The EQUALS Act of 2025 extends the probation period for most federal employees in the competitive service from one year to two years, while setting a one-year probation for preference-eligible employees (such as veterans). It also establishes a two-year "trial period" for employees in the excepted service (e.g., certain security roles), with a one-year period for preference eligibles. The bill requires federal agencies to formally evaluate employees during this period and certify in writing whether continued employment serves the public interest before the probation ends, with specific notice deadlines for employees and supervisors. Exceptions include supervisors, the U.S. Postal Service, and Congress.
This bill, titled the Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, provides funding for the Department of Homeland Security and extends certain continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2026. It allocates money for various DHS components including border security, immigration enforcement, cybersecurity, disaster relief, and law enforcement training. The bill also includes the SAVE America Act, which requires states to verify voter citizenship through documentary proof and mandates photo identification for voting in federal elections. Additionally, it establishes reporting requirements for DHS budgeting and oversight, and prohibits certain border crossing fees.
This bill strengthens fraud prevention in two federal child care programs: the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). It requires the Secretary to investigate fraud involving program funds and mandates permanent debarment (removal from the program) for providers found to have committed fraud, such as submitting false information, misrepresenting services, or improperly spending funds. Providers debarred from one program (like CACFP) face automatic debarment from the other (CCDBG), creating a unified enforcement mechanism. The law directly affects child care providers receiving federal funding, aiming to protect taxpayer dollars by ensuring only compliant providers continue to serve eligible families.
This bill, known as the BETS OFF Act, would make it illegal for anyone to place, accept, or facilitate bets on specific events such as acts of terrorism, assassinations, wars, or government actions that are not primarily financial in nature. The law defines these prohibited events as those where the outcome is controlled by a person or known in advance, while explicitly excluding standard insurance products and federal risk programs from the ban. In addition to criminalizing the betting activity itself, the bill updates existing federal gambling laws to include these prohibited wagers under current anti-gambling statutes and prevents financial exchanges from clearing or trading contracts based on these specified events. The measure takes effect 30 days after it is signed into law and would be enforced through civil actions brought by the Attorney General.
This bill extends and expands a federal program that provides free legal and accounting services to help heirs resolve ownership disputes on farmland and forest land with multiple owners. It authorizes up to $60 million annually through 2031 to fund nonprofit organizations that offer these services at no cost to underserved heirs, who are defined as individuals with low income, members of socially disadvantaged groups, or veterans. The program requires participating organizations to report their progress annually and allows for limited expansion to heirs whose land is not currently farmland but could be used for agriculture, conservation, or forestry. Additionally, the bill updates the program's authorization period and requires annual reporting on the program's operations and outcomes to Congress.
This bill directs the NASA Administrator to begin planning and establishing the initial components of a lunar outpost by December 31, 2030. The legislation amends existing federal law to create a specific timeline for this space exploration initiative, requiring NASA to actively pursue the development of these outpost elements. The primary affected party is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which must incorporate this directive into its operational planning and budget considerations. This measure formalizes a long-term goal for lunar presence without specifying detailed design requirements or funding allocations.
This bill prohibits the issuance of U.S. visas to individuals who have committed particularly severe violations of religious freedom, either while serving as foreign government officials or while acting outside the United States. It directly affects foreign nationals by adding them to the list of inadmissible aliens under U.S. immigration law if they meet specific criteria related to religious persecution. The law requires the Secretary of State to publish the names and locations of these individuals on a public website, though the Secretary retains discretion to withhold identities if doing so would harm U.S. foreign policy interests. This measure expands existing immigration restrictions to specifically target those responsible for religious freedom violations, creating a new ground for visa denial.
This bill establishes the Taiwan Critical Undersea Infrastructure Resilience Initiative to protect submarine cables and energy pipelines near Taiwan from sabotage, particularly by the People's Republic of China. It directs the State Department to create a program that includes advanced monitoring systems, rapid response protocols, enhanced maritime surveillance, and international cooperation to detect and mitigate threats to these critical communication and energy assets. The legislation authorizes $20 million annually through 2032 for these activities and mandates the hardening of undersea infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to damage. Additionally, the bill authorizes the President to impose sanctions on foreign entities that sabotage or facilitate attacks on undersea infrastructure critical to Taiwan or U.S. allies, and requires the creation of a Cross-Strait Contingency Planning Group to coordinate U.S. government responses to potential crises involving Taiwan.
The Moldova Support Act of 2026 establishes a formal strategic dialogue between the United States and Moldova to advance bilateral priorities including defense cooperation, EU accession support, and energy security. The bill requires the State Department to submit a four-year strategy report within 30 days of enactment outlining how the U.S. will support Moldova's goal of joining the European Union by 2030 while countering Russian and Chinese influence. Additionally, the legislation maintains existing U.S. sanctions on specific Moldovan political figures and entities, preventing their removal until congressional committees receive written certification that these individuals are no longer engaging in the behaviors that led to the sanctions.
This bill (HR 7084) restricts U.S. port access for vessels arriving from specific Western Hemisphere ports that have been seized or expropriated by foreign governments from U.S. owners. It applies only to ports in countries with U.S. free trade agreements, where the port or its exclusive access land (owned by a U.S. person) was nationalized without proper compensation. The President must designate such ports if a foreign government seizes U.S. property under a free trade agreement, and may deny entry to vessels transiting those designated ports until the dispute is resolved. This policy change directly affects U.S. vessel operators and foreign governments involved in property disputes, requiring the President to remove designations once compensation is provided or the dispute is resolved.
Representing our Seniors at VA Act of 2025 This bill expands the membership of the Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee within the Veterans Health Administration by requiring the addition of one representative from the National Association of State Veterans Homes who holds a professional license in nursing home administration. Additionally, the committee must consult with the National Association of Veterans State Homes with respect to matters concerning the association.
This resolution formally acknowledges historical and ongoing injustices in women's healthcare, particularly affecting marginalized groups such as Black, Indigenous, immigrant, LGBTQ+, disabled, and low-income women. It highlights specific issues including dismissed pain, lack of bodily autonomy, and past medical abuses like non-consensual sterilization and coercive contraceptive testing. The bill calls for patient-centered care, expanded research, and stronger protections for reproductive and gynecological health, while urging the federal government to address systemic bias in medical settings.
