John James

The Skilled JOBS Act amends federal apprenticeship law to establish new requirements for both registered apprenticeships and industry-recognized apprenticeship programs. The bill requires that apprenticeship sponsors employ at least one experienced journeyworker for every three apprentices in their program, ensuring adequate supervision and mentorship. The legislation also creates a new process for recognizing private and public entities as "standards recognition entities" that can certify industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, with the Department of Labor required to establish this recognition system within one year of the bill's enactment. The Secretary of Labor must complete a study within one year evaluating how the journeyworker ratio requirement affects apprentice safety, program costs, and whether the ratio should be adjusted based on those findings. No specific funding amounts are allocated in the bill; rather, it modifies existing apprenticeship structures to strengthen quality control and worker training across the apprenticeship system.

The CANADA FIRE Act authorizes the President to impose sanctions on Canada's government in response to transboundary wildfire smoke that crosses into the United States. Within 30 days of enactment, the President must determine whether Canada experienced material wildfire smoke events during the prior 12 months and failed to take reasonable measures to prevent or mitigate them; if the President does not make this determination, it is automatically deemed affirmative. If sanctions are triggered, the President must identify Canadian officials and other responsible parties within 60 days and block their U.S. assets, while also imposing at least three mandatory sanctions on Canada's government, such as halting U.S. procurement from Canada, blocking Export-Import Bank assistance, opposing loans at international financial institutions, and potentially restricting imports, banking, or investments. The Act also authorizes visa restrictions on identified Canadian officials and calls for the State Department to consider declaring certain Canadian diplomatic personnel as "persona non grata." Sanctions can be terminated if Canada adopts an adequately funded wildfire prevention plan, establishes effective notification procedures, and prevents material smoke events for 90 consecutive days. The law includes exceptions for humanitarian aid, wildfire assistance, and diplomatic activities necessary to comply with international obligations.

This resolution honors the contributions of automotive workers in the United States, with special focus on Michigan's role as the center of American vehicle manufacturing. The measure expresses support for designating September 2026 as "American Automotive Worker Recognition Month" and acknowledges that the automotive industry supports over 10 million American jobs while contributing approximately $1.2 trillion to the nation's economy. Michigan alone hosts more than 160,000 direct automotive manufacturing jobs, the largest amount of any state, and serves as a hub for innovation dating back over a century. The resolution commends autoworkers for their skill and dedication, emphasizes the importance of domestic production and workforce development, and encourages continued investment in American automotive manufacturing for economic and national security reasons. This is a non-binding congressional resolution that recognizes and celebrates the automotive workforce rather than creating new laws or allocating funds.

This bill establishes the National Diabetes Project within the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate federal efforts against diabetes across all agencies. The project will create an annual national plan to prevent, diagnose, and treat diabetes more effectively, with particular focus on reaching racial and ethnic populations that face higher diabetes rates or have less access to care. An Advisory Council made up of federal officials, patient advocates, healthcare providers, researchers, and state representatives will meet quarterly and report annually to Congress on progress, program performance, and recommendations for improving federal diabetes initiatives. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will oversee the project, evaluate all federal diabetes programs, and coordinate with international partners in the fight against the disease. The project is authorized through December 31, 2036, after which it will expire.

This resolution calls on the Nigerian government to ensure all legal proceedings involving Mazi Nnamdi Kanu are conducted in full accordance with Nigeria’s constitutional obligations and international human rights commitments.

The Safe Water in Schools Act of 2026 amends federal drinking water safety laws to require the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants to school districts and child care programs for installing certified point-of-use water filtration systems that remove lead contamination. These filtration systems would serve both as a preventative measure before testing for lead and as a remedy after lead contamination is detected in school drinking water. The bill provides increasing federal funding for this grant program, starting at 60 million dollars in fiscal year 2026 and rising to 72 million dollars by fiscal year 2030. The legislation directly affects local school districts and child care facilities that rely on federal support to upgrade their water infrastructure. This bill addresses lead in school drinking water, a public health concern that primarily affects the millions of children who drink from school water fountains and fountains in child care settings.

The Money Where Our Mouths Are Act would prohibit members of Congress from receiving their regular salary during any government shutdown. Specifically, each day a shutdown occurs, lawmakers in both the House and Senate would lose one day's worth of pay from their annual salary, calculated proportionally for however long the shutdown lasts. The bill applies to all members of Congress and would take effect starting with the 120th Congress (2027 onwards). A government shutdown is defined as any lapse in appropriations caused by Congress failing to pass a regular budget or continuing resolution. The Treasury Department would assist the payroll administrators in both chambers with implementing these pay deductions.

