The Access to Donor Milk Act of 2026 expands federal support for nonprofit organizations that collect, test, and distribute pasteurized donor human milk. It amends existing child nutrition laws to allow state agencies to use funds for storing unprocessed milk donations and transferring them to these nonprofit banks. Additionally, the bill authorizes competitive grants to help these banks increase their capacity during declared disasters or public health emergencies. The legislation also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to launch a public awareness campaign educating parents and medical professionals about the benefits and safety of donor milk. Finally, it mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services convene a public meeting and issue draft safety standards for the collection and processing of donor human milk within 18 months of enactment.
The CDL Act requires federally recognized driver's licenses to explicitly state whether the holder is a U.S. citizen or not. This rule applies to all new state-issued licenses and identification cards starting 60 days after the law is enacted. Additionally, the bill sets stricter standards for commercial driver's licenses by mandating that states verify a driver is a U.S. national, a permanent resident, or a specific type of nonimmigrant visa holder before issuing a federally recognized license. These changes directly affect state motor vehicle agencies and individuals seeking or holding driver's licenses.
The Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 aims to speed up care decisions and increase transparency for Medicare Advantage enrollees by establishing strict time limits for insurance plan responses to requests for coverage authorization. Beginning in 2028, plans must provide real-time approvals for low-risk services, respond to other authorization requests within 72 hours, and automatically pay claims for authorized services without manual review. The bill also prohibits plans from requiring new authorizations for clinically necessary changes to already approved treatments and mandates that medical necessity standards match those used in traditional Medicare. To ensure accountability, the legislation introduces a new compliance scoring system that could reduce payments to plans failing to meet these requirements and adds a specific domain to the public star ratings based on adherence to these rules.
This bill modernizes housing assistance programs for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiians by streamlining environmental reviews, extending funding authorization through 2032, and expanding loan guarantee options. Key provisions include consolidating environmental review requirements to reduce paperwork for tribes, allowing 99-year leasehold interests on trust lands for housing, and creating new rental assistance specifically for homeless or at-risk Native American veterans. The legislation also clarifies rent rules, waives certain housing counseling certifications for tribal entities, exempts tribal housing projects from some federal civil rights and Buy America requirements, and establishes a direct loan guarantee process for tribal housing projects.
HR 6624, the Biological Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2025, requires export licenses for digital files representing human- or AI-designed synthetic DNA or RNA sequences when sent to foreign entities linked to countries designated as national security concerns (like China). It directly affects biotechnology companies and researchers exporting such digital sequence data, mandating licenses for these specific exports within one year of the law's enactment. The key mechanism is a new license requirement under export controls, targeting digital files that could reveal sensitive biotechnology research. This policy change aims to prevent foreign adversaries from accessing U.S. biotech intellectual property through synthetic biology data exports.
This resolution expresses the House of Representatives' strong support for designating April 19 through April 25, 2026, as "National Crime Victims' Rights Week." It recognizes the impact of crime on victims and survivors, appreciates organizations that assist them, and encourages continued efforts to support victims' rights and services.
This bill restricts immigration and naturalization by adding new grounds for inadmissibility and deportation based on membership in or advocacy for specific political ideologies, including socialism, communism, Chinese communism, Marxism, and Islamic fundamentalism. It directly affects foreign nationals and permanent residents by making them ineligible for entry or citizenship if they have affiliated with or promoted these ideologies, with exceptions only for advocacy that occurred before age 14. The law defines these ideologies in detail and designates specific organizations as examples of each category, while also prohibiting court review of determinations made under these provisions. Additionally, the bill expands the grounds for revoking naturalized citizenship and requires the Attorney General to issue regulations implementing these changes.
HR 8380 amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to establish new procedures for how the Senate and House of Representatives consider annual appropriation (spending) bills. In the Senate, the bill applies existing rules for budget resolutions to these spending bills and limits debate on them to a maximum of 20 hours. For the House of Representatives, it prohibits adjourning for more than three calendar days during the month of July until all annual appropriation bills for the upcoming fiscal year have been approved by the House. These changes directly affect how members of Congress manage and approve federal spending legislation.
The Equal Treatment for Farmers Act removes references to 'socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers' from multiple federal agricultural laws and programs. This bill amends various statutes including the Federal Crop Insurance Act, Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, and other agricultural legislation to eliminate special preferences or categories based on social disadvantage status. The legislation also prohibits the USDA from providing any preference, priority consideration, or enhanced benefits based on race or gender in its programs. These changes affect how federal agricultural assistance, loans, and benefits are categorized and distributed to farmers and ranchers.
HR 7380, the IRAN Act, aims to improve internet access for Iranian citizens by directing U.S. agencies to support secure connectivity tools. It requires the State Department to coordinate digital freedom efforts, update strategies to evaluate VPNs and Direct-to-Cell (DTC) technology, and ensure sanctions enforcement doesn’t block these tools for Iranians. The bill also mandates the FCC to prevent licensees from geo-blocking Iran’s satellite/DTC coverage (except for network security) and directs the State Department to report on coverage issues. Additionally, it authorizes $15 million annually for cybersecurity training and digital safety tools for Iranian journalists, activists, and civil society. The law explicitly states it does not override existing sanctions or require U.S. companies to sell services in Iran.
This bill amends the Title X family planning program to prohibit the use of federal funds for entities that perform or financially support abortions. It allows exceptions for cases involving rape, incest, or life-threatening medical conditions, while also permitting hospitals to receive funding as long as they do not give those funds to non-hospital abortion providers. To enforce these rules, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit annual reports detailing which organizations receive grants and the specific number of abortions performed under the medical and criminal exceptions.
Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act This bill requires prescription drug plans under the Medicare prescription drug benefit to include generic drugs and biosimilars on their formularies. Specifically, the bill requires plans that use formularies to include generic drugs and biosimilars on the formularies and without any requirements (e.g., prior authorization requirements) that are more restrictive as compared to those for brand-name drugs and biologics. Plans that use cost-sharing tiers must also have specific tiers for generic drugs and biosimilars, in accordance with certain limitations.
