The MOMMIES Act expands Medicaid and CHIP coverage for low-income pregnant and postpartum individuals by extending continuous benefits for one year after childbirth and mandating full coverage of oral health services. To support these changes, the bill includes maintenance of effort provisions that prevent states from restricting eligibility or reducing benefits for this population, alongside a temporary 100 percent federal funding match for states that increase spending on these services. Additionally, the legislation establishes a five-year demonstration project to fund maternity care home models that integrate medical and social support services, while also requiring studies and guidance on improving access to doula services and telehealth for maternity care.
The 988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act of 2026 directs the Federal Communications Commission to study how to require callers to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to send their precise location information to emergency responders. This requirement would primarily affect telecommunications companies, 911 service providers, and crisis centers that currently handle calls from users who may not be able to verbally state their address. The bill also asks the Government Accountability Office to produce a report on the legal, technical, and financial challenges of implementing such a system, including considerations for privacy and accessibility for users with hearing loss. By mandating these studies, the legislation aims to gather necessary data before deciding on a policy to ensure callers can be routed to local help more effectively.
The Disabled Access Credit Modernization Act updates the tax credit available to small businesses that make their facilities more accessible to people with disabilities. It allows these businesses to claim the credit for a broader range of expenses, including equipment and services that go beyond the minimum requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act or are needed even if the business is not currently subject to those rules. Additionally, the bill clarifies the definitions of disability and reasonable accommodation within the tax code. The legislation also requires the Treasury Department to issue guidance and conduct public outreach to help eligible businesses understand the updated credit, with a report to Congress due two years after enactment. These changes will take effect for expenses incurred after December 31, 2026.
The No Passes for Polluters Act of 2026 requires Congress to explicitly approve any exemptions from Clean Air Act regulations before the President or federal agencies can use them. Under this bill, the President must submit a detailed message to both houses of Congress explaining the reasons and facts behind any proposed exemption, which then triggers a special legislative process. To pass such an exemption, a joint resolution must be approved by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, with limited debate and no amendments allowed. Additionally, the Comptroller General will review these proposals to ensure they have legal authority, and any unauthorized use of exemptions could lead to civil lawsuits. The legislation also mandates that the President reconsider certain executive branch emissions regulations every three years.
The SAFE Rural Act creates a new funding program to help rural communities, Tribal lands, and territories prepare for floods before disasters occur. It establishes a dedicated fund that receives 2% of annual disaster relief money to provide formula-based grants to States and Tribal governments for projects like restoring wetlands, upgrading drainage, and building resilient infrastructure. To ensure these funds reach smaller towns, the bill requires States to pass the money down as subgrants to local governments with populations of 50,000 or fewer, while also offering a simplified application process for small projects under $500,000. The legislation further mandates that recipients submit streamlined plans for maintaining their projects long-term and sets aside specific grants to build local capacity for managing hazard mitigation programs.
The Protecting Immigrants From Legal Exploitation Act of 2026 aims to combat fraud by increasing criminal penalties for individuals who falsely represent themselves as immigration lawyers or provide fraudulent services. It requires non-lawyer immigration service providers to identify themselves on applications and allows victims of unauthorized practice of law to withdraw and resubmit their immigration forms without penalty. The bill also empowers the Attorney General to issue civil injunctions against fraudulent providers and mandates that convicted fraudsters reimburse their clients for services rendered. To support legitimate legal aid, the legislation authorizes funding for outreach programs and grants to nonprofit organizations that provide direct legal assistance to immigrants.
The Online Sellers' Bill of Rights Act of 2026 aims to protect third-party businesses using major online marketplaces by requiring these platforms to provide greater transparency and due process. Under the bill, the Federal Trade Commission must create rules that limit how long platforms can hold inventory or freeze funds, mandate written notice within 72 hours for any restrictions, and ensure sellers receive at least 30 days' warning before significant policy changes. The law also establishes a presumption of innocence, placing the burden of proof on the platform to demonstrate a violation rather than on the seller, and allows for specific appeals processes. Enforcement is handled through the FTC, which can pursue violations as unfair competition, while state attorneys general and individual sellers retain the right to file civil lawsuits for damages.
The Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026 authorizes $10 million in federal funding to establish a National Technical Assistance Center focused on grandfamilies and kinship families. This center will provide training, resources, and coordination support to organizations serving families where the primary caregiver is age 55 or older, or where a child has a disability. The legislation requires the center to be run by a nonprofit organization with proven expertise in child welfare and experience engaging these families in program design. Funding is intended to help community groups and government programs improve services for children, caregivers, and parents within these family structures.
This bill establishes a temporary funding mechanism for the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund by requiring the Treasury Department to loan $3 billion annually to the fund for fiscal years 2027, 2028, and 2029. The borrowed money must be distributed immediately to victims as part of the annual payment and cannot be saved for future use. Interest on these loans will be set by the Treasury based on market rates and will be repaid only from future fines and penalties collected from state sponsors of terrorism after the fund ends. The authority to make these loans expires on September 30, 2029, and the funds are treated as direct spending rather than new appropriations.
The Aquatic Invasive Species Control and Prevention Act of 2026 strengthens federal efforts to manage and prevent the spread of non-native aquatic organisms by updating existing laws and creating new funding opportunities. The bill establishes a competitive grant program to research and develop environmentally sound technologies for controlling these species, while also requiring a comprehensive study of federal regulations that might slow down rapid response actions when an invasion is detected. It mandates the creation of a national plan for inspecting and decontaminating watercraft at boat launches to stop the transfer of invasive species, and it authorizes funding to support regional panels and monitoring programs across various waterways. Additionally, the legislation updates the National Invasive Species Council's role to better coordinate federal actions and encourages the adoption of advanced ballast water management systems on ships.
This bill would establish the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System, to honor philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools that educated over 600,000 African American children in the segregated South from 1912 to 1932. The park would include three restored schools (in Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia) and a visitor center in Chicago, Illinois, to preserve these sites and share their history through exhibits and educational programs. It also creates a national network to connect remaining Rosenwald Schools, enabling coordinated interpretation and resource-sharing across the country.
This bill designates the Calumet region in Indiana and Illinois as a National Heritage Area, formally establishing a framework to preserve and promote its unique industrial, cultural, and natural resources. It specifies the boundaries (covering parts of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties in Indiana and adjacent Illinois areas) and names the Calumet Heritage Partnership as the local coordinating entity responsible for managing the area. The bill requires the local entity to submit a management plan within three years and sets a 15-year limit on federal funding for the initiative. This designation directly affects residents, tourism, and conservation efforts in the region by creating a structured approach to protect sites like Indiana Dunes National Park and historical industrial landscapes.
