The HARVEST Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study by September 30, 2026, on how to better support 1890 Institutions in providing technical assistance for transferring agricultural land and assets. This initiative specifically aims to help the next generation of farmers and ranchers navigate issues related to heirs property, which is defined as land held jointly by relatives where title was acquired from a family member. The report will explore ways these educational institutions can improve their programs to facilitate the succession of farms and ranches to future generations.
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.
The Veterans Affairs Heritage Act of 2026 establishes a new Department of Veterans Affairs History Office located in Dayton, Ohio, to collect, preserve, and share the history of the Department and its predecessor organizations. This office will manage existing programs like the Veterans Legacy Program and the Veterans' History Project, while also building facilities for archives, public exhibits, and training on historical preservation. To support these efforts, the bill authorizes the Secretary to accept donations, enter into partnerships with nonprofits, and lease property to generate revenue for the office's operations. Additionally, the legislation requires the Secretary to submit a long-range planning report within 180 days and mandates annual progress reports to Congress until the Department's centennial year in 2030.
The Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act expands legal protections for firearm manufacturers and sellers by immediately dismissing any lawsuits currently pending against them that allege harm caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of their products. The bill defines these protected cases as those where the injury resulted from a third party's illegal actions rather than a defect in the product itself, while explicitly excluding claims involving negligent entrustment, specific federal violations, or design defects. To enforce these protections, the law allows defendants to remove such cases from state courts to federal court and grants them the right to appeal dismissal orders immediately. Additionally, the legislation preempts state and local laws that attempt to hold these companies liable for product misuse and provides for attorney's fees for defendants who successfully assert their immunity.
This bill, known as the Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act, expands legal protections for firearm manufacturers and sellers by strengthening their immunity from civil lawsuits. It requires courts to immediately dismiss any pending cases against these companies that are based on the criminal or unlawful misuse of a gun by a third party, while also clarifying that sellers are not liable for negligence in entrusting products to others. The legislation further restricts who can file such suits by prohibiting foreign governments from bringing these claims and adding a specific exception for victims under the age of 17, though it maintains immunity for cases involving design or manufacturing defects. Additionally, the bill allows companies to move these cases to federal court and grants them the right to appeal dismissal orders immediately, along with the ability to recover legal fees if they win. Finally, it preempts state and local laws that attempt to impose liability on these entities for the same types of misuse-related harms.
The Stop Serial Litigation Act of 2026 limits the amount of legal fees the government can award to private parties in administrative and court cases to prevent repetitive lawsuits. It caps annual fee awards at $300,000 for most organizations and non-profits, while also setting a maximum hourly rate of $175 for attorneys in most cases, with a lower rate of $125 for veterans and social security matters. Additionally, the bill requires detailed itemized records of how attorneys spend their time and restricts payments to expert witnesses to rates no higher than what the government itself pays. These rules apply to cases involving various federal agencies but include specific exceptions for the Veteran's Administration and the Social Security Administration.
This bill establishes the Foreign Investment Review Authority (FIRA), a new independent agency tasked with monitoring and enforcing foreign investment commitments made by other countries to the United States. FIRA would be led by a board of directors and an ethics officer, with oversight from a public board appointed by congressional leaders, to review investments and ensure they provide specific economic benefits such as creating quality jobs and sourcing materials domestically. The legislation requires investors to submit detailed notices and quarterly updates, while FIRA has the power to mediate terms or prohibit investments that fail to meet strict criteria regarding economic impact and ethical compliance. Additionally, the bill mandates regular public and congressional reporting on investment progress and creates a formal process for appealing FIRA's decisions in federal court.
The Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Enforcement and Coordination Act establishes a new task force within the Department of Justice to coordinate efforts against cryptocurrency theft. Led by the Attorney General, this group will include representatives from agencies such as the FBI and the Treasury to improve how federal, state, and local law enforcement investigate and prosecute these crimes. The task force is responsible for sharing information, providing training on digital evidence collection, and identifying gaps in current laws without creating new criminal offenses or regulating digital assets. Additionally, the Attorney General must submit annual reports to Congress detailing the task force's activities and offering recommendations for future improvements.
This bill requires states and tribal organizations that run school lunch programs to also participate in the Summer EBT program, which provides food assistance to children during summer breaks. For the summers of 2024 through 2026, participation in the summer program remains voluntary for these entities. Starting in summer 2027, joining the summer program becomes mandatory for any state or tribal organization that already participates in the school lunch program. The legislation also updates administrative rules to ensure states submit management plans for these programs by specific deadlines each year.
The Housing Supply Fund Act of 2026 creates a new $5 billion fund within the Treasury Department to provide competitive grants for affordable housing projects. Eligible recipients include certified financial institutions, nonprofit housing organizations, and public housing agencies, with funds intended for low- and very low-income renters and homeowners earning up to 120 percent of the area median income. Grant money can be used to establish loan reserves, capitalize revolving funds, provide risk-sharing loans, or convert commercial properties into affordable housing in urban, suburban, rural, and Tribal areas. The bill requires that all awarded funds be committed for use within four years, with unused amounts recaptured for future funding rounds, while limiting administrative expenses to no more than 5 percent of the total appropriation.
This resolution condemns the actions of those seeking to defraud the U.S. government. The resolution also expresses the belief of the House of Representatives that (1) legislative and policy reforms to prevent fraud and improper payment will meaningfully improve the continued financial prosperity of the U.S. government and the American taxpayer, and (2) federal program eligibility and spending activities should be verified prior to payments being issued.
The SAFE for Kids Act of 2026 requires internet platforms that host more than one-third sexual material harmful to minors to verify the age of users before they can access that content. Covered entities must implement systems using government-issued IDs, transactional data, or other reliable methods to confirm users are not under 18, while strictly prohibiting the retention or sale of the personal information collected during this process. The Federal Trade Commission is tasked with enforcing these rules through civil penalties and rulemaking, while the Department of Justice can pursue criminal charges against violators, including fines and imprisonment. Additionally, the law allows parents to sue platforms directly in civil court if their children gain access to prohibited material, and it mandates regular reports to Congress on enforcement activities.
