Deborah Ross

This bill would amend Medicare rules governing prescription drug plan coverage for seniors who fail to pay their premiums. Specifically, it allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish regulations that would treat coverage terminations for nonpayment as involuntary in certain circumstances, rather than automatically classifying them as voluntary lapses in coverage. This change could protect seniors from losing benefits and facing surprise medical bills when they miss premium payments due to financial hardship or administrative error. The bill affects Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in prescription drug plans and the insurance companies that administer those plans. No specific funding or implementation timeline is mentioned in the legislation; the changes would take effect through regulatory rulemaking by the Department of Health and Human Services.

This bill establishes a new Environmental Protection Agency research program focused on understanding tropospheric ozone, the ground-level ozone that contributes to air pollution and climate change. The program will award competitive grants to universities, national laboratories, and nonprofit research organizations to study how tropospheric ozone affects global and regional temperatures, crop yields, forests, and ecosystems, as well as to improve monitoring networks and climate models that incorporate ozone's impacts. The research will examine both current ozone levels and future scenarios under different emission reduction strategies, with all collected data made publicly available. The EPA must select grant recipients within 180 days of establishing the program and submit a comprehensive report to Congress four years after launch with findings and policy recommendations. The bill authorizes $10.5 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 for grants and program administration, plus $1 million in 2030 to prepare the final report.

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to launch a pilot program helping veterans struggling with opioid addiction access treatment through virtual visits instead of in-person appointments. The program targets enrolled veterans who face barriers to traditional treatment, such as those living in rural areas or with transportation difficulties, and will use telemedicine to connect them with licensed psychiatric clinicians who can provide both medication-assisted treatment and counseling in a single visit. The VA will conduct outreach, build referral networks, run a public awareness campaign, train its staff on available options, and coordinate with other federal agencies including the Department of Defense and Health and Human Services to ensure a comprehensive approach. The program must be established within 180 days of enactment and will run for two years, though it can be extended if proven effective, with the VA required to study barriers to treatment and submit annual progress reports to Congress. No specific funding amount is mentioned in the legislation.

Advancing International and Foreign Language Education ActThis bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and revises international education programs. These programs provide grants to institutions of higher education and related entities to (1) enhance instruction in international and foreign language studies, and (2) promote international business skills and education.First, the bill reauthorizes programs related to international and foreign language studies. Specifically, it extends (1) the Graduate and Undergraduate Language and Area Centers and Programs, which include the National Resource Centers program; (2) the Language Resource Centers; (3) the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs; and (4) the American Overseas Research Centers.Next, the bill reauthorizes the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships program. It also revises the program to permit graduate students to receive a stipend for the beginning, intermediate, or advanced study of a foreign language related to the student's area of specialization.Further, the bill extends the Technological Innovation and Cooperation for Foreign Information Access program. It also modifies the program, such as by (1) revising the types of available grants, and (2) allowing the Department of Education to establish a national database on international and foreign language education.Finally, the bill reauthorizes programs related to international business skills and education. Specifically, it reauthorizes the Centers for International Business Education program. It also reauthorizes and revises the Business and International Education program, including by (1) renaming the program; and (2) mandating certain program activities, such as incorporating specified programs and studies into professional education and technical training curricula.

This resolution congratulates the Carolina Hurricanes professional hockey team for winning the 2026 Stanley Cup Championship, their first Stanley Cup victory in twenty years. The team defeated the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the finals and had a remarkable playoff run with the second-fewest losses by any Stanley Cup winner since 1987. The resolution highlights the team's contributions to the Raleigh community, including substantial charitable work, youth hockey programs, and an estimated 13.4 million dollars in economic impact from their home playoff games. It also recognizes the team's support for veterans' programs and disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. The resolution is a ceremonial measure that honors the players, coaches, and management, and directs the House Clerk to send copies to the team's owner, general manager, and head coach.

The RETURN Act requires the Internal Revenue Service to review and respond to taxpayer refund claims within 12 months, or face penalties. When the IRS denies a refund claim, it must provide the taxpayer with a detailed written explanation and instructions on how to appeal the decision. If the IRS fails to meet the 12-month deadline, the interest rate on the overpayment increases by one percentage point, though the penalty is capped at $500 per claim (adjusted for inflation after 2026). The bill exempts frivolous claims, which are defined as those based on positions already determined to be frivolous by federal courts, from these new requirements. The law takes effect 12 months after enactment and applies to all refund claims received after that date.