This bill establishes a federal grant program to help pay for medical expenses of working dogs who have served in the military, federal law enforcement, or as service dogs for veterans and retired federal officers. The Attorney General would administer grants of up to $575,000 per year to eligible nonprofit organizations that specialize in caring for these retired working dogs and providing financial assistance to their owners. The bill recognizes that retired working dogs—including the roughly 1,600 military dogs currently serving—often require significant medical care after they leave active duty, creating financial hardship for their former handlers or adoptive families. Grant recipients must be nonprofits that dedicate at least 70 percent of their spending directly to helping with these dogs' medical costs. The program would run for five fiscal years total, with the Attorney General required to report annually to Congress on how many dogs were assisted and the average medical expenses per dog.

H.R. 6965 aims to promote gun safety in schools through multiple approaches. The bill requires the Secret Service to provide guidance to school districts on informing parents about firearm safety devices, and it creates a new $300 tax credit (up to 75 percent of purchase costs) for parents with children or dependents who buy gun safety devices, phasing out for higher incomes and expiring after 2030. The legislation also prohibits the IRS from disclosing information about taxpayers who claim this credit to federal agencies, protecting the privacy of gun owners. Additionally, the bill expands school safety efforts by requiring states to provide de-escalation training, establish school safety specialist positions, and offer confidential mental health services to expelled students. Finally, it directs federal agencies to promote gun safety information through social media platforms and allows states to use federal law enforcement grants to develop standardized training programs for school resource officers. The bill takes effect in 2026 for the tax credit and requires social media outreach within 180 days of enactment.

H.R. 6964 amends the National Security Act of 1947 to formally include school security as part of the nation's National Security Strategy. The bill requires the Secretaries of Education and Homeland Security to conduct a comprehensive assessment of threats to elementary schools, secondary schools, and colleges across the United States within 180 days of enactment, with input from state governors. The resulting report must be submitted to relevant congressional committees and party leadership. This legislation essentially elevates school safety from a local or state-level concern to a matter of federal national security policy, giving it formal recognition within the federal government's overall security planning framework. No specific funding amounts or ongoing appropriations are mentioned in the bill text provided.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education And Legacy Act (IDEAL Act) would redirect unspent Department of Education funds from fiscal year 2026 to states for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Specifically, the bill rescues any unobligated Education Department money remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 and redistributes it to states through fiscal year 2029 to support special education programs, provided that baseline IDEA funding levels remain at least equivalent to 2025 levels (adjusted for inflation). The bill affects nearly 8 million students with disabilities nationwide who receive services under IDEA, as well as the states that administer special education programs. The legislation requires the Secretary of Education to report within 90 days on which amounts were rescinded and how much each state receives. The transferred funds are intended to supplement, not replace, existing special education funding, and the bill is framed as a 50th-anniversary commemoration of IDEA's passage in 1975.

The Kid PROOF Act expands federal grants that currently support substance abuse treatment to also fund suicide and overdose prevention programs for children, adolescents, and young adults. The bill modifies the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to allow grants to go to a broader range of healthcare providers, including pediatric clinics, children's hospitals, emergency departments, mental health specialists, and tribal health services. Additionally, the legislation authorizes grants to fund parent education programs on overdose and suicide prevention, as well as supplies to help parents prevent access to lethal means. The funding period extends from fiscal years 2026 through 2030, with at least $2 million annually dedicated to these prevention and treatment grants. The bill was introduced in December 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Education and Workforce.

The Path to Affordable Homes Act of 2025 modifies federal rules for building energy efficiency standards by requiring the Department of Energy to consider additional factors before updating building codes. Specifically, when new energy efficiency standards are proposed, the Secretary of Energy must evaluate whether they are cost-effective, technologically feasible, and won't harm the electric grid's reliability. The bill also requires consideration of whether proposed standards would force buildings to switch away from fossil fuels to other energy sources—and critically, treats such fuel-switching requirements as a negative factor working against adoption of the new standards. The legislation applies to updates of federal building energy codes and gives the Secretary one year to make these determinations after new standards are approved. This bill essentially creates a higher bar for implementing stricter energy efficiency rules, particularly those that would move buildings away from natural gas or oil heating systems.

