This bill expands the State Department's Regional Technology Officer program to specifically include experts in biotechnology and emerging life sciences. It mandates that these officers receive specialized training in areas such as gene editing, biosecurity, and international biotechnology regulations to better support U.S. foreign policy goals. The legislation requires the Secretary of State to hire biotechnology-focused officers by fiscal year 2026 and submit a detailed implementation plan to Congress within 180 days. Additionally, the bill creates an exemption from hiring freezes to allow the Department to recruit the necessary personnel and establishes a requirement for annual reports on the program's progress and diplomatic outcomes.
This bill reauthorizes and expands the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act through 2031, extending funding for research into treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It requires drug manufacturers to share interim clinical trial data with the FDA to better assess the progress of investigational drugs and clarifies that phase 3 clinical trial definitions include combined phase 2/3 trials and planned trials not yet enrolling participants. The legislation also mandates the FDA to publish an updated five-year action plan for ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases, including resource needs and coordination strategies with broader disease communities. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report on the program's implementation four years after enactment.
This bill requires the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to study how public K-12 schools across all states teach about the Holocaust. The study will examine whether Holocaust education is mandatory or optional in curricula, review teaching materials and methods, and assess how schools measure student understanding of the Holocaust and related issues like antisemitism. It specifically looks at teacher training, use of museum resources, and challenges schools face in implementing this education. The museum must submit a detailed report to Congress within three years of the bill's enactment. This study aims to inform future educational approaches but does not change current school requirements.
Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information from federal agencies and report to Congress regarding projects that are behind schedule or have expenditures that have exceeded the original cost estimate. Specifically, the bill requires OMB to issue guidance directing federal agencies to annually submit specified information to OMB regarding certain federally funded projects that (1) are more than five years behind schedule, or (2) have expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost estimate for the project. Among other information, the agencies must submit to OMB a description of each project; an explanation of any change to the original scope of the project; the original and current expected dates for the completion of the project; the original and current cost estimates adjusted for inflation; an explanation for any delays in completing the project or increases in the cost; and the amount of and rationale for any award, incentive fee, or other type of bonus awarded for the project. The bill also requires OMB to submit an annual report to Congress containing the information submitted by the agencies and post the report on the OMB website. The report must be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
The RAAM Act repeals federal fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks starting with the 2029 model year, removing the requirement for manufacturers to meet specific mileage targets. It also prevents states from creating their own fuel economy rules, reserving this authority exclusively to the federal government. Additionally, the bill updates legal definitions to clarify how vehicles are classified and modifies the process for challenging federal regulations in court. These changes directly affect automobile manufacturers, state governments, and consumers by eliminating federal mileage mandates and blocking state-level fuel economy laws.
The Preventing Forced Abortions Act of 2026 prohibits federal courts from enforcing any part of a surrogacy agreement that forces a surrogate mother to have an abortion. Instead, the law mandates that courts must uphold the financial compensation promised to the surrogate, even if the contract includes penalties or reduced payments for refusing an abortion. This legislation grants federal district courts specific authority to hear civil cases involving surrogacy contracts and defines key terms such as "abortion" and "surrogate mother" to clarify the scope of the protections.
The STRATA Act of 2026 establishes a new program within the Department of State to foster international partnerships focused on advancing critical minerals technologies, aiming to strengthen U.S. supply chains and national security. This initiative allows the Secretary of State to form alliances with allied and partner nations, universities, and private companies while explicitly prohibiting collaborations with designated countries of concern such as China and Russia. Key provisions include the creation of International Centers of Excellence for research and training, the development of a digital platform to connect stakeholders with funding opportunities, and the establishment of clear guidelines for intellectual property and data security within these partnerships. The program authorizes the use of specific funding sources to support joint projects in extraction, recycling, and manufacturing, with a requirement that all activities conclude within ten years of the bill's enactment.
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027 This bill provides continuing FY2027 appropriations for federal agencies and extends various expiring programs and authorities. Specifically, the bill provides continuing FY2027 appropriations to federal agencies through the earlier of December 4, 2026, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations act. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2027 appropriations bills have not been enacted when FY2027 begins on October 1, 2026. The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2026 levels with several exceptions that provide funding flexibility or additional appropriations for various programs. For example, the bill includes exceptions for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); Small Business Administration loan programs; the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund; the Indian Health Service; and wildfire suppression activities. In addition, the bill extends several expiring programs, authorities, and restrictions, including the Department of Agriculture’s livestock mandatory price reporting program, the National Flood Insurance Program, limits on pay increases for the Vice President and certain senior political appointees, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the authority to waive certain pay limitations that apply to wildland firefighters and other wildland fire personnel, the authority for the District of Columbia to spend local funds, and the freeze on cost-of-living adjustments for Members of Congress. The bill also provides the customary payments to the beneficiaries of the late Representative David Scott and the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
This bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 86-014 Farrington Highway in Wai'anae, Hawai'i, as the "U.S Representative Colleen Hanabusa Post Office Building".
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 restricts the importation, sale, and use of connected vehicles and related technology from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea to protect national security. Starting in 2027, the bill generally bans these vehicles if they originate from or are controlled by these countries, with separate restrictions on software and hardware taking effect in 2030. The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to issue specific exemptions for items that do not pose a security risk and must publish a list of approved products. The law also requires companies to submit declarations confirming their vehicles comply with the rules and imposes heavy fines for violations.
The Main Street Capital Access Act reduces regulatory burdens for smaller banks, particularly those with less than $10 billion in assets. Key provisions include a 3-year phase-in period for new banks to meet capital requirements, lower leverage ratio requirements for rural banks (7.5% for the first 2 years), and a 30-day review process for business plan deviations. The bill also establishes an Office of Independent Examination Review, sets specific timelines for examinations (270 days) and reports (90 days), and creates a "least cost exception" for bank resolutions to prevent excessive concentration of the banking system. These changes aim to promote new bank formation, improve regulatory efficiency, and support community banking while maintaining financial stability.
The Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act prohibits federal agencies from buying, using, or contracting for automated surveillance systems that rely on license plate recognition, facial recognition, biometric identification, or other technologies designed for mass tracking. It also prevents state, local, and tribal governments from using federal funds to acquire or operate these same surveillance tools. If federal agencies obtain data in violation of these rules, the law requires them to delete the information within 30 days and bars its use as evidence in any court or administrative proceeding.