AI Flaw Reporting and Security Enhancement ActThis bill establishes a program to facilitate the voluntary reporting and tracking of artificial intelligence (AI) flaws, to be administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).In carrying out this program, NIST must seek to convene various stakeholders to establish common definitions for terms related to AI flaws and criteria for the classification of AI flaws (e.g., security-related flaws and safety-related flaws). The group must also support the development of technical standards and guidance related to detecting, managing, and disclosing AI flaws and prioritizing the remediation of such flaws.Further, NIST must develop, or enter into cooperative agreements with institutions of higher education or research institutions to develop, infrastructure for the voluntary reporting, collection, and tracking of AI flaws. This must include a national database of AI flaws or the modification of an existing national database to account for AI flaws. (NIST currently administers a national database of cybersecurity vulnerabilities.) NIST must consider certain topics when developing this infrastructure, including the interoperability of the infrastructure with relevant existing systems, standards, and best practices.Within three years of the bill’s enactment, NIST must report to Congress on the implementation of these provisions.Under the bill, an AI flaw is a set of conditions or behaviors that allow for the violation of certain policies (e.g., safety or security policies) and is not necessarily associated with malicious intent.

The POWER Moldova Act of 2026 requires the Secretary of State, working with the Secretary of Energy, to submit a comprehensive report to Congress within 180 days on Moldova's energy situation. The report must cover Moldova's current energy production, imports, and consumption, as well as examine energy pricing transparency, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and potential renewable energy development opportunities including solar, wind, and geothermal resources. The bill also directs the report to assess ongoing U.S.-Moldova cooperation efforts in military training, interoperability, and professional military education. The legislation reflects Congress's view that strengthening Moldova's energy resilience is important to its overall security, particularly given the ongoing conflict in neighboring Ukraine and Moldova's exposure to Russian pressure. No specific funding is allocated by this bill, as it is a reporting requirement rather than an appropriations measure.

The Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026 would allow independent musicians and music creators to collectively negotiate with major streaming platforms and artificial intelligence companies without violating antitrust laws. Currently, individual artists lack the bargaining power to negotiate fair licensing rates and are forced to accept whatever terms platforms like Spotify or Apple Music offer, or face their music being distributed illegally anyway. The bill creates an antitrust exemption for independent music creator owners who earn less than $1 million annually in licensing revenues to band together and collectively negotiate terms regarding how their music is distributed and used. The legislation applies to dominant online music distribution platforms with over $100 million in annual music-related revenues and companies developing generative AI, addressing what Congress views as an imbalanced market where platforms exploit copyright protections while individual artists cannot effectively enforce their rights. No specific funding or implementation timeline is included in the bill text.

Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026This bill allows certain individual music creator owners to collectively negotiate music licensing terms with dominant online music distribution platforms or companies engaged in development or deployment of generative artificial intelligence, including the right to collectively refuse to license their music to such platforms or companies.Individual music creator owners include musicians, producers, and technicians who own the copyright to a recording and either (1) earned less than $1 million in associated revenues during the prior year, or (2) qualify as a record production and distribution small business.Dominant online music distribution platforms include interactive online services with annual revenues from music distribution of more than $100 million. Generative artificial intelligence includes artificial intelligence systems that are capable of producing novel text, video, images, audio, and other media based on prompts or other forms of inputted data.

This bill creates a 12-member Task Force on Women in Law Enforcement to study current state hiring standards and develop recommendations for national hiring standards that do not disadvantage female applicants. The task force, which includes female police executives, community representatives, and mayors appointed by the Attorney General, must also develop recommendations to improve the retention and promotion of women officers, addressing specific barriers like physical fitness standards after childbirth and childcare responsibilities. The task force has 18 months from the bill's enactment to submit its findings and recommendations to Congress. To encourage adoption of these standards, states that implement the task force's recommendations will receive a bonus of 5 percent on top of their existing federal grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. The bill authorizes funding for both the task force's operations and for providing technical assistance to states seeking to adopt the new standards.

