Maxine Dexter

This bill establishes comprehensive health and safety protections for federal wildland firefighters by creating an interagency Task Force and a new Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program jointly managed by the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture. The program will provide health assessments, medical surveillance, cancer screening, mental health support, and respiratory protection technology development, with dedicated staffing in regional and national offices and $34 million authorized annually through 2032. Additionally, the bill establishes a new Office of Firefighter Health and Safety within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to conduct health research and develop protective equipment, funds a pilot program to test respiratory technologies at $1.5 million, and creates a specialized workers' compensation unit to process claims for firefighting-related illnesses more effectively. Congress will receive annual program reports and the Government Accountability Office will conduct biennial evaluations over six years to track progress and identify improvements needed in the program's implementation and effectiveness.

The Penalties for Polluters Act increases financial penalties for violations of federal laws governing mineral and oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters. The bill raises maximum civil penalties under four major environmental statutes, with the Mineral Leasing Act's penalty increasing from $500,000 to $2.7 million, and similar increases across the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and Oil Pollution Act. The bill also mandates annual inflation adjustments to these penalty amounts so they keep pace with the Consumer Price Index. Additionally, the legislation creates a Penalty Revenue Reinvestment Fund that directs any penalty revenue exceeding the old legal limits, with 50 percent going to affected states, tribes, and local governments and 50 percent directed to federal enforcement agencies for continued compliance activities. The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to violations occurring after that date.

The Taxpayer Relief from Big Oil Act would eliminate royalty relief programs that allow oil and gas companies to reduce or avoid paying the federal government for extracting resources from public lands and waters. Specifically, the bill repeals royalty relief provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that apply to Gulf of Mexico drilling and removes similar relief available for oil and gas operations in Alaska's offshore planning areas and Naval Petroleum Reserves. The legislation also requires federal agencies managing oil and gas leases to submit annual reports to Congress documenting how many companies received relief, how much production resulted, and estimates of lost government revenue. Additionally, within one year of enactment, the Interior Department must establish standardized rules for calculating transportation costs deducted from royalties, capping these deductions at no more than 30 percent of the oil and gas value or actual transportation costs, whichever is lower. The bill affects major oil and gas companies operating on federal lands and waters, and aims to increase federal revenue by requiring these companies to pay fuller royalties for extraction rights.

The VHA OPEN Policies Act of 2026 requires the Veterans Health Administration to publish all of its national policies online and make them publicly accessible to veterans and the general public. Within 90 days of the bill's enactment, the VA must post directives, handbooks, memoranda, and guidance documents on a dedicated website, ensuring transparency about how VHA programs operate and are implemented. Going forward, any new or revised policies must be added to the website within 30 days of their creation or change. The legislation affects veterans, VA employees, healthcare providers, and anyone seeking to understand VHA procedures and requirements. There is no specific funding amount mentioned in the bill, as it primarily mandates the consolidation and publication of existing policy documents rather than establishing new programs.

The Dignity and Due Process for Children Act of 2026 establishes new protections for unaccompanied minors in immigration enforcement proceedings. The bill prohibits immigration officers from arresting or detaining children under 18 who are encountered in the United States without a parent or legal guardian unless an immigration judge issues a warrant first. It also bans the use of military personnel, contractors, and Department of Defense vehicles or aircraft to transport unaccompanied children for deportation or removal purposes, with a narrow exception for disaster relief situations. The legislation requires that before any child signs legal documents affecting their immigration case, they must have access to a lawyer within five business days, and the government cannot coerce them to waive their right to a hearing or immigration relief options. These protections apply to all unaccompanied minors encountered by immigration enforcement agencies.

The MEDIC Careers Act of 2026 aims to help military medics transition into civilian healthcare jobs by improving how their military credentials translate to civilian positions like certified nurse aides, licensed practical nurses, and medical assistants. The bill requires the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to work with states and other agencies to identify barriers preventing this transition—such as credential standardization issues and lack of bridge programs—and submit recommendations within 180 days of enactment. Additionally, the bill establishes a three-year pilot program providing grants of up to $600,000 to eligible healthcare providers in medically underserved areas to hire and train separating military members, with $5 million authorized annually from 2027 through 2031. The program targets rural health clinics, nursing homes, Federally qualified health centers, and other facilities, and requires the Department of Defense to ensure rural providers receive adequate grant funding.

