidentiality for officers seeking help. It also needs to detail administrative efficiency across states and territories, draft necessary grant conditions, and estimate annual funding needs. This bill does not fund programs but sets a framework for future action based on the high rates of PTSD and suicide among these frontline workers.
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War.
This bill requires states to develop and annually update "family partnership plans" to improve recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive families. The plans must include specific data on foster family demographics, unutilized capacity, barriers to recruitment (especially racial/ethnic matching), and input from foster parents and youth. States must report this data to Congress annually, detailing challenges like why families stop fostering or adoptions fail. The law directly affects all states administering foster care programs under federal guidelines. It mandates concrete data collection and reporting to address gaps in family recruitment and placement stability.
This Senate resolution formally acknowledges and apologizes for the decades of discrimination and wrongful termination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who served in the U.S. military, Foreign Service, and federal civil service. The measure highlights historical policies, such as the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" rule and the "Lavender Scare," which forced hundreds of thousands of service members to leave their jobs or hide their identities, while also noting recent executive actions that have rescinded protections for gender identity. While the resolution reaffirms a commitment to equal rights and respect for all LGBT government employees, it explicitly states that it does not create any legal claims or settlements for affected individuals.
The Tax Court Parity Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to clarify the Tax Court's authority to correct errors or grant relief from final judgments. It allows the court to fix clerical mistakes at any time and provides specific grounds for overturning final decisions, including new evidence, fraud, or circumstances where justice requires it. The bill sets a one-year deadline for most motions to overturn a judgment and ensures that pending motions do not delay the original ruling. Additionally, it establishes a 90-day window for parties to appeal any new relief granted by the Tax Court.
The Tax Relief for Innocent Spouses Act allows the Tax Court to review innocent spouse claims from the beginning, rather than only reviewing the initial decision made by the IRS. This change directly affects married individuals who seek relief from tax liabilities caused by their spouse's unpaid taxes. The bill applies to any legal petitions or requests filed on or after the law's enactment date. It does not alter the existing rules for granting relief but ensures that courts can fully re-examine these cases without being limited to reviewing only the IRS's original ruling.
The End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2026 directs the U.S. government to increase foreign assistance aimed at diagnosing, treating, and preventing tuberculosis globally. This legislation establishes specific goals to reduce TB incidence and mortality rates by 2030, requiring the President to prioritize funding for high-risk populations, drug-resistant cases, and the development of new diagnostics and vaccines. The bill mandates extensive annual reporting to Congress on program progress, including data on patient outcomes, research investments, and coordination with international partners, while setting the program to expire in 2033 if these targets are met.
The Multigenerational Care and Support Act amends the Older Americans Act to expand funding for projects that connect younger and older individuals through shared activities. These grants will support mentorship programs and events held at senior centers, long-term care facilities, and other residential settings for older adults. The legislation also updates administrative details, such as changing which congressional committees oversee the grants and adjusting the timeline for when funding begins. Ultimately, the bill aims to increase opportunities for civic engagement and mutual support between different age groups.
This bill, known as the Drain the Slush Fund Act, prevents the U.S. government from paying any court judgments, settlements, or legal costs to the President or Vice President. It directly affects the federal budget and legal system by amending existing laws to block such payments for any lawsuits filed by these officials. The measure applies to all cases pending or filed on or after January 20, 2025, ensuring that no financial awards can be made to the highest-ranking executive officers.
HR 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act, requires employers to begin negotiating a first contract with a newly certified union within 10 days of written request. If no agreement is reached within 90 days, the parties must seek mediation, and if unresolved after 30 days of mediation, the dispute moves to binding arbitration by a three-member panel. The arbitration decision, based on factors like employer finances, industry standards, and cost of living, becomes binding for two years. This bill directly affects newly certified unions and their employers during initial contract negotiations, aiming to reduce delays that currently average 465 days.