The Petfax Act of 2026 requires sellers of dogs and cats to provide detailed disclosure information to buyers before purchase. Sellers covered by the law include pet stores, breeders, and online sellers, but exclude nonprofit animal shelters and rescue organizations. Buyers must receive information about where the animal was bred, the breeder's and seller's license numbers, any Animal Welfare Act violations in the prior two years, veterinary health records, vaccines, and any known congenital or infectious diseases. The Federal Trade Commission has 180 days from enactment to create regulations establishing how sellers must provide this information, and sellers must comply within 60 days of those regulations. The law also strengthens the Animal Welfare Act by prohibiting dog and cat dealers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked in the past 10 years from restarting operations under their own name or through family members and legal entities at the same location, with limited exceptions for those who can prove clear separation from the previous operation.

This bill amends federal bankruptcy law to prevent individuals and organizations accused of child sexual abuse from using bankruptcy proceedings to avoid accountability or shield evidence. The legislation applies specifically to cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse, making such claims non-dischargeable in bankruptcy and requiring heightened oversight of related proceedings. Key provisions include requiring independent forensic accountants to review assets in nonprofit bankruptcy cases involving abuse allegations, mandating that victim impact statements be heard in court, and blocking the use of third-party releases that would shield alleged abusers from liability without overwhelming creditor approval. The bill also restricts sealing of evidence in child abuse cases except to protect victims' identities and prohibits certain bankruptcy filing types (subchapter 5) when abuse claims are involved. The legislation contains no specific funding requirements or implementation timeline beyond requiring courts to hold victim impact statement conferences within 60 days of the claim filing deadline.

This bill amends federal food safety law to allow the FDA to share unredacted food safety information with state, local, tribal, and territorial health authorities. The shared information can include foodborne illness surveillance data, lab test results, inspection findings, recall distribution lists, and consumer complaints, and must be shared as quickly as reasonably possible. State and local authorities receiving this information cannot further disclose it without FDA permission unless necessary to contain an outbreak, conduct a recall, or enforce state health laws. The bill also extends the grant period for food safety enhancement programs from three to five years and makes continued funding contingent on successful program evaluations after the first year. This legislation affects the FDA, state and local health departments, and ultimately the public by improving coordination on food safety issues.

The RECOVER Act of 2026 would eliminate payment reductions for patients receiving multiple therapy services under Medicare, effective January 1, 2027. Currently, Medicare reduces payments by 50 percent when beneficiaries receive certain combinations of therapy services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology on the same day. This bill would change that reduction to zero percent, meaning Medicare would pay the full amount for these multiple therapy services rather than cutting payments in half. The legislation affects Medicare beneficiaries who need concurrent therapy services and therapy providers who deliver these treatments. The bill was introduced in April 2026 and referred to the House committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means for consideration.

The Clean Slate through Repayment Act of 2026 would allow federal student loan borrowers to clear default records from their credit history once they fully repay their loans. Currently, even after repaying a defaulted federal student loan, the default remains on a borrower's credit report indefinitely, harming their creditworthiness and ability to access future credit. Under this bill, loan servicers and guaranty agencies would be required to request that credit reporting agencies remove the default and related negative information from borrowers' credit histories upon full repayment. The legislation applies to all federal student loans made, insured, or guaranteed under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. This change would primarily benefit borrowers who have experienced financial hardship and defaulted on their loans but have since recovered financially enough to repay them in full.

H.Res. 1141 is a symbolic resolution expressing House support for designating March 26, 2026, as "National Science Appreciation Day." The date commemorates March 26, 1953, when Dr. Jonas Salk announced the development of the polio vaccine. The resolution highlights the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to the American economy, noting that STEM jobs account for 24 percent of the economy and employ over 36.8 million people across numerous government agencies and private sectors. The resolution aims to recognize American scientific achievements and inspire future generations to pursue STEM fields by celebrating the tangible benefits science has provided, from vaccines and medical breakthroughs to infrastructure improvements and economic growth. This resolution carries no funding or budget implications, as it is a ceremonial measure expressing congressional support rather than authorizing any programs or spending.

H.R. 7711, the "No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act," prohibits the federal government from using any public funds to compensate individuals who were prosecuted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. This includes blocking payments from the federal Judgment Fund, victim compensation programs, or any newly created compensation fund—even if someone was later pardoned. The bill also prevents the government from refunding any court-ordered fines, restitution, or fees that January 6 defendants have already paid; instead, any such money collected would be transferred to the Architect of the Capitol. The legislation effectively closes off potential legal avenues through which people convicted or prosecuted for January 6 participation might seek federal financial relief.

