HR 7137, the Shutdown Fairness Act, requires federal agencies to pay covered employees (including most federal workers and military personnel) and covered contractors their regular pay during government shutdowns. It appropriates funds from the Treasury to cover standard employee compensation and contractor payments for work performed during a lapse in regular appropriations, ensuring pay continues without delay (within 7 days if a shutdown is ongoing at enactment) and aligns with regular pay schedules. The bill applies only to individuals employed or with accepted offers before the shutdown began and mandates that these payments be charged to future appropriations. It does not change agency obligations under existing contracts or authorize new spending beyond the specified shutdown period.
HR 7138 disallows tax deductions for mortgage interest and depreciation on single-family homes (1-4 units) owned by large investment entities with over $100 million in assets, while imposing a 100% excise tax on sales or transfers of such properties. The bill directly affects institutional landlords (e.g., large real estate investment firms), excluding government entities, nonprofits, and federally assisted housing. Revenue from the tax will fund low-income housing programs via the Housing Trust Fund. It also prohibits Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae from purchasing or guaranteeing mortgages for these properties. The provisions apply 18 months after enactment.
HR 7145 defines "essential health systems" as hospitals serving large numbers of Medicaid and low-income patients, specifically targeting non-Federal, nonprofit, or government-run hospitals that meet one of three criteria for at least two of the past three years (e.g., high Medicaid patient percentage, high uncompensated care, or top 16th percentile in state rankings for low-income care). The bill requires MACPAC to annually publish an "essential health system index" ranking qualifying hospitals nationally, by state, and within local areas, using data from Medicare reporting. Hospitals designated as essential health systems receive a five-year designation, renewable if they maintain eligibility. This framework aims to identify facilities providing critical community care for vulnerable populations through standardized metrics.
This bill requires U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement officers and agents to follow a new department-wide policy on use of force. It mandates that officers use only objectively reasonable force, prioritize de-escalation, ban chokeholds and carotid restraints, and complete regular training. The policy also requires DHS components to establish internal review teams to analyze incidents and report detailed data every six months - including incidents causing injury, death, or involving deadly force - to the public via the DHS website. Additionally, DHS must brief Congress and inform the public within 24 hours of any incident resulting in hospitalization or death.
This bill designates a portion of Interstate Route 680 in Omaha, Nebraska, as the Hal Daub Freeway. Harold John Daub Jr. served in the House of Representatives from 1981-1989 and as the mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, from 1995-2001.
SRES 585 is a commemorative resolution honoring Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a former U.S. Senator from Colorado and the first Native American to chair the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. It recognizes his military service, Olympic judo career, legislative work (including authoring the National Museum of the American Indian Act), and advocacy for tribal communities. The resolution has no policy impact - it formally expresses the Senate’s respect for his legacy, requests transmission to his family, and directs a moment of silence. It directly affects Campbell’s legacy and family, not any current policy or population. (Note: This is a procedural resolution, not a bill with legislative provisions.)
HRES 1004 is a symbolic House resolution honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy by celebrating diversity and condemning hate. It specifically calls for the House to celebrate his 97th birthday on January 19, 2026, and to condemn harassment, discrimination, or prejudice targeting Black Americans, Indigenous people, Jewish, Asian-American/Pacific Islander, Muslim, Hispanic/Latino communities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The resolution affirms Dr. King’s teachings on unity and equality but does not create new laws or impose obligations on any entity. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no legal effect and directly affects no individuals or groups.
S 3675, the ICE Protection Act of 2026, increases penalties for attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents using motor vehicles as weapons. The bill amends federal law to impose mandatory minimum prison terms of 5 years for bodily injury, 7 years for substantial injury, and 10 years for serious injury when a vehicle causes harm. It directly affects individuals who attack ICE agents with vehicles, raising the severity of sentencing for such acts. The key provision replaces existing penalties with these tiered minimum sentences based on the injury level caused by the vehicle attack.
The NDO Fairness Act of 2026 amends federal law to regulate when law enforcement can delay notifying individuals whose electronic communications data is accessed via warrants or subpoenas. It requires courts to issue written findings before granting "preclusion of notice" orders, limiting delays to 1 year for child exploitation cases or 90 days for other investigations, and mandates that such orders must be narrowly tailored to avoid unnecessary secrecy. After the delay period ends, law enforcement must notify the affected person within 5 business days and provide a copy of the warrant, along with details about the investigation and the data accessed (with redactions for sensitive materials like child exploitation evidence). This bill directly affects law enforcement agencies, technology providers (like internet or phone companies), and customers whose data is accessed under these orders, while requiring annual public reports on how often these orders are used.
S 3650, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, requires physicians performing abortions on minors traveling across state lines to provide 24 hours of "actual notice" (in person or in writing) to a parent before the procedure, or "constructive notice" (via certified mail) if actual notice isn't possible. The bill directly affects minors under 18 (not emancipated), their parents, and physicians in states where the minor resides but the abortion is performed. Key exceptions include life-threatening medical emergencies, court waivers for parental notification, documented child abuse, or when a parent accompanies the minor. Violations could lead to fines or imprisonment for those transporting minors to bypass parental involvement laws or physicians failing to comply with notification rules.
This bill would bar certain foreign nationals from entering the U.S. by making them inadmissible if they committed severe religious freedom violations while serving as foreign government officials or directly participated in such violations abroad. It specifically targets individuals who, outside the U.S., directed, supported, or carried out "particularly severe violations of religious freedom" as defined by existing law. The bill requires the State Department to publicly list the names of inadmissible individuals and the locations of violations, with limited exceptions for national security reasons where the State Department must report exclusions to Congress. This affects visa applicants and immigrants who have been involved in religious persecution, not U.S. citizens or residents.
S 3672, the NASA Talent Exchange Program Act, creates a temporary exchange program between NASA and private sector entities. It allows NASA employees to be assigned to private companies (for up to 2 years, renewable to 4 years) and private sector employees to be assigned to NASA, subject to written agreements, employee consent, and specific terms. Key provisions require NASA employees returning to the private sector to serve in federal roles for twice the assignment period, prohibit misuse of sensitive information, and mandate annual reports to Congress on participation and outcomes. The program aims to enhance skills in areas like cybersecurity while maintaining strict conflict-of-interest safeguards and prohibiting private entities from billing the government for assigned employees' pay.
