This bill aims to make permanent the rules for Optional Practical Training, which allows international students to work in the United States after completing their studies. It directly affects F-1 visa holders by codifying their ability to gain up to 24 months of work experience related to their field of study, or up to 48 months if they studied science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. The legislation also directs the Department of Homeland Security to classify nursing as a STEM field, thereby extending the longer work authorization period to nursing graduates. By adding these provisions to federal law, the bill ensures that these work opportunities remain consistent and legally defined for future students.
This bill creates a Social Security credit system for unpaid family caregivers who provide care to chronically dependent relatives, allowing them to earn credits toward future retirement benefits. It defines qualifying months as those where a caregiver spends at least 80 hours providing care to a child under 12 or an adult with significant daily living limitations without receiving monetary compensation. The legislation would credit these caregivers with up to 60 months of deemed wages, calculated as 50% of the national average wage index, starting in 2027, to help increase their future Social Security benefits. Caregivers must submit applications with documentation from physicians for adult dependents and certify their caregiving status annually. The bill requires the Social Security Administration to establish regulations and verification procedures to prevent fraud and abuse within one year of enactment.
The Elder Justice Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2026 extends federal funding through 2030 to prevent and investigate elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The bill primarily affects states, Indian tribes, and community organizations by providing grants to train nursing home workers and improve retention through wage subsidies, tuition assistance, and childcare support. It also allocates money to expand adult protective services, strengthen long-term care ombudsman programs, and address social isolation among older adults. Additionally, the legislation authorizes medical-legal partnerships to help older adults resolve legal barriers to healthcare and requires regular reporting on program effectiveness.
This resolution expresses the House of Representatives' preference for a trade policy that prioritizes American workers, consumers, independent farmers, small businesses, and the environment over corporate interests. It calls for trade agreements to include binding labor and environmental standards, fair wage guarantees, and strict rules of origin to prevent companies from moving jobs overseas. The measure also supports strengthening domestic manufacturing requirements, maintaining tariffs against unfair trade practices, and ensuring that public procurement favors American-made goods. Additionally, it urges the inclusion of provisions to protect data privacy, regulate artificial intelligence, and ensure affordable access to medicine while preventing monopolies.
The Relief for Families of the Fallen Act provides tax relief for the families of public safety officers who die as a direct result of injuries sustained while on duty. This legislation removes income taxes for the year of death and any prior tax years since the injury occurred, applying to officers such as police, firefighters, and paramedics. To process these claims, the law requires the tax authority to use existing criteria for determining line-of-duty deaths and to handle requests quickly with minimal administrative burden on grieving families. The benefits become effective for officers who die on or after January 1, 2025.
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This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants for creating Community Multi-Share Coverage Programs designed to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to employees with limited income. These programs would operate through partnerships between hospitals, local employers, and community organizations to offer coverage that includes essential medical services without deductibles and with low co-payments. Eligible individuals are those who earn between Medicaid limits and 400% of the federal poverty line, work for small employers, and currently lack affordable coverage options. The funding structure requires shared financial contributions from the public sector, local healthcare providers, employers, and enrollees to ensure long-term sustainability. Additionally, the bill mandates that programs evaluate their impact on improving participants' health, employment status, and economic self-sufficiency over a four-year grant period.
The Protecting American Railroad Workers' Jobs Act of 2026 requires freight trains crossing the southern border into the United States to stop for crew changes and safety inspections. Under this bill, only railroad workers who are U.S. nationals or lawfully authorized aliens with a primary reporting point in the U.S. may operate these trains after the stop. The legislation also prohibits crew members from performing any duties while physically outside the United States. These provisions directly affect railroad carriers operating freight trains across the Mexico border and the workers employed on those trains.
The WATCH Personnel Act of 2026 establishes a minimum annual salary of $40,000 for Transportation Security Officers and mandates future salary adjustments based on inflation. Additionally, the bill provides a one-time $10,000 bonus to officers employed as of February 14, 2026, during a period of funding uncertainty. These funds are designated specifically for pay and benefits during a lapse in appropriations and will be charged to future budgets once enacted. The legislation takes effect retroactively as if passed on February 13, 2026.
This bill expands eligibility for federal workers' compensation to include specific Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives employees who suffer illnesses linked to their fire protection duties. It achieves this by legally classifying Certified Fire Investigators and members of the National Response Team within the ATF as employees engaged in fire protection activities. Consequently, these designated personnel can now file claims for compensation if they develop diseases deemed to be directly caused by their work in fire protection. The changes apply only to compensation claims submitted on or after the date the law is enacted.
The Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2026 establishes a federal grant program to help states, localities, and the Bureau of Prisons implement mental health screening surveys for corrections officers. These surveys are designed to confidentially identify symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and bipolar disorder, with positive results automatically triggering a referral to local mental health providers. The legislation also requires the creation of mental health outreach teams to coordinate care and ensures that officers seeking treatment are protected from adverse employment actions. An independent Advisory Board will oversee the program, approve state and local plans, and monitor the use of the authorized funding, which totals $200 million over five years.
