This bill establishes stricter requirements for colleges and universities that want to switch their accrediting agency, which is the organization responsible for evaluating educational quality. Before switching accreditors, institutions must submit an application to the Secretary of Education that explains their reasons for the change, demonstrates how the new accreditor aligns with their mission, and provides supporting documentation including recent inspection reports and any pending complaints. The Secretary must publish the application for public comment, allow at least 30 days for feedback, and review the application to determine whether the institution is trying to avoid sanctions, reduce oversight, or escape scrutiny by regulators. The bill automatically denies applications from institutions that have had their accreditation withdrawn in the past 24 months or that are currently on probation or under show cause orders. The Secretary has up to 90 days to approve or deny the application, with an additional 90 days available if needed for thorough review. The bill also requires new accrediting agencies to have at least two years of experience and meet specific standards before receiving federal recognition. These requirements apply to any accreditor seeking new or renewed recognition after the bill's enactment and to any college attempting to switch accreditors afterward.

The Health DATA Act of 2026 amends federal law governing employer-sponsored health plans to increase transparency and protect workers. The bill requires health plans to have audit rights over de-identified claims data from healthcare providers, insurers, pharmacies, and other service providers, allowing plans to verify compliance with contract terms and check if payments are reasonable. These audits cannot be unreasonably restricted, and providers cannot charge excessive fees for producing requested information. The legislation also prohibits discrimination against plan participants or beneficiaries based on health plan data, with violations subject to civil penalties of $100 per day per affected person. Additionally, the bill clarifies that plan fiduciaries have a duty to safeguard and manage data generated during plan administration. The bill establishes enforcement mechanisms through the Department of Labor and allows participants to sue directly without first exhausting administrative remedies for discrimination violations.

This bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit biennial reports to Congress assessing the staffing levels at VA medical facilities nationwide. The first report must be submitted within 180 days of the bill's enactment, with subsequent reports due by December 31 of each even-numbered year. Each report must include a comprehensive evaluation of staffing adequacy across different types of health care professionals and support personnel, current wait times and workload levels at key clinics such as mental health, primary care, and women's health, and detailed analysis of vacant or temporary positions including how long they have remained unfilled. The reports must also address succession planning challenges at VA facilities, track provider departures and rehires, and include plans for addressing any identified staffing shortages with timelines for implementation. This legislation is intended to help Congress monitor whether the VA has sufficient staff to meet veterans' health care needs and to improve transparency around staffing challenges within the department.

The Promoting Authenticity with Influencer Disclaimers Act would require political committees to clearly disclose when they pay influencers and other social media users to post campaign content online. Under the bill, any paid communication posted on internet websites, apps, or digital platforms must include a visible, readable, or audible statement indicating that a political committee funded the post. The disclosure requirement applies to text, graphic, audiovisual, and audio-only communications, though it excludes content posted directly on a political committee's own website and posts by paid committee staff on their personal social media accounts where the only cost is their salary. The Federal Election Commission must write regulations to implement these rules by January 1, 2027, and the requirements take effect the same day regardless of whether final regulations are completed. The bill aims to increase transparency in political advertising and help voters distinguish between authentic social media content and paid political messaging.

The Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2026 would amend federal labor law to establish and automatically increase salary thresholds that determine which employees can be classified as exempt from overtime pay requirements. Starting at $45,000 annually when the law takes effect, the threshold would rise to $55,000 in 2027, $65,000 in 2028, and $75,000 in 2029, then automatically adjust each year based on the earnings of salaried workers nationwide. The bill would also require that exempt employees spend at least 20 percent of their time performing actual executive or administrative duties, rather than other tasks. This legislation would affect millions of middle-level managers, administrators, and professionals across the country, as more workers would become eligible for overtime compensation if their salaries fall below the threshold. The bill would take effect approximately three months after being enacted and requires the Department of Labor to publish updated thresholds at least 60 days before they take effect.

This resolution provides for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 2102) to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for concurrent receipt of veterans' disability compensation and retired pay for disability retirees with combat-related disabilities, and for other purposes.

