The DOMINANCE Act aims to reduce U.S. reliance on strategic competitors like China for critical minerals by building international partnerships to secure diversified supply chains. It establishes a Minerals Security Partnership to coordinate diplomatic, development, and financial support for critical mineral projects with allies, creates a new Office of Energy Security Compacts to develop multi-year agreements with partner countries, and sets up a new Assistant Secretary position for Energy Security at the State Department. The bill also includes education programs like the Critical Mineral Mining Fellowship Program to build U.S. workforce capacity in mining. These measures are designed to enhance U.S. national security and economic competitiveness by ensuring reliable access to critical minerals needed for defense, technology, and energy systems.
HR 6916, the Federal Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act of 2025, prohibits individuals convicted of specific federal fraud-related felonies from receiving federal contracts, grants, or other financial assistance. It automatically adds such individuals to the federal exclusion database (System for Award Management) within three years of conviction, preventing their access to federal funds. Agency heads may grant limited written waivers for exemptions, but must notify Congress immediately. The bill applies to all federal agencies and requires the Attorney General and General Services Administrator to issue implementation guidance within one year of enactment. It targets individuals convicted of offenses like wire fraud, identity theft, or bribery under specified federal laws.
HR 6230, the Tehran Incitement to Violence Act, requires the U.S. Secretary of State to annually determine whether 18 specific Iranian religious and political figures or entities - such as clerics who issued fatwas calling for violence against U.S. President Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu, and institutions like the Qom Seminary - meet criteria for sanctions under existing U.S. authorities. The bill mandates these determinations every 180 days for up to six years, using established frameworks like Executive Order 13224 (blocking property of terrorism supporters). It directly affects the named individuals and organizations by subjecting them to potential U.S. sanctions if found to meet the criteria. The legislation focuses on formalizing the process for designating these entities under current sanction regimes, without altering existing penalties or making new policy changes.
HR 5248 reorganizes the Department of State to better integrate economic policy with foreign policy by creating new leadership positions and bureaus focused on economic aspects of international relations. The bill establishes an Under Secretary for Economic Affairs to oversee economic growth, trade, energy, technology, and environmental policies, replacing the previous Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment. It also creates a Chief Economist, Assistant Secretaries for Commercial Diplomacy, Water/Environment/Space Affairs, Energy Security, and Sanctions Policy, along with corresponding bureaus to coordinate these economic policy areas. The bill includes funding provisions for these new roles and updates existing references in law to reflect the new titles and responsibilities. This restructuring aims to improve coordination of economic policy across the Department of State to advance U.S. economic interests internationally.
HR 3429 establishes a formal US-Japan-ROK Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue to deepen trilateral cooperation. It creates a US delegation of up to 8 Congress members (2 each from House/Senate leadership, with committee requirements) to meet annually with Japanese and South Korean legislators. The bill mandates annual reports to the Foreign Affairs and Foreign Relations committees and requires the delegation to rotate leadership between House and Senate every two years. This legislation directly affects US congressional members appointed to the delegation and provides a structured mechanism for ongoing policy coordination among the three nations.
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2026 This bill reauthorizes the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom through 2028. The commission is an independent federal commission tasked with monitoring international religious freedom conditions, reviewing U.S. government policy, and making policy recommendations. (Under current law, the commission is authorized through FY2026.)
This bill, known as the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act, amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to improve special education services for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind. It requires states to identify these students regardless of how they are currently classified, ensuring they receive specialized instruction in their primary language and access to qualified professionals. Key provisions mandate that state plans include specific strategies for language development, Braille instruction, and the use of assistive technologies, while also establishing a new national center to support research and training for educators of students with visual disabilities. Additionally, the legislation clarifies definitions for deafblindness and interveners, updates data reporting requirements to track these populations more accurately, and ensures early intervention services are delivered in natural environments to support language and communication milestones.
The Prior Authorization Reform for Autoimmune and Blood Disorders Act requires group health plans and health insurers to cover specific medications for autoimmune diseases, hemophilia, and Von Willebrand disease without restricting how they are administered. To improve access, the bill limits prior authorization requirements for these drugs to no more than once every 12 months, unless the medication is short-term, classified as an opioid or benzodiazepine, or carries a specific government-mandated risk management strategy. These rules apply to plans governed by federal laws including ERISA, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code, with coverage beginning for plan years starting on or after January 1, 2027.
The Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2026 directs the Environmental Protection Agency to study and report on the environmental effects of artificial intelligence, including energy and water use, pollution, and electronic waste. This bill requires large data centers to annually submit detailed public reports on their resource consumption and environmental footprint, with penalties for non-compliance. Additionally, it establishes a stakeholder consortium to develop standardized methods for measuring these impacts and to identify ways to promote beneficial uses of AI while reducing negative effects. The legislation aims to increase transparency and accountability regarding the growing environmental costs associated with AI infrastructure and operations.
This bill extends existing U.S. tax anti-abuse rules, specifically wash sale and constructive sale regulations, to cover most digital assets. It directly affects taxpayers who hold or trade digital currencies and tokens by treating them similarly to traditional stocks and securities for tax purposes. Key provisions define specific types of digital assets, such as traded and widely traded assets, while creating exceptions for certain stablecoins and activities like staking or mining. The legislation also establishes clear definitions for terms like tokenized and wrapped digital assets to ensure consistent application of tax laws.
The Fostering TRUST Act of 2026 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress and local representatives whenever a veteran commits or attempts suicide within a VA facility or an associated care provider. This notification must occur within seven days of the incident and include the facility location, along with detailed personal data such as the veteran's demographics, service history, medical insurance status, and housing situation within 60 days. The bill also mandates that these reports include guidance on suicide warning signs, available support resources, and best practices for securing lethal means while ensuring the privacy and dignity of the veteran and their family.
The Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act of 2026 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to run a two-year demonstration project evaluating the cost and effectiveness of covering FDA-cleared, over-the-counter hearing aids for eligible veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. To participate, veterans must be enrolled in the VA system, receive a clinical clearance from an audiologist, and have access to a smartphone or Wi-Fi to operate the devices. The project will compare these over-the-counter options against traditional prescription hearing aids at selected VA facilities and require the Secretary to submit interim and final reports on the fiscal impact and health outcomes. Additionally, the bill mandates a separate study by the Comptroller General to analyze the current coverage of hearing aids for veterans and provide recommendations for potential program changes.
