Andy Barr

The Consumer Financial Protection Accountability and Reform Act of 2026 makes substantial changes to how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau operates and regulates consumer finance markets. The bill requires the CFPB to obtain standard congressional appropriations funding rather than independent funding, return excess civil penalty revenues to the Treasury, conduct detailed cost-benefit analyses for regulations, and submit major rules to mandatory review by the Office of Management and Budget within eight years to ensure they produce net benefits. The legislation also establishes an independent CFPB Inspector General confirmed by the Senate, limits the bureau's ability to circumvent statutes of limitations through enforcement actions, narrow its authority over state-regulated insurance companies and attorney activities, and require greater coordination with other financial regulators before rulemaking and enforcement. Additionally, the bill creates new consumer protections for emerging financial products including earned wage access services, which must offer no-cost access options and prohibit aggressive debt collection, while directing a Government Accountability Office study of buy now pay later services and requiring the CFPB to implement various technical reforms around regulatory thresholds and data modifications.

The Border Patrol Overtime Parity Act would expand overtime pay eligibility for U.S. Border Patrol agents by removing restrictions that currently limit certain overtime compensation to only those agents at the GS-12 pay grade level. The bill amends federal law to allow agents at other pay grades to qualify for overtime pay that was previously available only to higher-ranked personnel. This legislation would affect Border Patrol agents across different salary levels who currently work overtime. The bill does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines in the provided text. The change aims to create more equitable overtime pay opportunities for Border Patrol personnel regardless of their specific grade classification.

# Summary of H.R. 9830 — Lawful Hemp Protection Act This bill establishes a federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoid products while restricting synthetic and artificially modified cannabinoids. The law redefines legal hemp to include only products with naturally occurring cannabinoids at no more than 1 percent THC by dry weight, explicitly excluding synthetically altered compounds like HHC and THC-O-acetate. The FDA gains authority to set maximum cannabinoid limits for products, establish manufacturing and testing standards, and enforce labeling requirements that include THC content per serving, warning labels, ingredient lists, and child-protective packaging features. The bill imposes a federal excise tax of 5 cents per milligram of THC on hemp beverages and 5 percent tax on other hemp cannabinoid products, with revenue directed to a trust fund for regulatory oversight. To protect children, the law prohibits sales to anyone under 21 and bars misleading packaging that targets minors. States retain authority to maintain more stringent regulations, though they cannot block compliant products from entering their borders. The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment, with a 12-month deadline for the FDA to establish maximum allowable cannabinoid amounts and a 1-year timeline for Treasury to issue tax regulations. No specific funding amount is allocated beyond the excise tax revenues collected.

The Border Patrol Supervisors Retention Act expands eligibility for special overtime pay to U.S. Border Patrol agents who hold supervisory positions classified at grades GS-13 through GS-15. Currently, only Border Patrol agents at grade GS-12 qualify for this overtime compensation. The bill modifies federal law to allow higher-ranking supervisors to also receive these special overtime rates, which is intended to improve retention of experienced personnel in senior positions. The legislation does not specify new funding or an implementation timeline beyond the statutory changes required. This change affects Border Patrol supervisory staff at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security who manage frontline operations.

H.R. 8075 authorizes the Treasury Secretary to direct the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the National Credit Union Administration to create emergency guarantee programs that would fully protect non-interest-bearing checking and transaction accounts at banks and credit unions during severe banking crises. The programs would be triggered only when the Treasury Secretary, consulting with the President, determines that a banking stress event exists and that the guarantee program would prevent serious economic damage. Each program would run for up to six months, with a possible three-month extension if justified by the Treasury Secretary in a report to Congress, and any costs would be recovered through special assessments on participating financial institutions rather than taxpayer funding. Within 30 days of establishing a program, the Treasury Secretary must testify before Congress, and the Government Accountability Office must review the program within 90 days of its termination and report findings to Congress.

