Amendment codifies protections and responsibilities for chaplains and subject such protections to prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The Super Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2026 strengthens federal budget rules by requiring that any legislation affecting spending or taxes must produce at least twice as much deficit reduction as it costs. For example, a bill that increases spending or cuts revenues by $100 billion would need to include at least $200 billion in spending cuts or revenue increases to qualify. The legislation affects Congress and the Office of Management and Budget, which must track these "Super PAYGO" requirements on scorecards covering 5 and 10-year periods. The bill makes it much harder to bypass these rules, requiring emergency designations to meet strict criteria and expire within 24 months, and preventing lawmakers from tucking deficit-increase provisions into larger bills without separate votes. The Congressional Budget Office must now evaluate whether bills meet these tougher standards in its cost estimates, and OMB must publicly report annually on deficit reduction achieved and any waivers granted. The requirements apply immediately to any legislation passed after the bill's enactment.

# Summary of H.R. 9716 (PRIVACY Act) This bill restricts federal law enforcement agencies from accessing surveillance data collected by state and local police without a warrant. The legislation creates a "Jurisdictional Wall List" of covered surveillance technologies that includes license plate readers, surveillance cameras, long-range microphones, fingerprint readers, and chemical scanners, with the Attorney General required to update the list every 90 days. Federal agencies can only access data from these devices with a warrant from a federal judge, except in genuine emergencies where immediate action is needed to prevent death or serious injury. Data obtained without proper authorization cannot be used as evidence in federal court, and the government must disclose such information to defendants under standard criminal procedure rules. The bill also prohibits federal funding for purchasing these surveillance technologies and requires the Attorney General to submit semiannual reports to Congress detailing federal surveillance data access. Violations can result in civil lawsuits, employee discipline, and inspector general audits, with the law taking effect 180 days after enactment.

The Preserving Our Constitution Act of 2026 prohibits U.S. courts and federal adjudicative bodies from recognizing or enforcing foreign laws, religious laws, customs, or practices that conflict with the Constitution and individual rights it guarantees. The bill specifically targets practices such as discrimination based on race or religion, forced or underage marriage, female genital mutilation, plural marriage, violence against women and children, and cruel punishments like amputation or stoning. The legislation bars courts from enforcing contracts that specify foreign or religious law as governing, prevents dismissal of cases on forum non conveniens grounds if alternative forums lack constitutional protections, and prohibits enforcement of foreign court decisions based on incompatible legal systems. Violations of the act constitute reversible error on appeal, though the bill does not create a private right of action for damages or injunctions and preserves the Federal Arbitration Act's enforcement of arbitration agreements where constitutional rights are not violated.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to repeal the Seventeenth Amendment, which currently requires U.S. Senators to be elected directly by voters in their states. If passed by Congress and ratified by three-fourths of the states within ten years, the repeal would restore the previous system where state legislatures selected senators instead. The change would affect how Americans elect their senators going forward, though it would not impact senators currently serving or those already elected before the amendment takes effect. The resolution was introduced by Representative Self and nine other House members and was referred to the Judiciary Committee. No specific funding is required for this constitutional amendment proposal, as it only addresses the structure of the legislative process.

The Eastern Frontier Defense Infrastructure Readiness Act requires the Department of Defense, working with the State Department, to assess how well NATO allies bordering Russia are preparing their infrastructure to support potential military operations. The report must evaluate twelve Eastern European and Nordic countries on their transportation networks, energy systems, communications infrastructure, financial systems, civil preparedness, and defense manufacturing capabilities, with attention to gaps that could hinder U.S. or allied reinforcement or enable Russian sabotage. Within 180 days of the law's enactment, the Defense Secretary must submit this assessment to Congress and identify the most critical infrastructure shortcomings, along with recommendations for U.S. security assistance and cooperation programs. The Government Accountability Office will then conduct an independent review of the report's methodology and recommendations within an additional 180 days. The law also authorizes the Defense Secretary to prioritize security assistance to these Eastern Frontier allies through existing defense cooperation programs from fiscal years 2028 through 2032, with annual briefings to Congress on how the budget implements these priorities.

