This bill would prohibit any state or local government designated as a "sanctuary jurisdiction" from receiving grant funds distributed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A jurisdiction is defined as a sanctuary if it has laws, policies, or practices that restrict officials from sharing information about an individual's immigration status or from complying with federal requests to detain or notify about the release of individuals. The funding restriction would apply to grants distributed 180 days after the bill's enactment. To determine which jurisdictions qualify for this ineligibility, the HUD Secretary is required to consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security.
The Edgely Community Protection and Transparency Act amends the National Environmental Policy Act to impose new requirements on federal agencies that plan to acquire private property, including through eminent domain. Agencies must estimate the amount of land expected to be taken for each proposed project and alternative in their environmental impact statements. If a preferred alternative is selected, the agency must state whether it minimizes property acquisition compared to other options and explain how public comments influenced that decision. These changes directly affect federal agencies and private property owners by increasing transparency regarding government land acquisitions.
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This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Army to transfer approximately 20 acres of land at Fort Bragg in North Carolina to the state government without charge. The property is intended for the construction of a veterans' home under the jurisdiction of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The state is required to pay all costs associated with the transfer, including environmental reviews and administrative fees, with any excess prepayments refunded by the federal government. If the land is no longer used for the designated veterans' facility, ownership may revert to the United States at the Secretary's discretion.
The Grad Student Affordable Housing Act of 2026 directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a program offering rental assistance vouchers to graduate students. To qualify, students must be enrolled in graduate programs and meet specific income limits, which are set at $40,000 for dependents or independent individuals and $80,000 for families, with provisions for cost-of-living adjustments. Selected students receive vouchers that cover 80 percent of the fair market rental cost for their chosen housing. The bill requires students to apply through the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development within one year of the law's enactment.
This bill creates a five-year pilot program to provide grants to states and local governments for expanding Forensic Assertive Community Treatment teams. These specialized teams offer intensive, round-the-clock support including mental health care, addiction treatment, and housing assistance to individuals with serious mental illness who are involved with the criminal justice system. The program requires teams to include a mix of psychiatrists, employment specialists, criminal justice partners, and peer specialists with lived experience. Additionally, the legislation authorizes funding for a study by the National Academies to evaluate the program's effectiveness and develop guidelines for scaling it up.
The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026 modernizes the H-2A visa program by transferring administrative authority to the Department of Homeland Security and introducing a unified online platform to streamline applications for employers and workers. Key provisions include establishing new housing standards with mandatory inspections, creating a system for staggered worker entry and exit, and allowing workers to transfer between employers without losing their status. The bill also defines specific job classifications for wage calculations, expands the scope of covered agricultural activities, and provides legal protections for employers who document the employment of workers seeking visa status. Additionally, it requires agencies to develop a heat illness prevention plan and allows for contract termination due to natural disasters.
The Community Housing Act of 2026 aims to increase the supply and affordability of housing by directing significant new federal funding to programs like the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund. It establishes a new Office of Community Land Use and Zoning within HUD to help states and localities reform restrictive zoning laws that limit housing development. The bill also expands financial support for rural areas, creates a new fund to promote shared equity and community land trusts, and removes a legal cap on the number of public housing units agencies can manage. Additionally, it provides grants to protect tenants from eviction and authorizes low-cost financing options for affordable housing projects.
This bill requires mortgage lenders to consider alternative credit information, such as rental payments and bank statements, when evaluating applicants who request it. It specifically targets individuals who lack a traditional credit history with major reporting agencies, a group that disproportionately includes low-income consumers, younger people, and people of color. Under the new rules, lenders must treat this permissioned data with the same weight as standard credit reports if the applicant authorizes its use and confirms it better reflects their financial standing. The legislation also mandates that underwriting systems be updated to automatically identify and include this data, while creditors must provide clear notices in eight common languages explaining the applicant's rights.
The Build American Efficiency Act allows the Department of Housing and Urban Development to accept a specific industry standard, known as the Make It American Process Standard, as valid proof that construction materials meet domestic content requirements. This change directly affects recipients of federal housing funds by providing an additional, recognized method to certify that their projects comply with Buy America rules. The bill does not force anyone to use this new standard, nor does it ban the use of other existing certification methods, but it does give the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development the option to accept similar standards if they offer a clear way to verify domestic content.
The Sanctuary City Elimination Act defines "sanctuary jurisdictions" as states or local areas that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities, such as refusing to share immigration data or honor detention requests. If a jurisdiction is classified as a sanctuary, the bill prohibits it from receiving various federal grants, including funding for education, environmental protection, economic development, and community housing projects. The legislation also provides a legal mechanism allowing state attorneys general to sue in federal court to recover these funds if a sanctuary jurisdiction releases an immigrant who subsequently commits a crime in another state. Additionally, the bill grants local law enforcement the authority to act as federal agents when complying with immigration detainers and offers them immunity from liability in lawsuits related to those actions.
