Shutdown Fairness Act This bill provides appropriations to pay federal employees who work during a government shutdown. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments to excepted employees for work performed during any period in which interim continuing appropriations or full-year appropriations are not in effect for a fiscal year (i.e., a government shutdown). An excepted employee is an employee who is required to work during a government shutdown. Under current law, excepted employees are not paid until the government shutdown is over. This bill provides appropriations to pay excepted employees during a government shutdown. The bill also specifies that the term excepted employee includes certain contractors who support federal employees during a government shutdown and members of the Armed Forces who are on active duty. A federal agency may not use the funds provided by this bill during any period in which continuing appropriations are in effect for the purpose of paying excepted employees of the agency. The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025.
HR 6011, the VA Work-Study Improvement Act, expands opportunities for veterans and military members participating in the VA's work-study program. It allows them to work on activities with state/local governments or nonprofits that benefit veterans (e.g., community service or job training), and sets a new wage standard requiring payments to be the highest of federal employee rates, state minimum wage, or local minimum wage. The bill also requires electronic tracking of work hours and annual public reporting on program participation, including demographics, wages, hours worked, and participating schools. These changes apply to work-study payments made on or after January 1, 2028.
S 914, the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, allows veterans involuntarily removed from federal civil service positions without cause between January 20, 2025, and the bill’s enactment date to seek reinstatement to their former role or a similar qualified position. It directly affects eligible veteran federal employees and requires all executive agencies to submit detailed reports every 90 days to congressional committees, including the number of veteran removals and the reasons for each. The reports must cover the period from the bill’s enactment until January 20, 2029, and include specific data on veteran separations. This bill creates a formal process for veterans to regain federal employment and mandates transparency through regular agency reporting.
HR 1884, the Veterans Fellowship Act, establishes a 5-year pilot program to help veterans transition to civilian careers. It authorizes the Labor Department to select 3-5 states to partner with nonprofits, placing veterans in employer-sponsored fellowships lasting up to 20 weeks. Each fellow receives a monthly stipend and a potential path to long-term employment with the same employer. The program requires a $10 million annual federal appropriation (2025-2029) and mandates a Comptroller General report on its effectiveness after four years. This directly affects participating veterans, states, and nonprofit organizations involved in the pilot.
S 2631, the "Saving NIST’s Workforce Act," prevents the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) from implementing layoffs until full-year funding for fiscal year 2026 is secured. The bill imposes a moratorium on reductions in force under federal workforce laws until Congress passes the 2026 budget. This directly affects NIST employees by halting potential workforce cuts during the budget gap. The key mechanism is a temporary legal barrier requiring Congress to enact 2026 funding before NIST can reduce its staff.
This bill (HR 6015) ensures existing labor agreements between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and employee unions remain in full effect through their scheduled terms. It also cancels two executive orders (14251 and 14343) that previously excluded VA from standard federal labor-management programs. The bill directly affects VA employees and their unions by preserving current collective bargaining rights and requiring VA to follow standard federal labor rules. It does not change veterans' benefits or healthcare access; it only modifies VA's internal labor relations procedures. This is a procedural bill focused on labor-management processes, not direct policy changes for veterans.
This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to prioritize digital literacy skills in adult education programs. It defines "digital literacy skills" using existing federal standards and requires WIOA-funded programs to integrate these skills into their services for adults seeking employment, economic self-sufficiency, or community participation. Key provisions mandate that programs must now include training in digital technology use, problem-solving with digital tools, and parental support for children's learning through digital skills. The bill directly affects adult education and workforce programs serving low-income adults, job seekers, and parents across all states.
This bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide cost-share grants covering 70% of the expenses for farmers and eligible schools to retrofit agricultural tractors with rollover protection structures (ROPS) - safety cages that prevent injury if a tractor flips. It directly affects agricultural producers and specific educational institutions, including vocational schools, colleges with agricultural programs, and secondary schools offering agricultural training. The grants cover costs for purchasing, transporting, and installing ROPS that meet SAE safety standards and include seatbelts, with higher coverage if costs exceed $500. Funding of $725,000 annually from 2027-2031 will support these grants, administered through a designated program manager.
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Agriculture
HR 2310, the COBALT Supply Chain Act, prohibits the import of cobalt-containing goods refined in China due to documented child labor and forced labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) cobalt supply chain. It creates a legal presumption that such goods are made with forced labor unless importers provide clear evidence they are not derived from Chinese-refined cobalt. The bill requires federal agencies to develop an enforcement strategy within 120 days to trace supply chains and block imports, and mandates annual certification that all U.S. government-vehicle parts are free of cobalt mined or refined using forced labor in the DRC or China’s Xinjiang region. This directly affects U.S. importers of cobalt-based products (like electric vehicle batteries), Chinese firms operating in DRC mines, and federal procurement practices.
The Hidden Fee Disclosure Act of 2025 requires pharmacy benefit managers and third-party administrators providing services to employee benefit plans to disclose detailed information about their compensation structures. Covered service providers must annually report all fees, rebates, discounts, and other financial arrangements they receive, including how much is retained versus passed through to the plan. This includes specific details about spread pricing, rebate handling, and compensation from drug manufacturers. The bill applies to all contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, and aims to increase transparency for plan fiduciaries managing employee health benefits.
