The JARED Act requires individuals who act on behalf of the federal government in foreign political activities without a formal employment contract to obtain security clearances and file annual financial disclosure forms with the Office of Government Ethics. These uncontracted representatives are prohibited from negotiating agreements or accepting deals that directly benefit themselves, their families, or associated organizations from the foreign governments they engage with. The Office of Government Ethics must publish quarterly public reports detailing these disclosures and any violations found. Penalties for non-compliance include removal from the role, loss of security clearance, civil lawsuits, and potential imprisonment for knowingly engaging in prohibited financial negotiations.
The No Pardon Paydays Act of 2026 requires the Pardon Attorney to submit a detailed written analysis to Congress within 30 days of any presidential pardon. This report must include the recipient's full criminal history and an assessment of their risk for reoffending or posing a danger to communities. Additionally, the bill restricts pardoned individuals from making political contributions exceeding $1,000 to committees supporting the President or entities advocating for their reelection. The Federal Election Commission would enforce these contribution limits and could refer violations for criminal prosecution.
The Government Travel Transparency Act requires the Comptroller General to submit quarterly reports to Congress and publish them online regarding how specific high-ranking federal officials use government-owned or operated aircraft. These reports must identify any instances where these officials used planes for political activities or Federal elections, as well as personal travel that was less cost-effective than other transportation options. The analysis relies on data from the General Services Administration but is prohibited from disclosing the exact location of an official at a specific time.
The Rural Broadband Modernization Act amends the ReConnect program to ensure that broadband projects are eligible for federal loans and grants based on performance standards rather than the specific technology used. The bill requires that funded projects provide internet speeds of at least 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream, while prohibiting agencies from denying or deprioritizing applications because they use terrestrial, non-terrestrial, or low-Earth orbit satellite systems. This change directly affects rural communities and service providers by allowing a wider range of delivery methods to compete for funding. Additionally, the law mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture publish public reports on awarded projects within 30 days and issue final implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment.
The 9-8-8 Crisis Response Act expands federal funding for mental health crisis response and broadens Medicaid coverage to include regional lifeline call centers and crisis stabilization facilities. The bill increases the annual budget for the Mental Health Crisis Response Partnership Pilot Program from $10 million to $100 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2029. It also allows states to use Medicaid funds to pay for these new services, with the federal government covering 85 percent of the costs. To qualify, crisis stabilization facilities must provide 24-hour care without rejecting patients based on their ability to pay or other factors, and they must maintain an average patient stay of less than 150 hours.
The Consumer Affordability and Pricing Concessions Act regulates food and beverage sales at large stadiums that receive public funding, excluding university venues. It requires stadium operators to ensure concession contracts encourage small businesses to lease or sublicense selling locations and prohibits charging these small businesses fees for the right to sell items. Additionally, the bill caps concession prices at no more than 7 percent above the local market rate. The Federal Trade Commission is tasked with enforcing these rules by treating violations as unfair or deceptive acts under existing federal law.
The Telecommunications GAP Act requires the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress within 180 days of enactment. This report must evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Federal Communications Commission's Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative, with specific attention to its performance during the January 2025 California wildfires. The legislation directs an analysis of any failures in network coverage, roaming, or provider coordination under these emergency rules. Additionally, the report is required to include recommendations for improving the initiative, which applies to facilities-based mobile wireless providers.
The Smart Meter Data Privacy Protection Act prohibits state-regulated electric utilities that are not wholly owned by U.S. persons from selling or commercially monetizing personal consumption data collected via smart meters, restricting such use to specific operational needs like billing and grid reliability. The bill requires these utilities to submit annual reports to the Federal Trade Commission detailing what data was collected, how it was used, and with whom it was shared. If a utility violates these privacy rules, the FTC can order the company to credit affected customers an amount equal to three times the revenue generated from that unauthorized use. State attorneys general are also granted the authority to sue on behalf of residents to enforce compliance or seek damages, while the FTC is tasked with establishing security standards for data retention.
The Congressional Pension Accountability Act would strip former members of Congress of their pension eligibility if they are expelled from office or resign following an ethics committee finding of substantial misconduct. This measure directly affects current and future legislators by making their congressional service non-creditable for retirement benefits under both the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System. While affected individuals would receive a refund of their personal contributions, they would forfeit any government-matched funds in their Thrift Savings Plans and would not be required to repay pension benefits already received before the forfeiture took effect. A presidential pardon or commutation of sentence would not restore these lost benefits, and the law applies only to misconduct occurring after its enactment.
The Stronger Start for Working Families Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to make the child tax credit fully refundable for all eligible taxpayers. By lowering the earned income threshold from $3,000 to $1, the bill removes the requirement that families must have a minimum level of earnings to receive the full credit amount. This change directly affects working families with children who previously had their refundable credit capped based on their income. The provision is scheduled to take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.
The FEMA for Safe Recovery Act requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency to issue regulations within one year that prevent gender-based violence, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation during disaster response and recovery operations. Key provisions include establishing joint federal and local coordination centers, improving staff stability in shelters, and creating non-adjudicatory reporting mechanisms for abuse by housing providers. The bill also mandates that all FEMA employees receive training on identifying and referring victims of these crimes, while ensuring that state and local governments retain the authority to implement stricter protections or manage their own emergency systems.
The 9-8-8 Implementation Act of 2026 expands federal funding and mandates insurance coverage for behavioral health crisis services, directly affecting individuals experiencing mental health or substance use emergencies as well as the providers who serve them. The bill authorizes grants to upgrade local lifeline call centers, build new crisis stabilization facilities, and train a larger workforce of behavioral health professionals. It requires Medicare, Medicaid, private group health plans, TRICARE, and other federal insurance programs to cover crisis response services with financial terms no more restrictive than standard medical care. Additionally, the legislation establishes a federal panel to develop training protocols for 9-1-1 dispatchers to better connect callers to appropriate crisis care rather than law enforcement responses.
