The Addictive Design Act of 2026 prohibits companies from offering AI chatbots with addictive design features to anyone under age 18, citing concerns about mental health risks and potential links to youth suicide. The bill defines addictive design features as elements designed to mimic human behavior, build emotional relationships, or encourage continued use, including typing bubbles, avatars, personal information storage, and conversations lasting over two hours. To support this goal, the legislation establishes a federal task force of government officials, academics, and mental health professionals to review research on AI chatbots' impact on youth mental health and recommend best practices for companies. The bill also creates two grant programs funded at $3 million for university research and $5 million for public outreach to parents and teachers about warning signs of unhealthy chatbot use. Companies that violate the ban face civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation, while those that fail to provide requested research data face penalties up to $10 million.

This joint resolution directs the Federal Trade Commission to investigate potential anticompetitive practices and antitrust violations in the fire truck manufacturing industry and submit a report within one year. The investigation should examine price fixing, price gouging, serial acquisitions, and monopolization practices, as well as their effects on fire departments, firefighters, municipalities, and small businesses. The resolution is prompted by significant industry consolidation where three companies now control 70 to 80 percent of the market, fire truck prices that have roughly doubled over the past decade while delivery times have extended to 4.5 years, and a class action lawsuit filed by La Crosse, Wisconsin alleging price-fixing conspiracy. The FTC must also report to Congress if any companies fail to provide timely responses to investigative requests and should recommend potential legislative or other remedial actions based on its findings.

The Online Sellers' Bill of Rights Act of 2026 would establish protections for small and independent businesses that sell products through major online marketplaces. The bill requires the Federal Trade Commission to create rules within 180 days that limit how long platforms can hold seller inventory or freeze seller funds to 30 days, require platforms to provide advance notice before making major policy changes, and ensure sellers receive detailed explanations and appeal opportunities when facing account suspensions or investigations. The legislation applies to dominant online platforms that control access to customers and would allow sellers, state attorneys general, and customers to sue for violations, with successful plaintiffs recovering triple damages plus legal fees. The bill aims to address concerns that large platforms exercise too much power over small sellers without sufficient transparency or due process protections, while maintaining the competitive marketplace.

The BUFFER Act (Building Up Farmland Frontiers for Ecological Resilience Act) modifies the Conservation Reserve Program, a Department of Agriculture initiative that pays farmers to remove environmentally sensitive land from production and maintain it for conservation purposes. The bill clarifies which land can participate in this program by specifying that land subject to state, tribal, or local environmental or conservation requirements can be enrolled, unless those requirements were imposed through an administrative or court order. This change affects farmers and landowners who want to participate in the conservation program and face environmental regulations from their local jurisdictions. The bill does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines, instead amending existing language in the 1985 Food Security Act to remove barriers to enrollment eligibility.

The Community Housing Act of 2026 commits approximately $86.5 billion over ten years to expand affordable housing production and prevent evictions across the country. The bill provides $1.5 billion annually to the Capital Magnet Fund for nonprofits and community development organizations, nearly $25 billion to HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program through 2030, $100 million annually for an new eviction prevention grant program, and $200 million annually to the Department of Agriculture for rural rental housing loans. To accelerate housing development, the bill streamlines federal requirements by waiving certain matching funds and set-asides while maintaining protections for tenants, fair housing, and labor standards. The bill also directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency to expand Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's ability to finance residential construction loans, providing additional sources of affordable financing for home builders. These investments affect nonprofits, community development organizations, rural communities, and low-income households seeking stable housing through 2037.

This concurrent resolution directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran or any part of its government or military unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted.The resolution specifies that it shall not be construed to prevent the United States from defending itself, its Armed Forces, its diplomatic facilities, or allied states from imminent attack.

The Privacy Protection Updates Act strengthens protections for journalists' records and newsgathering materials under the existing 1980 Privacy Protection Act. The bill makes it harder for law enforcement to search or seize reporters' notes, sources, and other work product by requiring stricter warrant procedures—including full disclosure of information that might question whether an exception applies and confirmation that any prosecution wouldn't violate First Amendment protections. The legislation also creates an exclusionary rule that prevents improperly obtained materials from being used as evidence in any proceeding, and allows people whose materials were illegally seized to suppress that evidence in court. For emergency situations, the bill allows limited seizures without advance warrants but requires law enforcement to justify the action to a court within 48 hours, with courts empowered to order immediate return or destruction of illegally seized materials. Additionally, the act clarifies that when journalists' materials are stored on cloud services or electronic platforms, the journalist—not the service provider—is considered the legal possessor, extending privacy protections to digital records. The bill carries no specific funding or implementation timeline.

