This bill ensures continued pay for specific Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel and Coast Guard members during government shutdowns in fiscal years 2026-2027. It directly affects DHS law enforcement officers (including those in job series like 0083, 1801, and 1811), DHS administrative and payroll staff, and Coast Guard personnel. The bill authorizes emergency funding from the Treasury to cover their pay and allowances when regular appropriations are not in place. This funding expires on January 1, 2027, or earlier if Congress passes a new appropriations bill covering these costs.
The Food Farmacy Act of 2025 authorizes $10 million annually (2026-2030) in federal grants to fund "healthy food pharmacies" that provide free nutritious food and nutrition guidance from qualified health professionals to low-income, rural, or food-insecure communities. These pharmacies must serve Medicaid/SNAP recipients at no cost and align with the Department of Health and Human Services' "Food is Medicine" initiative. Grants cover construction, equipment, staffing, and food acquisition, with recipients required to report annual data on patrons served, health outcomes, and program effectiveness. The bill directly supports communities facing food insecurity by integrating grocery access with healthcare services, targeting non-profits, local governments, and tribal organizations.
This bill permanently bans nitazenes and all structurally related synthetic opioids under federal law, creating a broad definition that covers numerous chemical variations designed to evade current restrictions. It directly affects anyone manufacturing, distributing, or possessing these substances without authorization, including illicit drug producers and users. The key mechanism is a class-wide Schedule I classification that includes specific structural features (like modified benzimidazole rings) and excludes new analogs from legal loopholes. This approach aims to prevent new nitazene variants from entering the illegal market and addresses their role in overdose deaths. Substances previously temporarily banned under similar rules will now be permanently prohibited as of the bill's enactment.
HR 5401, the Pay Our Troops Act of 2026, ensures military personnel, civilian Defense workers, and supporting contractors receive pay during government funding gaps in fiscal year 2026. It appropriates emergency funds for active-duty service members, reserves, and their supporting personnel (including Coast Guard staff under DHS) if regular appropriations aren't enacted by the end of the fiscal year. The bill provides necessary pay and allowances during any period when full-year funding is unavailable, covering both active service and support roles. Funding expires when regular appropriations are passed, a funding resolution is enacted, or January 1, 2027, whichever comes first. This is a procedural measure to prevent pay delays for military and support staff during fiscal year 2026 funding lapses.
HR 5403, the Enhancing COPS Hiring Program Grants for Local Law Enforcement Act, amends federal law to allow local law enforcement agencies facing officer recruitment shortages or high turnover to use COPS Program grants for recruitment and retention bonuses. The bill specifically adds a new provision (25) to the grant program, enabling agencies to fund bonuses for hiring or keeping officers when they experience declining recruitment or elevated retirements/resignations. This change directly affects eligible local police departments seeking to address staffing challenges through existing federal funding. The key mechanism expands the permitted uses of COPS grants to include performance-based bonuses, without creating new funding streams. The bill focuses on practical tools for agencies struggling to maintain staffing levels.
The FAMILY Act would establish a national paid family and medical leave insurance program that provides wage replacement benefits for workers needing time off for caregiving or medical reasons. It defines "qualified caregiving" to include caring for a family member with a serious health condition, personal medical needs, or recovery from violence (including domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking). Benefits would be calculated based on earnings, with a minimum monthly benefit of $580 and maximum of $4,000, administered by a new Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration. Eligible individuals would need to have worked for at least 8 quarters in the previous year and file an application with required documentation, while existing state paid leave programs would continue to operate alongside this federal program.
HR 3427, the Water Resources Technical Assistance Review Act, requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) clean water technical assistance programs within one year of the bill's enactment. The GAO must examine how the EPA selects and partners with technical assistance providers, matches services to community needs (especially in economically distressed areas), coordinates with other agencies, and whether the assistance helps communities access broader water infrastructure programs. The review will also assess duplication across EPA programs and gaps in serving communities eligible for clean water infrastructure support. The EPA must then submit annual plans detailing how it implements the GAO's recommendations to improve these programs.
Equal COLA Act This bill applies a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for annuities paid under the Federal Employees Retirement System that is equal to the increase in inflation, regardless of the amount of the increase. Specifically, for any year in which the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased over the previous year, the COLA amount shall be increased by the change in the CPI from the previous year. Current law applies an adjustment equal to the change in CPI only if the change is 2% or less. If the change is between 2% and 3%, the adjustment is limited to 2%. If the change is more than 3%, the adjustment is limited to 1% less than the change.
Saving the Civil Service Act This bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination while excepted service positions are appointed under one of five schedules. Competitive service positions have notice and appeal requirements for adverse actions that are not applicable to most excepted positions, including those of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character under Schedule C.) On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new Schedule F in the excepted service. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden. The bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in a schedule in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent.
This bill (HCONRES 48) is a ceremonial resolution authorizing the use of the U.S. Capitol rotunda for a "lying in honor" ceremony for Charles James Kirk, a recognized advocate for free speech, civil discourse, and youth political engagement. It grants permission for his remains to be displayed in the rotunda, with timing and duration to be determined by the House Speaker, Senate President pro tempore, and the Capitol Architect. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally permits a traditional honor reserved for individuals who have made significant contributions to the nation. It affects no specific group or legislation, serving only as a commemorative gesture for Kirk's legacy.
HRES 716 is a symbolic resolution designating September 15-19, 2025, as "National Clean Energy Week" to raise awareness about clean energy. It encourages voluntary actions like investing in clean energy technologies but does not create new laws, funding, or requirements. The resolution cites the clean energy sector's economic role (noting 8.5 million U.S. jobs in 2024 per the Department of Energy) and applauds national laboratories. As a non-binding gesture, it directly affects no individuals or entities but aims to promote existing clean energy initiatives.
HRES 708 is a symbolic resolution designating September 15-19, 2025, as "Medical Research Week" to honor the contributions of medical research. It recognizes the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for driving health breakthroughs, supporting over 400,000 jobs, and boosting economic growth through research on diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. The resolution contains no policy changes or funding provisions - it solely encourages public acknowledgment of medical research’s role in improving health and the economy. As a non-binding House resolution, it does not alter laws or budgets.