End Prison Gerrymandering ActThis bill requires the Bureau of the Census, beginning with the 2030 decennial census, to attribute an individual incarcerated in a correctional facility or detention center to the individual's last place of residence before incarceration. Further, a state must treat such an individual's last place of residence in the state before incarceration as the individual's place of residence for purposes of congressional redistricting.

The Buy Now, Pay Later Protection Act extends consumer financial protections to a rapidly growing segment of lending that has largely operated outside existing regulations. The bill amends federal lending laws to apply Truth in Lending Act disclosures and consumer protections—previously covering credit cards and traditional loans—to "buy now, pay later" services, which allow shoppers to split purchases into multiple interest-free installments. The legislation places buy now, pay later lenders under the supervision of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal agency responsible for enforcing consumer financial protection laws. The bill requires the CFPB to issue implementing regulations within one year of enactment to ensure buy now, pay later lenders comply with disclosure requirements and consumer dispute resolution protections similar to those governing credit card companies. This legislation effectively brings an estimated $14 billion-plus industry segment into the existing consumer protection framework, addressing concerns that consumers lack critical safeguards with these payment services.

The Shadow Docket Sunlight Act requires the Supreme Court to publish written explanations and disclose how each justice votes whenever the Court issues orders granting, denying, or vacating preliminary injunctions or stays in cases on appeal. The written explanations must evaluate specific legal criteria, such as whether the applicant is likely to succeed on the merits and whether they face irreparable harm. This requirement applies to all appellate cases but excludes routine administrative, scheduling orders and certiorari petitions. The law does not change how the Court applies legal standards or its jurisdiction, and multiple justices can contribute to the written explanation as long as a majority of participating justices supports it. Beginning April 1 of the first year after the law takes effect—or later if needed—the Director of the Federal Judicial Center must submit biennial reports to Congress assessing the Court's compliance with these new requirements and recommending improvements.

The FEMA Administrative Reform Act prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security from requiring personal approval for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) expenditures of $100,000 or more related to disaster relief and response. The bill, introduced in December 2025, aims to streamline FEMA's spending process by removing a potential bottleneck that could slow disaster response and recovery efforts. This measure primarily affects disaster-affected communities and FEMA's operational efficiency, as it allows the agency to make spending decisions more quickly without waiting for top-level departmental approval on routine or emergency expenditures. The legislation contains no specified funding amounts or implementation timelines, instead serving as a procedural reform to clarify spending authority within the agency.

This joint resolution would terminate a national emergency that was declared on August 6, 2025, through Executive Order 14329 to impose tariffs on goods imported from India. The measure uses the National Emergencies Act to end the emergency declaration, which would likely prevent or halt the implementation of these duties on Indian imports. The resolution affects trade relationships between the United States and India, as well as American consumers and businesses that rely on Indian goods. No specific funding or implementation timeline is mentioned in the legislation, as it is simply a procedural action to rescind an existing emergency declaration.

The Redistricting Transparency and Accountability Act of 2025 requires states to conduct congressional redistricting through a transparent, public-participation process. States must establish and maintain public websites that provide redistricting information, maps, demographic data, and meeting schedules; hold multiple public hearings in different regions before and after developing proposed maps; and provide detailed analyses of final plans—including voting rights compliance, partisan fairness assessments, and explanations for adoption decisions—at least 10 days before voting on them. The bill mandates that states solicit public input for at least 60 days after receiving census apportionment numbers, post all comments within 72 hours, and preserve all redistricting information for 10 years. The law applies to redistricting conducted after the 2030 census but also covers ongoing 2020 census redistricting in states that have not yet enacted final plans. No specific funding is provided, though states must implement these administrative requirements, and the law does not affect state or local election redistricting.

The America's CHILDREN Act creates a pathway to permanent residency for certain foreign-born college graduates who came to the United States as children of workers on employment-based visas. To qualify, applicants must have lived lawfully in the U.S. for at least 10 years total (with at least 8 years as a dependent child of an employed nonimmigrant), graduated from a U.S. college or university, and not be deportable or inadmissible under current law. The bill also includes protections that allow young people who "age out" of dependent status while their parents' employment-based immigration cases are pending to retain their eligibility and their place in the immigration queue, and it permits people whose petitions were previously denied to reapply within two years of the law's enactment if they would have qualified under these new rules. No specific funding or implementation timeline is specified in the legislation itself.