This bill, titled the No TSA Data for ICE Act, prohibits the Transportation Security Administration from sharing passenger data with U.S. Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It specifically bars these agencies from using TSA information or data from private brokers to perform immigration enforcement functions. Additionally, the legislation prevents the denial, suspension, or early termination of Trusted Traveler programs like PreCheck and Global Entry if an individual's participation in First Amendment-protected activities is the reason. The law defines the restricted data as personally identifiable information about flight passengers obtained from the TSA or private sector entities.
The PHD Talent Act of 2026 establishes a five-year pilot program to help universities create accelerated doctoral programs in critical fields like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology. These programs aim to train U.S. citizens and permanent residents by shortening the time to earn a doctorate, integrating undergraduate and graduate coursework, and providing funding that covers at least three years of doctoral study. The Department of Energy will award grants to universities that partner with national laboratories and industry to offer these tracks, which also include structured mentorship and research rotations to build dual expertise in a specific science and computational methods. The legislation authorizes $250 million for the program between 2028 and 2032 and requires the Department of Energy to submit annual reports to Congress on the initiative's progress and student outcomes.
The STRATA Act of 2026 establishes a new program within the Department of State to foster international partnerships focused on advancing critical minerals technologies, aiming to strengthen U.S. supply chains and national security. This initiative allows the Secretary of State to form alliances with allied and partner nations, universities, and private companies while explicitly prohibiting collaborations with designated countries of concern such as China and Russia. Key provisions include the creation of International Centers of Excellence for research and training, the development of a digital platform to connect stakeholders with funding opportunities, and the establishment of clear guidelines for intellectual property and data security within these partnerships. The program authorizes the use of specific funding sources to support joint projects in extraction, recycling, and manufacturing, with a requirement that all activities conclude within ten years of the bill's enactment.
The MAP Roads Act creates a pilot program that provides federal grants to states to help digitize and map county roads, directly affecting state and local transportation agencies. To receive funding, states must demonstrate they can distribute money to counties and maintain a centralized, publicly accessible online database for road data. The program prioritizes states with significant gaps in digital road records and requires that the resulting data be compatible with popular mapping platforms and updated at least once a year. Authorized funding of $20 million annually from 2026 to 2031 will support these efforts, while the bill explicitly ensures it does not change existing laws regarding road ownership or jurisdiction.
The STRONG GRID Act of 2026 directs state regulators to develop rules for connecting microgrids and for measuring the value of investments in grid resilience, while exempting military installations from these new standards. To support these efforts, the bill creates a new grant program that provides up to $500 million over five years to help states deploy microgrids, with priority given to projects in rural areas, low-income communities, and those that improve energy reliability or cybersecurity. Additionally, the Department of Energy will offer technical assistance to utilities and regulators and launch a $200 million pilot program to fund innovative microgrid projects that test new technologies and management systems.
The Build America Fund Act creates a new government entity called the Manufacturing Sovereign Wealth Fund to invest billions of dollars in U.S. companies for the purpose of rebuilding domestic industrial capacity and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains. This fund will make loans and equity investments in strategic sectors like advanced manufacturing and technology, but it will require companies to keep operations and intellectual property within the United States for at least 50 years. In exchange for this capital, the fund will hold veto power over decisions to offshore production, sell to foreign buyers, or move research abroad, and it will enforce strict labor standards and prohibit stock buybacks. The bill also establishes an Industrial Sovereignty Council to oversee these investments and introduces new fees on corporate stock buybacks, high-volume trading, and specific offshoring activities to help finance the fund. Additionally, the legislation creates a future tax credit for eligible individuals funded by the fund's profits and increases the corporate tax rate to generate further revenue for the program.
This bill requires the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to create a strategy for improving cyber cooperation with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The document must outline current and future needs for defensive and offensive cyber operations, information sharing, and workforce development through 2040, while also assessing existing agreements and capability gaps among partner nations. Additionally, the law mandates a funding plan and a progress report to Congress by March 2028 to track the implementation of these efforts.
The AV Emergency Response Coordination Act requires manufacturers and operators of autonomous vehicles to provide emergency responders with detailed guides and rescue sheets detailing how to safely interact with these vehicles during incidents. These documents must outline procedures for communicating with the vehicle, assessing its operational status, accessing occupants, and recovering data, and they must be submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and made publicly available online. The bill also mandates that autonomous vehicle operators maintain a 24/7 hotline for emergency coordination and comply with geofence notices issued by government agencies to restrict vehicle movement in specific areas during emergencies. Furthermore, the Administrator is tasked with establishing uniform standards for emergency response procedures within two years, after which compliance with these standards becomes mandatory for operating or selling autonomous vehicles on public roads.
The CHAT Act 2.0 requires companies operating AI chatbots to register users with age verification and implement specific safety measures to protect minors from harm. The law categorizes these chatbots into three tiers based on their purpose, imposing stricter rules on those designed for companionship or mental health support, such as mandatory break reminders, limits on memory retention, and protocols to detect and report suicidal thoughts. Covered entities must clearly disclose that the chatbot is not human, prohibit the sale of minor users' data, and ensure that any AI providing therapeutic services is supervised by a licensed professional. Enforcement of these requirements falls under the Federal Trade Commission, which also has the authority to work with state attorneys general to address violations.
The AI Tax and Work Protection Act imposes a new excise tax on companies that develop or sell artificial intelligence foundation models, with rates that increase based on the national unemployment level. The revenue generated from this tax is placed into a dedicated trust fund to finance a new federal jobs program administered by a newly created Office of Job Creation within the Department of Labor. This program awards grants to state, local, and tribal governments to hire permanent, full-time workers for specific public service roles, such as in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and community safety. To ensure the jobs created do not replace existing workers, the bill includes strict nondisplacement rules and mandates that grant recipients provide employees with strong labor protections, including collective bargaining rights, competitive wages, and paid leave. Additionally, the legislation directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics to study the impact of AI on the workforce and establishes an advisory committee to guide the implementation of the job creation initiatives.