H.Res. 1162 is a congressional resolution supporting Glisten's 2026 Day of Silence, an annual event that brings attention to bullying and discrimination against LGBTQI+ students in K-12 schools. The resolution recognizes the documented experiences of LGBTQI+ youth, citing data showing that 58 percent of LGBTQI+ students report verbal harassment at school and 67 percent feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The resolution calls on states, cities, and local school districts to adopt laws and policies that prohibit bullying and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. This is a symbolic resolution with no direct funding or implementation timeline, and it does not create binding requirements but instead encourages schools nationwide to create safer and more inclusive learning environments for all students, particularly LGBTQI+ youth.

The PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026 requires health insurance plans—including private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Veterans Affairs, and military TRICARE—to cover HIV prevention medications (such as PrEP) and related services with no out-of-pocket costs to patients, effective January 1, 2027. The bill also prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on HIV prevention medication use. To increase access and awareness, the legislation establishes public and healthcare provider education campaigns focused on underserved communities, along with a federal grant program that funds states, territories, tribes, and nonprofits to provide PrEP and PEP services for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Enforcement mechanisms require insurers to report annual compliance data and mandate federal agencies monitor adherence to the coverage requirements, ensuring the program meets its public health goals.

This bill establishes a temporary 15-member commission to investigate the historical and ongoing discrimination against LGBTQ+ service members and veterans in the U.S. armed forces dating back to World War II. The commission will document discriminatory policies, hold public hearings across the country, gather testimony from affected service members and veterans, and examine the physical, mental, financial, and professional impacts of these policies—including effects on homelessness, suicidality, healthcare denial, and force readiness. The commission will then submit findings and recommendations to Congress within one year, including potential remedies such as formal apologies, back pay compensation, discharge upgrades, restoration of healthcare benefits, and improvements to diversity policies within the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. Members will be appointed by congressional committees and executive branch departments within 30 days of the bill's enactment, and the commission will terminate 90 days after submitting its final report. The bill authorizes whatever funding is necessary to conduct this work, though no specific amount is specified.

The Unsubscribe Act of 2025 strengthens consumer protections against deceptive subscription and auto-renewal practices across all types of media and sales channels. The bill requires merchants to clearly disclose all terms of negative-option contracts (subscriptions, auto-renewals, and free-to-paid conversions) and obtain explicit, separate consent from consumers before charging them—prohibiting pre-checked boxes and silent consent. For online purchases, merchants must provide a simple, direct online cancellation mechanism; for other sales methods, cancellation must be equally convenient. The legislation also mandates that auto-renewals cannot continue indefinitely without fresh consent and requires merchants to send renewal reminders at least two to seven days before charging. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce the law with authority to issue regulations, and state attorneys general can bring civil suits on behalf of residents, though federal actions take priority. The law becomes effective one year after enactment and does not override state laws that offer greater consumer protections.

The White House NOT FOR SALE Act prohibits the display of names, logos, advertisements, or endorsements of individuals, corporations, or other entities at the White House and its grounds without explicit approval from the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the White House Curator, and the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. The bill, introduced in October 2025, applies to any permanent or semi-permanent inscriptions, engravings, or displays within these spaces, effectively preventing corporate sponsorships and commercial branding from appearing on White House property. An exception exists for displays that qualify as commemorative works under existing federal law. The legislation affects anyone or any organization seeking to place their name or brand at the White House and essentially codifies stricter controls over what can be displayed on the nation's most visible government building. No specific funding or implementation timeline is provided in the bill's text.

White House Building Activities Locked-out in Lapse Act or the BALL ActThis bill prohibits federal funds from being used for construction or renovation in the White House, on White House grounds, or within any structure on White House grounds during a lapse in appropriations for a fiscal year (i.e., government shutdown) unless the construction or renovation is directly related to matters of health or safety.

The FRAUD in VA Disability Exams Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish stronger systems for detecting and reporting fraud in disability benefit questionnaire forms. The bill directs the VA to create a process for employees to identify and report suspected fraud, conduct regular audits of submitted forms regardless of their source, and notify veterans when fraudulent activity is suspected. The VA's Office of Inspector General would receive expanded investigative authority to pursue suspected fraud cases, though the department generally cannot reopen final benefit decisions based on these investigations—except in cases where someone is actually convicted of a fraud-related crime. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must submit annual reports to Congress detailing how these fraud-detection efforts are working. This legislation primarily affects veterans applying for or receiving disability benefits and aims to protect the integrity of the VA's benefits system.

The Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2025 creates a comprehensive framework to protect noncitizen service members and veterans from deportation and to streamline their path to citizenship. The bill requires the federal government to study noncitizen veterans removed since 1990, establishes a Department of Homeland Security identification system to flag noncitizen veterans before removal proceedings, and creates an advisory committee to review removal cases and recommend alternatives like deferred action. It extends the naturalization waiting period from six months to one year and requires the Department of Defense to station immigration officials at military recruitment centers to inform recruits about citizenship opportunities through service. The bill also grants the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to restore permanent residency to deported veterans, waive most immigration grounds of inadmissibility for veteran deportees in the public interest, and allows spouses and children of U.S. citizen service members and veterans with at least two years of honorable service to adjust their immigration status without meeting certain standard admissibility requirements.

The Ensuring Veterans' Smooth Transition Act would automatically enroll eligible veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs' patient enrollment system, streamlining access to VA health care. Under the bill, the VA would enroll newly discharged or separated veterans within 60 days of receiving their information from the Department of Defense, then notify them of their enrollment and provide instructions for opting out or enrolling later. The bill requires the VA to deliver these notices through multiple channels—mail, email, and text messaging where practical—and to establish an online opt-out mechanism by August 2026. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must study the best methods for notifying veterans within 180 days, considering the needs of veterans in rural and urban areas, while the VA must report back to Congress one year after implementation describing any challenges and solutions encountered during the rollout. The legislation applies to veterans discharged 90 days before enactment or later.

The Prohibition on Funding to CECOT Act would ban all federal funding from supporting El Salvador's Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) maximum security prison in Tecoluca, citing documented human rights violations including inhumane conditions and lack of due process. The bill prohibits U.S. funding for constructing, maintaining, or operating the facility, as well as any training, equipment, or services connected to it, and also blocks funding for costs related to detaining individuals sent from the United States to El Salvadoran prisons. Any previously obligated federal funds would be permanently rescinded, and the Secretary of State must report within 90 days on all past funding, current contracts or grants supporting CECOT, and a plan to reallocate or return the money. The legislation reflects congressional concern that continued American financial support for the prison contradicts U.S. human rights standards and international commitments.

H.R. 3261 modifies federal law governing collective bargaining rights for employees in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by removing certain restrictions on those rights. Specifically, the bill deletes three subsections from existing law that currently limit collective bargaining authority, while keeping intact the Veterans Affairs Secretary's ability to offer incentive pay and use expedited hiring practices. The legislation affects approximately 385,000 VHA employees who provide healthcare and support services to veterans. The bill contains no specific funding amounts or implementation timeline listed in the provided text. This measure reflects an effort to expand labor protections for VA healthcare workers while preserving management flexibility on compensation and hiring decisions.

Equality ActThis bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity with respect to businesses, employment, housing, federally funded programs, and other settings.Specifically, the bill expands Title II and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit public accommodations and federally funded programs, respectively, from discriminating based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It also includes stores, transit services, recreational facilities, and establishments that provide health care, accounting, or legal services as public accommodations under Title II.The bill also expands Title IV (desegregation of public schools) and Title VII (employment discrimination) to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity. (The Supreme Court held in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII's prohibition of employment discrimination based on sex also prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.)The bill similarly expands the Fair Housing Act (discrimination in public and private housing) to include sexual orientation and gender identity. It also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by creditors and with respect to jury selection.The bill defines sex for purposes of the aforementioned provisions to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.

