Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act This bill prohibits payment card networks from using merchant codes that distinguish firearms retailers from general-merchandise retailers or sporting-goods retailers. The Department of Justice must enforce this bill and report annually on the resulting investigations and cases.
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States, ending the current practice of changing clocks twice yearly. It repeals the 1966 law requiring seasonal time changes and adjusts time zone offsets to reflect permanent daylight saving time (e.g., shifting from "4 hours" to "3 hours" in historical references). States that currently opt out of daylight saving time (like Arizona and Hawaii) would retain their existing arrangements, while all other states would adopt permanent daylight saving time unless they choose to stay on standard time. This change would directly affect all U.S. residents by eliminating the need to reset clocks in spring and fall.
This resolution expresses support for the Trump administration's efforts to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It highlights specific findings from 29 states that shared data, noting issues such as deceased individuals receiving benefits and people using incorrect Social Security numbers. The bill aims to increase transparency and ensure taxpayer dollars are redirected to eligible low-income families rather than being lost to criminal actors.
The PROMISE Act of 2026 establishes a mandatory process for Congress to address Social Security solvency by requiring the Social Security Advisory Board to develop and submit specific legislative recommendations by September 2026. This legislation mandates that Congress convene and consider a Social Security bill by November 2026, with strict rules limiting debate to 100 hours and prohibiting amendments that would not achieve long-term solvency or alter the program's funding. To pass the bill, the Senate requires a three-fifths majority vote while the House requires a simple majority, and the process restricts the inclusion of unrelated provisions to ensure the focus remains on the financial stability of the Social Security Trust Funds.
The Mystic Alerts Act requires mobile service providers that offer satellite services to decide whether to send emergency alerts to subscribers via satellite in addition to standard networks. Providers that choose to participate must follow technical rules set by the Federal Communications Commission, allow customers to opt out, and cannot charge extra fees for this capability. The FCC is tasked with creating specific regulations within 18 months to ensure these alerts work effectively without disrupting regular phone calls or data usage. The law also protects participating companies from being sued if their satellite alert system fails or if they share user information with emergency responders.
The Protecting American Taxpayers Act is a comprehensive bill designed to combat government fraud, recover misused funds, and strengthen oversight across various federal programs. It directly affects federal agencies, state governments administering public assistance, small businesses, veterans, and contractors by imposing new reporting requirements, extending statutes of limitations for fraud cases, and restricting financial assistance to entities linked to foreign agents or the Taliban. Key mechanisms include requiring child care payments to be based on recorded attendance rather than enrollment, mandating investigations into sudden spikes in health care spending, prohibiting small businesses with convicted fraudsters from receiving loans, and creating a new officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs dedicated to scam prevention. Additionally, the legislation rescinds unspent pandemic-era funds for deficit reduction, expands whistleblower protections for defense and non-defense contractors, and establishes stricter rules against transferring public assistance money abroad via remittance transfers.
The PRESERVE Act requires the General Services Administration to create a special committee before selling or demolishing federal buildings that contain publicly commissioned artwork. This committee must include experts in art history and conservation, along with GSA staff, to develop a plan ensuring the art remains accessible to the public or is transferred to a museum. The agency cannot dispose of such properties until this preservation plan is finalized and approved, and the plan must be made available on the GSA website for public review. The law specifically targets art owned by the government that was managed by the GSA Fine Arts Program within the last five years.
The High Court Gift Ban Act prohibits federal judicial officers from accepting gifts from sources likely to appear before them, unless the gift is under $50, the total annual value from that source remains $100 or less, or it falls under specific exceptions like gifts from relatives or public events. The law defines a "gift" broadly to include items, services, and reimbursements, while allowing exceptions for personal hospitality within IRS limits and certain professional benefits available to the general public. Enforcement mechanisms include referrals to the Attorney General for violations, which can result in civil or criminal penalties similar to those for other federal ethics breaches. The bill requires the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference to create implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment to ensure compliance.
The Fair Seeds for Farmers Act limits intellectual property protections for plants, specifically preventing patents from being granted on plant varieties, germplasm, or other biological materials used for breeding and research. Under this bill, farmers and researchers would be unable to face legal enforcement for contractual agreements that restrict their ability to save seeds, conduct experiments, or propagate plants, provided they are not using the Plant Variety Protection Act or the Plant Patent Act. The law applies to patent applications and contracts created on or after its enactment, while leaving existing patents valid if they were filed before the bill takes effect. This measure aims to ensure that plant-related research and traditional farming practices remain free from restrictive patent claims.
This bill directs the U.S. Secretary of State to create and execute a plan to end the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) across the Middle East. The legislation requires a detailed strategy that assesses current programs like education and healthcare, identifies new organizations to take over these services, and outlines how to fund and oversee the transition without interrupting aid. Once the plan is submitted to Congress, the State Department must begin implementing it within a year while coordinating with host countries and international partners. The bill emphasizes maintaining service continuity and ensuring that any successor groups meet strict standards for transparency and accountability.
The Vaccine Injury Compensation Modernization Act of 2026 expands the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program by increasing the number of special masters to at least 10, extending their terms, and raising maximum compensation awards to $600,000 for both vaccine-related deaths and pain and suffering. The bill also extends the time limit for filing injury claims from 36 months to 5 years and requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include adults and pregnant women in its annual reports. Additionally, the legislation adds COVID-19 vaccines to the official list of covered vaccines, clarifies rules regarding civil lawsuits for vaccine injuries, and mandates the inclusion of specific vaccines like shingles and RSV in the federal excise tax. To fund these changes, the act raises the vaccine excise tax from 75 cents to $2.20 per dose and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to submit detailed budgets for the compensation programs.
This bill reformulates the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to improve how it reviews nuclear reactor safety and license applications. It limits the committee to a maximum of 15 members appointed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ensure diverse technical expertise, while also establishing specific rules for member terms and compensation. The legislation directs the committee to focus primarily on novel, safety-significant issues related to reactor design and requires the commission to request specific actions before the committee reviews license applications or submits reports. Additionally, the bill mandates that all committee reports be made part of the public record unless classified for security reasons, aiming to increase transparency and efficiency in the regulatory process.
