The Supporting 9-8-8 Crisis Stabilization Act amends Medicaid rules to allow federal funding for specific community-based mental health facilities that were previously excluded from coverage. It defines two new types of eligible sites: crisis receiving and stabilization facilities, which must operate 24/7 with an average stay under 150 hours, and mental health and substance use urgent care centers where individuals can walk in without an appointment. These facilities are required to accept referrals from law enforcement and emergency personnel while prohibiting service denials based on factors like ability to pay or criminal justice history. The bill also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue implementation guidance within 180 days and submit a report to Congress one year later analyzing how these changes affect hospital admissions, incarceration rates, and overall crisis response utilization.
The Taxpayer Relief from Big Oil Act would eliminate existing royalty relief programs for oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, requiring these firms to pay full royalties on their production. The bill also mandates that the Department of Interior establish standardized transportation cost deductions for calculating royalties on federal lands and offshore waters, capping these deductions at either 30 percent of the total value of production or actual reasonable costs, whichever is lower. Additionally, the legislation requires the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the number of royalty relief applications processed, approved wells, and estimated impacts on government revenue.
The Penalties for Polluters Act significantly increases the maximum civil penalties for violations of federal mineral leasing, oil and gas royalty management, and offshore lands laws to better account for inflation. These higher fines apply to companies and individuals who fail to comply with regulations regarding natural resource extraction and environmental protection. The bill also establishes a Penalty Revenue Reinvestment Fund that collects the additional revenue generated by these increased penalties. Half of this fund is distributed to states, Indian tribes, and local governments harmed by violations, while the other half supports federal agencies in enforcing compliance and safety standards.
The 9-8-8 Community Infrastructure Act authorizes $1 billion in grants for capital projects at health centers and crisis response facilities. Eligible recipients include federally funded health centers, tribal organizations, and specialized non-hospital facilities that provide 24/7 mental health and substance use crisis services. Funds may be used for construction, renovation, expansion, or loan repayment to improve these infrastructure sites. The bill specifically defines eligible crisis facilities as those offering stabilization beds, sliding-scale payment options, and no-wrong-door admission without rejecting patients based on ability to pay or other factors.
The 9-8-8 and 9-1-1 Integration Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a multidisciplinary panel that will develop recommendations for training and protocols for emergency dispatchers. The primary goal is to ensure that individuals experiencing behavioral health or substance use crises are connected to appropriate care services rather than being met solely by law enforcement. The panel must consider integrating the 9-8-8 crisis line with the 9-1-1 system, utilizing standardized assessment tools to evaluate caller needs, and implementing training on cultural competency and implicit bias. Additionally, the legislation requires the creation of data collection standards to track response outcomes and disparities while protecting caller privacy, with reports submitted to Congress upon the release of recommendations and every five years thereafter.
The Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act of 2026 mandates that Medicare, Medicaid, and most private health insurance plans cover mental health and substance use crisis response services for individuals experiencing acute episodes. These covered services include care provided by mobile crisis teams, urgent care facilities, and stabilization centers that offer short-term observation without rejecting patients based on their ability to pay or other factors. The legislation also requires ambulance providers to transport individuals in crisis to appropriate facilities and extends coverage requirements to TRICARE, veterans' benefits, federal employee health plans, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. These new coverage mandates generally take effect three years after the bill is enacted, with specific provisions ensuring that financial restrictions on these services are no more severe than those applied to standard medical care.
This House concurrent resolution directs the President to withdraw U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere. The directive is issued under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution and applies unless Congress has separately authorized military action through a declaration of war or specific legislation.
The Equal Pay for Equal Work Act establishes a new National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force composed of representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the Office of Personnel Management. The task force is charged with coordinating these agencies to close gaps in enforcement and improve public education regarding equal pay laws. Its specific duties include investigating challenges related to pay inequity, advancing recommendations to address those issues, and creating action plans to implement the proposed solutions.
The No Homeless Detention Centers Act prohibits recipients of federal housing funds from forcing homeless individuals to live in government facilities or requiring them to perform labor in exchange for shelter. The bill also bans local and state authorities from punishing people for engaging in basic life-sustaining activities, such as sleeping or resting, on public property. These restrictions apply to actions taken by law enforcement officers or private contractors acting under federal authority. By tying these prohibitions to federal funding, the legislation aims to prevent the use of criminal penalties or involuntary confinement to address homelessness.
The INSULIN Act of 2026 mandates that group and individual health insurance plans cap out-of-pocket costs for selected insulin products at $35 per 30-day supply, effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2028. This cost limit applies to a variety of insulin types and delivery devices, with the cap set at the lesser of $35 or 25 percent of the negotiated price net of concessions. The bill also prohibits insurers from imposing deductibles or prior authorization requirements for these covered products unless clinically justified for safety reasons.
Additionally, the legislation directs the Department of Health and Human Services to fund a resource center and hotline to help uninsured individuals find affordable insulin assistance programs, while requiring the Government Accountability Office to study the demographics of uninsured insulin users. Finally, it creates an expedited review process for biosimilar insulin applications when the Secretary determines there is inadequate competition in the market.
The End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2026 amends the Foreign Assistance Act to designate ending the global tuberculosis emergency as a major objective of U.S. foreign policy and authorizes the President to provide funding for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment programs worldwide. The bill sets specific targets to be achieved by 2030, including an 80 percent reduction in new infections and a 90 percent reduction in deaths compared to 2015 levels, while also requiring that 30 million individuals receive preventive treatment. Key provisions mandate the use of innovative diagnostic tools, support for drug-resistant TB care, and coordination with private sector partners to develop vaccines and lower treatment costs. The legislation requires annual reports to Congress detailing program progress and expenditures, and it includes a sunset clause that terminates these specific authorities on January 1, 2033.
The Doctors Not AI Act of 2026 prohibits health insurance plans from using artificial intelligence systems to issue or dictate adverse benefit determinations that involve clinical judgment, such as decisions based on medical necessity or treatment appropriateness. Instead, these determinations must be made by a licensed healthcare professional who conducts an independent evaluation of the patient's specific medical circumstances without deferring to AI outputs. The bill requires insurers to disclose in written notices if any AI system was used during the review process and mandates that detailed documentation regarding the AI's role and outputs be maintained as part of the administrative record, available to patients upon request. Additionally, the legislation classifies the use of AI in utilization review as a treatment limitation for parity purposes, ensuring it is evaluated equally across mental health and medical-surgical benefits under existing federal laws.
