Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The Dietary Supplement Innovation Act amends federal law to clarify when a food or dietary supplement containing an approved drug is considered illegal, primarily by establishing specific exceptions for substances marketed before certain dates or where clinical trials have been inactive for at least seven years. The bill affects manufacturers and sellers of these products by defining the conditions under which they can legally include drugs in their formulations without being classified as misbranded. It also requires the Food and Drug Administration to consider factors such as dosage, concentration, and safety when determining if a drug has been improperly added to a supplement. Furthermore, the legislation grants companies the right to immediately challenge FDA enforcement actions in court, shifting the burden of proof to the government to demonstrate that the product violates federal regulations.
The Restoring Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Act of 2026 amends federal law to broaden the definition of a "prevailing party" in civil rights lawsuits, which directly affects plaintiffs and defendants in these cases. Under this bill, a plaintiff is considered prevailing if they obtain relief through a judicial order, an enforceable written agreement or consent decree, or a voluntary change in position by the defendant that makes the case moot or grants the requested relief. This includes situations where a court issues an injunction that is later vacated on mootness grounds, provided it materially altered the legal relationship between the parties. The new provisions take effect immediately upon enactment and apply to both pending cases and any new cases filed after that date.
The AACCENT Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award three five-year grants, totaling up to $9 million annually, to establish a network of National Resource Centers on Augmentative and Alternative Communication. These centers are designed to serve individuals with significant expressive communication disabilities by providing training, technical assistance, and resources to improve access to communication tools in education, employment, and healthcare settings. The legislation requires that the grant recipients be partnerships led by nonprofit organizations that empower individuals with these disabilities in management and decision-making roles. Additionally, each center must operate under the guidance of an advisory council composed exclusively of people with significant expressive communication disabilities who provide oversight and recommendations for the program's activities.
HR 10332, the Sunset Section 230 Act, would repeal Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, a provision that currently shields online platforms from legal liability for content posted by their users. By removing this protection, the bill directly affects internet service providers, social media companies, and other interactive computer services, making them potentially responsible for user-generated material under existing defamation and copyright laws. The legislation also includes numerous conforming amendments to update definitions and cross-references in various federal statutes, including the Trademark Act and criminal codes, to ensure consistency with the repeal. These changes would take effect two years after the date of enactment.
The Patient Navigation Assistance Act amends federal law to require states to reimburse Medicaid for patient navigator services provided to eligible individuals by qualified health care or community-based organizations. These navigators, who must hold specific degrees and certifications in fields such as nursing or social work, help patients access medical, social, and financial resources through referrals and individualized education. The bill also classifies these services as covered medical assistance, allowing the federal government to share the cost of providing them with states.
This bill establishes new procedural safeguards for the Internal Revenue Service when conducting tax inquiries or examinations of universities, requiring high-level Treasury approval based on reasonable belief that a university may not qualify for tax-exempt status. It mandates that the IRS provide written notice to the institution before beginning an inquiry and at least 15 days before starting a formal examination, offering the university the opportunity to hold a conference to discuss concerns. The legislation imposes strict time limits, requiring inquiries to be completed within 90 days and examinations within two years, while also restricting the ability to re-examine a university for five years if no significant tax issues are found. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of the Treasury to submit confidential reports to congressional committees detailing any new university tax investigations.
The Badge-to-Business Act amends the Small Business Act to waive guarantee fees for express loans made to qualified career law enforcement officers starting January 1, 2027. To qualify, an officer must have completed at least ten years of service and not be facing a pending criminal investigation or administrative proceeding for misconduct related to their official duties. This fee waiver applies to both currently employed officers and those who have separated from service, provided they meet the conduct requirements at the time of application. The provision includes an exception allowing the Administrator to collect fees if the cost of guaranteeing these loans results in a net loss for the Administration in a given fiscal year.
The Cost Estimates Improvement Act requires the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation to include public debt servicing costs in their financial estimates, to the extent practicable. This change directly affects federal budgeting processes by ensuring that the interest payments on national debt are factored into official cost projections for new legislation. The bill amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to mandate this specific inclusion in all future estimates prepared by these two bodies.
The Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026 amends federal veterans' education benefits to remove financial and administrative obstacles for those pursuing apprenticeships or on-the-job training. The bill increases the monthly housing stipend for full-time apprentices to match the rate paid to military members with dependents, rather than the lower rate currently applied to students without dependents. Additionally, it waives the minimum monthly attendance requirement for veterans enrolled in construction industry programs, allowing them to receive benefits even if their on-site training hours fall below standard thresholds. These changes apply to recipients of Post-9/11 GI Bill, All-Volunteer Force, and Selected Reserve educational assistance.
The Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act of 2026 mandates that Medicare, Medicaid, and most private health insurance plans cover mental health and substance use crisis response services for individuals experiencing acute episodes. These covered services include care provided by mobile crisis teams, urgent care facilities, and stabilization centers that offer short-term observation without rejecting patients based on their ability to pay or other factors. The legislation also requires ambulance providers to transport individuals in crisis to appropriate facilities and extends coverage requirements to TRICARE, veterans' benefits, federal employee health plans, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. These new coverage mandates generally take effect three years after the bill is enacted, with specific provisions ensuring that financial restrictions on these services are no more severe than those applied to standard medical care.
The GATOR Act of 2026 directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study on how federal regulations affecting American alligators, common caimans, and brown caimans have impacted their populations in states where they reside. The investigation will examine whether these protections have led to overpopulation of alligators or caused caiman species to become invasive in Florida. Additionally, the study will assess if current rules make it harder to remove nuisance animals from residential and commercial waterways and how state management programs have been affected by federal oversight.