The Mental Health Career Promotion Act establishes a federally funded grant program to help schools and community colleges promote careers in mental and behavioral health to high school and junior college students. The program will award five-year grants (renewable) to partnerships that include schools or colleges working together with mental health providers and community organizations to offer students career exposure through presentations, internships, job shadowing, mentorships, and experiential learning opportunities. Eligible careers covered by the program include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, peer support specialists, and many other mental and behavioral health occupations. The bill authorizes $50 million per year from 2027 through 2031 to fund these grants, with the Secretary of Health and Human Services responsible for distributing funds across geographically diverse areas and ensuring programs are culturally appropriate. Recipients must submit annual reports tracking student outcomes and program effectiveness.

The Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene and Support Act would expand Medicare coverage to include ambulance services that don't involve transporting patients. Currently, Medicare only pays for ambulance services when they include actual transportation, but this bill would allow payment for on-scene emergency medical services and support activities provided by ambulance crews even when no transport occurs. The legislation would affect Medicare beneficiaries who receive these services and ambulance service providers across the country. The bill would take effect on January 1, 2026, and would reimburse providers at rates comparable to what they receive for transport services. This change aims to ensure that emergency medical responders are compensated for time spent treating patients at the scene, even when hospital transport isn't necessary.

This resolution congratulates the Vermont Green Football Club on winning the United Soccer League Two National Championship on August 2, 2025, after securing an undefeated season with a 2-1 victory against Seattle's Ballard Football Club. The team, which joined the league in 2022, went undefeated through 24 matches in their 2025 season and became known as "The Invincibles," marking Vermont's second consecutive year with a state-based national soccer championship. The resolution recognizes the players, coaches, and staff who contributed to the team's success, including player Maximilian Kissel who scored the winning goal just eight months after doing the same for the University of Vermont's NCAA Division I championship team. This is a ceremonial resolution with no funding or policy changes; it simply expresses the House's recognition of the team's achievement and directs the House Clerk to send a copy of the resolution to the team's head coach and founders.

The Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2025 strengthens the role of state, tribal, and local governments in overseeing the shutdown and cleanup of nuclear power plants by requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to consult with and seriously consider the concerns of affected communities before approving decommissioning plans. The bill requires nuclear plant operators to engage with nearby governments and the public before submitting decommissioning reports, provide 90 days of public comment, and fund dedicated economic development accounts for host communities. The legislation establishes three major financial assistance programs: $12.5 million in grants through 2028 to support community advisory boards near decommissioning plants, a permanent Community Advisory Board Fund financed by nuclear industry fees, and $2.3 billion in grants from the Department of Energy to local governments storing spent nuclear fuel, plus dedicated operator-funded economic recovery accounts. Small, rural, and disadvantaged communities hosting nuclear plants receive enhanced support with no cost-sharing requirements, ensuring that communities that have hosted these facilities receive meaningful voice in decommissioning decisions and substantial financial assistance to manage the economic and environmental impacts of plant closure.

The Addressing Addiction After Disasters Act expands federal disaster relief programs to include treatment and counseling for substance use and alcohol use disorders alongside existing mental health services. Currently, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act only covers mental health crisis counseling after major disasters, but this bill would allow the federal government to provide addiction treatment services when disasters cause or worsen substance use problems. The bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency, working with mental health and substance abuse experts, to update its application forms and guidance documents within 180 days to reflect these new services. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must review and report to Congress on how long assistance is provided under the program and whether FEMA properly ensures funds are used only for conditions caused or worsened by the disaster itself. The legislation has no specific funding amount listed but would expand existing disaster relief authority to address addiction issues that often emerge or intensify following major disasters.

The End Rent Fixing Act of 2025 prohibits rental property owners from using pricing coordination services that collect rent data from multiple landlords and use that information to recommend rental prices, lease terms, or occupancy levels. The bill treats both landlords who use these coordinating services and the companies providing them as violating antitrust law, making their conduct illegal per se under the Sherman Act and Federal Trade Commission Act. The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Attorney General, and state attorneys general can all enforce the law through civil actions, and individual tenants harmed by violations can sue for triple damages plus legal costs. The legislation aims to prevent what sponsors view as algorithmic or systematic price-fixing in the rental housing market and does not preempt stricter state laws on the same subject.

H.Res. 827 is a non-binding resolution that expresses support for recognizing October 26, 2025, as Intersex Awareness Day and endorses the goals and ideals associated with this day. The resolution acknowledges that intersex people—those born with natural variations in sex characteristics—face discrimination and harm, particularly from nonconsensual medical surgeries performed on children. It emphasizes that major medical organizations and the Biden-Harris administration have opposed these surgeries unless medically necessary and encourage delaying such interventions until children can consent. The resolution calls on federal agencies, states, schools, and healthcare providers to support intersex individuals' rights, bodily autonomy, and self-determination, while increasing public awareness and education about the intersex community. There is no funding or specific timeline attached to this symbolic resolution, which is designed to signal congressional support for intersex rights and protections.

