Greg Murphy

This concurrent resolution expresses Congress's opposition to assisted suicide, which the measure defines as providing individuals with substances or means intended to end their lives. The resolution argues that assisted suicide disproportionately threatens vulnerable populations including elderly people, those with disabilities, and individuals experiencing depression, citing Oregon data showing that most patients cite psychological and social concerns like loss of autonomy rather than pain as their primary reasons for seeking lethal medication. The resolution contends that existing state laws lack adequate safeguards, including no requirement for medical personnel to be present during the procedure and no effective oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse or coercion by family members or healthcare providers. The measure calls on the federal government to instead ensure access to comprehensive end-of-life care including palliative, hospice, and home health services while rejecting policies that support or facilitate assisted suicide. As a concurrent resolution, this measure expresses the sense of Congress but does not create law or authorize any funding.

The Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Veterans Act of 2026 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to hire an independent research center to evaluate artificial intelligence systems currently used in veterans' healthcare. The evaluation must focus on at least five AI systems that are either widely deployed or pose significant risks to patient safety, examining areas like system reliability, bias, data security, oversight mechanisms, and clinical effectiveness. Within one year of the agreement, the research center must submit a detailed report to Congress identifying any safety risks and recommending corrective actions, and the VA Secretary must then submit his own plan within 120 days addressing each finding with specific timelines and responsible officials. The Government Accountability Office will review both the evaluation and the VA's corrective action plan within 180 days and report to Congress. The bill uses existing VA funding with no new appropriations required and mandates that Congress receive full, unredacted access to the evaluation and any implementation updates.

Tax Exempt Hospital Transparency ActThis bill requires tax-exempt hospital organizations to report additional information to the Internal Revenue Service.The bill defines a tax-exempt hospital organization as an organization that is licensed or recognized as a hospital and is required toconduct a community health needs assessment and adopt a strategy to meet the needs identified in the assessment,have a written financial assistance policy,limit charges for emergency and medically necessary care provided to individuals eligible for financial assistance and prohibit the use of gross charges,meet certain billing and collection requirements, andfile IRS Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax).Under the bill, a tax-exempt hospital organization must include with Form 990 certain identifying information anda description of how the organization addresses the needs identified in the most recent community health needs assessment, the needs not addressed, and the reasons why needs are not being addressed;audited financial statements;the value (at cost) of the financial assistance provided; andthe numbers of completed financial assistance applications received, granted, and denied during the tax year.Further information reporting requirements are imposed on certain large or high-revenue tax-exempt hospital organizations.Finally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to (1) study and report the costs associated with the additional information reporting requirements, and (2) estimate the amount of tax revenue that would be generated from the 25 tax-exempt hospital organizations with the highest gross revenue if such organizations were not exempt from tax.

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate with each other to better manage healthcare for veterans who are enrolled in both the VA system and Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans. The bill requires the two departments to enter into an agreement within one year to share data about these "dual-enrolled" veterans, including their medical treatments and billing information from both systems. The VA would use this shared information to prevent duplicate treatments and payments, while Medicare would use VA data to adjust how it calculates payments to Medicare Advantage plans. The VA Secretary must report to Congress within one year of the agreement taking effect, and then every two years thereafter, on how well the coordination is working to eliminate wasteful or erroneous billing. The bill affects millions of veterans who qualify for both VA and Medicare benefits, potentially saving money across both federal healthcare programs through better coordination.

# Summary of H.R. 8553, POPCaP Authorization Act of 2026 This bill directs the Veterans Affairs Department to establish a precision oncology program focused on prostate cancer treatment for veterans. The program will designate at least 21 VA medical centers as Centers of Excellence across the country, with at least one in each regional VA network, to provide advanced genetic testing, clinical trials, and specialized cancer care. Each center must employ multiple cancer specialists including medical oncologists, urologists, radiation oncologists, and research staff, and will participate in coordinated research efforts overseen by a central leadership team based at Seattle VA Medical Center. The bill immediately designates 32 specific VA hospitals as initial Centers of Excellence and authorizes $15.5 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to operate the program. The VA must establish the program within 180 days and submit annual reports to Congress documenting program participation, research outcomes, and survival rate comparisons between veterans enrolled in the program and other patient populations.

The Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act of 2026 repeals the Social Security earnings test, which currently reduces retirement benefits for seniors who earn income above certain thresholds. This change affects retirees aged 62 and older who continue working and currently face benefit reductions based on their earnings. The bill removes the financial penalty that discourages seniors from remaining in the workforce by eliminating the requirement that the Social Security Administration reduce benefits when beneficiaries earn too much money. The legislation also makes similar changes to the Railroad Retirement Program, which operates under comparable earnings restrictions. These amendments take effect for taxable years ending after December 31, 2026.

The Every Dollar Counts Act of 2026 requires health insurance plans to count money that individuals spend out-of-pocket on prescription drugs toward their annual deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, even when they choose to pay for the drugs without using their insurance benefits. The bill applies to group health plans and individual health insurance coverage offered through employers and on the private market. This change would help individuals reach their cost-sharing limits faster when they purchase medications directly without insurance, potentially lowering their overall healthcare costs. The legislation takes effect for plan years beginning on January 1, 2027, and includes conforming amendments to Medicaid drug pricing rules to ensure consistency with the new requirements.

Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026This bill allows for larger annual adjustments to the Medicare physician fee schedule. It also requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make certain corrections to compensate for expenditures under the fee schedule that exceed a certain amount in a given year, and it limits how much certain adjustment factors may vary each year.Current law prohibits annual adjustments to the Medicare physician fee schedule that would result in a more than $20 million difference between the adjusted amount and the non-adjusted amount of total expenditures. The bill increases this threshold to $54.3 million beginning in 2027, with adjustments for inflation every five years beginning in 2032.Additionally, for certain services, the bill requires the CMS to determine the difference between expenditures based on estimated utilization of the service and expenditures based on actual utilization. If this difference exceeds a certain percentage of total expenditures under the fee schedule, the CMS must reconcile this difference by adjusting payments for the following year. This requirement applies to services for which payment was bundled with another service and there was a separate or add-on payment during the previous year.Finally, the CMS must update the prices and rates of each category of direct costs that affect payments (e.g., prices of equipment) at least every five years, with updates made to each category in the same year. The bill also prohibits the CMS from varying a certain adjustment factor by more than 2.5% each year.

This resolution expresses support for Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Awareness Month. Deep vein thrombosis is a condition caused by a blood clot in the deep veins of the body; pulmonary embolisms (i.e., where a blood clot breaks off and lodges in the lung) are a potentially life-threatening complication of this condition.

This bill creates a new tax credit to encourage the use of domestically grown cotton in consumer products. Companies that sell finished cotton products made from U.S.-grown cotton can claim a credit equal to a percentage of the cotton's market value, with the percentage ranging from 18% to 24% depending on where the cotton is processed. Products made with U.S. cotton processed only in America or in countries with U.S. free trade agreements receive the higher 24% credit, while those processed elsewhere receive 18%. To qualify, cotton must be grown in the U.S., assigned an identification number for tracking, and digitally traced through the entire supply chain. Additionally, companies receive even larger credits—up to 6.5 times the base amount—if they use cotton yarn or fabric manufactured in the United States. The credit applies to eligible products sold after the bill's enactment and is intended to boost demand for American cotton while establishing transparent supply chain documentation.

The MAP for Care Act amends Medicare law to establish a voluntary federal program encouraging beneficiaries to create and register advance directives—legal documents that specify end-of-life care preferences and healthcare decision-making wishes. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a certification program for private vendors offering these documents, set to be fully operational within five years, with strict requirements including secure online access, HIPAA compliance, rigorous security testing, and annual quality reviews. The legislation also mandates a centralized federal website displaying state-mandated advance directive forms alongside alternative forms certified by attorneys, indexed by state and provider. Medicare must integrate advance directive information into all enrollment materials and beneficiary notices to increase awareness and participation. The program remains entirely voluntary for Medicare beneficiaries, who retain full control to create, modify, or terminate their advance directives at any time through secure online processes.

This bill directs the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to create a single, unified system for credentialing and privileging medical providers across both agencies. Currently, the two departments operate separate credentialing systems, which can create inefficiencies and complications when providers work in both systems. The bill requires the agencies to submit a detailed report within 120 days analyzing their existing systems and recommending how to integrate them, then select one unified system by January 1, 2027, with full implementation by January 1, 2028. The new system must be able to import and share provider credentials and privileges between the two departments. This streamlining is intended to reduce administrative burden on medical providers and improve efficiency in military and veteran healthcare delivery, though the bill does not specify dedicated funding amounts for the integration effort.

