August Pfluger

The United States Submarine Cable Security Policy Act of 2026 establishes a comprehensive framework for regulating underwater fiber-optic cables that carry international communications and data to and from the United States. Within 180 days of enactment, the Federal Communications Commission must develop and adopt a national submarine cable security policy with two tiers of requirements: standard security measures for most cables and enhanced measures for cables posing heightened national security risks. The bill streamlines the licensing process by allowing applicants to self-certify ownership structures and security compliance, with FCC decisions required within 45 days (or one year if undergoing security review), and automatic approval if the FCC misses these deadlines. Existing cable operators can opt into the new security framework, and qualified applicants may begin landing cables before final license approval unless a security review committee objects within 20 days. The legislation affects submarine cable operators and providers seeking to connect U.S. infrastructure to foreign nations, particularly those involving equipment from untrusted vendors or cables to countries identified as posing security concerns.

This bill requires each state to designate a single individual responsible for overseeing key fiscal and integrity functions in their Medicaid programs, effective January 1, 2028. That designated agent would be accountable for ensuring claims are processed accurately and timely, preventing fraud and waste, maintaining proper financial controls, and providing accurate financial reports to the federal government. The requirement applies to all state Medicaid plans and waivers, affecting state health officials and the administration of the Medicaid program in all states. The bill does not include any new federal funding or appropriations; it simply establishes an organizational and accountability requirement for states. By consolidating responsibility in a single fiscal agent, the legislation aims to improve oversight and reduce improper payments in the Medicaid program.

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to run prize competitions aimed at improving artificial intelligence safety and reliability. Specifically, the DHS Secretary must launch at least one competition focused on AI interpretability—making AI decision-making processes understandable to humans—and at least one competition focused on adversarial robustness, which means developing AI systems that can withstand attacks or manipulation attempts. Both competitions must begin within 270 days of the bill's enactment and will involve consultation with other federal agencies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and industry experts. The DHS Secretary has flexibility in structuring the competitions, which may include multiple phases and different types of submissions such as frameworks, AI models, and red-team testing. The bill authorizes $10 million in funding for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, and requires the DHS Secretary to report to Congress within 180 days after the first competition concludes, evaluating the results and recommending any further action needed to advance these research fields.

The Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act improves security measures for nucleic acid synthesis (DNA and RNA production) in commerce by establishing requirements for companies that sell these materials domestically or internationally. Covered entities must verify buyer identity and intended use, screen orders against a government-maintained list of dangerous biological sequences, refuse sales that pose national security risks, report suspicious transactions, undergo regular compliance audits, and keep records for five years. The Secretary of Commerce must issue compliance guidance within 180 days, establish systems to detect order-splitting schemes, create and maintain a list of restricted sequences, and publish biennial reports on biosecurity effectiveness. Violations can result in civil penalties up to $750,000 per violation, though companies receive 30 days written notice to correct problems before enforcement action begins. These federal requirements take effect one year after enactment and preempt existing voluntary guidelines and state laws on nucleic acid screening, though states retain authority over consumer protection, data privacy, and public health matters.

This joint resolution would reject an Environmental Protection Agency rule that allows California to set its own vehicle pollution standards under its Advanced Clean Car Program. The rule, originally published in March 2022, grants California a waiver from federal preemption, enabling the state to enforce stricter emissions standards than federal requirements. If passed, this resolution would nullify the EPA rule, preventing California from implementing its own vehicle pollution control standards. The measure uses the Congressional Review Act, a fast-track process that allows Congress to disapprove federal regulations. This resolution would primarily affect California's ability to regulate vehicle emissions and could impact automakers operating in the state, as well as consumers purchasing vehicles there.

The RESCUE Act of 2026 amends Medicare's payment system for ambulance services to ensure providers receive appropriate reimbursement. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive review of payment rates for both ground and air ambulance services and update them based on current cost data by 2028. Starting in 2028, Medicare will implement these updated payment amounts, and then adjust them every three years based on the latest cost information, with adjustments in non-review years tied to consumer price inflation. The legislation also requires air ambulance providers to submit cost and pricing information to Medicare at least once every three years, similar to existing requirements for ground ambulance services. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary to consult with ambulance service stakeholders by the end of 2028 and provide Congress with recommendations for further improvements to the fee schedule by mid-2029.

Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative Authorization Act of 2026 or the EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026This provides statutory authority for an initiative within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that recovers critical materials from contaminated sites.A critical material means (1) any non-fuel mineral, element, substance, or material that the Department of Energy determines has a high risk of a supply chain disruption and serves an essential function in energy technologies; and (2) any critical mineral. A critical mineral means any mineral, element, substance, or material designated as critical by the U.S. Geological Survey.Under the program, the EPA must investigate, evaluate, and support processes, methods, and systems which may be used to identify sources of critical materials at contaminated sites and recover such critical materials from those sites. In carrying out the program, the EPA may provide assistance (e.g., awards) to persons, nonprofit organizations, and state, local, and tribal government entities.The bill prohibits the EPA from providing assistance (1) in an amount that exceeds $10 million in any fiscal year in the aggregate; or (2) to any person, nonprofit organization, or government entity, in an amount that exceeds $3 million.The bill terminates the program after 10 years.

The Premium Transparency Act requires health insurance companies to publicly disclose detailed information about how they spend premiums and handle claims. Starting in 2027, insurers offering individual or group health plans must publish data showing what percentage of premiums goes toward medical claims, administrative overhead, and other costs, with this information presented in a consumer-friendly format on their websites and submitted to the federal government. The bill applies similar requirements to Medicare Advantage plans, requiring them to disclose revenue, claims spending, administrative costs, and profit margins. Additionally, the legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance by January 1, 2028, that establishes standards for presenting insurance information in plain English, covering details like premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket limits, and cost-sharing amounts for various types of care. The bill also requires health insurance exchanges to include this overhead cost information when comparing qualified health plans starting in 2029, helping consumers make more informed choices about their coverage options.

This bill authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to Robert Lodge, a former Air Force member, for acts of valor he performed on May 10, 1972, during the Vietnam War. The legislation waives the standard time limitations that normally restrict when such medals can be awarded, allowing the honor to be presented decades after the events occurred. Robert Lodge is the only person directly affected by this bill. The bill contains no funding requirements or specific timelines for the award to be presented, leaving those decisions to the President's discretion.

This bill would amend the Clean Air Act to exempt small oil and natural gas operations, known as "marginal wells," from federal air quality standards and related requirements. Specifically, the legislation defines marginal wells as oil wells producing 15 barrels or less per day and natural gas wells producing 90,000 cubic feet or less per day, and would exclude these operations from EPA regulations regarding emissions monitoring, reporting, leak detection, and repair requirements. The bill would also prevent states from imposing their own air quality standards on these marginal wells, and it would require the EPA to approve or deny state plan revisions within 180 days or automatically deem them approved. Any existing EPA enforcement actions against marginal wells for violating air quality standards would be immediately terminated, and the EPA would have 180 days to update its regulations to implement these exemptions.

The DETECT Nitazenes Act directs the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate to work with the Drug Enforcement Agency to develop better detection and identification technology for illicit drugs, specifically nitazenes, which can be present in extremely small concentrations. Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that have emerged as a growing drug threat in the United States, similar to fentanyl and xylazine. The bill essentially expands existing DHS authority to detect dangerous drugs by adding nitazenes to the list of substances the department should prioritize researching detection methods for. The legislation was introduced in March 2026 but does not specify funding amounts or implementation deadlines in the provided text. This bill primarily affects federal law enforcement and homeland security agencies tasked with drug interdiction and detection capabilities.

The Field Integration of Homeland Intelligence Act of 2026 requires the Department of Homeland Security to decentralize its Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) by moving intelligence analysts and officers from Washington, DC headquarters out into ten regional field offices across the country within two years of enactment. Under this bill, DHS must assign at least one Intelligence Officer and one Intelligence Analyst to every fusion center (local intelligence sharing organizations) and other strategic locations, plus assign officers to joint task forces to provide real-time support. All assigned personnel must receive training on civil rights, privacy laws, and related regulations before deployment, with three-year assignments that can be extended up to two additional years, and the law requires staggered rotations to ensure continuity at each location. Within 180 days, DHS must submit a staffing plan detailing how many personnel will move to the field, which headquarters positions can be reassigned, and how it will manage rotating field staff back to headquarters after five years. The Secretary must report to Congress one year after enactment on progress and challenges, then submit annual assessments for five years measuring whether the decentralization improves intelligence operations, interagency coordination, and information sharing with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.

The Keep It Moving Act establishes strict deadlines for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review and decide on applications for transferring ownership or control of broadcast licenses and spectrum leases. Under the bill, the FCC must determine whether an application is complete within 15 days of filing (or 5 days for amended applications), and must issue a final approval decision within 180 days of public notice, or within one year if the application involves foreign participation review. If the FCC misses these deadlines, applicants can request a court order compelling the FCC to approve their application, though the FCC can attempt to block approval through federal court proceedings if it can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the deal is not in the public interest. The law applies to all pending and future applications filed on or after enactment and includes an exception for routine "pro forma" transactions, which no longer require advance FCC approval but must be reported to the agency within 30 days of completion.