The No Tax on Drill Pay Act would allow members of the military reserve and National Guard to exclude compensation they receive for inactive-duty training from their taxable income. Currently, this drill pay is treated as regular income and subject to federal taxes; the bill would change that by amending the tax code to classify such payments as a qualified military benefit. The measure affects reserve and National Guard members who participate in periodic training exercises throughout the year. The bill contains no specific funding provisions or timelines beyond taking effect after it becomes law. The legislation was introduced in March 2026 and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to conduct thorough background checks on all non-citizen individuals evacuated from Afghanistan to the United States between January 2021 and January 2022, including those who came through Operation Allies Welcome. The vetting process must include verification of personal information, biometric data collection, and in-person interviews, with all findings maintained in a centralized database that tracks criminal records and use of federal benefits. Afghan evacuees who refuse to provide their information or submit to in-person interviews will be barred from receiving unemployment benefits and federal assistance programs. The Secretary of Homeland Security must submit quarterly progress reports to Congress until vetting is complete, and the Government Accountability Office will audit compliance within two years and again one year after the vetting concludes. The bill effectively uses federal benefits eligibility as a mechanism to compel participation in the vetting program.

The Dalilah Law prohibits states from issuing commercial driver's licenses to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or holder of specific work visas (certain nonimmigrant visa categories). The bill requires states to recertify all existing commercial driver's license holders within 180 days of enactment to verify their citizenship or visa status, and to revoke licenses from those who fail recertification or don't meet the new requirements. Additionally, the bill mandates that all new commercial driver's license applicants and examinations be conducted in English, and anyone operating a commercial vehicle without proper citizenship or visa status faces a lifetime ban from driving commercial vehicles. To enforce compliance, the federal government will withhold all federal transportation funding from any state that fails to complete these recertifications, revocations, or status verifications by the required deadlines.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation Strategic Modernization Act updates the foreign aid agency's mission to prioritize competition with strategic rivals like China, Russia, and Iran, while addressing critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities that could affect U.S. national security and manufacturing. The bill creates a new Critical Minerals Task Force within the agency to identify and support countries working to develop more transparent and diversified mineral supplies, and establishes a "Great Power Competition Factsheet" to assess how vulnerable potential partner countries are to influence from U.S. strategic competitors. The legislation also encourages earlier private sector involvement in aid projects to boost private investment and effectiveness, requires faster project implementation timelines with better congressional updates, and expands reporting to show how aid benefits American companies and reduces recipients' dependence on rival powers. These changes are framed as modernizing the agency's tools to serve U.S. strategic interests while maintaining its core development mission and high governance standards.

This bill requires consumers submitting complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to attest under penalty of perjury that their complaint information is accurate, that they submitted it themselves or authorized a representative to do so, and that they notified the company about the issue at least 60 days before filing. The CFPB Director must verify this attestation using appropriate verification mechanisms and must notify consumers if someone files a complaint in their name without authorization. The bill also allows financial institutions to close complaints they determine are duplicative, frivolous, unauthorized, or fraudulent, and requires them to report these closures to the CFPB. Additionally, the legislation protects consumer privacy by keeping complaint narratives confidential while allowing the CFPB to publish aggregated, anonymized complaint data and trend analyses. The bill has no specified funding or implementation timeline beyond these requirements.

The Community Bank Relief Act adjusts payment card transaction fee thresholds for inflation to provide relief to community banks. Specifically, the bill amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to automatically increase certain fee caps based on the Consumer Price Index, starting with a one-time adjustment by July 1, 2026, that accounts for inflation between October 2009 and October 2025, then requiring annual adjustments each January 15th thereafter based on the previous October's inflation data. This legislation primarily affects community banks and financial institutions that are subject to federal limits on debit card interchange fees, allowing them to adjust fees as the cost of doing business rises. The bill has no specified direct federal funding or appropriations since it creates an automatic adjustment mechanism tied to existing economic data rather than new spending programs.

The Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act of 2026 requires the State Department and Department of Defense to allow Taiwanese military members and government officials visiting the United States to display the flag of the Republic of China and their military insignia. The bill permits this display during official activities, including when wearing military uniforms, at government-hosted ceremonies and functions, and in State and Defense Department social media posts promoting U.S.-Taiwan engagement. The legislation essentially removes restrictions that currently prevent Taiwanese visitors from displaying their national symbols in official U.S. settings. The bill has no specified funding requirements or implementation timeline beyond directing the two departments to comply with the new permissions. This change would allow greater visible recognition of Taiwan's status in official U.S. government contexts.

