The Keep Kids in School Act creates a federal grant program to help public schools reduce chronic absenteeism and improve safety for students. The Department of Education will provide funds to states, which will then distribute money to local school districts for specific interventions like hiring counselors, offering teacher stipends for home visits, and covering transportation costs. The bill defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent or more of school days and prioritizes funding for states with the highest rates of absenteeism among vulnerable student populations. Additionally, the act requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on effective methods for reducing absenteeism and improving student well-being, with findings reported to Congress and the Education Department.
The BUSES Act establishes a national minimum standard requiring that restrictions on bus engine idling cannot last for less than 15 minutes, applying to both over-the-road and school buses. This rule prevents states and local governments from enforcing shorter idling limits through their existing air quality plans. Additionally, the legislation prohibits private citizens from suing bus owners or operators for violating these idling rules and bans state programs that pay individuals for reporting such violations.
The Disaster Ready Infrastructure Act of 2026 requires federal transportation planning documents to identify infrastructure vulnerable to frequent natural disasters. Specifically, it mandates that both metropolitan and statewide plans list which facilities are at risk, which are critical for maintaining operations during or after a disaster, and what improvements are needed to keep them running. This change directly affects transportation planners and agencies responsible for creating these regional and state-level plans. By adding these specific identification steps to existing laws, the bill aims to ensure that disaster resilience is a formal part of transportation planning.
This bill creates a new tax incentive to encourage the construction and renovation of affordable housing near public transportation hubs. It directly affects developers and investors by increasing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for buildings located within half a mile of rail, bus, harbor, or waterway stations in high-density zones. The credit amount is boosted to 150% of the standard value, rising to 155% for projects in Hawaii, Alaska, or U.S. territories, with limits on how many areas can be designated in each region. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to study geographic cost-of-living differences and propose changes to how tax credit funds are distributed among states.
Chief Chris Eddy's Law requires the Secretary of Transportation to update rules so that all refrigerated shipping containers display specific placards to warn emergency responders about potential pressurization risks. This requirement applies to every refrigerated container regardless of the cargo it carries, covering transportation within states, between states, and across borders. Additionally, the bill mandates a study to evaluate whether refrigerants should be classified as a separate hazard category and to analyze how such a change would affect existing safety regulations.
The All in For Attendance Act aims to reduce chronic student absenteeism by requiring schools to implement specific support strategies for students missing 10 percent or more of school days. It mandates the creation of data systems to track attendance reasons, establishes advisory programs to engage families, and requires schools to partner with community organizations to remove barriers like transportation or health issues. The legislation also prohibits schools from using suspensions, fines, or academic penalties as punishment for student absences. Additionally, it directs funds toward evidence-based interventions such as social and emotional learning programs, restorative justice, and high-impact tutoring to improve student engagement and attendance.
The Incentivizing the Expansion of U.S. Ports Act amends federal laws to streamline regulations for dredging operations and the disposal of dredged material. Specifically, it removes certain exemptions and modifies requirements so that dredged material is no longer subject to specific transportation restrictions. These changes aim to simplify the legal process for ports that need to clear sediment to maintain or expand their facilities. The bill directly impacts port authorities and maritime operators involved in dredging activities by altering how they must handle and move the resulting sediment.
The Concrete Pump Tax Fairness Act introduces a new mileage-based fee for owners of mobile concrete boom pump vehicles that travel within the United States. This tax charges $0.05 per mile for vehicles weighing 60,000 pounds or less and $0.07 per mile for heavier vehicles, with payments due quarterly. The bill requires the government to create a system that uses existing vehicle technology to track mileage while protecting operator privacy and minimizing administrative burdens. Additionally, the law allows these vehicles to use existing fuel tax credits to offset the new fee and excludes them from certain existing highway use requirements. All collected fees will be deposited into the Highway Trust Fund to support road infrastructure.
This bill redesignates the existing National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund as the America's Legacy Restoration Fund to address deferred maintenance on federal lands. It directs revenue from recreation fees and a portion of energy development income into the fund, which must be used primarily for repairing critical infrastructure like roads, trails, and buildings managed by agencies such as the National Park Service and the Forest Service. The legislation establishes strict rules requiring that most funds go toward non-transportation projects, mandates transparency through public dashboards tracking project status, and sets aside a small percentage for matching private donations. Additionally, the bill increases entrance fees for foreign visitors to ensure they contribute to the fund, while prohibiting the use of these specific funds for land acquisition or employee bonuses.
The Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act of 2026 prohibits connected vehicles from entering the United States if they originate from or are designed in China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran, or if they are manufactured by companies with significant foreign ownership from those nations. This ban applies to vehicles equipped with internet connectivity used on public roads but includes an exception for those intended solely for testing and evaluation by U.S.-based entities with no foreign ties. The law allows the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to issue specific or general authorizations for vehicles that pass a security risk assessment proving they do not threaten national security or data integrity. These authorizations require a 60-day congressional review period and must be publicly listed, while the ban takes effect only after relevant regulations are published.