The FAIR Veterans Act of 2025 expresses Congress's position that the Department of Veterans Affairs should prioritize keeping veterans in their homes and treat foreclosure as a last resort. The bill clarifies and strengthens the Department's authority under the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchasing (VASP) program to pay off mortgage loans for veterans facing foreclosure, allowing the VA to take assignment of those loans. This legislation affects veterans who have obtained home loans guaranteed by the VA and are at risk of losing their homes. The bill does not appear to include new funding authorizations but rather clarifies existing legal authority the VA already possesses to intervene in foreclosure situations. The intent is to ensure the VA actively uses its existing tools to help struggling veteran homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Preventing Risky Operations from Threatening the Education and Career Trajectories of Students Act of 2025 or the PROTECT Students Act of 2025This bill sets forth provisions to address financial predatory practices in higher education, including by establishing additional protections for students and student loan borrowers.Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for Department of Education (ED) regulations related to gainful employment, borrower defense to repayment, and closed school discharges. For example, ED's 2023 gainful employment regulations specify that ED considers a career education program to be preparing students for gainful employment if it meets specified debt-to-earnings or earnings premium measures.Additionally, the bill prohibits institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student aid programs from taking specified actions, such as (1) restricting students' ability to pursue claims against IHEs in court, and (2) withholding official transcripts because of a balance owed by the student.The bill requires IHEs to spend at least 30% of their tuition and fee revenue on instruction.The bill also includes additional oversight measures, such asproviding statutory authority for an enforcement unit within ED's Office of Federal Student Aid to assess complaints against IHEs, third-party servicers, and student loan servicers; establishing the For-Profit Education Oversight Coordination Committee within the executive branch; andrequiring ED to establish and operate a system that tracks complaints or reports of suspicious activity by IHEs, third-party servicers, and student loan servicers.The bill makes funding available to ED for the administrative costs of operating student aid programs.

H.Res. 321 is a House resolution expressing support for the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative, which calls for equal educational opportunities and civil rights protections for LGBTQI+ students in K-12 schools. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but rather symbolically endorses efforts to create safe, inclusive school environments and encourages states and localities to adopt anti-bullying protections and inclusive policies. The resolution specifically addresses concerns about discriminatory state laws—including restrictions on transgender students' sports participation, bathroom access, healthcare, and classroom curriculum—and cites research showing that LGBTQI+ students facing discrimination experience higher rates of depression, school avoidance, and suicide consideration. By supporting this resolution, Congress would be calling on communities nationwide to implement affirming school policies such as enumerated anti-bullying protections and gender-neutral dress codes as proven strategies to improve educational outcomes and mental health for all students.

H.R. 2278 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve how it serves survivors of deceased veterans by collecting demographic data on beneficiaries and identifying underserved populations. The bill requires the VA to develop a data collection system within 180 days that tracks survivor recipients of disability compensation, pensions, and burial benefits by race, ethnicity, tribal affiliation, LGBTQIA+ status, and geographic location, and to identify underserved demographic groups within one year. The VA must then create targeted outreach and education strategies for these underserved survivors and establish an Office of Survivors Assistance with adequate resources. Additionally, the bill expands the VA's outreach services to include not just veterans but all individuals who served in the uniformed services and their dependents, requiring the VA to automatically contact surviving eligible dependents at least quarterly after a service member's death until they file a benefits claim, and adds 5 to 10 new full-time positions at VA call centers to support this expanded outreach. No specific funding amounts are mentioned in the text.

End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish case management to certain veterans who are eligible for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the VA.Specifically, the VA must furnish case management to veterans who are eligible for HUD-VASH that the VA determines require case management. The VA must prioritize vulnerable homeless veterans in assigning case managers and providing services.The VA must take certain actions if a veteran refuses case management. HUD or a public housing authority may not revoke assistance solely on the basis that a veteran has refused case management. Additionally, a veteran may not be evicted or penalized by the owner of a property solely on the basis that they have refused case management or cannot be provided case management for health and safety reasons.The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on veterans who are served by the HUD-VASH program, case managers and case management services provided under the program, and metrics about housing stability for veterans participating in federal housing assistance programs.The bill also provides statutory authority to expand eligibility for the HUD-VASH program to any veteran who is homeless, at risk of homelessness, or receiving assistance under another housing assistance program if the VA determines a voucher under HUD-VASH is more appropriate. (Currently, assistance is statutorily limited to certain veterans who have chronic mental illness or substance use disorders.)

Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits the detention or imprisonment of an individual based solely on an actual or perceived protected characteristic of the individual. The term protected characteristic includes each of the following: race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and any additional characteristic that the Department of Justice determines to be a protected characteristic.

This resolution supports the designation of Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.It also encourages all people to reflect on the importance of political leadership and vigilance and on the values of justice and civil rights during times of uncertainty and emergency.