The Hong Kong Equal Treatment Act would eliminate special trade and economic privileges that the United States currently grants to Hong Kong separately from mainland China, treating Hong Kong the same as the People's Republic of China under U.S. law. The bill directs the President to impose financial sanctions against foreign individuals and entities involved in actions that undermine democracy, suppress human rights, or limit freedoms in Hong Kong, including those who implement China's national security law in Hong Kong, suppress free speech and assembly, or commit arbitrary detention and torture. Sanctions would block all property and assets that these designated persons hold in the United States or under U.S. control. The bill applies to foreign government officials, leaders of sanctioned entities, and anyone who materially supports sanctioned individuals or entities. The legislation does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines, leaving enforcement authority with the Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury.

The TDIU Reform Act of 2026 would establish federal law governing how the Department of Veterans Affairs awards disability compensation to veterans who cannot work due to service-connected injuries or illnesses. Currently, this authority exists through VA policy, but this bill would formally write it into law. Veterans qualify if they have one disability rated at 60 percent or higher, or multiple disabilities including one at 40 percent or higher that combine to at least 70 percent. The VA would assign these veterans a "total" disability rating, entitling them to full disability compensation. The bill also sets a cap preventing new applicants age 67 or older from receiving this benefit starting December 31, 2026, and defines "marginal employment" as earnings at or below the federal poverty line to clarify what counts as gainful work.

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to launch a two-year demonstration project testing whether over-the-counter hearing aids, if FDA-cleared, can be covered for eligible veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The project would run at two or more VA medical facilities and would compare the effectiveness and cost of over-the-counter hearing aids against traditionally prescribed hearing aids fitted by audiologists, with results measured through both patient self-reporting and clinical assessments. Eligible veterans must be enrolled in VA health care, have a clinical determination of need from an audiologist, and have access to a mobile device to operate the hearing aids. The VA Secretary must submit an interim report after one year and a final report within six months of the project's conclusion, evaluating the fiscal impact of potentially providing permanent coverage for over-the-counter hearing aids. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study hearing aid coverage for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss and submit recommendations within 18 months of enactment.

# Summary of H.R. 8836 – Know Your American Customer Act This bill requires banks and credit unions to verify that customers are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country before opening or maintaining accounts. Beginning 90 days after enactment, covered individuals must present documents such as a passport, driver's license, birth certificate, green card, or valid visa with proof of lawful admission. People with temporary authorization to stay must provide certification of their expiration date and will have their accounts automatically restricted after their authorized stay expires, allowing only deposits but no withdrawals for 60 days before account closure if they cannot prove updated legal status. The bill affects all banks and credit unions nationwide and creates criminal penalties of up to $1 million in fines and one year in prison for undocumented immigrants or those with removal orders who knowingly open or maintain active accounts. However, the law includes safe harbors protecting financial institutions from penalties if they make good-faith efforts to comply and accept valid documents listed in the bill. The Treasury Department must issue interim guidance within 30 days and final regulations within 90 days of enactment. The bill preempts any state laws on this subject and exempts certain international banking accounts and foreign nationals not physically present in the U.S.

The Compensation Fund Recrediting Act would wind down the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, which was established under the 2009 economic stimulus law to provide benefits to Filipino veterans who served in World War II and other conflicts. The bill would end the fund's operations on January 1, 2027, and redirect any remaining money in the fund to the federal government's general treasury rather than continuing to use it for veteran compensation. This change affects Filipino veterans and their families who may be eligible for benefits from this fund. The legislation removes the open-ended spending authority for the fund and replaces it with a specific sunset date, effectively closing this compensation program at the start of 2027.

The CHARGE Act would prohibit the sale, import, and distribution of electric vehicles and related equipment manufactured by foreign entities of concern, primarily targeting Chinese-made EVs and components. The bill defines "foreign entity of concern" using existing national security legislation and specifically targets vehicle charge power control components like onboard chargers and battery management systems made by these entities. Congress's stated concern is that electric vehicles connected to the power grid through vehicle-to-grid technology could be remotely manipulated by adversaries to destabilize the electrical grid, potentially causing massive economic damage and national security risks. The legislation amends existing motor vehicle safety regulations to add these vehicles and components to the noncomplying motor vehicles list, effectively blocking their market entry. The bill applies immediately upon enactment with exceptions allowed only in specific circumstances already defined in related motor vehicle regulations.

The Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026 comprehensively reorganizes and strengthens protections for military chaplains across the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps by establishing new Deputy Chief leadership positions with brigadier general and rear admiral ranks and clarifying that chaplains' primary duties include providing religious services, counseling, and advising commanders on religious accommodation. The bill protects chaplains' rights to perform their duties consistently with their sincere religious beliefs and their religious organization's practices, preventing the military from compelling them to perform services against their faith or retaliating against them for refusing to do so. It establishes enforcement mechanisms by making violations of chaplain protections prosecutable offenses under military law, requiring the President to issue implementing regulations within one year and update the Manual for Courts-Martial. The legislation reflects congressional findings that religious liberty and accommodation are constitutionally protected in military service, drawing on historical military leaders' recognition of chaplaincy's importance and recent Supreme Court decisions. These reforms affect all military chaplains and the command structures that oversee them, modernizing existing chaplaincy laws without specifying new funding requirements.

H.R. 8668, the State Department Recurring Reports Repeal and Sunset Act of 2026, reduces the number of reports the State Department must submit to Congress on foreign affairs matters by repealing or modifying requirements across 22 existing federal laws covering defense, sanctions, trade, and foreign assistance. The bill consolidates many recurring reports that were previously required every 60 to 180 days into annual submissions and adds sunset dates between 2030 and 2038 to eliminate open-ended reporting mandates. These changes aim to ease the administrative burden on the State Department and related agencies while maintaining congressional oversight through less frequent but standardized reporting schedules. No specific funding is allocated in the bill, as it focuses on administrative streamlining rather than new spending.

H.Amdt.206 amendment — An amendment numbered 47 printed in Part B of House Report 119-628 to add "soda" to the definition of ineligible items and defines soda as a carbonated beverage containing more than 1 gram of added sugar, artificial sweetener, or flavoring per serving.. The text for this legislation has not yet been released. A summary will be generated when there is text available.

This House resolution expresses congressional support for Kosovo's integration into NATO, stating that full membership is a priority for U.S. national security interests in Southeastern Europe. The resolution reflects concern about Russian and Chinese influence expanding in the Western Balkans and calls for the United States to actively push for Kosovo's admission through NATO's established membership pathways, including the Partnership for Peace program and the Membership Action Plan. It also urges four NATO member states that do not currently recognize Kosovo's independence—Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain—to change their positions to allow Kosovo to proceed toward formal NATO membership. The resolution calls for continued U.S. military and security assistance to strengthen Kosovo's defense capabilities and intelligence institutions. While this is a non-binding expression of the House's position rather than legislation that creates law or appropriates funds, it signals congressional intent to support Kosovo's security development and NATO integration efforts.

H.R. 8634, the Consanguineous Marriage Prohibition Act of 2026, would establish a federal ban on marriage between individuals who are closely related by blood. The bill specifically prohibits marriages between people who are related within the degree of first cousin, meaning that marriages between first cousins and closer relatives would be illegal under federal law. The legislation amends existing marriage provisions in federal law to add this relationship restriction. The bill would affect anyone seeking to marry a close blood relative and would apply nationwide. The proposal was introduced in the House on April 30, 2026, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, with no specific funding or implementation timeline specified in the text.

The FAITH Act (Freedom Against Imposed Theology Harms Act) makes it a federal crime to charge fees, fines, or other financial obligations to people based on their religious participation or membership, or lack thereof. The law applies to anyone who knowingly imposes such charges, with penalties ranging from fines and up to one year in prison for violations under $1,000, and fines plus up to three years in prison for larger violations. The bill also prohibits denying goods, services, or access to anyone who refuses to pay such religiously-based fees, with penalties of fines and up to one year in prison. The legislation includes an exception allowing religious organizations and educational institutions to request voluntary contributions from members for internal purposes. The law becomes effective 30 days after enactment and can also be prosecuted as a racketeering offense under federal RICO statutes.

This bill directs NASA's Administrator to work toward establishing the initial components of a lunar outpost by December 31, 2030. The legislation amends existing space law to formalize NASA's goal of creating a permanent or semi-permanent human presence on the Moon as part of the agency's broader lunar exploration program. The bill affects NASA and its contractors who would be responsible for designing and constructing the outpost infrastructure. No specific funding amount is allocated in the bill text provided, though the deadline for establishing these initial elements is set for the end of 2030. This measure essentially codifies into law NASA's commitment to develop foundational infrastructure for sustained lunar operations.

