Transportation

The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 restricts the importation, sale, and use of connected vehicles and related technology from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea to protect national security. Starting in 2027, the bill generally bans these vehicles if they originate from or are controlled by these countries, with separate restrictions on software and hardware taking effect in 2030. The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to issue specific exemptions for items that do not pose a security risk and must publish a list of approved products. The law also requires companies to submit declarations confirming their vehicles comply with the rules and imposes heavy fines for violations.

This bill codifies existing protections for designated roadless areas within the National Forest System by prohibiting new road construction, road reconstruction, and logging in these areas. It directly affects National Forest lands already identified as "inventoried roadless areas" under the current Roadless Rule, which covers roughly 58 million acres. The key mechanism requires the Secretary of Agriculture to enforce these prohibitions, maintaining current protections without expanding restrictions to other lands or altering existing multiple-use management. The bill does not create new protected areas but legally solidifies the existing regulatory framework to preserve ecological and recreational values.

Transportation Freedom Act This bill reduces taxes on auto companies and repeals specified environmental regulations on cars and trucks. The bill establishes a new tax deduction equal to 200% of eligible wages paid or incurred by domestic producers of automobiles or automobile components, subject to limitations. It also allows an entity to reduce (and adjust) its financial statement income (for purposes of calculating liability for the alternative minimum tax) by the amount of eligible wages it elects to deduct. The bill nullifies the 2024 rules of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding (1) the finalization of specified greenhouse gas (GHG) programs and the reduction of emissions from certain light-duty and medium-duty vehicles (e.g., cars and trucks that are under a certain weight) starting with model year 2027, and (2) phase three of GHG emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles (e.g., school buses and tractor-trailer trucks). It also repeals the 2024 rules of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for certain cars, trucks, and vans.  Additionally, the bill eliminates (1) the option given to California to set standards for car emissions that are more stringent than those set under the Clean Air Act, and (2) the option for other states to adopt California's standards.  NHTSA and the EPA must establish new CAFE and GHG standards, respectively, for vehicles that are economically practicable and technologically feasible. The GHG standards may not require the production or sale of electric vehicles.