The Marine Mammal Climate Change Protection Act of 2026 amends federal law to require the Secretary of Commerce to identify marine mammal species and populations threatened by climate change and develop conservation plans for them. Within 24 months of enactment, the Secretary must publish a list of affected species in waters under U.S. jurisdiction, then create detailed climate impact management plans for each listed species within 18 to 30 months depending on the species' status. These plans must include strategies to conserve and recover the species, monitor climate effects, reduce fishing interactions, and increase resilience by addressing other human impacts. The bill also establishes a monitoring program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to track climate impacts on marine mammals and requires the Secretary to work with other federal agencies and foreign governments to implement the plans. The legislation authorizes $10 million annually through 2031 for NOAA, $5 million for the Interior Department, and $1 million for the Marine Mammal Commission to carry out these activities.

This resolution seeks to block a Department of Veterans Affairs rule on reproductive health services that was published in December 2025. If passed by both chambers of Congress, the rule would be invalidated and have no legal effect. The legislation uses the Congressional Review Act, a procedural mechanism that allows Congress to overturn federal agency regulations. The rule would affect reproductive health care policies for veterans, though the resolution does not specify what services the VA rule would have provided. The measure was introduced by Representative Brownley and cosponsors and was referred to the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for consideration.

H.R. 6780 directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish research centers and programs focused on developing alternative protein sources through advanced manufacturing techniques like bioprocessing and biomanufacturing. The legislation affects universities, private companies, nonprofits, government labs, and agricultural communities by creating new funding and support mechanisms for protein innovation research and production. The bill authorizes $100 million in federal funding over five years (fiscal years 2026-2030), distributed among research centers of excellence ($15 million), a national Agricultural Research Service program ($10 million), food biomanufacturing production grants ($50 million), and workforce development grants ($25 million). The Secretary of Agriculture must establish a national strategy on protein security within one year and submit annual reports to Congress. The legislation aims to diversify the U.S. food supply, create jobs in the biotechnology sector, strengthen supply chain resilience, and position America as a global leader in alternative protein innovation.

Zero Food Waste ActThis bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program to study and reduce food waste. States, local governments, territorial governments, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations may apply for the grants.

This bill expands Veterans Affairs health care benefits to family members and others who lived at or worked at military locations where veterans developed presumed service-connected illnesses, such as contaminated bases. Eligible individuals include family members, workers, and those exposed in utero who can demonstrate exposure to the same toxic conditions that qualify veterans for presumed benefits. The VA would provide hospital care and medical services for covered illnesses at these locations, though benefits are limited to appropriated funds and cannot cover conditions from other causes. Before the VA pays, individuals must exhaust all other available claims and remedies, including private insurance coverage. The bill requires the VA to report annually through 2029 on how many people received care, what conditions were treated, and how many applications were denied or are pending, giving Congress ongoing visibility into the program's scope and costs.

The Gold Star Siblings Educational Benefits Act expands educational benefits to siblings of certain veterans who died or were disabled in service. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs provides education assistance to spouses and children of qualifying veterans, but this bill adds siblings to the eligible beneficiaries across three major VA educational programs: the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program, the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, and the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program. For siblings using transferred benefits under the Post-9/11 program, the bill establishes eligibility through age 26 and includes provisions for siblings serving as primary caregivers to injured service members and veterans to extend their eligibility period. The bill does not specify dedicated funding amounts, as it modifies existing VA educational programs to include a new category of beneficiaries.

This bill directs the Department of Energy to create a National Electric Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap within 12 months, outlining strategies, obstacles, congressional recommendations, and cost estimates for expanding bidirectional charging technology—which allows electric vehicles to both receive power and send power back to the grid. Within two years, the Secretary of Energy must establish technical standards and issue regulations requiring all new electric vehicles manufactured from model year 2029 onward to have bidirectional charging capability, with limited exemptions. The bill sets civil penalties of up to $21,000 per violation (with a $105 million cap per violation series) for manufacturers that fail to comply, while also directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to require states and local governments to incorporate bidirectional charging in their disaster recovery plans. Overall, the legislation aims to standardize and accelerate adoption of this technology to help stabilize the electrical grid and provide backup power during emergencies.

