The Careworker Visa Act of 2026 establishes a new visa category for foreign nationals to work as caregivers in private homes or small businesses with fewer than 25 employees, addressing a shortage of childcare, eldercare, and disability support workers. To qualify, employers must be certified by the Department of Labor, pay a prevailing wage determined by local standards, and file a petition that includes proof of financial stability and tax compliance. The visa allows workers to stay for initial three-year periods that can be renewed, includes a 90-day grace period for changing employers, and provides a pathway to permanent residency after meeting specific criteria. The legislation also strengthens protections against wage theft and retaliation by creating a dedicated office to handle complaints and prohibiting employers from using immigration status to control workers.
This bill establishes a federal grant program to help states create or maintain dedicated offices focused on women's health. The funding, totaling $55 million annually from 2027 to 2031, is split evenly between all states and a formula based on factors like maternal mortality and poverty rates. Recipients must use the money for public education, data collection, and addressing social issues like housing and food insecurity, while also forming community advisory panels. The legislation includes strict rules prohibiting the use of funds to discourage reproductive health services and mandates strong privacy protections for any data collected.
The Disability Community Act of 2026 updates federal Medicaid terminology to replace the outdated phrase "mentally retarded" with "intellectual or developmental disabilities" throughout relevant laws and regulations. This change affects how states and facilities are referred to in official documents, ensuring language aligns with current medical and social standards. Additionally, the bill increases federal funding for specific Medicaid services provided to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities during 2027, 2028, and 2029. These funds are intended to cover costs associated with complying with existing federal regulations regarding care and services.
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Medicaid
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People with Disabilities
The Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act establishes a grant program to help internationally educated health care professionals integrate into the U.S. health care system. Under this bill, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would award funds to eligible groups, such as hospitals, universities, and government agencies, after consulting with the Labor and Education departments. Recipients must use at least 20 percent of the money for system-wide improvements like mentoring networks and employer education, while the remaining funds can support individual needs such as licensing fees, language training, and living expenses. Priority is given to projects that address workforce shortages in rural areas or communities with significant gaps in health care staffing. The act also requires annual reporting on the number of professionals supported and their employment outcomes, with funding authorized through fiscal year 2031.
The Addictive Design Act of 2026 aims to protect youth under 18 from potential mental health risks associated with artificial intelligence chatbots by banning specific features designed to create emotional attachments. To support this goal, the bill establishes a government task force to study these impacts and provides funding for research and educational outreach to parents and teachers. The legislation also mandates that companies offering AI chatbots to minors must use age verification technology and delete user data within 24 hours. Companies that fail to comply with the ban on addictive design features or data privacy requirements face civil penalties of up to $10 million or $5,000 per violation, respectively.
The Improving CARE for Youth Act modifies Medicaid rules to allow payment for mental health, substance use disorder, and primary care services provided on the same day within the same clinic or health center. This change directly affects youth and adults receiving care by removing previous restrictions that often prevented billing for these combined visits. The bill defines "same-day qualifying services" to include scenarios where a patient sees both a primary care provider and a mental health specialist in one visit, or vice versa, at facilities like Federally qualified health centers or physician offices. By updating the Social Security Act, the legislation aims to streamline access to coordinated care without imposing new limitations on how these services are billed.
The Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act of 2026 directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a National Chronic Pain Information System to better understand and track chronic pain in the United States. This system will use existing federal data and collect new information on pain causes, demographics, treatment effectiveness, and associated costs to identify gaps in current research. The bill also requires the establishment of a public website called the Chronic Pain Information Hub to share these findings and provide updated clinical tools for researchers and medical professionals. Additionally, the legislation mandates that any experts collaborating on this research must disclose potential financial conflicts of interest related to drug or device manufacturers. To fund these efforts, the act authorizes appropriations for the fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
This bill establishes federal protections and funding to expand access to in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination for individuals, military service members, and veterans. It requires most private health plans, Medicaid programs, and Medicare to cover these fertility treatments without imposing higher cost-sharing than other medical services. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs provide specific fertility preservation and treatment benefits to uniformed service members and eligible veterans. The bill also includes preemption clauses that override state laws restricting these procedures and prohibits discrimination based on marital status, sex, or sexual orientation in the provision of care.
The Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act of 2026 aims to maintain and stabilize funding for home health services for veterans, particularly in rural areas. It requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to restore any reimbursement rates for home care services that were lowered after December 31, 2025, and prevents future rate cuts without notifying Congress at least 90 days in advance. Additionally, the bill mandates annual reports to Congress on whether there are enough care providers to meet veteran demand and identifies any regions with shortages. The legislation also requires an initial report within 90 days detailing how the VA calculates these payment rates, including the data sources and methods used.
The Support for Expectant and Parenting Foster Youth Act amends the Social Security Act to improve services for youth in foster care who are pregnant or have children. It requires states to connect these eligible families with evidence-based home visiting programs and mandates that state officials certify they have processes to share information about these services. Additionally, the bill allows states to use specific funding to provide tailored case management and resource coordination for expectant or parenting youth who have experienced foster care. These changes take effect one year after the law is enacted and apply to payments made under approved plans on or after that date.
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Children
