The Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Act mandates increased funding for federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to combat health care fraud and abuse starting in fiscal year 2027. The bill expands the investigative authority of the HHS Office of Inspector General to cover programs established under the Affordable Care Act and includes the State Children's Health Insurance Program in Medicare-Medicaid data matching efforts. Additionally, it requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on the program's performance and effectiveness, with results due to Congress within 16 months of enactment.
The Delaney Hall Closure Act requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to stop all immigration detention operations at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, within 90 days of the law's enactment. The bill prohibits the Department from entering into any new contracts or agreements to use this facility for detaining individuals in federal custody. Additionally, it mandates the termination of existing operational contracts for the center, limiting the government's financial liability to payments for services already rendered before the termination takes effect.
The Fairness to Freedom Act of 2026 establishes a new independent Office of Immigration Representation to guarantee government-funded legal counsel for individuals who cannot afford an attorney in immigration proceedings. This right applies broadly to removal, exclusion, and bond hearings, requiring that legal representation be appointed within 24 hours of detention or before any proceeding begins. The bill creates a decentralized system involving local boards and public defender organizations to manage case assignments, while ensuring that appointed attorneys receive compensation comparable to federal prosecutors. Additionally, the legislation mandates minimum funding levels for the new office based on a specific ratio relative to federal immigration enforcement budgets and prevents the use of seeking this legal aid as a factor in "public charge" determinations.
This bill designates the U.S. Chancery building in Pristina, Kosovo, as the "Eliot L. Engel Building." It requires that all future U.S. laws, maps, and official documents refer to the facility by this new name.
The Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Improvement Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the maximum tax credit available for contributions to scholarship programs from $1,000 to $1,700 per taxpayer. This change directly affects individuals and married couples filing jointly who donate to qualified scholarship organizations, allowing them to claim a larger deduction against their federal taxes. The bill also establishes an automatic annual adjustment mechanism that increases the credit limit based on inflation starting in 2026, with any adjustments rounded to the nearest $50 increment. These provisions are set to take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.
The HCBS Access Act would require states to cover home and community-based services (HCBS) as a mandatory benefit under Medicaid, effectively eliminating waiting lists for individuals with disabilities and older adults who need support to live in their communities rather than institutions. To fund this expansion, the bill provides a 100% federal matching rate for these services if states meet specific requirements, such as improving workforce wages, removing access barriers, and establishing infrastructure to support self-directed care models. Additionally, the legislation creates a national technical assistance center and authorizes grants to recruit, train, and retain direct care workers, while also prohibiting states from placing liens on the assets of Medicaid recipients for medical assistance correctly paid.
The Insider Trading Prohibition Act creates a new federal criminal statute that makes it illegal to buy or sell securities while knowingly in possession of material, nonpublic information that was obtained wrongfully. The bill defines wrongful conduct to include actions such as theft, breach of fiduciary duty, or unauthorized access to data, and explicitly covers situations where an individual consciously avoids knowing the details of how the information was acquired. It also prohibits sharing this type of sensitive information if the sender knows it will be used for trading. While the law allows for certain exemptions, including transactions made under pre-existing Rule 10b5-1 plans, it ensures that these new penalties apply in addition to existing legal remedies.
The Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act prohibits healthcare providers from requiring registered, licensed practical, or licensed vocational nurses to work mandatory overtime beyond specific limits, including a cap of 48 hours per week or 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period. The bill mandates that facilities post nurse schedules and rights notices, while protecting nurses from retaliation if they refuse excessive shifts or report violations. Limited exceptions allow for mandatory overtime during declared emergencies or disasters, provided the facility has made reasonable efforts to fill staffing needs through other means. Providers who knowingly violate these rules face civil money penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, with harsher fines for repeated offenses, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to conduct studies on safe working hour standards.
The Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2026 authorizes the Department of Education to provide competitive grants to state library agencies, which then distribute subgrants to local school districts for summer early reading programs. These funds are specifically targeted at schools that operate summer meal sites and have a significant portion of their young students struggling with or at risk of falling behind in reading. The bill requires participating schools to offer at least six weeks of literacy activities and expanded learning opportunities, including access to the school library, while encouraging collaboration with community partners. Appropriations for this initiative are authorized at $5 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The INSPIRES Act authorizes the Department of Education to provide funding for the modernization, renovation, or construction of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) facilities in public schools and career and technical education institutions. The bill establishes two primary grant programs: one that allocates funds to states to subgrant to local agencies for upgrading rural and Native American-serving schools, and another that offers direct grants, loan guarantees, or interest payments to eligible entities for broader STEM and vocational facility improvements. To receive these federal funds, states must contribute a 25 percent non-federal match, while local agencies receiving subgrants are required to provide a 10 percent match, with priority given to applicants who form public-private partnerships. The legislation authorizes at least $25 million annually for each program starting in fiscal year 2027 and requires the Secretary of Education to report biennially on how these facility upgrades impact student academic achievement.
The Biotech Investment National Security Act (BINSA) amends the Defense Production Act to subject biotechnology transactions to federal outbound investment screening, specifically targeting investments and licensing agreements involving Chinese entities. The bill defines the covered biotechnology sector to include pharmaceuticals, biological products, and therapeutic compounds, while explicitly excluding agricultural biotechnology, industrial fermentation unrelated to therapeutics, and basic academic research. It requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue regulations within one year that prioritize scrutiny of intellectual property licensing, joint ventures, and equity investments that transfer innovation capacity or manufacturing know-how to China. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the Secretary of Defense submit a report to Congress within 60 days assessing whether U.S. capital flows into Chinese biotechnology negatively impact national security.
The Trade Deficit Elimination Act of 2026 directs the United States Trade Representative to annually identify countries with which the U.S. has a bilateral deficit in goods trade and designate them as "trade deficit economies." For these designated partners, the bill authorizes the imposition of additional import duties specifically calculated to eliminate the trade imbalance, subject to presidential direction and consultation with congressional committees. The legislation allows for exemptions on goods that are critical to national security or unavailable domestically at reasonable prices. Additionally, it empowers the Trade Representative to negotiate bilateral agreements requiring partner nations to increase purchases of U.S. goods or reduce their exports to the United States.