Community Bank Regulatory Tailoring ActThis bill increases various statutory dollar amount thresholds applicable to financial regulations and requires periodic adjustments to such amounts in the future. By raising these thresholds, the bill expands the access of financial institutions to less stringent requirements.The adjustments apply to several asset thresholds used to regulate insured depository institutions, bank holding companies, credit unions, and other financial entities.Thresholds that are increased under this bill include those applicable tothe Volcker Rule, which prohibits certain larger banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading or from having an interest in hedge funds or a private equity fund;limited routine examinations of smaller insured depository institutions to assess an institution’s record of meeting the credit needs of its community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods;risk assessments charged to larger bank holding companies by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in accordance with the orderly liquidation authority under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; andhome mortgage disclosures required by certain larger financial institutions.Every five years, the Federal Reserve Board must establish the ratio by which these amounts must be raised. This ratio shall reflect increases in the U.S. gross domestic product.

Fiscal State of the Nation ActThis bill requires the congressional budget committees to conduct an annual joint hearing to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General regarding (1) the Government Accountability Office's audit of the financial statement of the executive branch, and (2) the financial position and condition of the federal government.

H.R. 6920, the SUCCESS for BEAD Act, expands how states and territories can use leftover funding from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program by allowing them to award competitive grants for broadband projects beyond traditional deployment, including workforce training, 911 emergency systems upgrades, and artificial intelligence-ready telecommunications infrastructure. The bill prioritizes funding for unserved and underserved areas while adding requirements such as a 25% cost match from recipients (though waivers are possible) and a challenge process for fiber projects to avoid duplicate infrastructure. The legislation frames these investments as critical for U.S. competitiveness against China and national security, and requires federal coordination on 911 system implementation with cybersecurity and interoperability standards. States, territories, and local broadband providers are the primary beneficiaries of this expanded funding flexibility, which aims to modernize rural and disadvantaged communities' internet infrastructure and emergency services.

H.R. 6838 would require federal banking regulators—including the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and credit union oversight boards—to consider economic growth as a factor when supervising banks and financial institutions. Currently, these agencies focus primarily on ensuring the safety and soundness of the financial system; this bill adds economic growth as an explicit consideration in their supervisory work. The legislation affects all banks and credit unions subject to federal oversight, as well as the banking agencies themselves that conduct examinations and set regulations. There is no specific funding or implementation timeline mentioned in the bill text. The measure represents a shift in regulatory philosophy toward balancing financial stability concerns with broader economic development goals.

This bill requires major federal banking regulators to study partnerships between traditional banks and financial technology companies (fintechs) to understand how these collaborations affect the banking industry. The Federal Reserve, Comptroller of the Currency, and FDIC must examine how bank-fintech partnerships impact competition, innovation, consumer protection, and the formation of new banks, while also identifying potential regulatory changes that could promote more effective partnerships. Additionally, the National Credit Union Administration must conduct a similar study focused on credit union-fintech partnerships and their effects on the credit union sector. Both studies must be completed and reported to Congress within one year of the bill's enactment. The legislation does not authorize any new funding, as it directs existing regulatory agencies to use their current resources to conduct these assessments.

Tailoring and Indexing Enhanced Regulations Act of 2025 or the TIER Act of 2025This bill increases the dollar asset thresholds for various fees, reporting requirements, and regulatory supervision applicable to certain financial companies and banks.For example, the bill increases the asset threshold above whichbank holding companies and savings and loan companies must pay certain Federal Reserve Board assessments;financial holding companies need board approval to acquire a company;bank holding companies must report on the company’s financial condition to the Financial Stability Oversight Council; andbank holding companies may be subject to increased supervision if, among other things, they are found to pose a grave threat to U.S. financial stability.Periodically, the Federal Reserve Board must increase statutory thresholds and thresholds established by rule to reflect increases in the gross domestic product.

The Affordable Homeownership Access Act exempts small property owners who finance home sales directly from federal mortgage licensing and originator requirements. Under the bill, property owners can provide owner financing for up to 24 residential properties per year without obtaining a mortgage broker license, as long as they own the properties being financed and meet basic consumer protections like documenting the buyer's ability to repay and limiting interest rate adjustments. The exemption applies to both traditional homes and manufactured homes, though it excludes builders and contractors who finance homes they constructed. The bill also requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Treasury Department to conduct a one-year study on owner financing trends, including how many affordable homes are currently sold this way and how many more could be sold if licensing barriers were removed. The legislation targets lower-cost properties—those under $150,000 or 60 percent of median community home value—to help underserved buyers who cannot qualify for traditional bank loans access homeownership.