This resolution expresses support for the designation of Bat Week and acknowledges the important role bats play as pollinators and pest control for agriculture.

The Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act amends the federal tax code to ensure same-sex married couples receive identical tax treatment as opposite-sex married couples by replacing gender-specific language with gender-neutral terms throughout all relevant tax provisions. The legislation makes technical updates across more than 100 sections of the Internal Revenue Code affecting income, deductions, credits, joint returns, estate planning, and employee benefits. The bill also clarifies that married couples' community property and jointly-held interests are treated as owned by one shareholder or partner for certain tax purposes. These changes do not create new tax benefits or liabilities but rather remove ambiguities and ensure consistent application of existing tax rules to all legally married couples regardless of gender composition. No new funding or implementation timeline is specified in the legislation.

H.R. 3708, the No Place for LGBTQ+ Hate Act, would repeal five executive orders issued during the current administration that restrict rights for LGBTQ+ individuals. The bill targets orders affecting federal interpretation of sex discrimination law, transgender military service, transgender healthcare for minors, transgender student athletes, and school policies regarding transgender identity. The legislation would prohibit the use of any federal funds to implement, enforce, or administer these executive orders and any similar successor orders. The bill affects transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals across employment, education, housing, healthcare, military service, and school athletics. The measure includes a savings clause preserving the President's constitutional authority and has been referred to multiple House committees including Judiciary, Education and Workforce, Armed Services, and others for consideration.

H.R. 3181 directs the federal government to study two rivers in Vermont—the Nulhegan River (approximately 22 miles) and Paul Stream (approximately 18 miles)—to determine whether they should be officially designated as wild and scenic rivers under the national Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The bill affects residents and communities in the Vermont regions surrounding these waterways, as well as federal land management agencies responsible for administering the study. The Secretary of the Interior must complete the study and submit findings to Congress within three years of receiving funding. This legislation does not approve permanent protection for the rivers but rather initiates a formal evaluation process that could eventually lead to their inclusion in the national wild and scenic rivers system, which provides special protections for rivers with outstanding scenic, recreational, geological, or other values.

The Transgender Health Care Access Act aims to improve transgender people's access to medical care by funding education and training programs for healthcare providers. The bill authorizes approximately $45 million over five fiscal years (2026-2030) for four main initiatives: developing medical school curricula on gender-affirming care and cultural competency; establishing training programs for medical residents and other healthcare professionals like nurses and social workers; expanding capacity at community health centers to provide these services; and creating collaborative networks to train rural healthcare providers. The legislation affects medical schools, hospitals, community health centers, and rural clinics, while directly benefiting transgender patients who currently face barriers to care due to provider knowledge gaps. The bill also requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress within two years on implementation progress and recommendations for improving workforce development in this field.

The Stop Comstock Act revises federal obscenity laws by narrowing what materials can be banned and removed from circulation. Specifically, the bill removes references to "indecent" materials and "articles of immoral use" from federal law, replacing them with a focus solely on "obscene" materials—a narrower legal category. The legislation also eliminates specific language that previously allowed the government to restrict items related to abortion and contraception. The bill affects the U.S. Postal Service, customs enforcement, and internet platforms by changing the standards they use to screen materials at the border and in the mail. No specific funding or timeline is provided in the legislation; the changes would take effect upon enactment.

The PEER Mental Health Act of 2025 authorizes the federal government to award grants to schools and school districts to train teachers, staff, students, and parents to recognize and respond to mental health crises in young people. Specifically, grant recipients would educate these groups on identifying symptoms of childhood and adolescent mental health conditions, referring students to appropriate services, and applying mental health first aid techniques when someone shows signs of distress. The bill requires that at least 25 percent of grant funding go to schools in rural areas to ensure equitable access to this training. The legislation authorizes $24.963 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, and includes requirements for technical assistance and streamlined application processes to help schools successfully obtain and use these funds.

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act of 2025This bill expands the boundaries of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont, allows the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire land within the boundaries through a variety of means, and provides statutory authority for the National Park Service Stewardship Institute, which is a program of the park.Specifically, the bill expands the boundary of the park to include the King Farm. The bill also allows the NPS to acquire lands within the park by purchasing, transferring, or exchanging land in addition to the current authorization to acquire land by donation.The acquired King Farm land must include rights of access between the acquired land and the park. The acquired King Farm land may be used for certain agricultural, forestry, conservation, and educational purposes.The bill also outlines the purposes of the National Park Service Stewardship Institute.

This resolution congratulates the University of Vermont men’s soccer team on winning the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s soccer national championship.