The Every Veteran Counts Act of 2025 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to collect, maintain, and publicly share comprehensive demographic data about the nation's nearly 19 million veterans. The bill directs the VA to create a database collecting information on veterans' sex, gender identity, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, employment status, military service history, housing, income, disability ratings, and geographic location, among other factors. This demographic information must be anonymized to protect privacy, stored in machine-readable formats, and published on the VA's public website with annual updates. The VA must implement these requirements within 180 days of the bill's enactment. Additionally, the bill requires the VA Secretary to submit a comprehensive report to Congress within one year describing progress on the department's data management strategy, including recommendations for improved data sharing with other federal agencies and consulting with veterans' advocacy groups, congressional committees, and federal partners. The legislation aims to provide Congress, policymakers, and veteran service organizations with current, accurate data to better align VA services and policies with the needs of an evolving veteran population.

Have You Served ActThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide grants to certain states (including U.S. territories and possessions and the District of Columbia), American Indian tribes, or Alaska Native tribes to carry out campaigns to encourage human services professionals, state and local governments, and community providers to ask consumers whether they or a loved one have served in the Armed Forces. To be eligible, a state, American Indian tribe, or Alaska Native tribe must develop and submit a veteran suicide prevention plan to the VA.Such grants must be used for training about (1) how to appropriately ask consumers whether they or a loved one have served in the Armed Forces, and (2) resources available through the VA or other providers for members of the Armed Forces and veterans to encourage the trained individuals to refer consumers to such resources.The VA must also develop a plan to work with each federal department and agency to implement similar campaigns.

This bill requires the Comptroller General (the federal government's top auditor) to review and report on the Department of Veterans Affairs' budget requests for medical care spending for fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028. The reviews will examine four key VA medical budget accounts: Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, Medical Facilities, and Medical Community Care. The Comptroller General will submit detailed reports to Congress about these reviews, with the timing and scope determined in consultation with Congressional committees overseeing veterans' affairs. The bill aims to increase oversight and transparency of how the VA budgets and spends money on veterans' healthcare without establishing new funding levels or allocations.

The Helping Homeless Veterans Act of 2025 makes permanent several federal programs designed to help homeless veterans and veterans with special needs. Specifically, the bill removes expiration dates from four major VA programs: mental health treatment for seriously ill homeless veterans, housing assistance for homeless veterans, financial support for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing, and a grant program for homeless veterans with special needs. The legislation also allocates $420 million annually starting in fiscal year 2027 to support these housing and services programs. Additionally, the bill extends the authority of the VA's Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans. Overall, the bill aims to provide stable, long-term federal support for vulnerable veteran populations by removing sunset provisions that would otherwise end these assistance programs.

The Same Day Registration Act of 2025 requires all states to allow eligible voters to register on Election Day or during any early voting period for federal elections. Under this bill, voters can register at polling places using standard registration forms and immediately cast their ballots, or update existing voter registration information on the spot. The requirement takes effect for the November 2026 general election and applies to all subsequent federal elections, though states with no voter registration requirements are exempted from the mandate. The bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and does not specify new federal funding or appropriations for implementation. This legislation aims to increase voter participation by removing the barrier of advance registration deadlines.

H.Res. 793 is a symbolic resolution expressing support for designating October 2025 as "National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month." The resolution does not create new programs or provide funding; instead, it calls attention to learning disabilities, which affect approximately 32 percent of students receiving special education services under federal law. The resolution highlights concerning statistics, including that over 96 percent of fourth and eighth grade students with learning disabilities were not proficient in reading during the 2023-2024 school year, and notes that Black and Hispanic students with learning disabilities face even larger achievement gaps. The resolution encourages state and local school agencies to continue supporting students with learning disabilities through appropriate instruction, emphasizing that research shows these students can achieve at levels comparable to their peers when given proper support and evidence-based teaching methods.

