The Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act expands federal firearm restrictions to include individuals subject to any domestic violence restraining order, including temporary or emergency orders issued without the abuser's presence. It broadens the legal definition of an "intimate partner" to cover dating partners and other relationships protected by state laws, closing previous loopholes that allowed some abusers to keep guns. The bill also creates a federal grant program for states and tribes to fund the removal, storage, and return of firearms from individuals subject to these orders, requiring them to partner with local domestic violence service providers to ensure victim safety.
This bill creates a pilot program that transfers management authority for certain federal court buildings from the General Services Administration to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Under this new arrangement, the Director of the Administrative Office would gain the power to acquire, construct, alter, lease, and maintain court facilities, including the ability to hire contractors and manage utilities and security services. The legislation establishes a dedicated fund to finance these operations and requires congressional approval for major construction or leasing projects exceeding specific cost thresholds. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building be transferred to the Director's control within 181 days of the law's enactment. The program is designed to run for seven years, with a requirement to return all transferred properties to the General Services Administration by the tenth year.
The Restoring Justice for Workers Act prohibits employers from requiring workers to sign agreements that force them to resolve disputes through individual arbitration rather than in court or as part of a group. It bans retaliation against employees who refuse to arbitrate and mandates that any post-dispute arbitration agreements be truly voluntary, requiring plain language explanations, a 45-day waiting period, and written consent. The bill also amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it illegal for employers to enter into or enforce contracts that prevent workers from joining together to file joint or class-action lawsuits regarding workplace rights. These changes apply to all workers, including independent contractors, and take effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill updates federal laws to ensure that members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force cannot be excluded from jobs or assignments based on their gender. It requires the Department of Defense to establish occupational standards using scientifically rigorous methods that evaluate technical, tactical, cognitive, and physical abilities without gender bias. Additionally, the legislation mandates annual reports to Congress detailing any involuntary reclassifications or separations and requires a detailed review of the operational effectiveness of Army and Marine Corps ground combat units. These changes are scheduled to take effect on September 30, 2026, with the first required report due the following year.
The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026 aims to create more predictable payment amounts for physicians by modifying how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services calculates fee schedules. It raises the financial threshold for certain budget adjustments from $20 million to $57.64 million starting in 2028 and requires these amounts to be adjusted every five years based on inflation data. The bill also mandates that the government update the costs of staff wages and medical supplies used to calculate payments at least once every five years and limits how much the overall payment rate can change from one year to the next to no more than 2.5 percent. These changes directly affect doctors and healthcare providers who receive Medicare payments, ensuring their reimbursement rates remain more stable and better aligned with actual costs.
The Restoring Justice for Workers Act prohibits employers from forcing workers to agree to arbitration for workplace disputes and bans agreements that prevent employees from joining together to seek legal relief. Under this bill, any contract requiring arbitration before a dispute arises would be invalid, while agreements made after a dispute occurs must be truly voluntary, require plain language explanations, include a 45-day waiting period, and receive explicit written consent from the worker. The legislation also makes it illegal to retaliate against employees who refuse to sign arbitration clauses and ensures that courts, rather than arbitrators, decide whether these arbitration agreements are valid. Additionally, the act amends the National Labor Relations Act to explicitly forbid employers from interfering with employees' rights to engage in collective actions regarding their work. These changes apply to all workers, including independent contractors, and take effect immediately upon enactment.
The Increasing Mental Health Options Act of 2026 expands Medicare coverage and oversight rules to include clinical psychologists in rural and underserved areas. Starting in 2026, clinical psychologists working in designated health professional shortage areas will receive an additional 10 percent payment for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The bill also removes certain federal restrictions that previously limited the types of care clinical psychologists could provide in outpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, partial hospitalization, home health, and inpatient psychiatric settings. These changes allow psychologists to supervise or provide care directly in these facilities as long as state laws permit it, while maintaining existing requirements for consultation with physicians.
The Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act aims to reduce intimate partner homicides by strengthening federal laws that prevent abusers from accessing firearms while restraining orders are active. It expands the definition of "intimate partner" to include dating partners and clarifies that emergency or temporary restraining orders must also trigger gun restrictions. The bill requires courts to automatically issue firearm surrender orders when a protection order is granted, mandating that abusers turn in their guns within 24 hours and prohibiting them from buying new ones for the duration of the order. Additionally, the legislation creates a new grant program to help states and local governments implement these surrender procedures and partner with domestic violence service providers.
The Consumer Protection and Recovery Act expands the Federal Trade Commission's legal authority to seek financial remedies against companies that violate consumer protection laws. Specifically, it allows the FTC to request courts to order restitution, contract rescission, refunds, and the return of property to victims of fraud or unfair practices. The bill also authorizes the agency to seek disgorgement, which requires violators to pay back any unjust profits gained from their illegal activities, while ensuring these payments offset any refunds already issued. These new powers apply to violations that occurred within the last ten years, with time spent outside the United States excluded from that calculation. The changes take effect for any legal actions pending or filed after the bill becomes law.
The Equity in STI Testing Act requires Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, CHIP, TRICARE, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover screening tests for HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia without charging beneficiaries any out-of-pocket costs. The bill directly affects patients enrolled in these federal health programs by eliminating copayments and deductibles specifically for these preventive screenings. It also mandates that the Indian Health Service provide these tests to eligible Native Americans at no cost, regardless of whether the services are typically authorized under their purchased or referred care systems. These changes take effect on different timelines depending on the specific program, with some provisions applying immediately upon enactment and others starting in the following calendar year.
This bill expands paid family and medical leave benefits for a wide range of federal workers, including those in the Executive Office of the President, the Postal Service, and the District of Columbia courts. It primarily increases the amount of paid leave available for specific events, such as the birth or adoption of a child, by allowing employees to take up to 26 workweeks of leave in total, which includes a separate 12-week portion for other family and medical needs. The legislation also clarifies that leave for adoption can begin before the child is placed with the family to support necessary pre-placement activities. Additionally, it updates the rules for various federal agencies to ensure their leave programs align with these new standards and covers employees who might have previously received different types of paid leave under separate laws.
This bill directs the U.S. government to create a plan and task force to monitor and counter non-military pressure tactics used by China in the Indo-Pacific region. It requires the Secretary of State to submit a comprehensive strategy within 180 days that identifies how China uses economic, diplomatic, and informational tools to influence countries like Taiwan and the Philippines without triggering open warfare. To implement this plan, the bill establishes an interagency task force tasked with coordinating efforts, tracking these activities, and reporting annually to Congress on progress and vulnerabilities. The legislation also mandates that the final strategy and annual reports be made public to increase awareness of these coercive actions while allowing for a classified section if necessary.
