The Restoring Justice for Workers Act prohibits employers from requiring workers to sign agreements that force them to resolve disputes through individual arbitration rather than in court or as part of a group. It bans retaliation against employees who refuse to arbitrate and mandates that any post-dispute arbitration agreements be truly voluntary, requiring plain language explanations, a 45-day waiting period, and written consent. The bill also amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it illegal for employers to enter into or enforce contracts that prevent workers from joining together to file joint or class-action lawsuits regarding workplace rights. These changes apply to all workers, including independent contractors, and take effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill updates federal laws to ensure that members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force cannot be excluded from jobs or assignments based on their gender. It requires the Department of Defense to establish occupational standards using scientifically rigorous methods that evaluate technical, tactical, cognitive, and physical abilities without gender bias. Additionally, the legislation mandates annual reports to Congress detailing any involuntary reclassifications or separations and requires a detailed review of the operational effectiveness of Army and Marine Corps ground combat units. These changes are scheduled to take effect on September 30, 2026, with the first required report due the following year.
The PHD Talent Act of 2026 establishes a five-year pilot program to help universities create accelerated doctoral programs in critical fields like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology. These programs aim to train U.S. citizens and permanent residents by shortening the time to earn a doctorate, integrating undergraduate and graduate coursework, and providing funding that covers at least three years of doctoral study. The Department of Energy will award grants to universities that partner with national laboratories and industry to offer these tracks, which also include structured mentorship and research rotations to build dual expertise in a specific science and computational methods. The legislation authorizes $250 million for the program between 2028 and 2032 and requires the Department of Energy to submit annual reports to Congress on the initiative's progress and student outcomes.
The ASSET Act prohibits states from using asset limits to determine eligibility for several federally funded assistance programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, SNAP, LIHEAP, and Supplemental Security Income. By removing these financial thresholds, the bill aims to allow low-income families to save money and build financial stability without risking their benefits. Additionally, the legislation updates the resource limit for SSI recipients to $20,000 for individuals and $10,000 for couples in 2026, with future increases tied to inflation. While the bill generally eliminates these limits, it includes a grace period for states that must pass their own laws to comply with the new rules.
The Audit the Pentagon Act requires the Department of Defense to reduce its funding by 2 percent if it fails to receive a clean financial audit for a given year. This penalty applies to all departments, agencies, and elements within the Pentagon starting after fiscal year 2024. The withheld money is distributed proportionally across various programs and projects, while the remaining funds are sent to the Treasury to help reduce the national deficit.
The FORK Act of 2026 creates a pilot program to provide grants for purchasing, retrofitting, or repairing vehicles used to deliver summer meals to children. These grants are intended for service institutions, such as schools or community organizations, and will prioritize applicants in areas with high poverty, outside major metropolitan regions, or serving many students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Each eligible recipient can receive up to $100,000 for a one-year term, with a limit of 10% of funds allowed for administrative costs. The program authorizes $1 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 and requires recipients to report on the number of sites served and children fed, with a final report due to Congress four years after the program begins.
This bill creates a new independent Anti-Corruption Bureau to enforce federal laws regarding campaign finance, government ethics, and whistleblower protection. It establishes a seven-member bureau with staggered six-year terms and strict political balance requirements to prevent any single party from controlling the agency. The legislation also introduces a private right of action that allows citizens to sue officials for corruption and recover stolen funds, while transferring the functions of the Federal Election Commission, Office of Government Ethics, and Office of Special Counsel into this new entity.
The Tracking Plastic Act of 2026 creates a Federal working group to develop recommendations for tracking recycled plastic content across various industries. This group will include representatives from federal agencies, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders, with the National Institute of Standards and Technology leading the effort. The working group is tasked with proposing standardized measurements for data collection, designing a federal tracking system to help align state requirements, and considering ways to improve trade data clarity and monitor toxic chemicals in recycled plastics. The group must submit annual reports to Congress and will operate for up to ten years until it completes its duties.
The MAP Roads Act creates a pilot program that provides federal grants to states to help digitize and map county roads, directly affecting state and local transportation agencies. To receive funding, states must demonstrate they can distribute money to counties and maintain a centralized, publicly accessible online database for road data. The program prioritizes states with significant gaps in digital road records and requires that the resulting data be compatible with popular mapping platforms and updated at least once a year. Authorized funding of $20 million annually from 2026 to 2031 will support these efforts, while the bill explicitly ensures it does not change existing laws regarding road ownership or jurisdiction.
The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026 aims to create more predictable payment amounts for physicians by modifying how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services calculates fee schedules. It raises the financial threshold for certain budget adjustments from $20 million to $57.64 million starting in 2028 and requires these amounts to be adjusted every five years based on inflation data. The bill also mandates that the government update the costs of staff wages and medical supplies used to calculate payments at least once every five years and limits how much the overall payment rate can change from one year to the next to no more than 2.5 percent. These changes directly affect doctors and healthcare providers who receive Medicare payments, ensuring their reimbursement rates remain more stable and better aligned with actual costs.
The Title IX Clarification Act of 2026 amends the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education to explicitly define "sex" based on biological characteristics. Specifically, it states that sex refers to an individual's biologically determined status as male or female. The bill further defines "female" as someone with a reproductive system that produces ova and "male" as someone with a reproductive system that produces sperm, regardless of congenital anomalies or accidents. These definitions apply to all education programs receiving federal financial assistance starting on the date the law is enacted.
The Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act strengthens the Regulatory Flexibility Act to ensure federal agencies better assess how their rules impact small businesses, tribal organizations, and nonprofit groups. It requires agencies to provide more detailed analyses that quantify economic effects, describe alternatives to proposed rules, and explain why certain regulations are necessary. The bill also expands the role of the Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the Small Business Administration by allowing them to intervene in legal proceedings, review agency actions, and issue binding rules on compliance. Additionally, the legislation mandates that agencies publish plain-language summaries of regulatory agendas, establish periodic reviews of existing rules to reduce burdens, and waive fines for first-time paperwork violations by small businesses unless public safety is at risk.
