This bill (HR 5332) mandates a federal review of liquid cooling technologies for data centers, requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess their research needs, costs, benefits, and market adoption within 90 days. The study will evaluate how liquid cooling compares to air cooling for efficiency, safety, and heat reuse, including waste heat capture for secondary uses. It directly affects federal agencies operating data centers (like the Department of Energy) by informing future infrastructure decisions. The GAO report and subsequent Department of Energy assessment will guide potential policy but do not fund or require adoption of liquid cooling.
This bill repeals the EPA's 2024 emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles and amends the Clean Air Act to prevent future regulations from mandating specific technologies or limiting new vehicle availability based on engine type. It directly affects the EPA's regulatory authority and vehicle manufacturers by blocking technology mandates and restrictions on engine types in new vehicles. Key provisions require the EPA to revise regulations within 24 months to align with these changes, ensuring no federal rules limit vehicle choices based on engine technology. The bill's title is misleading, as it does not address automobile retail sales or consumer choice at dealerships.
This bill amends the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 to clarify and expand law enforcement support for identity theft cases. It defines "identity theft" as criminal acts involving unauthorized use of another person's identifying details (like Social Security numbers or bank info), and adds "identity theft" to existing federal grant programs for local police to investigate cybercrimes. These grants will now fund investigations into identity theft alongside other cybercrimes. The bill directly affects local law enforcement agencies receiving these grants and victims of identity theft by improving enforcement resources. (Note: The title "Protect Your PIN" is misleading; the bill focuses on identity theft definitions and funding, not PIN security.)
The CHAT Act requires companies that operate companion AI chatbots (software designed to simulate emotional support or friendship) to verify the age of every user before allowing access. For minors under 18, companies must obtain verifiable parental consent, link the minor’s account to a parent’s verified account, and block access to sexually explicit content. The law also mandates companies to monitor for suicidal thoughts in minor interactions and immediately notify parents, while displaying a clear reminder every 60 minutes that the user is interacting with an AI, not a human. These requirements apply to all companies offering such chatbots to U.S. users, with enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission.
S 3370, the "DO NOT Call Act," amends the 1993 Telephone Consumer Protection Act to strengthen penalties for illegal telemarketing calls. It adds criminal penalties (up to 1 year imprisonment) for willfully violating the law, with enhanced penalties (up to 3 years) for repeat offenders or violations involving excessive call volumes (e.g., 100,000 calls in 24 hours) or significant financial harm ($5,000+ loss). The bill also raises fines for inaccurate caller identification from $10,000 to $20,000 per violation. This directly affects businesses and individuals using auto-dialers or prerecorded messages without consent, particularly those making unsolicited calls to mobile phones or emergency numbers.
This bill requires the IRS to use barcode scanning and optical character recognition (OCR) technology to convert paper tax returns into digital format. It applies to electronically prepared but paper-filed returns (which must include a scannable barcode) and manually prepared paper returns (which will be processed via scanning software). The law phases in implementation over 12-24 months depending on return type, with limited exceptions allowed only if the IRS reports to Congress. It does not change tax laws or rates, but aims to improve processing efficiency for paper-based filings.
The Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2025 requires the federal government to reallocate at least 2,500 megahertz of spectrum (between 1.3 and 13.2 gigahertz) from federal use to commercial and unlicensed purposes. It mandates that 1,250 megahertz be identified for commercial use within two years of enactment and auctioned within three years, with the remaining spectrum identified by five years and auctioned by six years. The bill also requires the FCC to make 125 megahertz available for unlicensed use (like Wi-Fi) within two years and any remaining spectrum for licensed or unlicensed use within eight years. This process will require federal agencies to relocate from the reallocated spectrum and enable commercial companies to bid for spectrum to provide mobile broadband services.
The SECURE Minerals Act of 2026 establishes a new Strategic Resilience Reserve Corporation to secure U.S. supply chains for critical minerals and materials essential to technology, defense, and energy sectors. The Reserve will finance domestic and partner country production, acquire critical minerals for strategic stockpiling, and develop market data to support responsible production practices. With $2.5 billion in initial funding, the Reserve aims to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources, particularly China, by developing alternative supply chains and ensuring production rates meet specific targets. The legislation includes provisions for transparency, oversight, and annual reporting to Congress, with the Reserve prioritizing domestic projects, recycling, and repurposing of critical minerals.
Stopping Harmful Incidents to Enforce Lawful Drone Use Act or the SHIELD U Act This bill authorizes and expands counter-drone activities by state, local, and airport law enforcement, and federal agencies. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and state, local, and airport law enforcement to carry out Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (Counter-UAS) activities on commercial service airport property to detect, identify, and mitigate threats posed by unmanned aircraft (i.e., drones). Further, the bill authorizes state and local law enforcement to carry out Counter-UAS activities off commercial airport property; the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must establish a process that allows for collaboration and coordination with these entities. In addition, each commercial airport must convene a task force to establish or modify the airport's tactical response plan for drone threats. The FAA and Transportation Security Administration must also publish (and update annually) best practices guidance on Counter-UAS activities at commercial service airports. The bill also allows DHS and the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Energy to contract with other entities to carry out authorized Counter-UAS activities. Further, the bill amends restrictions on the use of radio frequency jamming technology to allow state, local, and airport law enforcement to use the technology to detect, identify, or mitigate a drone threat. Finally, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers must develop and implement training curricula on the use of Counter-UAS activities. The training must be available to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement, as well as private sector security agencies.
National STEM Week Act This bill requires the National Science and Technology Council's Committee on STEM to designate a week each calendar year as National STEM Week. (STEM refers to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.) During this established week, the committee must encourage educational institutions (i.e., elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education) to participate in the week and also encourage families of students attending these educational institutions to participate in STEM activities. Additionally, the committee must encourage STEM industries to (1) engage with students enrolled in educational institutions by providing mentorship programs, site visits, and guest lectures; and (2) support STEM education initiatives at these educational institutions through funding, resources, and expertise. The committee must annually report to Congress on the activities conducted during the established week.
