The Security And Freedom Enhancement Act of 2026, known as the SAFE Act, introduces new rules for how U.S. intelligence agencies collect and use information about Americans and people in the United States. The bill requires the FBI to conduct regular audits of its data queries, obtain additional approvals before searching for information about elected officials and judges, and create detailed records of all searches. It also limits when government agencies can access Americans' communications without a warrant and restricts intelligence agencies from purchasing personal data from private companies about people in the United States. The law increases transparency by requiring more detailed reports to Congress and the public about surveillance activities, and it expands the role of independent reviewers in court proceedings related to intelligence gathering.
S 3627, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, requires colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs to provide clear information about pregnancy-related resources and accommodations to all enrolled students. The bill mandates annual email notifications, inclusion in student handbooks and orientations, and availability at health centers and websites, detailing campus/community resources, available accommodations, and how to file Title IX complaints. It specifically covers students planning to or currently pregnant who wish to carry a baby to term. The law focuses solely on disseminating existing information and does not create new rights or accommodations. (Bill text amended under Section 485 of the Higher Education Act.)
S 3674, the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act (SCAM Act), expands grounds for revoking U.S. citizenship (denaturalization) for naturalized citizens who commit specific offenses within 10 years of becoming citizens. It targets individuals convicted of fraud against government programs (over $10,000), affiliation with foreign terrorist organizations, or certain aggravated felonies/espionage offenses, treating these as proof they lacked required moral character, loyalty to the Constitution, and commitment to U.S. order at the time of naturalization. If enacted, convictions would automatically trigger revocation of citizenship, treating the naturalization as void from the original date and making the person subject to deportation. The bill directly affects naturalized citizens who commit these offenses within the 10-year window, with no requirement for new evidence of pre-naturalization misconduct.
Shutdown Fairness Act This bill provides appropriations to pay federal employees who work during a government shutdown. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments to excepted employees for work performed during any period in which interim continuing appropriations or full-year appropriations are not in effect for a fiscal year (i.e., a government shutdown). An excepted employee is an employee who is required to work during a government shutdown. Under current law, excepted employees are not paid until the government shutdown is over. This bill provides appropriations to pay excepted employees during a government shutdown. The bill also specifies that the term excepted employee includes certain contractors who support federal employees during a government shutdown and members of the Armed Forces who are on active duty. A federal agency may not use the funds provided by this bill during any period in which continuing appropriations are in effect for the purpose of paying excepted employees of the agency. The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025.
S 3030, the Pay Our Military Act of 2025, ensures that active-duty military members, reservists, civilian Defense personnel, and supporting contractors continue receiving pay and essential benefits during any funding gap in fiscal year 2026. It appropriates necessary funds from the Treasury to cover pay, allowances, housing, travel, and other payments if Congress hasn’t passed full-year appropriations by September 30, 2026. These funds are charged to future appropriations when regular funding is enacted, preventing delays in military compensation. The bill takes effect retroactively as of September 30, 2025, to cover any missed payments during the prior fiscal year.
Eliminate Shutdowns Act This bill provides continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if the appropriations bills for a fiscal year have not been enacted before the fiscal year begins and continuing appropriations are not in effect. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations at the rate of operations that was provided for the prior fiscal year to continue programs, projects, and activities that were funded in the preceding fiscal year.
This bill amends federal education law to prohibit federally funded athletic programs from allowing individuals assigned male at birth to participate in sports designated for women or girls. It defines "sex" for this purpose as biological sex at birth, based on reproductive anatomy and genetics. The law directly affects schools, colleges, and sports organizations receiving federal funding. Violations would constitute a breach of Title IX, requiring programs to exclude individuals whose sex is male from women's or girls' athletic teams.
S 6, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, requires healthcare providers at facilities performing abortions to provide the same medical care to infants born alive during or after an abortion as they would to any newborn, including immediate hospital admission. The bill mandates that any provider or facility employee who witnesses a failure to provide this care must report it to law enforcement, with violations punishable by fines up to $5,000 or up to 5 years in prison. It also allows women who undergo abortions to pursue civil lawsuits for damages if providers fail to comply, including three times the abortion cost plus punitive damages. The bill defines "abortion" as procedures intended to kill the unborn child or terminate pregnancy without preserving the child's life after viability.
This bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from finalizing or enforcing a proposed rule requiring political TV and radio ads to disclose if they contain artificial intelligence-generated content. The rule in question (FCC 24-74, adopted July 10, 2024) would have mandated such disclosures for political advertisements. The bill blocks this specific proposal and any substantially similar future rules. It directly affects the FCC’s regulatory authority and political advertisers who would have been required to comply with the disclosure rule.
This joint resolution establishes procedural rules for the Senate impeachment trial against Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security. It sets specific deadlines (e.g., 7 session days for Mayorkas to file his answer) and outlines the trial structure, including 16-hour presentation periods for both sides, witness deposition rules, and evidence admission procedures. The resolution directly affects Mayorkas (as the defendant) and the House of Representatives (as the prosecutor), detailing timelines for filings, arguments, and voting. It does not address the merits of the impeachment articles but governs the trial process under Senate impeachment rules.
SJRES 68 establishes the procedural steps for the U.S. Senate's impeachment trial of Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security. It requires Mayorkas to file a written response to the impeachment articles within 7 session days and appoints a 12-member Senate committee to gather evidence and submit a report within 90 days. The resolution mandates that the Senate convene as a court of impeachment 90 days after the committee is formed, detailing how documents like the articles and responses will be handled and printed. The bill ensures these procedures override any conflicting Senate rules on impeachment trials.
This bill (SJRES 69) establishes the procedural rules for the U.S. Senate's trial of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas if the House of Representatives transmits articles of impeachment against him. It sets specific deadlines: Mayorkas has 7 business days to file his answer after the House transmits the articles, and the House has 7 business days to file its response after the summons. The resolution also outlines the timeline for evidence submission, opening presentations (each side gets up to 24 hours over 3 days), questioning of parties, and final voting on each article of impeachment. This procedural bill directly affects Mayorkas (the defendant) and the House of Representatives (the prosecutor) in the impeachment trial process.
