This bill directs the Attorney General to create guidance for local and state governments on establishing voluntary registries for individuals at risk of receiving false emergency calls, commonly known as swatting. The guidance will outline best practices for data privacy, secure technology integration, and training law enforcement to use registry information to de-escalate dangerous situations without mandating a federal registry. Additionally, the bill allows the Justice Department to provide technical assistance and funding to help communities implement these safety measures while ensuring that participation remains optional and that officer safety is not compromised.
This bill, known as the No Campaign Funded Cover-Ups Act, restricts how candidates and federal officials can use campaign money or legal expense funds when facing accusations of sexual assault, abuse, or harassment. Under the new rules, these funds cannot pay for legal fees, settlements, court judgments, or private investigations aimed at discrediting the accuser. The legislation also requires detailed reporting of any legal expenses paid from these sources and applies retroactively to payments made in the two years before the law takes effect.
This bill creates a new National Fraud Enforcement Division within the Department of Justice to lead efforts against fraud targeting the federal government, federally funded programs, and American citizens. The division will be headed by an Assistant Attorney General appointed by the President and Senate, who will oversee complex investigations, guide local prosecutors, and coordinate with other federal agencies to stop organized fraud schemes. Additionally, the leader of this new unit will set national enforcement priorities and suggest legal or regulatory changes to fix systemic weaknesses that allow fraud to occur.
The Protecting Immigrants From Legal Exploitation Act of 2026 aims to combat fraud by increasing criminal penalties for individuals who falsely represent themselves as immigration lawyers or provide fraudulent services. It requires non-lawyer immigration service providers to identify themselves on applications and allows victims of unauthorized practice of law to withdraw and resubmit their immigration forms without penalty. The bill also empowers the Attorney General to issue civil injunctions against fraudulent providers and mandates that convicted fraudsters reimburse their clients for services rendered. To support legitimate legal aid, the legislation authorizes funding for outreach programs and grants to nonprofit organizations that provide direct legal assistance to immigrants.
This bill establishes the Native Children's Commission Implementation Act of 2026 to improve health, education, and safety outcomes for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children and families. It creates several new advisory committees within federal agencies to provide ongoing guidance on issues such as juvenile justice, maternal health, substance abuse, and environmental protection. The legislation also authorizes grants and pilot programs to expand access to mental health services, increase the perinatal workforce, support Native language schools, and provide housing assistance for homeless youth and families. Additionally, it modifies existing laws to allow Tribes greater flexibility in administering nutrition and child care programs while ensuring they receive adequate funding for administrative costs.
The Maternal Access to Treatment Act of 2026 requires the Bureau of Prisons to offer medication-assisted treatment to pregnant inmates addicted to opioids. This provision ensures that pregnant women in federal custody have access to medical care for opioid use disorder, unless they explicitly choose to decline the treatment while remaining mentally competent. The bill directly affects the Bureau of Prisons and pregnant incarcerated women by mandating the availability of this specific medical service.
The Prison to Proprietorship Act amends the Small Business Act to require entrepreneurship counseling and training for incarcerated individuals in federal prisons classified as minimum, low, or medium security. This program mandates that women's business centers and small business development centers provide specific services, including classroom instruction, self-study materials, and one-on-one coaching to help participants develop business plans and access capital. The bill establishes a matching plan to connect these centers with inmates who will be released within 18 months and allows services to continue after release. Additionally, the legislation requires annual reporting on the number of participants and their demographics, along with funding provisions to reimburse centers for delivering these educational services.
This bill prohibits federal agencies from purchasing or using artificial intelligence models that fail to meet specific safety standards designed to prevent the creation of child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate images of adults. It requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish performance benchmarks and a testing program within 180 days of enactment, while also mandating that agencies remove non-compliant software from their systems. The legislation includes a "cure" option allowing vendors to fix identified flaws at their own expense to avoid removal, and it bans the sale of tools specifically designed to bypass these safety controls. Additionally, the bill creates a private right of action, enabling individuals whose images are used to generate illegal content to sue developers for damages or injunctive relief.
The Military Sexual Trauma Accountability Act allows members of the U.S. Armed Forces to file lawsuits against the government if they suffer injury or death due to sexual misconduct by other service members or because the military failed to prevent or investigate such incidents. This law defines sexual misconduct to include rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, and it permits claims even when the government was negligent in its duties. The bill ensures that these claims are not reduced by any health benefits or services the veteran receives and sets a five-year time limit for filing, which pauses during any ongoing investigation. Additionally, the statute applies to cases that occurred before the law was passed, provided the filing deadline is calculated from the date of enactment.
The Judicial FOIA Expansion Act requires federal courts to release specific records to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. This law mandates the disclosure of attorney disciplinary actions, complaints against judges, meeting minutes, jury selection forms, and performance reports, while explicitly excluding information about ongoing cases. The bill also directs courts to provide this data in machine-readable formats and authorizes $10 million in funding to establish an office within the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to manage these requirements.
Sub-Topics
Courts
Tags
Government Transparency