This bill, titled the "Millionaires Surtax Act," establishes a new 10% surcharge on high-income individuals. This additional tax applies to the portion of a taxpayer's "modified adjusted gross income" that exceeds $2,000,000 for married couples filing jointly, or $1,000,000 for single filers. The bill defines "modified adjusted gross income" with specific deductions and includes special rules for certain taxpayers, such as non-resident aliens and charitable trusts. If enacted, these changes would take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.
The Supporting VA Families Act grants unpaid parental leave to Department of Veterans Affairs employees. This provision allows employees to take four weeks of unpaid leave within a 12-month period for the birth of a child or for adoption and foster care placements. The leave is designed to supplement existing leave policies rather than replace them, ensuring employees can balance family needs with their work responsibilities. The act defines eligible employees and children according to existing federal definitions found in Title 5 of the United States Code.
This bill, known as the REWIRE Act, would streamline the process for upgrading power lines by exempting certain transmission upgrades from detailed environmental reviews when they occur within existing rights-of-way. It specifically allows utilities to replace or upgrade conductors and install new grid technologies without preparing environmental impact statements, provided the work stays within previously disturbed land or current corridors. The legislation also directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to create rules that improve financial returns for companies investing in advanced transmission materials like carbon fiber cables. Additionally, the bill establishes a federal modeling program to better predict grid performance and creates a technical assistance clearinghouse to help utilities implement these new technologies.
This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive study on liquid cooling technologies for data centers, specifically to assess their potential for improving energy efficiency as AI workloads grow. The study will evaluate technical aspects like single-phase vs. 2-phase cooling systems, coolant options, heat-reuse opportunities, and safety considerations, while comparing costs and benefits to traditional air cooling. Federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, will use the findings to inform future decisions about cooling infrastructure for government data centers and AI systems. The bill does not mandate new policies or funding but requires a detailed report within 90 days of enactment to guide future adoption.
This bill requires federal agencies to submit proposed regulations affecting power generation for review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) before finalizing them. It directly affects agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) when they develop rules related to power plants or grid operations. The key mechanism mandates that if FERC’s Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) identifies a risk of insufficient power supply, the Commission must notify relevant agencies and require them to submit their regulations for review. FERC can then comment on reliability impacts and recommend modifications to avoid disruptions, with agencies needing to address these comments before finalizing rules.
The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act places xylazine - a veterinary sedative increasingly found in illicit drug mixtures - into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, subjecting it to federal regulation as a controlled substance. It specifically allows veterinary use without requiring registration of the ultimate user (e.g., pet owners or veterinarians) if xylazine is dispensed by a registered veterinarian or pharmacy with a vet prescription and used for animals owned by the user, under their care, or in authorized animal programs. The bill provides a one-year delay for labeling and packaging requirements and a 60-day delay for registration and recordkeeping for veterinary use to ease implementation. Additionally, it adds xylazine to the Arcos tracking system for controlled substances and mandates two congressional reports on illicit use prevalence within 18 months and 4 years of enactment.
The ALERT Act (HR 7613) requires the Federal Aviation Administration to improve aviation safety through several key measures. It mandates the evaluation and potential implementation of enhanced collision avoidance systems (ACAS-Xa) for commercial aircraft and ACAS-Xr for rotorcraft, with specific deadlines for rulemaking and installation. The bill establishes committees to develop recommendations for safety technology requirements, requires safety risk assessments for air traffic controllers, and addresses operational procedures at high-traffic airports like Ronald Reagan Washington National. These provisions affect air carriers, air traffic controllers, rotorcraft operators, and Department of Defense aircraft operations. The act aims to enhance situational awareness and reduce midair collision risks through technology upgrades and improved safety protocols.
HR 2289, the Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act, exempts wireless broadband infrastructure deployments from certain federal environmental and historic preservation reviews. Specifically, it removes the requirement for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) reviews when federal agencies approve "eligible facilities requests" for wireless facilities. This directly affects wireless providers seeking federal permits to build broadband infrastructure, streamlining their approval process by eliminating these specific review requirements. The bill modifies existing law to treat such deployments as not constituting "major Federal actions" under NEPA or "undertakings" under NHPA.
This resolution formally recognizes April 10 as Dolores Huerta Day to honor the civil rights and labor leader's legacy. It does not create a federal holiday or change laws but expresses the House of Representatives' support for the designation. The text highlights Huerta's contributions to farm workers' rights, women's equality, and Latino political representation through a series of "whereas" clauses detailing her achievements. The resolution serves as a commemorative statement rather than a policy change, directing no new actions or funding.
This bill, the Retirement Annuity Supplement Clarity Act, clarifies how federal retirement annuity supplements are divided in court orders, such as divorce decrees. For future court orders, these supplements will be included in the division of an annuity unless the order specifically states otherwise. The bill also provides a one-time payment to certain federal retirees whose annuity supplements were retroactively divided by the Office of Personnel Management between 2016 and the bill's enactment, despite their court orders being silent or excluding the supplement. Additionally, any related overpayments made to annuitants or former spouses before the bill's enactment are waived.
The Senior Hunger Prevention Act of 2026 aims to improve food access for older adults, adults with disabilities, and kinship families by expanding and streamlining several federal nutrition programs. The bill extends SNAP certification periods, creates a standard medical expense deduction, and establishes simplified application processes for eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities. It also funds a new program to reimburse retail food stores for delivering groceries to these vulnerable populations and provides grants for outreach and application assistance. Additionally, the Act expands eligibility and increases funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, including grants for market modernization and infrastructure development to support local food access.
The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment Act of 2026 aims to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies in the United States. It expands the Department of Energy's (DOE) authority to regulate certain nuclear facilities and activities, including commercial ones on federal land or for federal purposes, and requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to revise related regulations. The bill establishes a "Nuclear Energy Launch Pad" program where private companies can test and demonstrate advanced nuclear reactors and fuel cycle technologies in designated federal zones, providing streamlined pathways to commercial licensing. Additionally, it allows Federal power marketing administrations to purchase, transmit, and market electricity from nuclear facilities. Finally, it creates a new program to repurpose surplus plutonium for use as fuel in advanced reactors, terminating the previous "dilute and dispose" program. These changes primarily affect the Department of Energy, private nuclear technology developers, federal power marketing agencies, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
