The Environmental Health Restoration Act of 2026 requires the EPA to reinstate specific environmental regulations that were weakened or repealed after January 19, 2025, including standards for greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and vehicles, methane pollution from oil and gas operations, and hazardous air pollutants. The bill prohibits federal officials from delaying or weakening these rules without explicit congressional approval and mandates the restoration of scientific advisory bodies, peer-reviewed decision-making processes, and the use of a specific social cost of carbon value in regulatory calculations. Additionally, it directs the agency to restore environmental justice programs, prioritize enforcement in communities with disproportionate pollution burdens, and conduct public health impact assessments for new regulations. To ensure compliance, the legislation authorizes approximately $11 billion annually for EPA operations, requires annual reporting on enforcement activities, and grants individuals the right to sue the agency if it fails to meet these legal obligations.
The Equity in Research Act directs the National Science Foundation to create a grant program that provides financial assistance to specific institutions of higher education for improving their research capabilities. These grants, ranging from $1 million to $5 million per institution, can be used to upgrade building infrastructure, purchase materials and equipment, and cover personnel costs related to research activities. The bill targets a defined group of schools, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges, and various other minority-serving and land-grant universities. To fund this initiative, the legislation authorizes $50 million in appropriations for fiscal year 2027 and each subsequent year.
This bill would temporarily ban the export of diesel fuel from the United States. The prohibition would take effect immediately upon enactment and remain in place until December 31, 2026. This measure directly affects companies involved in shipping diesel fuel abroad by restricting their ability to sell the product to foreign markets during that specific timeframe.
The Diesel Price Reduction Act of 2026 would require the Secretary of Commerce to ban the export of diesel fuel from the United States during specific periods of high domestic prices. This prohibition begins if the average retail price of diesel exceeds $5 per gallon for fourteen consecutive days. The ban remains in effect until the price drops below $4.50 per gallon for thirty consecutive days, at which point exports are permitted to resume.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Science, Space, and Technology, Armed Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Colorado River Basin Water Security and Infrastructure Act establishes a federal program providing $5 billion in financial assistance for water projects that increase the reliable supply of water for states in the basin, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The bill mandates expedited federal permitting by excluding covered projects from National Environmental Policy Act requirements and setting strict deadlines for agency decisions to accelerate infrastructure development. It directs the Secretary of the Interior to restore the Yuma Desalting Plant and negotiate with Mexico to build seawater desalination facilities that would reduce the amount of Colorado River water required to meet U.S. treaty obligations. Additionally, the legislation authorizes $12 billion for major federal construction projects in California, Arizona, Nevada, and the Upper Basin to capture, store, or transport water, while explicitly stating that it does not alter existing state water rights or interstate compacts.
The SMILE for Veterans Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to launch a three-year pilot program that provides dental care to eligible veterans living in rural areas who currently lack access to standard departmental services. The program operates by reimbursing or contracting with community-based providers, such as mobile clinics, nonprofit organizations, and private practices, to deliver basic preventive, restorative, and urgent dental treatments. Eligibility extends to veterans enrolled in the VA system who reside in designated rural areas and are either not otherwise eligible for dental care or unable to reach existing facilities within standard timeframes, with specific provisions allowing homeless veterans to qualify through alternative verification methods. The bill authorizes $5 million for program setup in fiscal year 2027 and $20 million annually for the following three years, while also establishing an internal working group to evaluate access barriers and requiring a final report to Congress on the pilot's effectiveness.
The VA Claims AI Accountability Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to build a new technology platform to modernize disability claims processing while ensuring that human employees retain final decision-making authority over all benefit approvals. The bill mandates the creation of a specific governance framework for artificial intelligence use, which must protect veterans' due process rights and clearly distinguish between standard automation and AI tools. To maintain transparency, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must submit an annual report to Congress detailing costs and AI confidence scores, along with quarterly briefings on progress. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office is tasked with conducting an independent evaluation of the program's effectiveness, which will terminate on October 1, 2028.
The VA AI Transparency Act of 2026 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to inform veterans and other eligible individuals whenever they are interacting with an artificial intelligence system rather than a human employee. This disclosure must clearly state that the interaction is automated and explain the general purpose for which the AI is being used. The law defines covered individuals broadly to include veterans, their survivors, dependents, caregivers, and anyone seeking benefits or services from the department. An exception exists for internal administrative uses of AI that do not involve direct contact with these individuals, but the bill explicitly prohibits using AI to interact directly with them in those cases.
The Housing Tariff Exclusion Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to create a process allowing U.S. companies to request exemptions from tariffs on building materials that are not produced in sufficient quantities domestically. The bill specifically targets products used in residential construction, such as lumber, cement, and fixtures, while excluding rare earth elements and antidumping duties. Requests for "critical homebuilding products" must be decided within 15 days, while other covered articles have a 60-day review period, with all decisions published online for transparency. The legislation includes retroactive provisions to refund overpaid tariffs on goods imported before an exemption is granted and sets a sunset date of October 1, 2029, after which no new exclusions can be issued.
The Food for Thought Act of 2026 establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Department of Agriculture to provide free meals and snacks to low-income college students at eligible institutions, including community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, and other minority-serving schools. To qualify, an institution must have at least 20 percent of its undergraduate students eligible for Federal Pell Grants, and grants are awarded for a maximum duration of two years with funds restricted to meal preparation, outreach, and limited equipment purchases. Recipients are required to prioritize students who receive Pell Grants or report food insecurity, while also evaluating institutional policies that may create barriers to enrollment and referring students to other federal benefit programs like SNAP. The bill authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 2027 through 2032 and mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture submit reports to Congress on the program's impact on student retention and completion rates.
The Community Health Worker Access Act would add community health services to Medicare Part B starting in 2027, allowing beneficiaries to receive these services without paying a deductible and with costs covered at 100 percent of the lesser of the actual charge or a government-set fee schedule. The bill defines eligible services as preventive care and support for social determinants of health, such as transportation assistance, case management, and culturally specific outreach, provided by qualified community health agencies under the supervision of licensed medical providers. Additionally, it gives states an optional pathway to cover similar services through Medicaid, offering a 6 percentage point increase in federal matching funds to help offset state costs for these workforce-supported programs.