Keep America Flying Act of 2026This bill provides continuing appropriations to pay air traffic controllers, other essential Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, and certain Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees during the period in which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2026 are not in effect (i.e., the government shutdown).Specifically, the bill provides FY2026 continuing appropriations to pay and provide benefits toair traffic controllers and other FAA essential operational personnel whose services are required for the safe and orderly operation of the national airspace system; andTSA employees engaged in screening operations, aviation security duties, or related mission-support functions necessary to carry out security screening.The bill also provides appropriations for payments to FAA and TSA contractors who are providing support to these employees.The bill provides the continuing appropriations until the earlier of (1) the enactment into law of specified appropriations legislation, or (2) September 30, 2026. The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025.

The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act requires hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, laboratories, imaging providers, and health insurance plans to publicly disclose detailed pricing information in plain language and machine-readable formats, with implementation deadlines ranging from January 2026 through July 2027. Hospitals must post prices for at least 300 shoppable services by December 2026 (including gross charges, discounted cash prices, and negotiated rates), while insurers must provide patients with real-time tools to see expected out-of-pocket costs before receiving care and must send itemized explanations of benefits within 45 days. The bill also requires healthcare providers to issue itemized bills within 30 days, prohibits collecting payments exceeding previously disclosed prices, and voids contractual "gag clauses" that prevent plans from accessing pricing and claims data from service providers. Non-compliance is punished with escalating civil penalties ranging from $300 per day for general violations up to $10 million for willful hospital violations and $100,000 per day for certain service provider violations. Overall, the legislation aims to empower patients to shop for care more transparently while enabling health plans and regulators to better monitor provider pricing practices.

Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply ActThis bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to secure the supply of critical energy resources that are essential to the energy security of the United States. A critical energy resource means an energy resource (1) that is essential to the energy sector and energy systems of the United States, and (2) the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption.As part of its duties, DOE must conduct ongoing assessments ofenergy resource criticality,the U.S. supply chain of critical energy resources and its vulnerabilities, the diversity of domestic critical energy resource supply chains,capacity constraints on the domestic production of critical energy resources,federal regulations affecting the domestic production or importation of critical energy resources, how energy security is affected by reliance on imports of critical energy resources, and how adversarial nations seek to exploit critical energy resource markets to undermine investment in the United States.DOE must alsofacilitate the development of strategies to strengthen critical energy resource supply chains,develop substitutes and alternatives to critical energy resources, andimprove technology that reuses and recycles critical energy resources.

H.R. 3149, the App Store Accountability Act, requires major app stores and developers to implement safeguards protecting children through age verification, parental consent, and transparency about app data collection. App stores with over 5 million U.S. users must verify users' ages at account creation and obtain parental consent before children can download apps or make purchases, while developers must disclose what personal data they collect in plain language before gaining that consent. The Federal Trade Commission will issue guidance, certify compliant app stores, and enforce violations as unfair or deceptive practices, with state attorneys general also authorized to sue on behalf of their residents. The law takes effect one year after enactment and includes protections for app developers who rely in good faith on age verification systems from app stores, while preempting conflicting state laws.

This joint resolution revokes waivers granted to the California Air Resources Board regarding several of its regulations, including the Heavy-Duty Vehicle and Engine Emission Warranty Regulations and Maintenance Provisions. (Under the Clean Air Act, California may seek waivers of the preemption prohibiting states from enacting certain emission standards.)Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency notice titled California State Motor Vehicle and Engine Pollution Control Standards; Heavy-Duty Vehicle and Engine Emission Warranty and Maintenance Provisions; Advanced Clean Trucks; Zero Emission Airport Shuttle; Zero-Emission Power Train Certification; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision.

Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2025This bill requires the Industry and Analysis office of the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce to monitor and respond to disruptions in critical industries and supply chains.Specifically, the office must (1) establish the Supply Chain Resilience Working Group; (2) assess, map, and model critical supply chains; (3) identify high-priority supply chain gaps and vulnerabilities in critical industries; (4) identify and evaluate the effect of potential supply chain disruptions on market stability; and (5) collaborate with other governmental bodies and key international partners to identify opportunities to reduce supply chain gaps and vulnerabilities.Additionally, the office, in consultation with the working group and specified nongovernmental entities, must make recommendations and implement a strategy to improve the security and resiliency of manufacturing capacity and supply chains for critical industries (including critical industries for emerging technologies).The bill includes various reporting requirements.

