The Protecting Sibling Relationships in Foster Care Act creates a five-year pilot program to award up to five grants for developing specialized foster care programs focused on keeping siblings together. These grants are available to state agencies, tribal or local organizations, and community nonprofits that have proven expertise in managing foster care placements. Recipients must use the funds to create evidence-based programs specifically designed for groups of three or more siblings, including those with wide age gaps or complex needs like trauma or disabilities. To qualify, applicants must submit detailed plans describing how they will place siblings jointly and provide data on current placement challenges. The program is authorized a maximum of $10 million, and grantees are required to report on the number of children served, group sizes, placement methods, and outcomes.
This bill amends existing U.S. laws to require only foreign-owned companies registered in the United States to report beneficial ownership information, while exempting domestic U.S. entities from these filing requirements. Under the new rules, foreign corporations must disclose details about their owners, but any beneficial owners who are U.S. persons will not be required to provide this data. Additionally, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is directed to delete all previously collected ownership information related to U.S. persons while retaining records for non-U.S. individuals. The legislation effectively narrows the scope of the current reporting system to focus exclusively on foreign entities operating within the United States.
The Local Law Enforcement Support Act of 2026 expands funding opportunities for local police departments through the Byrne JAG and COPS programs. These funds can be used to recruit and train officers, purchase protective gear, and acquire specific tools like digital forensics equipment, drone technology, and ballistics analysis systems. The bill also allows for investments in software for cyber investigations and victim services. By adding these categories to the list of eligible expenses, the legislation provides law enforcement agencies with more options for addressing modern crime challenges.
This bill, the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act, aims to strengthen protections and incentives for individuals who report tax violations to the Internal Revenue Service. It directly affects whistleblowers who submit information about tax evasion or avoidance schemes and the IRS officials who evaluate those reports. Key changes include requiring Tax Court reviews of whistleblower awards to be conducted de novo based on the original administrative record, granting whistleblowers anonymity before the Tax Court unless a societal interest outweighs potential harm, and adding interest to award amounts if the IRS delays providing preliminary recommendations. The legislation also modifies IRS annual reports to include descriptions of top tax avoidance schemes disclosed by whistleblowers and corrects a provision regarding attorney fee deductions for whistleblowers.
This bill amends rules for sharing information about suspected intellectual property violations in trade. It requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to have a reasonable suspicion before sharing data, and permits sharing nonpublic details with online marketplaces, shipping companies, freight forwarders, and other entities involved in U.S. merchandise imports. It also allows CBP to share such information with additional parties (e.g., importers or rights holders) as determined appropriate by the Commissioner. The changes aim to improve coordination between enforcement and industry for intellectual property protection.
Clergy Act This bill establishes a two-year window for certain members of the clergy and Christian Science practitioners to revoke their exemption from Social Security and Medicare taxes on ministerial earnings. Under current law, such individuals who object to participation in public insurance programs on religious or conscientious grounds may apply to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an irrevocable exemption and will not receive Social Security or Medicare benefits in retirement unless they have qualifying credits from other employment. The IRS must develop a plan to inform members of the clergy and Christian Science practitioners of their eligibility to revoke prior exemptions, pursuant to the bill's changes.
The Sound Science Act of 2026 modifies the Toxic Substances Control Act to update how the Environmental Protection Agency evaluates and regulates chemical substances. The bill requires the use of technically feasible testing methods and mandates that risk assessments consider existing safety standards from other federal agencies like OSHA. It also introduces stricter scientific review processes, including mandatory in-person peer reviews and a requirement to consult with industry experts when setting worker protection rules. Additionally, the legislation ensures that agencies must consider relevant international test guidelines and provides specific timelines for interagency feedback on draft evaluations. These changes aim to standardize scientific practices and improve the consistency of federal chemical risk management.
PI Post Acute Access Act This bill allows for separate payment under Medicare to skilled nursing facilities for items and services that are needed to administer intravenous immune globin (IVIG) to patients with primary immune deficiency diseases (rare genetic disorders that impair the immune system and increase vulnerability for other infections).
This bill, known as the Precision Agriculture Workforce Training and Development Act, aims to expand educational programs that prepare students for careers in precision agriculture. It directly affects universities, research institutions, and public or private partners by authorizing new grants to support workforce training initiatives. The legislation modifies existing federal funding rules to explicitly include cooperative education programs focused on improving skills in modern farming technologies. By adding these specific categories to research and extension grants, the bill ensures that financial resources are available for developing specialized training partnerships.
The Rural Health Resilience Act of 2026 creates a new program to provide loans and loan guarantees to struggling health facilities in rural areas to prevent them from closing or cutting essential services. This assistance is available to various types of rural hospitals, clinics, and behavioral health centers that demonstrate financial distress through metrics like low operating margins or insufficient cash reserves. The funds can be used for facility repairs, covering operational costs such as payroll and supplies, paying down debt, or bridging gaps in insurance reimbursements. Additionally, the program prioritizes support for sole community providers and areas with high poverty rates, and requires the Secretary of Agriculture to report on the program's outcomes to Congress within 18 months.
This resolution designates April as "Community College Month" to recognize the significance of community colleges across the United States. It celebrates over 1,000 institutions for their role in providing accessible higher education and workforce training, and for contributing to the nation's economic prosperity.
This bill creates a pilot program to speed up the approval process for farm ownership loans, directly affecting farmers and borrowers seeking financing through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a faster qualification and approval system for direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans, while still maintaining most existing requirements except for application timing. The Secretary must submit annual reports to Congress on the pilot's progress and results, and the program would end on September 30, 2031.
