The Data Center Community Reinvestment Act of 2026 imposes a federal excise tax of one cent per kilowatt-hour on electricity consumed by data centers with a peak power load exceeding one megawatt. The revenue generated from this tax is divided equally among five specific government funds: the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Housing Trust Fund, the Hazardous Substance Superfund, the Highway Trust Fund, and a newly established Energy Technology Trust Fund. This legislation directly affects large-scale data center operators by adding a cost to their energy usage, while directing the collected funds toward infrastructure, environmental cleanup, housing, and energy technology initiatives.
The Open Doors to Diplomacy Act directs the State Department to actively recruit Foreign Service candidates from nontraditional higher education institutions, such as community colleges and career technical schools. To support this goal, the bill requires the Secretary of State to conduct regular outreach and provide preparation resources at these schools, potentially partnering with local career centers or using digital methods to reach a wider audience. Additionally, the legislation modifies existing hiring rules to allow students enrolled at least half-time in these institutions to participate in specific entry programs, broadening the pool of eligible applicants for diplomatic roles.
The Screen to Save Act requires Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance plans to cover annual screening mammography for women aged 30 and older at no cost to the patient. This change takes effect on January 1, 2027, and specifically prohibits insurers from charging copays or deductibles for these screenings. The bill also establishes a frequency limit that prevents Medicare from paying for mammograms performed within 11 months of a previous screening for women over 29.
The Freedom Haulers Act extends the existing waiver period for military service members seeking a commercial driver's license from 12 to 24 months after separation. It requires states to waive specific knowledge and driving tests for current or former military personnel who held designated vehicle operator roles, such as motor transport operators or fuelers, within the last two years. To qualify, applicants must certify they have operated comparable commercial vehicles during that period and maintain a clean record with no serious traffic violations, license suspensions, or at-fault crashes. The bill also mandates waivers for specialized endorsements related to passenger transport, tank vehicles, and hazardous materials, provided the applicant meets similar service and safety criteria.
The Restoring the Death Penalty in DC Act would reinstate capital punishment in the District of Columbia for specific serious crimes, including first-degree murder, terrorism, and certain offenses involving minors or law enforcement officers. The bill establishes a two-phase trial process where a separate hearing is held after a guilty verdict to determine if aggravating factors outweigh mitigating circumstances, requiring a unanimous jury decision to recommend a death sentence. It designates electrocution as the default method of execution but allows condemned individuals to choose alternatives such as lethal injection or nitrogen hypoxia, while prohibiting executions for pregnant women, minors, and those lacking mental capacity to understand their punishment.
The Earn to Learn Act establishes a federal demonstration grant program that provides low-income students with matched savings accounts to help pay for postsecondary education. Under this mechanism, states or nonprofit organizations receive grants to match student contributions at a rate of $8 for every $100 deposited, while also providing financial literacy training and success coaching. The bill explicitly ensures that participation in the program does not reduce a student's eligibility for Federal Pell Grants or other federal student aid. It authorizes $100 million annually for five years to fund these grants, which are capped at $10 million per recipient, and requires the Department of Education to report on the program's impact on savings rates and educational retention.
The Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act of 2026 establishes a bipartisan, 18-member task force to study how a lack of affordable housing affects various aspects of life and government spending. The group will evaluate impacts on areas such as education, employment, health, and regional economic growth, while also quantifying the costs imposed on federal, state, and local programs due to housing shortages. Members will be appointed by congressional leadership within 180 days of enactment and must submit a final report with recommendations to Congress before the task force terminates two years after all members are appointed.
This bill amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to ensure that members of the U.S. Foreign Service who are ordered to take leave continue to receive their standard daily allowances and lodging benefits. The legislation directly affects foreign service officers by making them eligible for these financial supports, including those outlined in federal employee housing regulations. By codifying this requirement, the bill clarifies that such benefits must be provided during mandated leave periods rather than being discretionary.
The Affordable Pricing for Taxpayer-Funded Prescription Drugs Act of 2026 requires federal agencies to include reasonable pricing clauses in all research grants and contracts involving biomedical products. Under this provision, U.S. residents cannot be charged more than the median price found in Canada and six other high-income OECD countries for any drug, device, or therapy developed with federal support. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to establish additional regulations, such as mechanisms to lower prices when revenues exceed targets or costs per health benefit are too high, while retaining the ability to waive these obligations if doing so serves the public interest. To ensure accountability, manufacturers must report clinical trial costs, government subsidies, and annual revenues by county, with all data made publicly available.
The Cancer Research Trust Fund Act establishes a dedicated trust fund within the Treasury to support cancer research initiatives. The fund is financed by allocating ten percent of the gross duties collected on imported tobacco and tobacco substitute products each fiscal year. These funds are transferred to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, who coordinates with the Department of Defense to conduct critical research into early screening, prevention, treatments, and innovative therapies. The legislation specifically directs that this research prioritize rare cancers and those affecting pediatric populations.
The GATE Act of 2026 prohibits U.S. national laboratories from admitting or granting access to foreign nationals from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba who are not permanent residents or U.S. citizens. This ban applies to individuals seeking to visit the facilities or work there for more than 30 consecutive days. The Secretary of Energy may issue a written waiver to allow specific exceptions if they determine that the benefits to the United States outweigh national security and economic risks, a decision made in consultation with intelligence officials. Any such waivers must be reported to relevant congressional committees within 30 days, including details on the individual's country of origin and the specific reasons for the exception.
The Mueller-Keating Memorial Highway Act designates a 26-mile stretch of Interstate 17 in Arizona as the Kayla Jean Mueller and Charles H. Keating IV Memorial Highway to honor a humanitarian aid worker and a Navy SEAL who both lost their lives while confronting ISIS. The bill specifies that this honorary designation applies to the section of the highway between milepost 237 near New River and milepost 263 near Cordes Junction, complementing but not replacing the existing Arizona Veterans Highway name. It directs the Secretary of Transportation to allow for memorial signage at the Sunset Point Rest Area and to list the new name in the Department of Transportation's official records. The legislation clarifies that this change is purely honorary, requiring no additional federal funding and causing no changes to official maps, addresses, or navigation systems.