The GUARD Act would deny tax-exempt status to certain nonprofit organizations that receive donations or gifts from citizens or nationals of designated foreign adversaries, including China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill amends the tax code to strip tax-exempt status from affected organizations for any tax year in which they receive such contributions, effective immediately upon the law's enactment. The legislation specifically targets certain types of nonprofits—described in the tax code as charitable and social organizations—and gives the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the State Department, authority to designate additional countries as foreign adversaries based on national security interests. While the bill contains no specific funding provisions or implementation timeline beyond the effective date, it would significantly impact organizations that currently rely on tax-exempt status, as receiving even a single foreign donation could jeopardize their entire tax-exempt designation.

H.R. 7950 establishes a new Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs within the Department of Veterans Affairs to serve as the main point of contact between the VA and Congress. The office will handle communications with Congress, arrange hearings and briefings, prepare testimony, track information requests, and ensure timely responses to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees. The office will be led by an Assistant Secretary (a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate) along with two Deputy Assistant Secretaries—one handling legislative strategy and one managing congressional operations—with built-in checks to ensure political appointees don't control operational decisions or delay official communications. At least 65 percent of the office's staff must be career civil servants rather than political appointees. The bill requires the VA to acknowledge congressional information requests within two business days, provide a delivery timeline within five days, and produce all materials within 45 days (or 60 days for complex requests). If the VA misses these deadlines, funding for the office's operations is frozen until it complies, and the VA Inspector General must investigate the delay. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate the office's implementation two years after the law takes effect.

The Biodefense Diplomacy Enhancement Act directs the U.S. State Department to strengthen international cooperation on biological threats and biosecurity, primarily through NATO and allied nations. The Secretary of State must develop two strategies—one focused on NATO biodefense cooperation and another on broader international biotechnology and biosecurity partnerships—and submit them to Congress within 270 days. The bill requires the State Department to coordinate export controls on dual-use biotechnology items that could be used for bioweapons development, promote safety standards in biological research across allied nations, and work with partners to enforce the Biological Weapons Convention. No specific funding amount is allocated in the bill, and the initiatives must be completed within nine months, with congressional briefings provided at the 90-day mark. The legislation primarily affects State Department operations and foreign policy toward NATO members and major U.S. allies, while aiming to prevent the misuse of biotechnology for military purposes globally.

The SHADOW Act establishes a new State Department coordinator position to oversee U.S. efforts in countering hybrid warfare—a combination of military and non-military tactics used to destabilize American interests abroad. The bill requires the Secretary of State to assess threats from hybrid warfare activities, promote international cooperation with NATO and other allies to address these threats, and improve information sharing about Chinese and Russian cyber campaigns and related activities. Within 180 days of the bill's enactment, the newly designated coordinator must submit a public report identifying Chinese companies that support Russia's defense industrial base and recommend appropriate sanctions or export controls against them. The coordinator will also submit annual progress reports to Congress for three years detailing findings on hybrid threats and coordination efforts with allies. The bill does not include new funding amounts but assigns these responsibilities to an existing State Department official who will report to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

The VA Bonus and Relocation Recovery Act would give the Secretary of Veterans Affairs new authority to recoup bonuses, awards, and relocation expenses from former VA employees who received these payments under certain conditions. Under the bill, if the VA disputes a bonus or relocation payment to a former employee and that decision is upheld by a director-level review, the employee would have 180 days to repay the disputed amount or face collection action through standard federal debt recovery procedures. The legislation also prevents the VA Secretary from waiving recovery of these amounts, meaning the department must pursue collection regardless of circumstances. The bill affects former VA employees and the department's ability to recover funds, though it does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines beyond the 180-day repayment window. This represents an expansion of the VA's authority to hold former employees financially accountable for bonuses and relocation expenses deemed improper.

Federal Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act of 2025This bill prohibits federal agencies, including the military, from awarding contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other types of financial assistance for three years to individuals who are convicted of specified fraud-related felonies related to the use of federal financial assistance.Specifically, the bill requires individuals who are convicted of specified felonies arising out of agency contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, loans, or other financial assistance to be included on the exclusion list for the government’s e-procurement and data and award management system (i.e., the System for Award Management). Federal agencies, including the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, may not award any form of financial assistance to these individuals for three years. The prohibition generally applies to fraud-related felonies, such as aggravated identity theft, mail or computer fraud, and embezzlement of funds. The Department of Justice (DOJ) must notify the General Services Administration (GSA) in a timely manner when individuals are convicted of such felonies so that GSA may add these individuals to the exclusion list.Agencies may exempt individuals from the prohibition but must notify Congress of any such exemptions.DOJ must issue guidance on the bill's implementation.