The BEDROCK Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to designate a senior official who will lead federal efforts to boost the competitiveness and supply-chain resilience of the U.S. biomanufacturing industry. This official is tasked with identifying barriers to private sector investment, mapping complex regulatory pathways across agencies like the FDA and EPA, and publishing a prioritized action plan to address vulnerabilities in critical inputs such as enzymes and cell lines. The bill also requires the government to create a public web resource that consolidates federal information and designates specific agency points of contact to help businesses navigate commercialization processes. These requirements are set to terminate five years after the law is enacted, with periodic reports submitted to Congress to track progress.
The No PRC Seafood in Congress Act prohibits the procurement, sale, and service of seafood products from China in all dining facilities located within the U.S. Capitol Buildings or on the Capitol Grounds. This ban applies to any seafood fished, harvested, raised, produced, or processed in China, as well as seafood caught by vessels owned, operated, or registered under Chinese law. To enforce this rule, congressional administrative bodies must issue regulations within 180 days that require food suppliers to certify the specific countries involved in each product's supply chain and maintain records to verify these claims.
The Foreign Propaganda Disclosure Act amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act to explicitly include social media influencers in its regulatory scope. The bill defines a social media influencer as any individual who maintains a monetized account on a social media platform, using an existing definition from the Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022. By making this addition, the legislation requires these specific digital content creators to comply with the same registration and disclosure obligations currently applied to other foreign agents.
The MANNARINO Act requires states to ban the sale of scented or flavored nitrous oxide products and other non-exempt nitrous oxide items in order to receive certain federal public health grants. The law allows exemptions for nitrous oxide used in medical, veterinary, dental, food manufacturing, industrial, or automotive applications. If a state fails to implement these sales prohibitions, the Secretary of Health and Human Services can reduce its federal grant allotment by up to 10 percent. These requirements would take effect starting in the third fiscal year after the bill is enacted.
The EXIM Bank Continuity in Competitiveness Act modifies the rules for the Export-Import Bank of the United States to ensure the institution can continue operating when its board lacks a full complement of members. It reduces the required waiting period before a temporary board can be formed from 120 days to 60 days if the main board loses its quorum. Additionally, the bill clarifies that this temporary board will automatically end when a new President takes office or when the original board regains a full quorum. These changes are set to take effect on December 31, 2026.
HR 2555, the Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025, protects students who join or form single-sex social organizations (like fraternities or sororities) at colleges. It prohibits colleges receiving federal funds from taking negative actions against these students or organizations solely because they limit membership to one sex - such as denying housing, financial aid, leadership roles, or recognition. The bill ensures students can join such groups without coercion and stops colleges from imposing unfair recruitment rules on single-sex organizations compared to others. It does not require colleges to recognize single-sex groups, allow organizations to set their own membership rules, or override Title IX protections.
This bill restricts states from taxing the income of individuals who live in one state but work remotely for employers located elsewhere. It establishes that a state can only tax an individual's compensation if they are physically present within that state during the time the work is performed, preventing taxation based on where the employer is headquartered. The legislation specifically prohibits states from using "convenience of the employer" tests to claim taxing rights over workers who are physically located in another jurisdiction. These rules apply immediately upon enactment and affect nonresident employees and independent contractors, while leaving corporate taxes and unearned income regulations unchanged.
The Stamps for Staying Connected Act of 2026 requires the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to provide postage stamps to inmates who lack funds or sufficient postage and wish to send mail. This provision applies to all types of correspondence, including legal matters and administrative filings. To prevent abuse, such as trading stamps among prisoners, the bill limits distribution to five first-class domestic stamps per week for general use. However, this weekly cap does not apply to stamps needed for legal proceedings or administrative remedy filings.
The NO PROFIT Act prohibits social media platforms from selling or providing paid, early access to posts made by federal government officials and their immediate family members. It also makes it illegal for any person to buy or sell securities, commodities, or prediction market contracts while possessing this non-public information before it is available to the general public. The bill targets a wide range of officials, including the President, members of Congress, executive branch employees, and judges, as well as their spouses and dependent children. Violations by social media platforms result in civil penalties equal to the revenue earned from the unauthorized early access, while individuals who trade on this information face enforcement actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The Protecting Local Control of Data Centers Act prohibits federal agencies from overriding state or local authority over the zoning, siting, and permitting of data centers built on non-federal land. The bill also prevents federal agencies from conditioning financial assistance on a local government's agreement to limit its regulatory power in this area. This legislation directly affects state and local governments by ensuring they retain full control over decisions regarding where data centers can be located within their jurisdictions.
The No Antisemitism in Education Act of 2026 requires schools and universities receiving federal funds to treat antisemitism with the same seriousness as other forms of discrimination prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Under this law, institutions must use the official definition of antisemitism found in a prior presidential executive order to investigate complaints and enforce their own policies. The bill explicitly states that these requirements do not violate free speech rights or override existing state laws, ensuring that Jewish students and staff are protected from harassment and exclusion on campus.
The Lifeline for First Responders Act establishes a new federal grant program administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to support the mental health and well-being of first responders. The program provides funding to eligible entities, including fire services, emergency medical services agencies, and dispatch centers, at all levels of government. Grant funds may be used for evidence-based stress reduction, suicide prevention, confidential counseling, family support services, and outreach programs aimed at reducing stigma. The bill authorizes $7.5 million in appropriations annually for fiscal years 2028 through 2032 to carry out these initiatives.