This bill directs the Secretary of Transportation, working with the Coast Guard and Department of Defense, to conduct a comprehensive study of the Soo Locks in Michigan and submit findings to Congress within one year of passage. The report must assess current security vulnerabilities, identify potential domestic and international threats to the locks, evaluate the regional and national economic impact of any potential malfunction or failure, review existing security measures by federal and state agencies, and recommend improvements with cost estimates. The Soo Locks, which connect Lake Superior to the other Great Lakes, are critical infrastructure that handles massive volumes of cargo including iron ore, coal, and grain; a failure would significantly disrupt U.S. supply chains and regional economies. The bill affects the federal agencies responsible for transportation and maritime security but requires no new direct funding—it is essentially a fact-finding mandate for existing government agencies.

This bill requires the Secretary of the Air Force to continue producing and purchasing modern fighter jets until all Air National Guard units have replaced their older aircraft with advanced or fifth-generation fighters. The legislation specifically mandates ongoing procurement of at least one advanced capability fighter model (such as newer F-16 or F-15EX variants) and at least one fifth-generation fighter (like the F-35) until all eligible Air National Guard squadrons complete their modernization. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to review procurement challenges within one year and submit recommendations, with the Air Force required to report progress annually thereafter. Additionally, the Air Force must complete a feasibility study within 180 days examining the needs for advanced fighter aircraft across active and reserve components, including potential cost savings and contract methods. The legislation does not specify a total funding amount but commits to sustained procurement commitments until the Air National Guard's fleet modernization is complete.

This resolution honors Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan, on its 108th anniversary, commends the thousands of men and women who have worked and trained at the base, and reinforces the commitment of the Armed Forces to the base as a facility that is key to national security. The resolution also encourages continued cooperation and dialogue with the Department of Defense in support of the base and acknowledges Michigan's ongoing investments in its defense assets and workforce.

Disclose Getting Involved in Foreign Transactions Act or the Disclose GIFT ActThis bill requires certain institutions of higher education (IHEs) to disclose gifts or contracts between covered individuals (e.g., researchers) and foreign sources. This bill applies to an IHE that (1) is an eligible institution for purposes of federal student aid programs, and (2) has received more than $50 million in federal funds in any of the previous five calendar years (with at least part to support research and development) or that receives certain other federal funds.Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to maintaina policy requiring covered individuals employed at the IHE to annually disclose gifts received from, or contracts entered into with, a foreign source;a publicly available and searchable database with the disclosed information, excluding personally identifiable information; and a plan to identify and manage potential information gathering by foreign sources through espionage targeting covered individuals that may arise from such gifts or contracts.The bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to investigate possible violations of this bill and outlines the various penalties for each violation.Additionally, ED must maintain a single point of contact to, among other duties, receive and respond to inquiries and requests for technical assistance from IHEs regarding compliance with the requirements of the bill. IHEs must also establish policies and designate compliance officers.The Government Accountability Office must study and report on ways to improve intergovernmental agency coordination for implementing and enforcing disclosure reporting requirements.

This resolution expresses congressional support for designating March 6, 2025, as "Great Lakes Day" to highlight the ecological and economic importance of the Great Lakes region. The measure recognizes that the Great Lakes—consisting of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Superior—contain over 90 percent of U.S. freshwater and provide drinking water to more than 40 million people across eight states and millions more worldwide. The Great Lakes support significant economic activity, generating $3.1 trillion in gross domestic product and supporting over 25 million jobs in the region while also providing critical habitats for wildlife and recreational opportunities. The resolution commits Congress to preserving and protecting the Great Lakes through programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and specifically calls for increased efforts to protect Lake St. Clair, which the resolution identifies as central to the region's drinking water, recreation, and commerce. This is a symbolic measure with no new funding or enforcement mechanisms—it simply expresses congressional support and commitment to Great Lakes conservation.

H.R. 1796 reauthorizes and expands a federal program focused on sickle cell disease research, prevention, and treatment. The bill increases annual funding for the program from $4.5 million to $8.2 million per year, covering fiscal years 2025 through 2029, and broadens the program's scope to specifically include prevention and treatment of complications from sickle cell disease, not just the disease itself. The legislation also allows the Department of Health and Human Services greater flexibility in how it distributes these funds—enabling grants and cooperative agreements in addition to contracts with organizations working on sickle cell initiatives. The bill affects patients with sickle cell disease (a genetic blood disorder that disproportionately affects Black Americans) and the medical institutions, researchers, and treatment providers serving them. Congress additionally calls for increased research into heritable blood disorders more broadly to identify new cures and understand their underlying causes.