H.R. 5545, known as Katie Meyer's Law, requires colleges and universities to provide students accused of code of conduct violations with access to an adviser during disciplinary proceedings. Students would have the option to bring their own outside adviser or request that the institution provide an independent adviser through resources like a confidential respondent services coordinator or peer support program. The adviser must be trained on the institution's disciplinary procedures, can receive regular updates on the case with the student's permission, and may advocate for the student throughout the process, subject to applicable state laws and Title IX regulations. The bill also requires colleges to disclose statistics on reported campus suicides as part of their annual campus security reporting. Any college that receives federal funding under applicable federal education programs must adopt these policies to remain eligible for that funding.

This bill prohibits trucking companies from using predatory lease-purchase programs that exploit independent truck drivers. The Department of Transportation must create regulations within one year to define and ban these arrangements, which currently trap drivers in unfair contracts where they lease trucks from the same companies that employ them while accumulating little to no ownership equity. The legislation also requires the Transportation Department to establish a process allowing drivers harmed by predatory lease terms to seek relief and exit their agreements. This bill primarily affects trucking companies and independent truck drivers operating in the for-hire trucking industry, addressing a long-standing practice where carriers effectively control drivers' wages, work conditions, and debt while preventing them from building any real equity in their vehicles.

The Gun Suicide Prevention Act of 2025 requires firearms manufacturers and retailers to attach warning labels to all guns and their packaging that display the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number (988) in both English and Spanish, along with a yellow warning triangle. The bill affects all firearm manufacturers and sellers across the country, aiming to increase access to mental health resources during moments of crisis. Violations of the labeling requirement are treated as violations of consumer product safety laws, with manufacturers and retailers subject to existing penalties under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The legislation provides a two-year implementation period after enactment for manufacturers and retailers to comply with the new labeling requirements. There is no specific federal funding allocated in the bill, as it focuses on mandating labeling practices rather than funding prevention programs directly.

H.Res. 684 is a symbolic resolution expressing congressional support for designating September 9, 2025, as "National Firearm Suicide Prevention Day." The resolution acknowledges the significant public health crisis of firearm suicide in the United States, noting that 74 people die by firearm suicide daily and that firearms account for 55 percent of all suicides. The resolution emphasizes that safe firearm storage—such as keeping guns locked and unloaded—is an evidence-based prevention strategy, pointing out that a 20 percent increase in households practicing safe storage could prevent nearly one-third of annual youth gun deaths. The resolution affects gun owners, healthcare professionals, and public health organizations by encouraging them to discuss firearm safety and secure storage. As a resolution rather than legislation, this measure carries no funding or legal requirements but instead encourages awareness and action on suicide prevention through safe firearm practices.

This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide abortion care, counseling, and related medications to eligible veterans and their family members who receive health care through the VA system. The legislation amends federal law to include abortion services as part of standard VA medical benefits, treating it the same as other reproductive health services. The bill affects both covered veterans and certain individuals eligible for VA health benefits under existing law. No specific funding amounts or implementation timelines are included in the legislative text provided. The bill was introduced in August 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for consideration.

The Saving Our Interconnected Lives (SOIL) Act amends federal farm conservation programs to increase financial incentives for farmers and landowners who adopt practices benefiting both soil health and wildlife habitat. The bill raises payment rates to 90 percent of project costs for specific conservation practices—such as planting trees and shrubs, creating wetland buffers, installing riparian forests, and implementing cover crops—under two existing USDA programs: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. The legislation affects agricultural producers across the country by making these dual-benefit practices more financially attractive and by prioritizing such projects in the competitive application process for conservation funding. No new funding levels are specified in the bill text, though it directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prioritize and evaluate applications that address both soil and wildlife habitat concerns. The changes take effect upon enactment with no specific timeline mentioned.