The Securing Reliable Power for Advanced Technologies Act amends the Defense Production Act to expedite construction and operation of power infrastructure serving artificial intelligence facilities. The bill allows the President to designate AI data centers (using at least 50 megawatts of power) and their supporting power plants, transmission lines, and fuel supply infrastructure as national defense projects, enabling faster federal permitting with a standard two-year timeline for all approvals. The legislation streamlines environmental reviews under a single lead agency, limits lawsuits challenging projects to 60 days with expedited court consideration, and provides an exemption from new emissions rules if the President determines the facility is necessary for national defense. Additionally, the bill authorizes up to 90 percent federal financing for power plants serving these AI facilities through loans, loan guarantees, and other financial instruments, with priority given to coal and gas plants that can operate within 36 months. If new federal regulations impair a facility's operation for more than six months, the government must compensate the owner for lost revenue and diminished property value.

H.R. 5928, introduced in November 2025, is a straightforward bill that redesignates "Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument" as simply "Camp Nelson National Monument" by removing the word "Heritage" from its official name. The bill amends the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2020, which originally established the monument in Kentucky as a Civil War historic site. This redesignation affects the monument's official designation across all federal laws, maps, regulations, and documents. The bill does not include new funding requirements or timelines, as it is purely a naming change with no substantive alterations to the monument's management, size, or purpose. The legislation was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources for consideration.

This bill changes how certain defense-related mineral projects are handled in the federal permitting process. Specifically, it directs that actions taken by the Secretary of Defense under a 2022 presidential directive to boost domestic production of strategic and critical materials be automatically classified as "covered projects" under federal permitting improvement law, unless the project sponsor opts out. These covered actions include feasibility studies for mining and processing projects, efforts to produce useful by-products at existing mining and industrial facilities, and modernization projects aimed at improving productivity, environmental sustainability, and worker safety in mining and materials processing. Being designated a covered project means these efforts would be tracked on the federal Permitting Dashboard, a tool used to increase transparency and potentially speed up approval timelines for infrastructure and resource projects. The bill primarily affects mining companies, mineral processors, and Defense Department programs involved in securing domestic supplies of critical minerals, which are essential for defense, technology, and manufacturing industries. No new funding is authorized; the bill instead focuses on streamlining oversight and coordination of existing Defense Production Act activities related to critical minerals.

This House resolution condemns the Chinese government's persecution of religious minorities, particularly the October 2025 detention of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri and over 20 members of Beijing's Zion Church, which represents the largest coordinated crackdown against a Christian house church in over 40 years. The resolution documents broader patterns of CCP persecution affecting Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Hui Muslims, and Tibetan Buddhists, citing past abuses including Bible burnings, forced sterilizations, and monastery closures. The resolution reaffirms U.S. commitment to global religious freedom under existing laws like the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, and calls on China's government to release detained religious leaders and end discrimination against religious minorities. This is a non-binding expression of congressional sentiment with no funding or specific enforcement mechanisms, intended to pressure China through diplomatic messaging and invoke existing human rights authorities available to the administration.

H.R. 5766 would require the U.S. Secretary of State to establish and award an annual honorary prize called the Trump Peace Prize to individuals recognized as peacemakers. The first recipient of this award would be President Donald Trump himself. The bill does not specify funding amounts, eligibility criteria beyond being a "peacemaker," selection procedures, or other administrative details for how the prize would operate in subsequent years. The legislation would affect the State Department's operations and responsibilities, though the practical impact would be limited to establishing a new annual honor. No timeline or budget allocation is detailed in the bill text.

The Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act would require all commercial driver's license (CDL) testing to be conducted exclusively in English, eliminating multilingual testing options currently available in some states. The bill also imposes a new requirement that applicants must hold a regular driver's license for at least one year before obtaining a CDL, though this requirement does not apply to those who already hold a CDL at the time the law takes effect. The Secretary of Transportation has 180 days from enactment to update federal regulations to enforce English-only testing across all knowledge tests, entry-level driver training programs, and third-party training providers. The bill gives the federal government authority to revoke any state's ability to issue non-domiciled commercial licenses if it fails to comply with these new standards. This legislation would primarily affect non-English speaking truck drivers and commercial vehicle operators seeking new licenses or renewals.