The SHADOW Fleet Sanctions Act of 2026 imposes sanctions on vessels and foreign entities supporting Russia's shadow fleet - vessels used to circumvent sanctions on Russian oil exports. It targets foreign vessels engaging in unsafe maritime behavior, lacking proper insurance, or evading the crude oil price cap, as well as foreign persons facilitating such activities through ship-to-ship transfers, insurance, or port services. The bill requires sanctions on port terminals in China or India accepting oil from sanctioned vessels and establishes a public database of vessels suspected of sabotage activities. It also creates reporting requirements and a strategy to counter China's role in evading sanctions on Russian energy products.
This bill establishes the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative to protect undersea communication cables critical to Taiwan's security and economy. It directs the State Department to coordinate with defense and maritime agencies to create real-time monitoring systems, rapid repair protocols, enhanced surveillance of suspicious vessels near Taiwan, and international partnerships for cable protection. The bill also authorizes U.S. sanctions - including property blocking and visa bans - against individuals or entities from China found responsible for sabotaging cables near Taiwan. It requires semiannual reports to Congress detailing cable incidents and U.S. responses.
S 1369, the Protecting Global Fisheries Act of 2026, authorizes the U.S. government to impose sanctions on foreign vessels and entities involved in illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing or the illegal trade of endangered species. The bill targets foreign persons or vessels responsible for IUU fishing or illegal wildlife trade, including those acting on behalf of governments like China’s, with sanctions such as asset blocking, travel bans, port access denial, and financial restrictions. It requires the President to submit annual reports to Congress on sanctions implementation and mandates a detailed assessment of China’s IUU fishing activities and global enforcement efforts. The law includes exceptions for humanitarian aid, safety-related vessel provisions, and compliance with international agreements.
S 1216, the Taiwan Allies Fund Act, authorizes $40 million annually (2026-2028) to support countries maintaining or strengthening unofficial relations with Taiwan amid Chinese diplomatic pressure. It directly aids nations facing economic or diplomatic coercion from China due to their ties with Taiwan, such as those that have preserved or deepened unofficial engagement. Funds may support health initiatives, civil society resilience against Chinese propaganda, supply chain diversification, alternatives to Chinese development aid, and Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. The bill limits funding to $5 million per country yearly and requires annual reports on program effectiveness.
The SELF DRIVE Act of 2026 establishes federal safety standards for vehicles with automated driving systems (ADS), requiring manufacturers to develop detailed "safety cases" demonstrating their systems won't present unreasonable risks to road users. It creates a National Automated Vehicle Safety Data Repository to collect crash data from ADS-equipped vehicles, including information about vulnerable road users (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) and crash circumstances. The bill preempts state laws that conflict with these federal standards while allowing states to enforce identical requirements, and defines key terms related to automation levels (Level 3-5) and operational design domains. Manufacturers must demonstrate ADS capabilities for handling various driving scenarios, including detecting vulnerable road users and achieving minimal risk conditions during emergencies. The bill also establishes requirements for cybersecurity protections and reporting of crash data to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
This bill transfers approximately 295.89 acres of National Forest System land in Utah's Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest to the city of Fruit Heights, Utah. The land, depicted on a specific map, will be conveyed via quitclaim deed with no payment required. The city must use the land solely for public purposes, and the Secretary of Agriculture retains a reservation for the Bonneville Shoreline Trail easement. If the land is used inconsistently with public purposes, it will revert to the federal government.
This bill requires the Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA) to submit an annual report to Congress detailing its investigations under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The report must include the office opening each investigation, start dates, document request dates, and whether investigations concluded within 36 months - without revealing private party identities like plan sponsors or participants. It directly affects EBSA (the agency conducting investigations) and Congress (the recipient of the reports). The key mechanism is mandating transparency about investigation timelines and status, while protecting privacy of involved parties. The report must clarify when investigations are officially closed, including cases where investigation topics evolve.
The LASSO Act requires 10% of annual revenue generated from public lands managed by the Interior Department and Agriculture Department (including national forests and Outer Continental Shelf areas) to be deposited into the Social Security Trust Fund. This directly affects the Social Security Trust Fund by increasing its funding, while ensuring no fee hikes for public land activities or reductions in funds for states, tribes, or local governments. The bill mandates this transfer annually without altering existing revenue-sharing agreements or pricing structures. It aims to bolster Social Security finances through a specific, measurable mechanism tied to federal land management.
The Drone Espionage Act (S 1809) amends existing law to explicitly include video recordings alongside photographs in the prohibition against taking or transmitting defense information. This technical update to Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 793 clarifies that video footage of defense-related information - such as from drones or other devices - falls under espionage laws, just like photographic images. The bill directly affects individuals or entities recording defense information via video, expanding the scope of prohibited activities under current espionage statutes. It does not create new penalties but ensures modern recording methods are covered by existing legal protections.
HR 7421, the SAFE Olympic Sports Act, requires national governing bodies for Olympic sports to maintain eligibility rules based on an athlete's biological sex as defined in the bill. It mandates that competitions must restrict participation to athletes whose sex at conception aligns with the event's category (e.g., female-only events for those biologically female). The bill defines "sex" as an immutable biological classification determined at conception, with specific biological criteria for male and female. This applies to Olympic, Paralympic, Pan-American, and other sanctioned amateur competitions, requiring governing bodies to continue sanctioning single-sex events they previously approved.
This bill modifies tax credit rules to help businesses recover after disasters. It allows businesses operating in designated disaster areas to treat certain unused tax credits (carryforwards) as transferrable credits against current tax liability, rather than letting them expire. Specifically, it applies to taxpayers making eligible expenditures for business operations in areas with a major disaster declaration after December 31, 2023, or a state-declared disaster meeting specific criteria. The change affects businesses in affected zones by providing immediate tax relief for qualifying expenses incurred within two years of the disaster declaration. It does not involve energy policy or new funding, but adjusts existing tax credit rules for disaster recovery.
HRES 1041 is a non-binding resolution supporting the designation of February 8, 2026, as "Scouting America Day" to celebrate the 116th anniversary of the organization's incorporation. It recognizes Scouting America's history, including its founding in 1910, its youth development programs, and its contributions to community service (e.g., over 7 million service hours in 2025). The resolution does not create new laws or directly affect any group, as it serves only as a symbolic expression of congressional support. It honors Scouting America's role in fostering leadership and character among youth, citing its long-standing partnership with national initiatives like America 250.
