The SMARTER Act proposes a comprehensive overhaul of U.S. immigration law by eliminating the Diversity Visa program, restricting family-sponsored visas to spouses and children under 18, and establishing a new points-based system for employment-based immigrants. It creates a Skilled Migration and Recruitment of Talent Board within the Department of Commerce to annually determine visa caps based on industrial labor needs, economic data, and wage growth trends. The bill replaces the H-1B visa with a "SMARTER" nonimmigrant status that allows greater job flexibility and eliminates per-country limits, while also introducing a paid "gold card" program offering 25,000 annual visas to individuals or corporations paying substantial fees. Additionally, the legislation mandates the use of artificial intelligence to identify visa overstays and requires permanent residents to have their sponsors reimburse the government for any means-tested public benefits received before they can be naturalized.
The Currency Options, Information, and Navigation Act directs the Small Business Administration to create and publish online educational modules for small businesses regarding the use of digital assets. These resources must cover practical topics such as tax implications, security risks, payment gateway options, and the differences between various types of digital assets including stablecoins. To ensure the information is accurate and current, the bill requires the agency to consult with multiple federal regulators and establish an advisory working group that includes experts from the private sector, academia, and consumer advocacy groups. The legislation mandates that these educational materials be made available within 180 days of enactment without authorizing any new funding for their development.
The CHC REBASE Act of 2026 amends the Medicare program to adjust payment rates for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) so that they cover 100 percent of estimated reasonable costs by 2028, effectively removing previous financial caps on these services. To support this change, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a working group with stakeholders from health centers, physicians, and CMS to review payment methodologies and recommend further modifications. Additionally, the legislation ensures that telehealth services provided by FQHCs and rural health clinics are paid at standard rates starting in 2027, treating associated costs as allowable expenses. The bill also mandates new guidance for Medicare Advantage plans to streamline "wraparound" payments to FQHCs and requires a Government Accountability Office report on how well these centers are included in insurance provider networks for underserved populations.
The Survivors' Rights Restitution Act of 2026 establishes a federal compensation program administered by the Attorney General for victims of sexual assault, abuse, trafficking, or exploitation involving Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as victims whose rights were violated by the federal government. Petitions are filed with the United States Court of Federal Claims and assigned to special adjudicators who must be mental health professionals or experts in victim services, civil rights law, or claims administration. The process is designed to be informal and less adversarial than standard litigation, with decisions required within 120 days and a minimum compensation award of $123,000. Compensation is funded by a dedicated Treasury account that accepts forfeited assets and voluntary contributions, and payments are exempt from federal income tax and means-tested benefit calculations.
The No Fencing at the United States Capitol Complex Act prohibits the use of federal funds to install new permanent fencing around the perimeter of the U.S. Capitol buildings and grounds. The bill allows for the repair or replacement of any existing fencing that was already in place when the law is enacted. This legislation directly affects agencies responsible for maintaining the Capitol complex by restricting their ability to add new physical barriers using government money.
The Critical Materials Future Act of 2025 directs the Department of Energy to establish a five-year pilot program that supports at least three domestic projects refining or recycling critical materials. The bill authorizes $750 million in funding and allows the use of innovative financial tools, such as price floors and contracts for difference, to stabilize markets and attract private investment. Projects are selected based on their potential to enhance national security and economic competitiveness, with priority given to those using domestic feedstock or sources from allied nations. The program includes a revolving fund to reinvest project revenues into new initiatives and requires the Department of Energy to publish a study evaluating the effectiveness of these financial mechanisms after the pilot concludes.
The Protecting Approved Care Act would amend Medicare Advantage rules to prevent insurance companies from retroactively denying coverage for medical services that have already been approved or received by patients. Starting in 2028, plans would be prohibited from rejecting claims based on a lack of medical necessity if the service was authorized during the patient's care or did not require prior approval. Additionally, insurers could only reopen payment decisions or lower reimbursement amounts if there is good cause or reliable evidence of fraud, thereby protecting beneficiaries from unexpected claim reversals after treatment has occurred.
The WIC for Kids Act expands eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to include children in households receiving Head Start services, food assistance on Indian reservations, or nutrition block grants in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The bill extends the standard certification period for WIC-eligible children from one year to two years and allows state agencies to align recertification dates for all eligible family members within a household. Additionally, it requires states to automatically certify infants born to participating mothers without requiring a new application and grants automatic eligibility to children in kinship care arrangements.
This bill temporarily suspends federal excise taxes on certain transportation fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, setting the tax rate to zero for sales occurring between enactment and December 31, 2026. The legislation directly affects consumers by aiming to lower fuel prices at the pump. It mandates that fuel producers and dealers pass the full amount of the tax savings on to buyers immediately. To enforce this requirement, the bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose monetary penalties on companies that fail to reduce their prices accordingly.
The National Risk Assessments Extension Act extends the deadlines for federal agencies to update their strategies for combating terrorist and other illicit financing. Specifically, it pushes back the required completion dates from 2024 to 2028 and from 2026 to 2030. The bill also modifies the law to require that these updated strategies be based on new national risk assessments for money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing scheduled for 2026.
The Judicial Conduct and Disability Reform Act of 2026 amends federal law to limit the duration of judicial suspension orders and create new avenues for oversight and review. It restricts suspensions to a maximum of two years, after which a judicial council must either end the proceeding, request that the judge retire without meeting standard age or service requirements, or refer the case to the Judicial Conference. The bill also allows the Chief Justice to transfer misconduct complaints involving circuit judges to a different federal circuit to help ensure impartiality and maintain public confidence in the process. Additionally, it grants courts of appeals limited jurisdiction to review suspension orders that exceed one year, while requiring judicial councils to notify congressional committees when they take specific actions against judges.
The Survivor's Voice Protection Act makes nondisclosure clauses unenforceable if they prevent victims of sexual abuse or others from disclosing facts related to such abuse, a rule that applies retroactively to contracts signed before the law is enacted. The bill also requires fiduciaries, such as guardians or trustees, to report suspected grooming behavior to law enforcement within 90 to 180 days of learning about it. Victims who suffer harm due to a fiduciary's failure to report can sue for damages in federal court, and state attorneys general may also bring civil actions on behalf of their residents.
