This bill reauthorizes the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, providing federal grants to States, Indian Tribes, and qualified nonprofits to prevent drowning and drain entrapment. It requires grant recipients to spend at least 25% of funds on hiring/training personnel for pool safety enforcement and drain cover inspections, with the remainder for public education on pool safety. The program allocates $2.5 million annually (2026-2030) for grants and a national awareness campaign, prioritizing areas with higher drowning rates and underserved communities. Recipients must report on fund usage, outcomes, and barriers. The law defines "nonprofit" as 501(c)(3) organizations with proven pool safety experience.
The Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act of 2025 requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise Clean Air Act regulations to address diesel vehicle challenges in extreme cold. It allows diesel vehicle manufacturers to temporarily disable engine power reductions or shutdowns caused by emissions system faults when temperatures are at or below freezing, but only until temperatures rise above freezing. The bill also grants a year-round exemption from diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) system requirements for vehicles primarily operating north of 59°N latitude or in regions with prolonged freezing conditions that make DEF use impractical. This exemption prevents engine derates or shutdowns due to DEF system issues, ensuring critical transportation and emergency services remain functional. The bill does not change overall emissions standards but provides targeted relief for safety and operational needs in cold weather regions.
S 2644 (Camden National Battlefield Park Study Act) authorizes a study to evaluate whether the Revolutionary War battlefield site near Camden, South Carolina, and Historic Camden should become a national park. The study, led by the Secretary of the Interior, will assess the area's national significance, feasibility of park designation, management options (including partnerships with local entities), and associated costs. The study must be completed within three years, with findings reported to Congress, but does not create the park itself. This bill directly affects the Camden area and future park management decisions.
This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to clarify how employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) fiduciaries determine the fair market value of company assets during transactions. It specifically allows ESOP plan managers to rely on established IRS guidelines (Revenue Ruling 59-60) when valuing assets, simplifying a key step in ESOP transactions. The change directly affects ESOP fiduciaries and companies using ESOPs for employee retirement benefits, making the valuation process more straightforward under current law.
The LIT Act of 2025 repeals three existing Department of Energy energy efficiency rules for general service lamps (common incandescent light bulbs). It directly affects manufacturers and retailers of traditional incandescent bulbs by removing regulatory requirements they previously had to meet. Key mechanisms include amending the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to eliminate specific references to incandescent standards and formally terminating three finalized rules (from 2022 and 2024) that established minimum efficiency levels. This bill makes no new efficiency requirements for these bulbs but removes the existing ones.
This bill requires federal agencies to report annually on major projects that are either significantly delayed or exceed their original budget by over $1 billion. Covered agencies (including Executive departments and independent regulatory bodies) must submit detailed reports for each "covered project," including cost changes, schedule delays, contractor information, and explanations for budget overruns. The Office of Management and Budget will compile these reports into a public annual document for Congress and the public. The bill does not change funding or stop projects - it only mandates transparency about large-scale federal spending.
S 456, the STEAM Act, amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to include geothermal resources under existing environmental review requirements for energy projects. It updates Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act to explicitly add "geothermal" alongside "gas" in provisions governing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews for exploration and development. This change directly affects geothermal energy developers by extending the same federal permitting and environmental review processes currently applied to gas projects. The bill modifies legal language to ensure geothermal projects undergo the same federal environmental assessments as gas projects, without creating new programs or altering funding.
This bill requires the Bureau of Prisons to fully implement all recommendations from a 2023 Inspector General report on inmate-on-staff sexual harassment and assault within 90 days of enactment. It mandates the Bureau to provide updated data on such incidents from 2022-2025, which the Inspector General must analyze to assess prevention efforts and punishment practices. The Attorney General must then create national standards for preventing, reducing, and punishing these incidents within one year of receiving the analysis. The bill directly affects federal prison staff, including correctional officers, by establishing concrete requirements to improve their safety and address systemic data gaps.
This bill, the Local Access to Courts Act (LACA), is a procedural change that adds College Station, Texas and El Centro, California to the list of locations served by federal district courts in those states. It amends existing U.S. Code provisions to formally include these cities in court organization, without creating new legal rights or obligations. The change affects only the administrative structure of federal courts in those specific locations.
The Science of Reading Act of 2026 amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to require states receiving federal literacy development grants to align their reading instruction with "science of reading" principles. It explicitly prohibits the use of the "three-cueing model" (a method teaching word recognition through pictures, context, or guessing) and defines science of reading as evidence-based instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension. States must describe this alignment in grant applications, and federal funds for literacy programs will only support initiatives meeting these standards. This directly affects states and school districts administering ESEA-funded literacy programs starting in 2026.
This bill, the "American Lending Fairness Act of 2026," makes changes to federal laws governing interest rates charged by financial institutions, primarily impacting how state-chartered banks and credit unions operate across state lines. It repeals a current federal law (Section 525 of the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980) that has allowed states
This bill, known as the Safe Cloud Storage Act, would provide legal protection for private companies that store child sexual abuse material on behalf of law enforcement agencies. It directly affects technology firms and cloud storage providers that contract with police departments and prosecutors to keep digital evidence of child exploitation. The legislation limits liability for these approved vendors by shielding them from civil lawsuits and criminal charges when performing their contractual duties, except in cases of intentional misconduct, negligence, or acting with reckless disregard. To qualify for this protection, vendors must meet strict cybersecurity requirements including end-to-end encryption, regular independent audits, keeping data within the United States, and maintaining detailed records of who accesses the sensitive material. The bill also establishes procedures for notifying the Department of Justice about contracts and ensures evidence is preserved if a law enforcement agency fails to pay or breaches the agreement.
