The Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act amends the Higher Education Act to support research, innovation, and professional training in global education. It allows universities, libraries, and nonprofits to receive competitive grants for studying the capacity and demand for foreign language programs, as well as for developing new teaching methods and digital resources. The bill also expands funding for global business and professional education to help students gain international skills in fields like science, engineering, and law, while creating a national database to track education trends. Additionally, the legislation updates definitions to include community colleges and heritage students, and repeals certain existing programs to streamline requirements.
The Defending Our Energy and Water Act directs the Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government to update minimum requirements for new federal data centers, mandating the use of the most water-efficient cooling systems. This update must be completed within 180 days of the bill's enactment. Additionally, the legislation extends a previous deadline for reviewing data center standards from 2026 to 2031 and requires the Department of Defense to identify and integrate water efficiency technologies to protect water resources. These changes apply specifically to federal data centers and aim to minimize their operational impact on water supplies.
The Secure A.I. Development Act of 2026 establishes a new Artificial Intelligence Risk Board within the National Institute of Standards and Technology to evaluate high-risk AI models and develop security best practices for developers. Under the bill, companies releasing powerful AI models must grant the National Security Agency access to their systems before public release and register those models in a new public database. The legislation also creates a voluntary incident reporting system to track AI safety and security issues, updates national vulnerability databases to handle AI-specific threats, and launches a pilot program to share classified threat intelligence with private sector companies that work on federal AI projects.
The ACCESS Rural America Act exempts small rural telephone companies from specific federal registration requirements for selling securities. To qualify for this exemption, the companies must provide broadband internet access and submit a financial summary to investors that includes subscriber data and key financial statements. The bill applies only to issuers with fewer than 100,000 broadband subscribers and securities held by more than 500 non-accredited investors but fewer than 2,000 total holders. This change aims to simplify the process for these rural providers to raise capital by reducing regulatory burdens.
The Data Center Tax Accountability and Disclosure Act of 2026 modifies tax rules and establishes reporting requirements for large data centers. It removes a tax incentive known as bonus depreciation for artificial intelligence data centers unless they meet specific green building standards, such as LEED Platinum or Gold certification. Additionally, the bill requires operators of data centers consuming at least 25 megawatts of power to submit detailed annual reports on their water and electricity usage, emissions, and backup power systems to state or federal agencies. These reports must be made public, and the law prohibits companies from using confidentiality agreements to hide this information. Operators who fail to comply with these reporting requirements face daily civil penalties of up to $100,000 for intentional violations.
The Enhancing K-12 Cybersecurity Act directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to create a public website and database that helps schools share security tips, find government-funded tools, and apply for cybersecurity grants. It also establishes a voluntary registry where schools can report cyber incidents to help identify trends and improve national monitoring without revealing private student information. Additionally, the bill funds a program to provide tailored cybersecurity strategies, ransomware protection services, and training specifically designed for the unique resources of elementary and secondary schools. These measures aim to strengthen digital safety for K-12 institutions by improving information exchange, tracking threats, and offering direct technical support.
This bill, known as the AI Kill Switch Act, requires companies developing high-cost artificial intelligence systems to build the technical ability to immediately stop or shut down their technology if it poses a serious risk. It defines "covered technology" as AI systems trained using more than $100 million in computing power and applies these rules to businesses that earn at least $500 million annually from such systems, while exempting non-commercial or academic users. Under the law, companies must report incidents causing significant harm or loss of control and could face emergency orders from the Department of Homeland Security to throttle, disable, or fully shut down their AI if a dangerous event occurs. The legislation also establishes a graduated framework for corrections, allowing for proportional responses like limiting user access or compute resources before resorting to a complete shutdown, and includes provisions for civil penalties and judicial review.
The Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Veterans Act of 2026 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to hire an independent research center to evaluate artificial intelligence tools currently used or being developed for patient care within the Veterans Health Administration. This evaluation will focus on five specific high-risk systems to assess their safety, accuracy, fairness, and how well they integrate with existing medical workflows. The law mandates that the findings be reported to Congress within a year, followed by a detailed plan from the VA to address any identified risks or gaps in oversight. Additionally, a government auditor will review both the evaluation and the VA's response plan to ensure accountability, all without requesting new funding for the initiative.
The CHARTS Act authorizes $5 million over two years to provide grants to long-term care and post-acute care providers, such as nursing facilities and home health agencies, for implementing specific health information technology systems. These funds, capped at $500,000 per provider, must be used to develop tools that enable real-time data sharing among doctors, insurers, and government programs while improving care coordination and reducing duplicate services. The Department of Health and Human Services will prioritize grants for facilities serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and will ensure recipients represent a diverse range of geographic and demographic populations. Additionally, the bill requires the agency to submit reports evaluating how these technologies impact patient outcomes, costs, and care transitions over a six-year period.
This bill directs the National Guard Bureau and the Corporation for National and Community Service to create a pilot program that combines military service with national service activities. The program aims to protect critical infrastructure like energy and transportation systems, improve cybersecurity for schools and local governments, and help communities prepare for disasters. It also seeks to build a nationwide training pipeline that connects part-time National Guard members with career opportunities to address economic insecurity. Before launching the pilot, the agencies must conduct a feasibility study to determine the costs, necessary legal changes, and potential benefits of integrating these two types of service.
