This bill clarifies when franchisors can be held legally responsible for franchisee employees' pay and working conditions under federal labor laws. It specifies that franchisors are only joint employers if they exercise "substantial direct and immediate control" over essential employment terms like wages, hours, hiring, or discipline - excluding routine brand standards or training. The law explicitly states that franchisors do not become joint employers for actions like setting operating hours, minimum staffing levels, or offering brand guidelines. This directly affects franchisors, franchisees, and their employees by reducing legal uncertainty in the $825 billion franchise sector.
S 2903, the Safe Step Act, requires health insurance plans and employers offering health coverage to establish a clear, timely process for patients or doctors to request exceptions when step therapy protocols (where insurers require trying cheaper drugs first) would harm a patient. It mandates approval for exceptions if prior drugs failed, delay would cause severe harm, a drug is unsafe, or a patient is stable on their current medication. Plans must respond to requests within 72 hours (or 24 hours in emergencies) and cover the requested drug without extra cost-sharing. The bill also requires annual reports to the government on exception requests, approvals, denials, and trends by medical condition or specialty. This directly affects patients on health plans with step therapy, their doctors, and the insurers managing those plans.
The HELP Copays Act requires that financial assistance from non-profit organizations or prescription drug manufacturers counts toward patients' annual out-of-pocket cost-sharing limits (like deductibles and copays) for certain prescription drugs. It directly affects individuals enrolled in group health plans or individual insurance who receive such assistance, ensuring payments from these sources reduce their total out-of-pocket spending. The bill amends key healthcare laws to include these payments in calculating cost-sharing thresholds, specifically for specialty drugs and drugs subject to utilization management (like prior authorization). It takes effect for plan years beginning in 2026 and does not change how utilization management tools are applied.
Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working Animals Act or the BOWOW Act This bill establishes that a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) convicted of, or who admits to having committed, an offense related to harming animals used in law enforcement is inadmissible and deportable.
Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026 This bill makes certain acts related to public benefits fraud grounds for (1) barring a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) from admission into the United States, or (2) deporting the individual. The bill also makes such an individual ineligible for immigration enforcement relief, including relief for an individual in danger of subjection to torture. Specifically, this bill applies to individuals who have been convicted of, admit to having committed, or admit to acts which constitute certain offenses. Offenses covered by this bill include (1) fraud involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, (2) fraud involving Social Security benefits, (3) fraud involving programs that receive federal funds, and (4) the production of fraudulent identification documents.
HR 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, prevents federal agencies from banning lead ammunition or tackle on public lands and waters managed for hunting or fishing. It directly affects hunters and anglers using federal lands (like national wildlife refuges, public forests, and BLM lands) by blocking nationwide restrictions on lead products. The bill allows limited exceptions only for specific locations where wildlife decline is directly linked to lead use, and the restriction must align with state law or get approval from the state wildlife agency. This changes how federal land managers can regulate lead, requiring state coordination for any local restrictions.
This concurrent resolution authorizes the use of the Capitol Rotunda for a lying in state ceremony honoring six U.S. Air Force service members: Major John A. Klinner, Captain Ariana G. Savino, Captain Seth R. Koval, Captain Curtis J. Angst, Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, and Technical Sergeant Tyler H. Simmons. The bill permits their remains to be displayed in the Rotunda on a date determined by the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, with the Architect of the Capitol coordinating the necessary arrangements. It serves as a formal recognition of these individuals' service during Operation Epic Fury and establishes the procedural framework for the ceremony without specifying exact dates or additional policy changes.
This bill, titled the Stop Insider Trading Act, would restrict Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from purchasing stocks in publicly traded companies. It requires these individuals to provide advance public notice at least seven days before selling any covered investments, with the notice filed with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate. The law includes exceptions for certain occupational transactions and reinvested dividends, and establishes penalties including fees and mandatory sales for violations.
This bill would allow businesses and financial institutions to provide services to cannabis companies without fear of federal penalties, even though cannabis remains illegal under federal law. It prohibits federal agencies from taking adverse actions against anyone who offers financial products, insurance, legal services, or other business assistance to cannabis-related legitimate businesses operating in states where it is legal. Additionally, the bill would permit national stock exchanges to list and trade securities from cannabis companies by creating a legal safe harbor that protects exchanges and market participants from federal prosecution. The law would take effect 180 days after it is signed into legislation.
The Energy Bills Relief Act aims to lower household energy costs and accelerate the development of low-cost, clean energy by modifying federal tax credits, expanding weatherization programs, and streamlining permitting processes. Key provisions include restoring tax incentives for renewable energy projects, increasing funding for low-income heating assistance, and requiring federal agencies to treat wind, solar, and storage projects with the same procedural fairness as oil and gas projects. The bill also establishes new incentives for upgrading the electricity grid, such as tax credits for transmission lines and grants for wildfire prevention measures, while creating mechanisms to ensure utilities serve public interests and protect consumers from price volatility.
The Feeding Families Not Fear Act of 2026 reverses specific provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 by restoring funding and benefits that were previously cut. It directly affects low-income families and individuals who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by reinstating benefits that were reduced under earlier legislation. The bill achieves this by repealing two sections that increased funding for immigration and customs enforcement and another section that modified SNAP benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. By removing these changes, the legislation returns SNAP provisions to their previous state as if the 2025 law had not been enacted.
This bill creates a new provision (Section 238A) in immigration law requiring the Department of Homeland Security to expedite the removal (deportation) of certain non-citizens. It directly affects individuals who are: (1) criminal gang members or members of a foreign terrorist organization, or (2) convicted of specific serious crimes including felonies, assaults against vulnerable groups (defined as children under 16, pregnant women, disabled individuals, or seniors over 65), sexual offenses, domestic violence, or child exploitation crimes. The bill mandates mandatory detention and faster removal proceedings for these individuals, and explicitly states they cannot seek withholding of removal (a form of protection from deportation). It does not change existing immigration categories but adds these specific grounds for expedited removal.
