HR 6834 (STORE Act of 2025) increases annual funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) from $15 million to $25 million (2026-2030) and expands grant eligibility to include state agencies and tribal, low-income, and remote community organizations. It allows grants to support mobile/home food delivery, refrigerated truck purchases, and cold storage infrastructure for food banks and pantries. The bill also requires the USDA to produce a national report within two years assessing refrigeration storage shortages and costs for emergency food organizations. These changes directly affect state agencies administering EFAP and food distribution networks serving communities with food insecurity.
This bill creates federal programs to advance alternative protein production through biomanufacturing and bioprocessing. It authorizes $15 million annually for research centers focused on protein diversification, $50 million for grants to companies building food biomanufacturing facilities, and $25 million for workforce development programs. The bill also requires a national strategy on protein security coordinated across multiple federal agencies. These provisions aim to strengthen food supply chains, create jobs in the growing protein sector, and reduce reliance on foreign commodities. The bill explicitly excludes insect-based food production from its scope.
Dental Care for Veterans Act This bill expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill makes all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system eligible for VA-provided dental services. Currently, only veterans who have a service-connected dental issue or meet other narrow criteria are eligible for certain dental services. The bill phases in eligibility over four years based upon existing eligibility, degree of service-connected disability or other disability, prisoner of war status, award of a Purple Heart, financial need, or VA health care eligibility.
This joint resolution expresses Congress's disapproval of a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule that requires doctors to obtain prior authorization for certain medical services under the WISeR Model. The bill directly affects healthcare providers and patients by seeking to cancel the rule, which would otherwise mandate that specific services be approved before they are delivered. If passed, the provision would render the rule ineffective, preventing the new prior authorization requirements from taking effect. This action is part of a standard legislative process used to reject federal regulations without needing to pass a new law.
This resolution designates May 29, 2026, as "Mental Health Awareness in Agriculture Day" to highlight mental health issues within the farming and agricultural workforce. It aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness by acknowledging the unique stressors faced by producers and workers, such as unpredictable weather, labor shortages, and market fluctuations. The bill also draws attention to available support resources, specifically the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, and encourages the public to observe the day as a way to promote well-being in the industry.
This bill creates a new federal tax on money received by former U.S. presidents, their immediate family members, or their controlled businesses from civil lawsuits against the government. Under the law, any settlement or verdict awarded to these individuals would be subject to a 100 percent tax, and the payments would not be counted as taxable income for other purposes. To enforce this, the bill requires trustees and administrators to file public reports detailing these payments and imposes a $10,000 penalty for failing to do so. These rules would apply to any funds received on or after May 20, 2026.
The IMPACT to Save Moms Act directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to run a five-year demonstration project from 2027 to 2031, allowing states to test new payment models for maternity care under Medicaid and state child health plans. This initiative aims to improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals, with a specific focus on reducing disparities among groups that experience higher rates of maternal mortality and severe complications. To achieve these goals, the project requires states to consider alternative payment structures that account for pregnancy risk levels, include diverse care teams with training on bias, and address social factors affecting health. The bill also mandates that the federal government evaluate the project's impact on health outcomes and spending, and submit a final report to Congress with recommendations on whether to expand the program nationwide.
This bill, known as the Digital Asset PARITY Act, updates U.S. tax laws to clarify how digital assets are treated for income, capital gains, and charitable contributions. It primarily affects individuals and businesses that buy, sell, or hold cryptocurrencies and other digital tokens by establishing specific rules for stablecoins, mining, and staking activities. Key provisions include exempting regulated payment stablecoins from immediate gain recognition when traded at a price near $1, expanding the definition of "specified assets" to include digital assets for wash-sale rules, and allowing taxpayers to defer income on newly created assets earned through validation activities like mining or staking. The legislation also introduces stricter reporting requirements for charitable donations of digital assets and directs the Treasury Department to study ways to reduce compliance burdens for small, personal consumer transactions.
The Rural MOMS Act of 2026 modifies how Medicare counts hospital beds, specifically excluding labor and delivery rooms from the total number of acute care inpatient beds used to determine if a facility qualifies as a Critical Access Hospital. This change directly affects rural hospitals that provide maternity services by altering the financial thresholds required to maintain their special status under the Medicare program. By removing delivery rooms from the bed count calculation, the bill aims to prevent these facilities from losing their designation solely because they offer childbirth care. The legislation does not change how these hospitals are funded or operated, but rather adjusts the metric used to evaluate their eligibility for critical access benefits.
This bill, titled the Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2026, raises the minimum salary required for employees to be exempt from federal overtime pay rules, directly affecting workers classified as executive, administrative, or professional staff. It establishes a specific salary schedule that starts at $45,000 per week and increases annually to $75,000 by 2029, after which the threshold will automatically adjust to match the 55th percentile of national earnings for full-time salaried workers. Additionally, the legislation modifies the criteria for determining job duties, requiring that at least 20 percent of an employee's time be spent on executive or administrative tasks rather than the previous 40 percent standard. The law also mandates that the Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publish earnings data and requires the Department of Labor to provide public notice before implementing any updated salary thresholds.
This concurrent resolution directs the President to stop using U.S. military forces in active hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly authorizes such action through a formal declaration of war or specific military force authorization. The measure clarifies that ending combat operations does not prevent the United States from defending itself, maintaining a defensive troop presence in the region, or continuing intelligence collection and sharing activities. Additionally, the bill specifies that this directive does not constitute an authorization for the use of military force, distinguishing it from a formal grant of power to the executive branch.
The Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2026 raises the minimum salary required for certain employees to be exempt from federal overtime pay rules, starting at $45,000 per year and increasing annually until it reaches $75,000 by 2029. The bill also mandates that this threshold automatically updates each year to match the 55th percentile of weekly earnings for full-time salaried workers nationwide, with adjustments taking effect based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Additionally, the law modifies the duties test for exemption, requiring that at least 20 percent of an employee's time be spent on executive or administrative tasks rather than the current 40 percent standard. These changes directly affect employers and workers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act by redefining eligibility for overtime exemptions and establishing a new mechanism for adjusting salary requirements over time.