I&A Mission Reorientation Act of 2026This bill requires the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize providing intelligence support to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and private sector entities equally with providing support to other elements of the intelligence community.To carry out this requirement, the bill directs I&A to facilitate two-way information sharing between I&A and its government and private sector partners and to identify and address threats using forward-deployed intelligence capabilities. I&A must also ensure that its provision of intelligence support to DHS leadership does not interfere with I&A’s responsibilities to government and private sector partners.Further, the bill directs I&A to maintain robust and sustained engagement with fusion centers. (Fusion centers are collaborative efforts between federal, state, local, or tribal governments that combine resources, expertise, or information to detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to criminal or terrorist activity.)After the bill’s enactment, I&A must report to Congress on its efforts to implement these provisions.

Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026This bill authorizes the President to prohibit the entry of a vessel into the United States if the vessel has transited any U.S. port, harbor, or marine terminal that has been nationalized or expropriated (e.g., seized) by a Western Hemisphere country that has a free trade agreement with the United States. Under the bill, the President may prohibit the entry and operation of a vessel if it has called at any port, harbor, or marine terminal that was owned, held, or controlled by a U.S. entity or individual, but has been nationalized or expropriated by the government of a country that is located in the Western Hemisphere and has a free trade agreement in effect with the United States.The prohibition ends when the President determines that (1) the applicable country has restored ownership of the property that had been nationalized or expropriated, (2) the applicable country has provided mutually acceptable compensation for the nationalized or expropriated property, (3) the conditions for the prohibition are no longer satisfied, or (4) the dispute has been otherwise resolved to the satisfaction of the President. The bill permits certain foreign vessels that are otherwise prohibited from entering the United States under this bill or current law to enter if the vessel is experiencing an emergency (involving the vessel or an individual on the vessel) and in certain instances where access to a covered facility was granted by a U.S. property owner.

Mystic Alerts ActThis bill provides for wireless emergency alerts to be transmitted to mobile devices via satellite. (Currently, wireless emergency alerts are sent via terrestrial mobile networks to individual devices in geographically targeted areas. Commercial mobile service providers are not required to participate; only devices connected to a participating service provider’s network receive alerts.)Under the bill, commercial mobile service providers that participate in the wireless emergency alerts system must give notice to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) indicating whether they will transmit such alerts via satellite (in addition to sending alerts via terrestrial networks).The FCC must establish technical standards and other regulations to enable satellite emergency alerts. Providers that opt to transmit emergency alerts via satellite must comply with such regulations.If a provider elects not to transmit satellite alerts, the provider must give notice of that election to new and existing subscribers. Separately, mobile service subscribers may opt out of receiving satellite alerts.

Trade Transparency Unit Strategy ActThis bill requires a strategy and report related to the expansion of trade transparency units. Trade transparency units examine trade anomalies and financial irregularities associated with trade-based money laundering, customs fraud, contraband smuggling, and tax evasion.Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security must coordinate with the Departments of State, Commerce, and the Treasury to submit a strategy to Congress. This strategy must (1) expand information sharing between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, appropriate elements of the Department of Commerce, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the Department of the Treasury, and appropriate counterparts of foreign customs agencies through trade transparency units; and (2) improve intra-agency, interagency, and other multilateral information sharing with respect to these units.The Government Accountability Office must submit a report to Congress that includes an assessment of the strategy.

H.R. 6538, the "More Affordable Care Act" introduced in December 2025, would allow states to opt out of core Affordable Care Act requirements starting January 1, 2026, provided they maintain a high-risk insurance pool for uninsured residents. Under the bill, participating states would redirect federal premium tax credits and cost-sharing reduction funds into new "Trump Health Freedom Accounts" for eligible residents instead of traditional ACA insurance subsidies, while imposing restrictions on coverage for gender transition procedures and abortion services. The legislation also expands the small employer health insurance tax credit in participating states from 35-50% to 50% with extended eligibility, and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to issue new regulations within 90 days mandating transparent disclosure of healthcare prices and standardized outcomes data reporting by providers. This bill would fundamentally reshape health insurance options for millions of Americans in states that choose to participate, potentially affecting how federal healthcare subsidies are distributed and what services are covered.

The ANCHOR Act allows states to voluntarily expand Medicaid coverage to uninsured individuals earning up to the federal poverty line who have been diagnosed with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, opioid use disorder, or stimulant use disorders like methamphetamine or cocaine addiction. Individuals can be identified for this coverage through health care providers, emergency departments, behavioral health clinics, or even law enforcement and child welfare agencies. Once enrolled, eligible individuals receive the same medical benefits as other Medicaid recipients for an initial one-year period, with the option for states to renew coverage annually if the individual still qualifies. States participating in this program must ensure each enrollee has a personalized care plan developed within 60 days and must track and report on mental health care quality measures. This legislation gives states flexibility to address gaps in health coverage for some of the most vulnerable populations struggling with serious mental health and substance use conditions.

Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability Act or the FENCES ActThis bill modifies standards under the Clean Air Act to exempt states from penalties for emissions outside of the state’s control.The bill provides that certain nonattainment areas (i.e., those classified as severe or extreme for ozone or as serious for particulate matter) are not subject to sanctions for implementation plan deficiencies or for fees for failing to attain national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) if the state demonstrates it would have avoided deficiencies or attained its standards but for emissions outside of its control (e.g., emissions from an exceptional event like a wildfire). A state must renew its demonstration at least once every five years for exemption from the sanctions or fees to continue to apply.The bill specifies that an area within a state may not be designated as a nonattainment area regarding any new or revised NAAQS for a pollutant if the state demonstrates it would be in attainment but for emissions emanating from outside of the country, regardless of whether the emissions resulted from human activity.For purposes of approving a state implementation plan or meeting certain NAAQS, current law provides that a state may demonstrate to the Environmental Protection Agency that but for emissions emanating from outside of the country, it would have attained applicable NAAQS by the attainment date for certain pollutants. The bill specifies that such emissions emanating from outside the country may include emissions that result from human activity.

The Cyber Deterrence and Response Act of 2025 authorizes the President to identify foreign individuals and organizations that conduct or support state-sponsored cyber attacks against the United States and impose tough sanctions against them. These designations would apply to actors behind attacks that damage critical infrastructure, steal business secrets, destabilize financial systems, interfere with elections, or assist in such activities. The bill requires the National Cyber Director to establish uniform standards within 180 days for determining who is responsible for cyber attacks, working with international allies to confirm attribution. Once someone or an entity is designated as a "critical cyber threat actor," the President can freeze their assets, ban exports to them, revoke visas, restrict financial transactions, and prevent arms sales. The bill also allows the President to sanction foreign governments that support these cyber threat actors through tools like cutting aid, blocking military exports, and restricting surveillance technology sales, though the President can waive these sanctions temporarily for national security, law enforcement, or humanitarian reasons with notification to Congress.

The CLEAR Path Act strengthens post-employment restrictions for high-level federal officials by prohibiting them from representing or advising foreign governments of designated "countries of concern" after they leave office. The restrictions apply to all officials appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, including cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries, and other Senate-confirmed positions. The bill defines "countries of concern" based on existing State Department designations and requires agencies to notify affected officials of these restrictions upon their appointment and departure. The restrictions sunset after five years unless Congress renews them, and Congress can modify the list of countries of concern through a joint resolution process that requires approval by both chambers. The legislation is designed to prevent former senior U.S. officials from becoming advocates for foreign adversaries while still possessing insider knowledge of American government and policy.

This bill strengthens oversight of foreign agents working in the United States by limiting exemptions under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, particularly for agents representing certain foreign governments and corporations tied to countries of concern. Specifically, it removes exemptions that previously allowed some foreign agents to avoid registering with the federal government, with particular restrictions on agents representing entities owned or controlled by adversarial nations. The bill also creates a new process allowing the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, to propose adding or removing countries from the official "countries of concern" list, though any such changes require approval through a joint resolution of Congress. These changes apply for five years from the bill's enactment, after which the new provisions automatically expire unless renewed by Congress. The legislation affects foreign agents, U.S. companies working with foreign entities, and government agencies responsible for monitoring foreign influence and disinformation efforts.

The REVOKE Act would require the Secretary of Defense to suspend or revoke security clearances held by former military members and Defense Department civilian employees who engage in lobbying activities on behalf of Chinese military companies. The bill specifically targets individuals who lobby for entities listed as Chinese military companies by the Department of Defense and included on the Treasury Department's Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List. The legislation includes a narrow exception allowing the Secretary of Defense to waive the clearance revocation for up to 180 days at a time if certified as being in the national security interest, with notification to Congress required. No specific funding is required to implement the clearance revocation process, and the law would take effect upon passage with no specified timeline for enforcement actions.

The UNtaxed Act restricts the ability of the United Nations to impose taxes, tariffs, fees, or penalties on U.S. citizens and companies without a formal agreement approved by the Senate. The bill specifically targets "global carbon taxes"—taxes on vessel operators that require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions—and prohibits any such UN-imposed tax from being collected unless the Senate has ratified an underlying agreement authorizing it. The legislation also blocks federal funding for U.S. contributions to the UN or affiliated organizations if those funds would support the implementation or enforcement of a global carbon tax. No specific funding amount or implementation timeline is included in the bill. This measure essentially prevents the U.S. from participating in international carbon tax schemes without explicit congressional approval through the Senate ratification process.