This bill establishes federal funding for research and development of alternative protein sources using biomanufacturing and bioprocessing technologies. It creates Centers of Excellence at agricultural institutions (including 1890 Land-Grant Universities), authorizes $50 million annually for food biomanufacturing facility grants, and provides $25 million yearly for workforce training programs. The bill directly affects research institutions, food biomanufacturing companies, and agricultural workforce development programs by providing grants for scaling production of plant-based and lab-grown proteins. It requires the USDA to develop a national strategy on protein security by 2026, focusing on supply chain resilience, job creation, and U.S. competitiveness in the global protein market. The legislation aims to diversify food systems and support domestic production of protein sources using underutilized biomass.
The Kids Online Safety Act (S 1748) requires major social media platforms, online video games, and other "covered platforms" to implement specific safety features for minors (under 17). These features include default privacy settings that limit harmful design features like infinite scrolling and auto-play, parental controls for managing minors' accounts, and restrictions on advertising illegal products to minors. The bill also mandates annual transparency reports about how platforms are used by minors and requires platforms to provide clear notices about their content algorithms. It creates a Kids Online Safety Council to advise Congress on online safety issues for children. The law applies to platforms with more than 10 million monthly users in the U.S. and takes effect 18 months after enactment.
The NO FAKES Act of 2025 establishes legal rights for individuals to control how their voice and visual likeness is used in AI-generated digital replicas. It defines "digital replicas" as highly realistic computer-generated representations that are readily identifiable as an individual's voice or appearance, granting individuals (and their heirs) the right to authorize or prohibit such uses. The law creates liability for unauthorized use of digital replicas or distribution of products designed to create them without authorization, while providing safe harbors for online services that follow specific procedures for handling claims. It preempts state laws regarding voice and visual likeness rights in digital replicas (with limited exceptions) and establishes a 10-year post-mortem right that can be renewed for additional 5-year periods if there's active public use.
The GUARD Act of 2025 authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish National Security and Defense Artificial Intelligence Institutes at U.S. institutions of higher education or senior military colleges. These institutes would receive five-year federal grants (renewable once) to conduct AI research focused on national security, including developing secure data sets, creating AI testbeds, and supporting workforce development in AI disciplines. The bill requires competitive merit-based selection of grantees, mandates all recipients be U.S.-based entities, and specifies that funds must support activities like translating research into defense applications and broadening participation in AI. The primary direct beneficiaries are U.S. research institutions collaborating with defense agencies, industry, and government partners on AI projects with national security applications.
S 2606 requires the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command to develop a roadmap by August 2026 for collaborating with private industry on AI-powered cybersecurity tools for the Department of Defense. The roadmap must establish how the military can partner with AI developers and cybersecurity firms, including details on contracts, security clearance processes, and technology transition plans. It mandates specific elements like near-term AI use cases, industry engagement strategies, and infrastructure costs, with annual updates to Congress starting in 2028. This bill directly affects private sector companies working with the DoD on AI and cybersecurity, aiming to streamline collaboration for both defensive and offensive cyber operations.
This bill establishes the Last Acre Program to provide grants and loans to broadband providers to deliver high-speed internet (minimum 100 Mbps downstream, 20 Mbps upstream) to agricultural land that is unserved or underserved. It directly affects farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers on eligible land (including cropland, grassland, and farm sites) who lack sufficient broadband access, with priority for limited resource farmers and ranchers. The program requires providers to meet cybersecurity standards, use a competitive bidding process to determine recipients, and prioritize remote areas and unserved land, with $20 million authorized annually from 2026-2030. It also mandates the National Agricultural Statistics Service to collect detailed broadband usage data through updated agricultural surveys.
The MAP for Care Act establishes a Medicare program enabling beneficiaries (Medicare Part A or Part B enrollees) to register certified advance directives - such as living wills or durable powers of attorney for health care - through accredited online vendors. It requires vendors to meet security standards for storing and sharing directives, ensuring near real-time access for beneficiaries, their designated health care proxies, and providers during medical emergencies. The program includes a state-by-state index of advance directive forms on Medicare’s website, educational resources, and annual surveys to assess accessibility and usability, while respecting existing state laws governing advance directives. Beneficiaries may voluntarily enroll, update, or terminate their directives at any time without cost.
The My Body, My Data Act of 2025 requires companies and services handling personal reproductive or sexual health information - such as health apps, clinics, or digital platforms - to only collect, retain, or share this data when strictly necessary for a service a person has requested. It gives individuals the right to access, correct, or delete their data easily (within 15 days, without fees), and mandates clear privacy policies explaining how data is used. The bill also prohibits companies from retaliating against people who exercise these rights, such as by charging higher prices or denying services. Enforcement will be handled by the Federal Trade Commission, with individuals able to sue for violations and seek penalties of up to $1,000 per violation per day.
This bill prohibits data brokers from selling, reselling, licensing, trading, or otherwise sharing military servicemembers' personal information (such as names, addresses, or service details) with foreign adversaries or entities controlled by them. It requires data brokers to include contractual safeguards in agreements to prevent recipients from further sharing this information with covered nations. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general can enforce these rules through civil actions to stop violations and seek remedies for affected servicemembers. The bill also mandates a congressional report within one year to assess enforcement and potential expansions of the protections.
This bill directs the Commerce Department to develop and distribute free training resources to help small businesses adopt artificial intelligence and key emerging technologies like quantum-hybrid computing. The training will cover practical business areas including financial management, cybersecurity, marketing, and supply chain operations, with special focus on small businesses in rural, Tribal, or underserved communities and those in advanced manufacturing. The program requires annual updates to the training materials, distribution through existing Small Business Administration resource centers (like SCORE and small business development centers), and annual reports to Congress tracking participation and business outcomes. The initiative will expire three years after enactment.