Campus Free Speech Restoration ActThis bill addresses expressive activities (e.g., peacefully assembling, distributing literature, or carrying signs) on college campuses.First, the bill generally prohibits a public institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student aid programs from restricting noncommercial expressive activities on campus.Further, the bill prohibits a public IHE from receiving federal funds if the Department of Education determines that the public IHE (1) maintains a policy that infringes upon the expressive rights of students; or (2) maintains or enforces time, place, or manner restrictions on expressive activities, except in limited circumstances.In addition, the bill prohibits retaliation against an individual because the individual reported or complained about restrictions on expressive activities or participated in an investigation or hearing.The bill also requires a private IHE that receives federal funds to provide students with its policies related to expressive rights.The bill also establishes a framework for investigating complaints and for IHEs to regain eligibility for federal funds.

This resolution condemns public institutions of higher education (IHEs) for conditioning an individual's admission to or employment at the IHE on the individual pledging allegiance to or making a statement of personal support for or opposition to any political ideology or movement (e.g., diversity, equity, and inclusion). It also discourages IHEs from requesting or requiring any such pledge or statement.

H.R. 6583 overhauls how the Department of Veterans Affairs conducts and manages research by establishing a centralized data system to track all VA-supported research projects, their funding, and results while protecting veteran privacy. The bill creates a tiered review process for research proposals with standardized national timelines and authority for the VA's Chief Research and Development Officer to expedite approvals, and it requires major research projects to include a "veteran impact forecast" explaining benefits to veterans and a "translation plan" showing how successful findings will be implemented in actual clinical practice. Additionally, the legislation establishes regional research hubs within the VA to coordinate studies across multiple medical centers, streamline approvals for multi-site research, and support veteran recruitment for clinical trials. The bill mandates funding for translating research findings into clinical practice through implementation studies and provider training, and it includes strict privacy and security requirements ensuring compliance with federal law when handling veteran information and sharing data with other agencies. These reforms are designed to reduce research duplication, improve coordination among VA facilities, and accelerate the delivery of research benefits to veterans.

Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension ActThis bill extends through December 31, 2028, the special duty-free rules for various apparel products imported from Haiti, including the duty-free treatment provided for a limited amount (referred to as tariff preference levels) of certain apparel products assembled in and imported from Haiti.The bill directs the President to proclaim such modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) that may be necessary to restore preferential treatment to articles that became ineligible for such treatment due to prior revisions to the HTS.The bill also provides for the refund of duties (i.e., liquidation or reliquidation of entries) on covered articles from Haiti that entered into the United States on or after September 30, 2025, and before the date of this bill's enactment. A request for liquidation or reliquidation must be filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the request must contain sufficient information for CBP to locate the entry or, if the entry cannot be located, reconstruct the entry. CBP must refund any duties previously paid with respect to the entry within 90 days.

This bill prohibits medical residency training programs funded through Medicare from requiring residents to receive training on abortion procedures unless they voluntarily opt in first. The legislation affects medical residency programs across the country that receive Medicare funding, protecting residents who have moral or religious objections to abortion from being forced to participate in such training. The bill also prevents these programs from punishing or discriminating against residents who decline to opt in to abortion training or who refuse to perform abortions or provide abortion-related counseling or referrals. The law would take effect immediately upon enactment, with no specific funding amount or implementation timeline mentioned. This measure targets teaching hospitals and residency programs that rely on Medicare support for their training programs.

Veterans Heroin Overdose Prevention Examination Act or the Veterans HOPE Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to complete a review of the deaths of all covered veterans who died from opioid overdoses during the five-year period preceding the enactment of this bill. Covered veterans are those who received VA hospital care or medical services during the five-year period preceding the death of the veteran. The VA shall report on the results of the review and make such report publicly available.

