This resolution expresses support for the United Nations designation of 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. It recognizes the economic, social, and ecological importance of rangelands and the ranchers, farmers, and land managers who steward them. The measure encourages federal agencies, universities, and organizations to promote education, research, and outreach related to rangeland management during this designated year.
The Support our Firefighters Act establishes mandatory rest and recuperation leave for federal wildland firefighters working for the Forest Service and Department of the Interior. The bill requires these employees to take paid leave after completing specific deployment periods, such as 3 days after 14 days of work or 4 days after 21 days of work, with policies set jointly by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior. Additionally, the legislation allows up to $5 million in unspent wildfire management funds to be transferred between the two departments to support ongoing salary increases for firefighters. The act also removes expiration dates on overtime pay provisions for wildland firefighters, ensuring these benefits continue indefinitely rather than being limited to specific years.
The SHARE Act introduces a new tax provision that excludes certain income from shared appreciation mortgages from gross income for qualifying borrowers. This bill directly affects low-to-moderate income homeowners who use these alternative financing products, which allow lenders to receive a share of the property's future value increase instead of requiring monthly interest payments. The key mechanism requires borrowers to meet income limits of 140 percent of the area median income and use the home as their primary residence, while the mortgage must be a second lien subordinate to a qualified first mortgage and cannot exceed 49 percent of the purchase price. The tax exclusion applies only to amounts received after December 31, 2025, and does not change the fundamental structure of these loans but rather provides specific tax treatment for their repayment and disposition.
This bill, titled the Ensuring Better Interest Treatment and Deductibility Act, would change how businesses calculate the limit on interest expenses they can deduct on their taxes. It directly affects corporations and other businesses that pay interest on loans by modifying the rules for determining adjusted taxable income. The key provision removes a specific clause from the tax code that currently limits how much interest can be deducted based on a company's earnings, effectively allowing more interest to be treated as a deductible business expense. These changes would apply to tax years starting after December 31, 2025, meaning businesses would need to adjust their financial planning for future tax filings.
This bill, titled the Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act of 2026, establishes rules for how religious organizations are treated under federal tax law and financial assistance programs. It directs the IRS to determine whether an organization's purpose is religious without considering its specific beliefs about marriage, sexuality, or gender identity, even if those beliefs conflict with current laws. The legislation also prohibits federal agencies from discriminating against religious employers that receive federal funding if those employers hire staff based on their religious standards. These protections apply to religious corporations, associations, educational institutions, and societies, ensuring they can maintain employment practices aligned with their faith when receiving government support.
This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study on installing a selective water withdrawal system at Glen Canyon Dam. The study aims to balance hydropower generation with preventing invasive species from being drawn into the dam's intake, following existing environmental management plans. If the study finds the system feasible and power contractors agree, construction could begin after the 18-month study period. The bill allocates federal funds for the study and requires identifying funding sources within 90 days of enactment.
This bill requires federal land agencies to assume that designated motorized roads and trails remain open unless restrictions are clearly justified by resource protection or public safety concerns. It mandates that any access restrictions be properly signed, mapped, publicly announced, and reviewed at least every five years to ensure they remain necessary. The legislation also allows the public to propose new motorized routes or convert existing closed roads, with agencies prioritizing requests that improve connectivity, protect resources, support wildfire management, or enhance recreational access. These rules apply to National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management roads and trails, excluding wilderness areas and national parks.
Love Lives On Act of 2025 This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans. The bill provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation or special pension benefits to such spouse. Additionally, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries. The bill also expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.
This bill requires large defense contractors to agree to specific restrictions as a condition for receiving Department of Defense contracts. It prohibits these contractors from buying their own company stock, paying dividends, or linking employee compensation to short-term financial metrics, while also capping annual covered compensation at $5 million per employee. Contractors must demonstrate strong performance on delivery dates, readiness, technical metrics, and cost reporting to qualify for a waiver of these restrictions. The Department of Defense must establish a review process to identify violations, renegotiate existing contracts, and can impose penalties including contract termination or clawing back employee compensation if rules are broken.
This bill prohibits federal government officials, including the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and their employees, from using their official positions to profit from trading prediction market contracts based on material nonpublic information. It requires these covered individuals to report any prediction market transactions exceeding $250 to their supervising ethics office within 30 days, detailing the contract value, timing, platform, and profit or loss. The legislation establishes penalties of up to $500 or double the profit made for violations and mandates ethics offices to create implementation rules and publish procedures within 180 days of enactment.
The PREDICT Act prohibits federal government officials, including Members of Congress, their spouses and dependents, high-ranking executive branch employees, and political appointees from trading on prediction markets tied to political events. This restriction applies to any agreement or transaction where payment depends on whether a specific political event occurs, does not occur, or happens to a certain degree. If a covered individual violates this rule, they must pay a 10% fee and forfeit any profits from the transaction, with penalties paid from personal funds rather than government salaries or allowances. The Office of Government Ethics will issue guidance on undefined terms and publish details of any fines on a public website.
HR 5639, the Co-Location Energy Act, allows the Secretary of the Interior to permit solar and wind energy development on existing federal energy leases for oil, gas, coal, or geothermal projects. It requires leaseholder consent before evaluating or issuing permits for renewable energy systems on these leased areas. The bill mandates the Secretary to determine within 180 days whether such renewable projects qualify for simplified environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. This legislation directly affects federal leaseholders and renewable energy developers seeking to co-locate projects on currently leased federal lands.
