This bill authorizes the Treasury Secretary to direct the FDIC and NCUA to create temporary emergency programs that fully insure non-interest-bearing transaction accounts at banks and credit unions during financial crises. The programs can only be activated if the Treasury determines a banking or credit union stress event is occurring that threatens economic stability, and they are limited to a maximum duration of nine months with strict cost caps and congressional oversight. If the programs incur losses, the FDIC and NCUA would recover those costs through special assessments on the institutions they insure. The bill also requires Treasury testimony to Congress within 30 days of program activation and a Government Accountability Office review within 90 days after the programs end.
The Kira Johnson Act establishes a federal grant program to support community-based organizations in improving maternal health outcomes for populations facing higher rates of maternal mortality and health disparities. It allocates $100 million annually from 2027 to 2031 for grants that fund programs addressing social determinants of health, culturally congruent care, and support for midwifery practices. The bill also creates a separate $5 million annual funding stream for training all maternity care employees on bias reduction, trauma-informed care, and respectful service delivery. Additionally, the legislation requires hospitals and health systems to establish compliance programs that allow patients to report bias and mandates regular public reporting on these efforts. A study by the National Academies and ongoing evaluation by the GAO will assess the effectiveness of these initiatives in improving patient experiences and health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups.
The Data to Save Moms Act aims to improve maternal health outcomes by increasing funding and support for maternal mortality review committees across the United States. The bill provides $10 million annually from 2027 to 2031 to help these committees recruit more diverse community members, including people with personal experiences of maternal mortality or severe health complications, and to address barriers like transportation and compensation that prevent participation. It also requires committees to conduct outreach to racial and ethnic minority communities and publicly report on their review processes and diversity efforts. Additionally, the legislation directs the Health and Human Services Secretary to study maternal health data collection methods, conduct a specific study on American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health outcomes, and award grants to minority-serving institutions for research on maternal mortality disparities.
The Perinatal Workforce Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance encouraging hospitals, insurers, and maternity care providers to recruit and retain diverse healthcare professionals, including midwives, physician assistants, and perinatal health workers, while incorporating implicit bias and racism training into their practices. The bill authorizes $15 million annually from 2027 to 2031 for grants that establish or expand accredited education programs for perinatal health professionals, prioritizing schools that recruit students from racial and ethnic minority groups and those planning to practice in areas with maternal health disparities. Additionally, the legislation creates a separate grant program for nursing schools to provide scholarships to students pursuing careers in maternal and perinatal health, with similar diversity and training requirements. The act also requires the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on respectful maternity care practices and mandates periodic reports from the Government Accountability Office on barriers to maternal health education and access to care.
This bill establishes new safety and medical requirements for "unified boxing organizations" (UBOs), which are boxing groups that manage title belts and rankings without separate sanctioning bodies. It directly affects UBOs and boxers under their contracts by mandating comprehensive medical screenings (including annual physicals, brain MRIs, and pregnancy tests for female boxers), requiring two ambulances and three physicians at ringside during matches, and providing boxers with mandatory health insurance covering $25,000 in injury costs. Key provisions include strict anti-doping testing protocols (with no cost to boxers), prohibitions on boxers betting on matches, and UBOs covering all medical expenses. The bill also requires UBOs to register publicly with the Federal Trade Commission and adhere to updated industry standards for boxer compensation and safety.
The Military Financial Literacy Act of 2026 expands personalized financial and housing counseling services for members of the Armed Forces. It requires the Department of Defense to establish a one-on-one counseling program within one year that covers credit management, budgeting, anti-predatory lending, rental planning, VA home loans, and legal protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The program must partner with HUD-approved, tax-exempt Veteran Service Organizations that have expertise in financial literacy and housing stability. The Secretary of Defense must submit a report to Congress within two years detailing the number of service members who received counseling, completion rates, and indicators of financial stress or housing instability among participants.
Extending WIC for New Moms Act This bill amends the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to extend the eligibility periods for breastfeeding and postpartum women. Specifically, a state program may elect to certify a breastfeeding woman for up to 24 months (currently 1 year) postpartum. The bill also expands the eligibility period for postpartum women to up to 24 months after termination of pregnancy (currently 6 months). The Department of Agriculture must submit a report to Congress evaluating the effect of these changes to the program on (1) maternal and infant health outcomes, (2) breastfeeding rates, and (3) qualitative evaluations of family experiences under WIC.
The Guidance Clarity Act requires federal agencies to include a clear statement on all guidance documents, explaining that the guidance does not have the force of law and is not binding on the public or the agency. This statement must be prominently displayed on the first page of the document and specify that it is intended only to clarify existing legal requirements. Agencies must begin using this statement 30 days after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issues implementing guidance, which OMB must provide within 90 days of the bill's enactment. The bill directly affects all federal agencies that issue guidance under specific legal authority, ensuring transparency about the non-binding nature of such communications.
The GUARDRAILS Act (HR 8031) repeals the December 11, 2025 Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence, which previously established a national policy framework for AI development. By removing this executive order, the bill prevents the federal government from using funds to implement, enforce, or administer the policies outlined in that directive. This change directly affects federal agencies and any organizations that were relying on the executive order's framework for AI regulation. The legislation does not create new AI rules but instead eliminates the existing executive mandate that had been in place.
This bill establishes a federal task force to address maternal health disparities by coordinating efforts across multiple government agencies and community stakeholders to reduce preventable maternal deaths and serious health complications. The task force will include representatives from various departments such as Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation, along with community leaders, patients, and healthcare providers focused on maternal health. Additionally, the bill authorizes $100 million over five years to provide grants to community organizations for addressing social determinants of maternal health including housing, transportation, nutrition, employment, and environmental conditions. These grants prioritize areas with high rates of maternal mortality and poverty, and recipients must submit annual reports on their activities and outcomes. The legislation defines key terms such as maternal mortality and social determinants of maternal health to guide implementation and reporting requirements.
This bill clarifies when franchisors can be held legally responsible for franchisee employees' pay and working conditions under federal labor laws. It specifies that franchisors are only joint employers if they exercise "substantial direct and immediate control" over essential employment terms like wages, hours, hiring, or discipline - excluding routine brand standards or training. The law explicitly states that franchisors do not become joint employers for actions like setting operating hours, minimum staffing levels, or offering brand guidelines. This directly affects franchisors, franchisees, and their employees by reducing legal uncertainty in the $825 billion franchise sector.
HR 7056, the Community Bank Regulatory Tailoring Act, raises asset thresholds across multiple banking regulations to expand regulatory relief for smaller community banks. It directly affects banks with assets below newly increased limits (e.g., raising the $1 billion threshold to $3 billion for certain rules), meaning more institutions qualify for simplified oversight. Key provisions include automatic, GDP-adjusted updates to these thresholds every five years starting in 2031, ensuring thresholds keep pace with economic growth without new legislation. The bill aims to reduce compliance burdens for community banks by aligning regulatory triggers with current economic scale.