This bill establishes the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, a new advisory body of up to 30 members appointed by the President to develop and promote youth fitness initiatives. The Council will recommend strategies for bringing back the Presidential Fitness Test as the main assessment tool for fitness awards, expand youth sports participation, create innovative fitness programs in schools, and partner with professional athletes and sports organizations to promote active lifestyles. The bill also directs the Council to address childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles, framing them as national security concerns that could affect military readiness. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will provide funding and administrative support for the Council, with members serving two-year terms without salary but receiving travel reimbursement. The Council is set to automatically terminate two years after enactment unless the President extends it.

This House resolution expresses support for reclassifying China from "developing nation" status to a more advanced classification within the United Nations system. The resolution argues that China no longer qualifies as a developing nation, citing its status as the world's second-largest economy, its classification as an upper-middle-income country by the World Bank, its position as the world's largest goods exporter, and its massive investments in global infrastructure and energy projects (including $679 billion in infrastructure spending across nearly 150 countries between 2013 and 2022). The resolution does not allocate any funding or establish specific timelines—it is a non-binding statement of congressional sentiment asking the United Nations to update China's classification. This measure affects U.S. foreign policy positioning toward China and could influence international negotiations on trade, development aid, and treaty obligations where developing nation status provides certain advantages or exemptions.

National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment ActThis bill allows the National Park Service (NPS) to extend long-term leases of federal property within the national parks without complying with competitive bidding requirements ifthe lessee entered into the lease no less than five years before the date on which the extension takes effect and is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the lease, andthe NPS determines that extending the lease is in the best interests of the administration of the applicable NPS unit.

H.R. 4710 strengthens protections against surprise medical bills by imposing tough new penalties on health plans and out-of-network providers that violate balance billing rules. The bill increases daily penalties from $100 to $10,000 per violation and requires plans and providers that fail to pay correct out-of-network rates within 30 days to pay triple the unpaid amount plus interest. These stricter enforcement measures apply to emergency services, air ambulance services, and all health coverage types governed by federal law. The bill also requires the federal government to report to Congress every six months on enforcement activities, including audits conducted, complaints filed, penalties issued, and common violation patterns, beginning one year after the law takes effect. Overall, the legislation aims to protect patients from unexpected medical bills by making it far more costly for insurers and providers to ignore or delay required payments.

The Protecting Endowments from Our Adversaries Act would impose new federal excise taxes on private colleges and universities with endowments exceeding $1 billion if they invest in companies listed on U.S. government national security blacklists. Specifically, colleges would face a 50 percent tax on the fair market value of any new investments acquired in banned entities—including those on the Commerce Department's Entity List, the Military End User List, the Unverified List, and the FCC's Covered List—and a 100 percent tax on any net income or gains generated from investments held in these entities for a full year. The bill affects only private colleges and universities, exempting public institutions, and the taxes would take effect either at the end of the first calendar year after enactment or once the Treasury Department establishes the complete list of banned entities, whichever comes first. Existing investments acquired before these deadlines would be grandfathered in and not subject to taxation. The Treasury Department would be responsible for maintaining the list of banned investment entities and establishing certification procedures for investment funds to verify they contain no restricted holdings.

This bill modifies Medicare's payment system for certain drugs subject to price negotiations by requiring drug manufacturers to pay rebates to offset the difference between the standard payment rate and the negotiated price. Specifically, when a drug's negotiated price (called the "maximum fair price") is lower than the standard payment amount, manufacturers must pay a quarterly rebate equal to the savings multiplied by the number of units used. The rebate money goes into Medicare's trust fund. The bill also adjusts what patients pay in cost-sharing by basing it on the lower negotiated price rather than the standard rate, potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries. The rebate requirements apply to "selected drugs"—those subject to Medicare's maximum fair price negotiation program—and take effect starting with the first quarter of the price negotiability period, with no specific end date mentioned.

The Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025 makes technical corrections to the existing Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, which allows people harmed by water contamination at the military base to sue the federal government. The bill clarifies that claimants need to show only that contamination exposure is "as likely as not" to have caused their illness, rather than meeting a higher standard of proof. It also allows lawsuits to be filed in multiple North Carolina federal courts and South Carolina federal court, rather than just one district court, and permits cases to go to jury trial at either party's request. Additionally, the bill caps attorney fees at 20 percent of pre-lawsuit settlements or 25 percent of post-lawsuit judgments. The changes apply retroactively to claims already pending or filed since the original law took effect on August 10, 2022.