This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for military force in or against Cuba from its enactment until December 31, 2026, unless Congress declares war or passes specific statutory authorization. The restriction applies to all government funds and prevents military actions without congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution. An exception allows military force consistent with the War Powers Resolution's provisions for urgent situations requiring immediate action. The legislation directly affects the U.S. Department of Defense and federal budget processes by limiting how funds can be used for military operations targeting Cuba.
This bill requires group health plans and health insurers that cover obstetrical services to also cover infertility and iatrogenic infertility treatments, including procedures like in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. It defines infertility as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected intercourse or after standard medical treatment, and iatrogenic infertility as fertility damage caused by medical procedures such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The legislation establishes coverage standards that cannot be more restrictive than those applied to other medical benefits, prohibits penalties against providers for offering these services, and requires annual compliance reporting to the federal government.
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 designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 819 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the "Jerry T. Hodges Jr. Post Office Building".
HR 6194, the Protecting Americans from Russian Litigation Act of 2025, prevents U.S. persons (individuals or businesses) from facing civil lawsuits in U.S. courts related to complying with U.S. sanctions or export controls. It blocks the enforcement of foreign court judgments or arbitral awards where the claim arose from actions taken to comply with U.S. sanctions, or where foreign courts based jurisdiction on those sanctions. The law requires federal or state courts to dismiss such cases and applies broadly to all U.S. sanctions, not just those targeting Russia. Exceptions include lawsuits related to terrorism, torture, or contractual disputes resolved under U.S. courts or arbitration.
HR 3420, the Words Matter Act of 2025, updates federal law to replace the terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" across numerous statutes. It amends over 20 provisions in laws governing healthcare (like the Social Security Act and Indian Health Care Improvement Act), disability services, criminal justice, and federal programs to use more respectful and current terminology. The bill specifically targets definitions in areas such as medical care for families, nursing home regulations, legal sentencing, and grant programs, ensuring consistent language for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The legislation explicitly states this terminology change is purely linguistic and does not alter eligibility, coverage, or rights for affected individuals.
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 concurrent resolution formally recognizes Congress's duty to protect the rights and economic security of working women in the United States. It highlights concerns about wage gaps, workplace discrimination, and recent policy changes that the bill's sponsors claim have disproportionately harmed women in the workforce. The document calls for federal action to ensure equal pay, workplace safety, access to healthcare, and the right to unionize, while affirming the importance of women's contributions to the economy. As a non-binding statement of principle, it does not create new laws but serves to express congressional intent and guide future legislative priorities.
The Perinatal Workforce Act directs the Health and Human Services Secretary to issue guidance encouraging hospitals and insurers to recruit and retain diverse maternity care providers, incorporate midwives and other specialists into care teams, and provide culturally congruent care. It also authorizes grants to establish or expand training programs for physician assistants, perinatal health workers, and midwives, with priority given to institutions that recruit from minority and underserved communities and include implicit bias training in their curricula. A separate grant program provides scholarships to nursing students focused on maternal and perinatal health, prioritizing schools that serve diverse populations and address health disparities in shortage areas. The bill requires the Secretary and the Government Accountability Office to conduct studies and reports on barriers to maternal health education, access to care, and disparities in outcomes, with $15 million authorized annually for each program from 2027 through 2031.
This bill, the 287(g) Cooperation Act of 2026, requires state and local law enforcement agencies to sign a formal agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to remain eligible for federal Community Oriented Policing Services grants. The law mandates that agencies must have this written memorandum of agreement in place within 180 days of the bill's enactment, or they will be ineligible to receive funding for the program. The Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security must establish procedures to verify that agencies have completed this agreement before approving any grant awards. The changes apply to grant applications starting with fiscal year 2027 and all subsequent years.
The Kira Johnson Act establishes a federal grant program to support community-based organizations in improving maternal health outcomes for populations facing higher rates of maternal mortality and health disparities. It allocates $100 million annually from 2027 to 2031 for grants that fund programs addressing social determinants of health, culturally congruent care, and support for midwifery practices. The bill also creates a separate $5 million annual funding stream for training all maternity care employees on bias reduction, trauma-informed care, and respectful service delivery. Additionally, the legislation requires hospitals and health systems to establish compliance programs that allow patients to report bias and mandates regular public reporting on these efforts. A study by the National Academies and ongoing evaluation by the GAO will assess the effectiveness of these initiatives in improving patient experiences and health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups.
The Data to Save Moms Act aims to improve maternal health outcomes by increasing funding and support for maternal mortality review committees across the United States. The bill provides $10 million annually from 2027 to 2031 to help these committees recruit more diverse community members, including people with personal experiences of maternal mortality or severe health complications, and to address barriers like transportation and compensation that prevent participation. It also requires committees to conduct outreach to racial and ethnic minority communities and publicly report on their review processes and diversity efforts. Additionally, the legislation directs the Health and Human Services Secretary to study maternal health data collection methods, conduct a specific study on American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health outcomes, and award grants to minority-serving institutions for research on maternal mortality disparities.