This concurrent resolution directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran or any part of its government or military unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted.The resolution specifies that it shall not be construed to prevent the United States from defending itself, its Armed Forces, its diplomatic facilities, or allied states from imminent attack.

This bill requires dietary supplement manufacturers to register their products with the Food and Drug Administration by submitting detailed information about each supplement they sell. Manufacturers must provide the product name, ingredient list with amounts, label information, warnings, allergen statements, and any health-related claims made on the packaging. Existing dietary supplements on the market must be registered within 18 months of the law's enactment, while new products must be registered at the time they enter commerce, with manufacturers required to display an FDA-assigned product listing number on labels within two years. The FDA will establish a publicly searchable online database containing most of this information, though certain details like proprietary blend amounts and manufacturer locations will remain confidential. The bill authorizes approximately $7.9 million for fiscal year 2026 and $6.6 million annually for 2027 through 2030 to implement this registration system.

This resolution honors six athletes from Oregon who competed in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics and Paralympics. The athletes recognized are Jacqueline Wiles and Hunter Hess in skiing events, Sean FitzSimons and Alessandro Barbieri in snowboarding, and Anna Soens and Ravi Drugan in para alpine skiing. The House of Representatives formally congratulates these Oregonian competitors for representing the United States and acknowledges the support provided by their families, coaches, and staff during the Games. This is a ceremonial resolution with no funding or programmatic impact, serving purely to honor the athletes' achievements and dedication.

The Plug Offshore Wells Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to produce an annual report on the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure, beginning two years after the bill's enactment. The report must track applications for decommissioning wells, platforms, and pipelines; count how many decommissioning projects were completed on time; document wells and structures approved to be left in place rather than removed; and detail enforcement actions taken against companies that fail to meet decommissioning requirements. This information must be submitted to Congress and posted on the Department of the Interior's website so the public can access it. The bill affects oil and gas companies operating in federal waters and aims to increase transparency and accountability around the cleanup and removal of aging offshore energy infrastructure.

The Protecting Americans from Unsafe Drugs Act of 2026 expands the FDA's authority to recall unsafe medications by extending rules previously limited to controlled substances to all drugs. Currently, the FDA has broad recall powers specifically for controlled substances, but this bill removes that restriction so the agency can more quickly order the removal and halt distribution of any unsafe drug from the market. The legislation also clarifies that the Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research can participate in these recall decisions alongside other FDA officials, and extends recall authority to cover imported and exported drugs. The bill aims to give the FDA faster tools to protect the public from dangerous medications regardless of whether they are controlled substances, though no new funding or specific timeline is mentioned in the text provided.

The Modernize SSI Stipends Act increases cash payments for institutionalized individuals and couples receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a federal program that provides financial assistance to elderly, blind, and disabled people with limited income. The bill doubles the minimum monthly personal needs allowances—from $360 to $720 for individuals and from $720 to $1,440 for couples—effective January 1, 2026. These increased amounts will also be eligible for annual cost-of-living adjustments going forward, ensuring the payments keep pace with inflation. Additionally, the bill requires states that provide supplementary SSI payments to pass through the full amount of any federal cost-of-living increases to beneficiaries, updating state payment formulas to reflect these changes. The legislation directly benefits institutionalized SSI recipients, who receive these personal needs allowances while living in care facilities, by nearly doubling their monthly cash assistance.

This bill directs the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to periodically assess the health effects of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as "forever chemicals") and develop clinical guidance for doctors treating patients exposed to these chemicals. The initial assessment and recommendations must be completed within two years of the agreement being signed, with updates required every five years or more frequently if new science warrants it. The bill requires the Director of the agency to finalize and publish this medical guidance on the agency's public website and share it with state and local health departments and healthcare providers. The legislation also mandates that the assessment process include input from communities affected by PFAS contamination about their exposure and health experiences. Overall, the bill aims to ensure doctors and public health officials have current, scientifically-sound information to better diagnose and treat people exposed to PFAS chemicals.