The Veterans' Surviving Spouse Equity Act of 2025 expands Veterans Affairs benefits for surviving spouses of veterans who were rated totally disabled at the time of their death. Currently, surviving spouses must meet certain eligibility requirements to receive benefits; this bill broadens those requirements to include spouses who were married to the veteran for at least one year before the veteran's death, or who lived with the veteran in the same household for at least one year and publicly presented themselves as the veteran's spouse, even if either party entered into another marriage during that time. The legislation affects surviving spouses seeking VA benefits and aims to ensure more equitable access to survivor benefits for those in long-term relationships with totally disabled veterans. The bill does not specify additional funding or implementation timelines, as it primarily modifies existing eligibility criteria under VA law.

Climate-Friendly Food Label Task Force ActThis bill establishes an advisory panel to study and submit a report to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Congress on the development of a climate-friendly certification for agricultural products. The USDA-appointed advisory panel must include representatives who are scientists (including experts on climate science and nutrition science) and representatives from environmental advocacy organizations, industry, and federal agencies.The panel's report must include recommendations regarding the development of a climate-friendly certification for agricultural products that (1) moves agricultural producers toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis, and (2) uses market-based approaches that allow for greater consumer choice and education.USDA may not issue any related regulations or guidance (or otherwise certify or advertise any agricultural product as climate-friendly) before the report is submitted to Congress.

This bill requires federal agencies to provide employees and former employees with copies of their official personnel record files. Current federal employees must receive their files within seven days of requesting them, while newly separated employees must automatically receive their files within seven days of leaving the agency. For individuals who separated before this law takes effect, the Office of Personnel Management has 21 days to provide the files upon request. All files must be provided in both electronic and physical formats. The bill aims to give federal workers greater access to and transparency about their employment records maintained by the government.

This bill requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' enforcement actions against gun dealers, including the number of inspections conducted, licenses revoked or surrendered, serious violations identified, and reasons for not pursuing revocation in cases where violations were found. The bill defines "serious violations" as specific offenses such as refusing inspections, illegally transferring firearms, failing background check waiting periods, falsifying records, and not reporting thefts or multiple sales. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to complete a study within one year examining whether systemic failures exist in how federal firearm licenses are issued and revoked, whether geographic disparities in enforcement occur, and what oversight occurs while revocation cases are pending. The Attorney General must publish all report information on the Bureau's website for public access. The legislation imposes no direct funding requirement but creates new reporting and study obligations for federal agencies.

The Offshore Pipeline Safety Act requires the federal government to strengthen safety and environmental protections for offshore oil and gas pipelines. The bill directs the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to finalize updated regulations within 18 months that require pipeline owners to conduct inspections every two years and install leak detection systems. The legislation also requires federal agencies to study the risks of leaving old pipelines on the ocean floor versus removing them, with recommendations due within 18 months, and mandates the Bureau to monitor all decommissioned pipelines and address any exposed pipeline segments. Additionally, the bill creates an annual fee on pipeline owners—ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 per mile depending on water depth—to fund pipeline decommissioning if owners go bankrupt. The bill also calls for a separate study on environmental risks from chemicals used in oil and gas operations, with findings due within two years.

The Loved Ones Interment Act modifies Department of Veterans Affairs burial benefits for cremated veterans. Currently, when a veteran is cremated, the VA provides an urn or commemorative plaque but not a traditional headstone or marker. This bill allows the VA Secretary to also furnish a headstone or marker for cremated veterans if they are buried together with another eligible individual (such as a spouse or family member) at the same burial site, as long as the headstone includes information about both people and does not exceed the maximum cost allowed by law. The legislation primarily affects cremated veterans and their families who wish to be buried together and have a shared memorial marker. No specific funding amounts or implementation timelines are specified in the bill.