The Critical Materials Future Act of 2025 directs the Department of Energy to establish a five-year pilot program that supports at least three domestic projects refining or recycling critical materials. The bill authorizes $750 million in funding and allows the use of innovative financial tools, such as price floors and contracts for difference, to stabilize markets and attract private investment. Projects are selected based on their potential to enhance national security and economic competitiveness, with priority given to those using domestic feedstock or sources from allied nations. The program includes a revolving fund to reinvest project revenues into new initiatives and requires the Department of Energy to publish a study evaluating the effectiveness of these financial mechanisms after the pilot concludes.
The Make Apportionment Great Again Act would change how U.S. House seats are distributed among states by excluding noncitizens from the population count used for apportionment. It requires the Secretary of Commerce to recalculate state populations using existing federal and state government records, without conducting a new census, and mandates that future censuses include a question on citizenship status. The bill establishes a legal presumption that any resulting changes in seat allocation are valid, allowing courts to overturn them only with clear evidence of statutory or constitutional violations. Additionally, it creates an expedited judicial process for legal challenges, requiring cases to be heard by three-judge panels and permitting direct appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Earth MRI Reauthorization Act of 2026 extends funding for the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative through fiscal year 2031. This program, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, will support the collection and analysis of subsurface data using advanced technologies like modern sensing and digital geochemistry to map critical minerals and geothermal resources. The bill also updates the initiative's scope to include the 3D Hydrography Program and allocates $84 million for operations between 2027 and 2031.
This bill, titled the Renewing the African American Civil Rights Network Act, extends federal funding for the African American Civil Rights Network by three years. The legislation directly affects the network's operations by amending the United States Code to change the authorization period from seven years to ten years. By updating this timeline, the bill ensures continued financial support for the organization's mission to promote civil rights and historical preservation. No new programs or policy changes are introduced; the measure solely focuses on renewing the existing funding authorization.
This bill requires group health plans to gain full, timely access to detailed claims data and pricing information from healthcare providers and administrators without restrictions. It mandates that these entities provide unmodified data in standard electronic formats within 15 days and prohibits contracts that limit access to payment formulas, audit rights, or fee structures. To ensure compliance, the legislation introduces annual attestation requirements for plans and establishes civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day for violations, while also banning contracts that attempt to shield violators from these fines.
This bill establishes a framework for the Department of the Interior to work with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to restore and manage buffalo populations on Indian lands. It authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide contracts, grants, and technical assistance to support tribal buffalo restoration programs, commercial buffalo activities, and mobile meat processing facilities. The legislation also requires ongoing consultation between the Department and tribes on buffalo management initiatives and ensures that culturally sensitive tribal information remains confidential. Additionally, the bill allows for the transfer of surplus buffalo from federal lands to Indian lands and explicitly preserves existing treaty rights of Indian Tribes, with all provisions set to expire seven years after enactment.
The American Music Tourism Act of 2025 directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to identify and promote U.S. locations and events related to music tourism for both domestic and international travelers. It adds specific requirements to prioritize music-related attractions (like venues, studios, museums, and festivals) in domestic travel campaigns and international marketing efforts for conferences, events, and cultural tourism. The bill also mandates annual reports to Congress on progress toward these tourism goals. This affects federal travel promotion agencies and indirectly supports music venues, festivals, and local tourism economies by integrating music tourism into official travel strategies.
This bill changes federal permitting rules for oil and gas drilling on land where the federal government owns less than half the mineral rights beneath non-federal surface land. It requires operators to use a state permit instead of a federal drilling permit, removes federal environmental review requirements under NEPA and the Endangered Species Act, and allows operations to start 30 days after submitting the state permit. It does not affect royalty payments to the federal government or apply to Indian lands. The policy directly affects oil and gas operators working on non-federal surface estates with partial federal mineral ownership.
National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act. [ sic ] This bill temporarily directs the Department of the Interior to award a grant to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for the expenses associated with operating and enhancing the community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness programs of the National Law Enforcement Museum.
This House resolution supports designating the week of September 14 through September 18, 2026, as National Clean Energy Week to highlight the growth of zero- and low-emission energy sources. The bill cites a Department of Energy report stating that the U.S. energy sector employed approximately 8.5 million people at the end of 2024 and emphasizes that clean energy jobs are local and cannot be outsourced. It encourages federal, state, and private entities to invest in affordable clean technologies and specifically applauds the work of Department of Energy National Laboratories across multiple states.
The RETURN Act directs the Department of Labor, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, to disseminate information and promote awareness to help survivors of stroke, traumatic brain injury, and heart attacks return to work. The bill aims to improve access to reasonable workplace accommodations for these individuals while also assisting employers in implementing such changes and enhancing self-employment options. Directly affected groups include the health condition survivors, their families, private and government employers, and service providers. Additionally, the Secretary of Labor is required to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the actions taken under this legislation.
This bill, known as Kayleigh's Law Act of 2026, requires federal courts to issue permanent restraining orders against defendants convicted of certain serious crimes, prohibiting them from contacting their victims for the rest of their lives. The law applies specifically to individuals convicted of violent felonies or felony offenses involving sexual acts, including crimes like child exploitation and human trafficking. Courts must include these orders in sentencing, and violations are treated as contempt of court, while the only way to lift the order is if the conviction is overturned or pardoned. The bill also ensures that victims cannot be charged any fees for obtaining these protective orders and clarifies that the restrictions apply regardless of state laws.