The Restoring Access for Detainees Act would provide free phone and communication services to people held in immigration detention by the Department of Homeland Security. The bill requires detainees to receive at least one 10-minute call to family within their first five hours in custody and at each new detention location, plus 200 free minutes per month for ongoing family contact. Detainees would also get unlimited free communication with their lawyers, courts, immigration judges, and government oversight officials. The legislation, introduced in November 2025, aims to restore a program that provided 520 free minutes monthly during the COVID-19 pandemic but was halted in 2024 due to lack of funding. The bill specifies that communications with legal counsel and investigators must be confidential and unmonitored, and directs the Department of Homeland Security to establish consistent protocols ensuring detainees can access these communication services without intimidation or retaliation.

This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study how wildfire smoke affects children in schools and childcare settings. The study will examine current policies and safety measures that schools and childcare programs have in place to protect children from wildfire smoke exposure during and after wildfires, including during school sports and summer camps. The review will identify gaps in existing research and policies on this topic, with special attention to under-resourced schools and childcare facilities. Based on the findings, the bill requires the National Academies to provide recommendations to Congress on better strategies to protect children from wildfire smoke. The legislation does not specify funding amounts or completion timelines in the provided text.

This bill requires the federal government to establish new workplace safety standards protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke and extreme heat. An interim standard takes effect immediately upon passage, requiring farm employers to provide respirators (like N95 masks) when air quality becomes dangerous and water/cooling facilities when heat reaches hazardous levels, along with mandatory rest breaks and worker training in languages farmworkers understand. The Department of Labor must develop a permanent occupational safety standard within 90 days that meets at least the same protections as the interim rules and is no weaker than any existing state standards. The bill responds to growing public health threats posed by increasingly severe wildfires and heat waves across the U.S., which have caused documented farmworker deaths, and directs the Labor Department to provide free technical assistance and sample training materials to help farm employers comply with these new requirements.

The Climate Health Emergency Act of 2025 directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to declare a formal public health emergency due to health risks linked to climate change. The bill's supporters argue that climate change is driving or worsening extreme weather events and infectious disease spread, and note that over half of the 120 public health emergency declarations made in the past decade were related to extreme weather and climate-linked conditions. By declaring this emergency, the federal government could mobilize additional resources, coordinate across agencies, and exercise emergency authorities to strengthen public health infrastructure in preparation for climate-related health crises. The legislation is aimed at protecting vulnerable communities and building a more resilient public health system, though no specific funding amounts or implementation timelines are specified in the bill text provided.

Focused Assistance and Skills Training for Veterans' Employment and Transition Success Act or the FAST VETS ActThis act establishes conditions under which a veteran's individualized vocational rehabilitation plan (under the Veteran Readiness and Employment program) must be redeveloped. The program provides job training and employment-related services to veterans with service-connected disabilities.Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must formulate and annually review an individualized vocational rehabilitation plan for veterans who have a serious employment handicap and have a reasonably feasible vocational goal.The act provides that such plan must be redeveloped with the veteran if the VA determines the achievement of the long-range rehabilitation goals for the veteran are no longer feasible due to changes in the employment handicap of the veteran and are more likely under a different plan.

The Every Veteran Housed Act expands who qualifies as a "veteran" eligible for homelessness assistance programs run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, veterans must meet specific service length requirements, but this bill removes those restrictions and opens benefits to anyone discharged or released from the uniformed services under honorable or general (but not dishonorable) conditions—regardless of how long they served, whether they served on active duty or in the reserves, or their current military status. The legislation also makes technical updates to ensure consistency across different veteran benefit programs. By broadening eligibility this way, the bill aims to provide housing assistance to a wider population of homeless individuals with military service, though it does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines.

Stop Musk ActThis bill bars retaliation against federal employees for resisting, circumventing, or preventing Elon Musk or individuals he oversees from taking unlawful or unconstitutional actions relating to federal agencies.