Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
The Survivors' Rights Restitution Act of 2026 establishes a federal compensation program administered by the Attorney General for victims of sexual assault, abuse, trafficking, or exploitation involving Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as victims whose rights were violated by the federal government. Petitions are filed with the United States Court of Federal Claims and assigned to special adjudicators who must be mental health professionals or experts in victim services, civil rights law, or claims administration. The process is designed to be informal and less adversarial than standard litigation, with decisions required within 120 days and a minimum compensation award of $123,000. Compensation is funded by a dedicated Treasury account that accepts forfeited assets and voluntary contributions, and payments are exempt from federal income tax and means-tested benefit calculations.
The Make Apportionment Great Again Act would change how U.S. House seats are distributed among states by excluding noncitizens from the population count used for apportionment. It requires the Secretary of Commerce to recalculate state populations using existing federal and state government records, without conducting a new census, and mandates that future censuses include a question on citizenship status. The bill establishes a legal presumption that any resulting changes in seat allocation are valid, allowing courts to overturn them only with clear evidence of statutory or constitutional violations. Additionally, it creates an expedited judicial process for legal challenges, requiring cases to be heard by three-judge panels and permitting direct appeal to the Supreme Court.
The PRO-WORK Act would prohibit employers from receiving federal funds during any period they lock out their employees, as well as for an additional period equal in length to the lockout or one year if a prior lockout occurred. Additionally, the bill denies tax credits to corporations that engage in employee lockouts, with the penalty becoming more severe if the company has locked out workers before within the same tax year. These restrictions would take effect on January 1, 2026, and require employers who violate the funding ban to reimburse the federal government for any improperly used money.
The Common Sense 250 Act of 2026 approves the location for a commemorative work honoring Thomas Paine within a specific designated area in Washington, D.C. This legislation overrides previous requirements to allow the project to proceed in Area I, as defined by a 2003 map of commemorative zones in the capital. The bill directly impacts the planning and placement of this memorial by confirming its site without altering other aspects of the Commemorative Works Act.
The Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act of 2025 amends the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to update research priorities and funding allocations for water resources research institutes. The bill adds artificial intelligence to the list of research areas alongside private industry and increases federal funding authorization to $16 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2029. It requires 20 percent of these funds to support research addressing interstate water problems and allows grants for projects focusing on regional or multi-state water issues. The legislation also expands the types of research institutes eligible for funding to include those working on problems identified by Congress as having interstate significance.
This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve transparency and efficiency in certifying new aircraft and technologies. Specifically, it mandates the FAA to publish a public plan for streamlining the type certification process, establish standard timelines for key milestones (like safety reviews), and create clearer criteria for when technical questions arise. The changes directly affect aircraft manufacturers - especially those developing advanced air mobility vehicles like air taxis - and FAA staff managing certifications. By setting predictable timelines and reducing recurring paperwork, the bill aims to accelerate innovation while maintaining safety standards.
The Pray Safe Act of 2025 establishes a federal Clearinghouse within the Department of Homeland Security to provide houses of worship, faith-based organizations, and nonprofit groups at risk of threats with evidence-based safety resources. The Clearinghouse will publish online best practices for security planning, facility safety, and incident response, while listing existing federal and state grant programs to help these organizations implement these measures. It requires annual updates based on user feedback and includes a centralized resource section for contacts like Protective Security Advisors and Fusion Centers. The program expires four years after enactment and does not create new funding but coordinates existing federal and state safety resources.
This joint resolution seeks to overturn a Department of Homeland Security rule that would establish fixed time periods for admission and specific extension procedures for nonimmigrant academic students, exchange visitors, and representatives of foreign information media. If enacted, the bill would prevent this immigration regulation from taking effect, thereby maintaining the existing framework for how these individuals manage their stay in the United States. The measure directly affects international students, cultural exchange participants, and foreign journalists by blocking changes to their visa duration limits and renewal processes.
This House resolution supports designating the week of September 14 through September 18, 2026, as National Clean Energy Week to highlight the growth of zero- and low-emission energy sources. The bill cites a Department of Energy report stating that the U.S. energy sector employed approximately 8.5 million people at the end of 2024 and emphasizes that clean energy jobs are local and cannot be outsourced. It encourages federal, state, and private entities to invest in affordable clean technologies and specifically applauds the work of Department of Energy National Laboratories across multiple states.
The TEAM USA Act would amend the Higher Education Act to limit the number of international student athletes on varsity sports teams at colleges that receive federal financial assistance. Under this bill, no more than 20 percent of a team's official roster could consist of international student athletes, or just one such athlete if the team has fewer than ten members. The legislation defines an international student athlete as someone who is not a U.S. national or permanent resident, or who receives athletic financial aid from a foreign Olympic or Paralympic committee. Institutions would be required to report their roster demographics annually to the Secretary of Education and relevant athletic associations, with these rules taking effect for the 2029-2030 academic year.
The Safeguarding Taxpayer Investment for Executive Airlift Act of 2026 prohibits the Department of Defense from using fiscal year 2027 funds to sell, donate, or transfer ownership of any aircraft from the VC-25B Bridge program. This restriction prevents these specific planes from being moved to individuals or entities outside the Department of the Air Force. The bill directly affects federal budgeting processes by limiting how appropriated defense money can be spent on executive airlift assets during that fiscal year.
