The Stop Spying Bosses Act establishes new federal rules to limit how employers collect, use, and share employee data, primarily affecting businesses with at least 11 workers and their employees. It prohibits employers from gathering sensitive information such as biometric scans, off-duty activities, or political views unless the data is strictly necessary for specific job functions like ensuring safety or administering benefits. The law requires employers to clearly disclose what data they collect and how it influences decisions about hiring, firing, or promotions, while also granting workers the right to access and correct their own records. To enforce these standards, the bill creates a new Worker Protection and Technology Division within the Department of Labor, which will investigate violations and provide whistleblower protections against retaliation. Additionally, the legislation invalidates pre-dispute arbitration agreements that would stop workers from joining class-action lawsuits regarding privacy violations.
This bill directs the Department of Defense to conduct a comprehensive assessment of open-architecture command and control systems for unmanned aircraft, specifically analyzing frameworks used by Ukraine and Israel to improve interoperability and resilience. The evaluation will examine technical designs, cybersecurity measures against electronic warfare, and the ability of these systems to adapt quickly at the tactical level without requiring constant software updates. To guide this process, the Secretary of Defense must establish an independent advisory panel of experts to review findings and recommend a new, flexible system that avoids reliance on specific foreign vendors or prohibited foreign entities. The resulting report will outline a phased implementation plan and set strict cybersecurity standards, including regular penetration testing and a living process to update security rules as threats evolve. Additionally, the bill requires sharing relevant findings with the Federal Aviation Administration to support the integration of military and civil drone operations in shared airspace.
This bill establishes a Strategic Defense Innovation Working Group to facilitate cooperation between the United States and Ukraine on developing and producing unmanned military systems. The group, led by senior U.S. defense officials and including Ukrainian representatives, will identify effective drone technologies used by Ukraine and explore ways to co-develop, co-produce, and acquire them in the United States. Key provisions include creating frameworks for sharing military data and intellectual property, assessing supply chains to avoid reliance on adversarial nations, and reporting regularly to Congress on progress and legal barriers. The initiative aims to accelerate the deployment of proven Ukrainian drone capabilities while ensuring secure and compliant integration into U.S. defense efforts.
The National Fab Lab Network Act of 2026 creates a new nonprofit corporation to establish and connect a national network of digital fabrication facilities, known as fab labs, across the United States. These labs are designed to provide communities with access to advanced manufacturing tools that allow individuals to create goods and products from digital designs, with a specific goal of placing at least one lab in every congressional district while prioritizing underserved areas. The corporation will coordinate this network by setting operational standards, maintaining a registry of labs, and distributing funds to support the creation and sustainable operation of these facilities. Its board of directors will be composed of representatives from diverse sectors, including education, tribal communities, and the private sector, and will be appointed by Senate and House leadership. Additionally, the organization is required to submit annual reports to congressional committees detailing its activities and progress.
The Securing Partner Supply Chains Act creates a new government program called the Initiative on Foreign Investment Screening to help allied nations protect their economies from security threats. Led by the State Department, this initiative will train foreign partners on how to screen investments from outside their countries to prevent risks to critical infrastructure and sensitive technology. The program is designed to assist partner countries, defined as those with free trade agreements or mutual defense treaties with the U.S., in building their own regulatory systems to manage foreign investment safely. The initiative will operate for five years, after which the Secretary of State must report to Congress on the progress made and any remaining security concerns.
The FIREWALL Act prevents the use of federal funds administered by the FCC and NTIA to buy fiber-optic cable from companies owned by designated countries of concern or their officials. This restriction applies to all purchases made 90 days after the law is enacted and covers both solid-core and hollow-core fiber technology. The bill aims to limit financial support for telecommunications infrastructure that could be controlled by foreign adversaries, directly affecting individuals and entities seeking federal funding for cable projects.
This bill directs the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to create a prize competition program designed to accelerate artificial intelligence research and development in the United States. The program will focus on specific challenges such as improving computing hardware, enhancing AI safety, advancing manufacturing, and securing critical infrastructure, with priorities set in consultation with industry and academia. Federal agencies like the Department of Commerce and the National Science Foundation are authorized to run these competitions, which must be conducted entirely within the U.S. and include clear problem statements and success metrics for participants. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct studies evaluating the effectiveness of prize competitions compared to traditional grants and contracts. All programs established under this bill are set to expire five years after the law is enacted, with regular reports submitted to Congress on their progress and results.
The SLASH Prices Act requires businesses that sell goods or services to clearly inform customers when prices are set by an algorithm using their personal data. Companies must display this notice prominently next to the price and provide an easy way for consumers to opt out of personalized pricing without facing discrimination or higher rates. The law exempts certain sectors like insurance and credit, as well as dynamic pricing based on real-time market conditions or delivery distance, and gives the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce these rules.
The Alaska National Guard Rural Community Revival Act requires the Secretary of the Army to create a strategy for improving National Guard facilities and readiness in remote areas, including the Arctic. This plan must include an audit of existing armories, a strategy to recruit and retain personnel in isolated regions, and a blueprint for modernizing facilities with upgrades for extreme weather and cyber resilience. The legislation also directs the Army to explore partnerships with private companies to share infrastructure and data while reporting progress to Congress.
The Broadband Infrastructure Extension Act extends the deadline for spending federal funds on broadband infrastructure projects. It directly affects state and local governments that have received money from the Social Security Act's fiscal recovery and capital projects funds. The bill allows these agencies to use the designated money for broadband projects until September 30, 2027, or until January 1, 2028, depending on the specific fund source. This change provides additional time for communities to plan and complete their network upgrades without losing the allocated resources.
