This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to restrict how background information is shared with landlords when screening potential tenants. It directly affects individuals with criminal records by prohibiting consumer reporting agencies from including specific data in reports used for rental housing decisions. Key provisions ban the inclusion of arrest records, juvenile adjudications, expunged convictions, and cases resolved through diversion programs, while also preventing the reporting of convictions that have been completed or where the individual is currently on probation or parole. Additionally, the legislation requires landlords who deny housing based on these reports to provide applicants with the specific reasons for the denial within three days. Finally, the bill prevents states from setting their own time limits for how long certain types of criminal information can be excluded from these reports.
The Safeguarding Honest Speech Act of 2026 prohibits federal agencies from using taxpayer money to enforce rules that require employees or contractors to use a person's preferred pronouns if they conflict with that person's biological sex or to use names other than legal names. The bill defines sex strictly based on biological characteristics, such as the reproductive system used for fertilization, to determine these requirements. It also establishes a process where affected workers can file complaints, receive a formal response within 30 days, and sue their agency for violations if the response is unsatisfactory. If a worker wins a lawsuit, the court can order the agency to stop the practice, pay damages up to $100,000, and cover legal fees.
This bill fundamentally restructures the U.S. immigration system by replacing the current employment-based visa categories with a new points-based program that prioritizes applicants with high salaries, advanced degrees, English proficiency, and U.S. military service. Under this new system, employers must attest that they have attempted to hire qualified American workers first and guarantee that hiring an immigrant will not result in layoffs of existing U.S. employees. Additionally, the bill eliminates the Diversity Lottery program, restricts certain family sponsorship categories for citizens, and imposes conditional permanent resident status on new immigrants who must prove they are not receiving public benefits and remain employed within two years. The legislation also mandates that undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition rates at colleges and requires immigrants to sign statements affirming their loyalty to U.S. constitutional principles and opposition to specific forms of persecution.
This bill, titled the Protecting Human Rights and Public Health in Foreign Assistance Act, aims to cancel specific regulations issued by the Department of State. It directly affects the federal government by prohibiting any department or agency from enforcing, implementing, or proposing rules related to protecting life, combating discriminatory equity ideology, and combating gender ideology in foreign aid programs. The legislation treats these cancelled rules as if they never existed, effectively nullifying their impact on future foreign assistance policies.
The Special Election Timeliness Act requires states to hold special elections to fill vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives within 180 days, unless a regular general election is scheduled during that period. This law directly affects state officials who manage elections and federal representatives who may lose their seats due to death, resignation, or failure to be elected. The bill establishes legal enforcement mechanisms, allowing the Attorney General or aggrieved federal leaders to sue state executives in federal court if these deadlines are missed. By setting a specific timeline, the legislation aims to ensure timely representation in Congress without altering the existing process for nominating candidates.
The EMPOWER Act directs the U.S. Department of State to maintain and expand public-private partnerships known as Women's Councils in South and Central Asia. These councils aim to boost women's economic security by connecting American businesses and civil society groups with local organizations to support employment, entrepreneurship, education, and asset ownership. To oversee these efforts, the bill requires the creation of a new unit within the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, led by a Special Advisor for Women's Economic Security who holds the rank of Ambassador. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the Secretary of State submit a report to Congress within one year detailing the implementation steps, partnership status, and economic impact of these initiatives.
This bill removes a long-standing restriction that limited federal funding for U.S. participation in international expositions, allowing the government to financially support American pavilions at these global events. It directly affects the Department of State by enabling it to allocate funds for pavilion construction and operations without relying solely on private donations. To ensure oversight, the legislation requires Congress to be notified at least 15 days before any funds are spent and mandates a final report within 180 days detailing participating businesses and funding sources. Additionally, the bill includes provisions to certify that contractors building the pavilions comply with labor laws and anti-corruption regulations.
This bill, known as TREY's Law, aims to make nondisclosure clauses in contracts void and unenforceable if they prevent the reporting of sexual abuse involving minors. It directly affects victims of such abuse, their families, and anyone with knowledge of the abuse by allowing them to disclose these incidents without fear of civil liability. The law applies retroactively to agreements made before or after its passage and overrides any state laws that allow the enforcement of these specific clauses. While it invalidates clauses that silence abuse details, it permits parties to keep confidential other settlement terms like payment amounts, provided this does not stop the disclosure of the abuse itself.
This bill, known as the Lowering Utility Bills Act, aims to reduce electricity and natural gas costs by regulating how utility companies calculate their profits and what expenses they can pass on to customers. It requires transmission providers and investor-owned utilities to determine a reasonable profit range based on historical stock market returns from academics, large financial institutions, and major global banks, then generally limits their authorized profit to the lowest point in that range. Additionally, the legislation bans utilities from recovering specific costs in customer rates, including lobbying fees, political contributions, executive travel, and entertainment expenses. The bill also mandates that utilities prioritize lower-cost grid technologies in their planning and requires them to publicly justify any decision to use a higher profit rate than the standard minimum.
This bill, the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, extends and expands the existing National Quantum Initiative through December 2032. It broadens the initiative's focus from "science" to "science, engineering, and technology" across federal agencies like NIST, NSF, DOE, and NASA, emphasizing the development of quantum applications, commercialization, and a robust domestic quantum industry. Key
The Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act amends a provision in federal law that governs eligibility for memorial headstones and markers provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It removes a requirement that veterans must have died on or after November 11, 1998, to qualify for these memorials. This change expands eligibility to include veterans who died before that date, allowing their families to access headstones and markers regardless of their death date. The bill directly affects the VA's administration of the program and veterans' families who previously faced this eligibility barrier.
This bill requires states to implement an "Enhanced Income Verification Platform" within one year of enactment to verify income for federal benefit programs. It directly affects states administering programs like SNAP, Medicaid, or housing assistance, as they must use this platform to access comprehensive income data - including gig work, rental income, and bank transactions (with user permission) - to prevent improper payments. The platform uses real-time data matching to identify unreported income or inconsistencies, consolidating overlapping financial records. States must adopt this system to remain eligible for federal funds supporting these benefit programs. The law focuses on improving verification accuracy, not altering benefit eligibility or amounts.
