The Drug Deal Disclosure Act requires the Department of Health and Human Services to publicly release records of specific agreements between the federal government and major drug manufacturers starting in 2025. These agreements must include provisions such as offering lower drug prices based on international rates, providing discounts through government platforms like TrumpRx, or receiving special exemptions from import duties and regulatory reviews. While the bill mandates that most documents be made available in a searchable format, it allows the government to withhold only specific confidential pricing details if legally required by foreign laws or court orders, provided a justification is published. Additionally, the law directs the Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office to analyze the economic and budgetary impacts of these deals, including effects on Medicare, Medicaid, and drug competition.
This bill establishes a comprehensive federal program to reduce diagnostic errors and improve patient safety by funding research, creating new research centers, and developing standardized data systems. It directs the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to launch a multi-year initiative that includes an advisory committee with patient representatives to design strategies for preventing medical mistakes and reducing associated health care costs. A key provision creates a voluntary reporting system for patients to share experiences of diagnostic errors without fear of legal repercussions, while also forming an interagency council to coordinate efforts across various health departments. The legislation authorizes significant funding over several years to support these research activities, data standardization, and the implementation of tools that leverage artificial intelligence and data science to enhance diagnostic accuracy.
The Essential Caregivers Act of 2026 requires nursing homes, long-term care hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and intermediate care facilities to allow two chosen family members or friends to visit residents during times when regular visitation is suspended. These essential caregivers must agree to follow the facility's existing safety and infection control rules, which are no more restrictive than those applied to staff. While facilities can limit access for the first seven days of a suspension or deny entry if a caregiver shows symptoms of a serious infectious disease, they cannot block visits for end-of-life care. Additionally, the bill mandates that complaints about denied access to essential caregivers be investigated and resolved within three days.
This bill, known as the Voter ID Act, requires voters in federal elections to present a valid photo identification to cast a ballot in person or to mail in their vote. It allows individuals who cannot produce such ID to cast a provisional ballot, provided they later submit the ID or an affidavit explaining a religious objection to being photographed. The law defines acceptable forms of identification to include state-issued driver's licenses, state ID cards, passports, military IDs, and tribal government documents with photos and expiration dates. To assist those who need copies of their ID, the bill mandates that states provide free access to digital imaging devices at various government buildings and establishes a federal grant program to help states and tribes issue identification documents at no cost to eligible residents who cannot afford the fees.
Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes through FY2030, modifies, and establishes programs under the Older Americans Act, which supports social services and activities for individuals aged 60 years or older. Reauthorized programs and activities include the national eldercare locator service; regional aging and disability resource centers; grants to support counseling and assistance on pensions and other retirement benefits; grants to support home-delivered nutrition services (sometimes referred to as meals on wheels programs); programs to facilitate the delivery of supportive services to tribal organizations; and programs to prevent elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The bill also modifies existing programs for older individuals, including by explicitly permitting states to use certain grant funds to make carryout meals available at congregate meal sites or community locations. (Some providers began offering carryout meals to seniors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.) Further, the bill permits the Administration on Aging to establish and operate, through grants to or contracts with eligible entities, a national resource center to support growth of the direct care workforce. The center’s activities may include the provision of training and technical assistance and the promotion of strategies to recruit and retain direct care workers. Finally, the bill establishes or reconvenes certain advisory groups, including (1) an advisory committee to provide guidance regarding the needs of older Native Americans and the implementation of related programs, and (2) a White House Conference on Aging to recommend improvements to federal programs that serve older individuals.
HR 7651, the Chloe Cole Act of 2026, prohibits healthcare providers from performing certain medical interventions on minors under 18 aimed at altering physical development to align with gender identity. These "covered interventions" include puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and specific surgeries, but exclude medically necessary care for conditions like disorders of sexual development or traumatic injuries. The bill creates a federal civil lawsuit right for affected minors or their parents against providers who perform such interventions, allowing claims for damages including emotional distress and punitive awards, with strict liability for providers after the law's enactment. It explicitly allows exceptions for legitimate medical treatments and requires providers to prove such exceptions apply if challenged.
HR 5880, the "Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act," requires manufacturers and distributors of pill-making machines (like tableting machines) and their critical parts (such as punches and dies) to affix permanent serial numbers to these items. It mandates that these businesses report transactions involving such machines to the Attorney General and maintain records of the serial numbers. The law prohibits tampering with or knowingly distributing machines with removed or altered serial numbers. This directly affects manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of these specific pill-production machines and parts, aiming to improve tracking of equipment used in illicit drug manufacturing.
This bill requires Medicare Advantage plans to implement electronic pre-approval systems for medical services by 2028 and meet transparency reporting standards starting in 2027. Plans must publicly report data on approval/denial rates, appeal outcomes, response times, and technology use for pre-approval requests, including details on how denials relate to clinical criteria. It establishes a 24-hour response timeframe for certain requests and mandates annual reviews of pre-approval requirements based on data and input from seniors and providers. The law directly affects Medicare Advantage plans, seniors enrolled in these plans, and healthcare providers who submit pre-approval requests. These changes aim to make the pre-approval process faster, more transparent, and more accountable for seniors seeking covered medical services.
HR 3108, the RPM Access Act, increases Medicare reimbursement for remote patient monitoring (RPM) in rural areas by setting a minimum reimbursement floor of 100% for practice expenses and malpractice costs starting in 2026. It requires that RPM services include real-time physician availability to address health issues, use data systems compatible with electronic health records, and mandates providers to report data on cost savings and adherence to medications. The bill directly affects rural Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions like heart failure and diabetes, as well as healthcare providers delivering RPM services in underserved rural communities. It also requires a 5-year report to Congress analyzing cost savings from RPM use, including reduced hospitalizations and medication adherence. The law aims to improve access to RPM in rural areas where healthcare shortages are most severe.
Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act This bill prohibits payment card networks from using merchant codes that distinguish firearms retailers from general-merchandise retailers or sporting-goods retailers. The Department of Justice must enforce this bill and report annually on the resulting investigations and cases.
The PROMISE Act of 2026 establishes a mandatory process for Congress to address Social Security solvency by requiring the Social Security Advisory Board to develop and submit specific legislative recommendations by September 2026. This legislation mandates that Congress convene and consider a Social Security bill by November 2026, with strict rules limiting debate to 100 hours and prohibiting amendments that would not achieve long-term solvency or alter the program's funding. To pass the bill, the Senate requires a three-fifths majority vote while the House requires a simple majority, and the process restricts the inclusion of unrelated provisions to ensure the focus remains on the financial stability of the Social Security Trust Funds.
The Pre-Apprenticeships To Hardhats Act authorizes $20 million annually to fund grants that help build and construction trade pre-apprenticeship programs. These programs are designed to prepare individuals from underrepresented groups, such as women, racial minorities, and veterans, for entry into registered apprenticeships by providing industry-aligned training and curriculum. Funding is awarded to nonprofit partnerships that include employers, labor organizations, and educational institutions, with a requirement that the training leads directly to available apprenticeship positions. The Department of Labor must evaluate the effectiveness of these projects based on participant success rates, and grants may be extended only if satisfactory performance is demonstrated.
