The INVEST Act amends the federal tax code to expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for employers who hire veterans with specific renewable energy skills. To qualify for this credit, a veteran must be certified by a local agency as having military training in renewable energy fields, a recent vocational degree in the sector, or a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The legislation defines renewable energy broadly to include sources like solar, wind, and geothermal power. Additionally, the bill addresses tax implications for U.S. territories by providing compensation for any lost tax revenue and ensuring coordination between federal and local tax credits. These provisions will take effect for employees who start working for an employer after December 31, 2025.
The Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act of 2026 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to run a two-year demonstration project evaluating the cost and effectiveness of covering FDA-cleared, over-the-counter hearing aids for eligible veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. To participate, veterans must be enrolled in the VA system, receive a clinical clearance from an audiologist, and have access to a smartphone or Wi-Fi to operate the devices. The project will compare these over-the-counter options against traditional prescription hearing aids at selected VA facilities and require the Secretary to submit interim and final reports on the fiscal impact and health outcomes. Additionally, the bill mandates a separate study by the Comptroller General to analyze the current coverage of hearing aids for veterans and provide recommendations for potential program changes.
The PERFECT Act of 2026 establishes a regularly updated list of prohibited dietary supplement ingredients and performance-enhancing substances that members of the armed forces are not allowed to use. To help service members avoid accidental violations, the bill requires the Department of Defense to publish this list in an easy-to-search online format and allows commanders to waive discipline for first-time offenders who unknowingly used a supplement containing a prohibited ingredient. Additionally, the legislation mandates that possession of these specific ingredients does not count as drug abuse and requires the Defense Department to update its training programs and website tools to better educate troops and vendors on supplement safety.
This bill ensures that non-Federal memorials located on government property remain open to the public even if the government shuts down due to a lack of funding. It requires federal agencies to maintain access to these sites, such as cemeteries and commemorative locations, during a lapse in appropriations. Additionally, the legislation classifies the work of employees managing these memorials as emergency services, exempting them from mandatory furloughs. The measure directly affects federal agencies responsible for managing public facilities and the workers tasked with keeping them accessible.
The Faster Department of Veterans Affairs Construction Act of 2026 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to use commercial building codes alongside or instead of federal codes when constructing or altering facilities, provided there are no legal conflicts. To test this approach, the bill mandates that the Department run at least three pilot projects each year from 2027 through 2031 using these commercial standards for various construction and leasing initiatives. Additionally, the Secretary must submit annual reports to Congress detailing how these codes were applied and the results of the pilot projects. This legislation aims to streamline the building process for VA facilities by adopting widely accepted industry standards such as those from the National Fire Protection Association and the International Code Council.
This bill, titled the No Taxpayer-Funded Pensions for Sex Criminals Act, prohibits federal government employees and military personnel from receiving pension benefits if they are convicted of specific sex crimes. The law amends existing federal statutes to ensure that anyone convicted of offenses such as rape, child molestation, or sexual exploitation after the bill's enactment will have their annuities and retired pay forfeited. These penalties apply to crimes committed on or after the date the law is passed, covering both federal offenses and state crimes that would be considered federal sex offenses if committed in federal territory. The legislation also includes technical updates to related sections of the U.S. Code to ensure the forfeiture rules are consistently applied across different retirement systems.
The Renewing our PACT Act of 2026 expands disability benefits for federal employees who worked in foreign contingency operations after August 2, 1990, and were exposed to burn pits or other toxic hazards. It creates a legal presumption that specific diseases listed in the bill were caused by this exposure, meaning workers do not need to provide medical proof linking their illness to their time abroad to receive compensation. The Department of Labor is responsible for maintaining the official list of covered diseases, which must align with the list used by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Labor to submit a report to Congress within one year detailing how many eligible employees have filed claims under the new provisions.
This bill fundamentally restructures the U.S. immigration system by replacing the current employment-based visa categories with a new points-based program that prioritizes applicants with high salaries, advanced degrees, English proficiency, and U.S. military service. Under this new system, employers must attest that they have attempted to hire qualified American workers first and guarantee that hiring an immigrant will not result in layoffs of existing U.S. employees. Additionally, the bill eliminates the Diversity Lottery program, restricts certain family sponsorship categories for citizens, and imposes conditional permanent resident status on new immigrants who must prove they are not receiving public benefits and remain employed within two years. The legislation also mandates that undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition rates at colleges and requires immigrants to sign statements affirming their loyalty to U.S. constitutional principles and opposition to specific forms of persecution.
H.Res. 1320 is a non-binding resolution that calls on all Americans to honor military personnel who died while serving in the pursuit of freedom and peace on Memorial Day 2026. The bill does not create new laws or change any policies; instead, it serves as a formal expression of gratitude and remembrance from the House of Representatives. Because it is a commemorative resolution rather than a procedural or funding measure, it has no direct legal effect on individuals or government operations.
The HERO Child Care for Military Families Act aims to improve child care availability and workforce stability for military families by expanding eligibility for military child development centers and introducing new hiring and benefit structures. Key provisions allow the Department of Defense to hire national service volunteers as child care employees and establish a preclearance program that conducts background checks and health screenings on potential hires regardless of whether a job opening currently exists. The bill also authorizes job-sharing arrangements where two part-time employees share one full-time position to reduce vacancies and offers limited benefits, such as commissary access and tuition assistance, to help recruit and retain staff. To better track progress, the legislation requires the creation of a unified data system to monitor child care capacity and waitlists, along with specific reports on how child care availability impacts military readiness and family retention.
