Nellie Pou

This House resolution congratulates Bangladesh on assuming the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The resolution highlights Bangladesh's significance as a U.S. partner, noting the two countries' diplomatic relationship since 1972, their $13.7 billion in annual trade, military cooperation through joint exercises, and the presence of approximately 300,000 Bangladeshi Americans. The resolution acknowledges Bangladesh's substantial contributions to global peace, including providing over 4,000 military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations and hosting more than one million Rohingya refugees with U.S. humanitarian assistance. The resolution also recognizes Bangladesh's recent democratic transition following political turmoil in 2024, including elections held in February 2026 and the formation of a parliamentary caucus dedicated to strengthening ties with the United States. No funding or specific timelines are authorized by this resolution, as it is a ceremonial measure expressing congressional support for Bangladesh's UN leadership role.

This bill reauthorizes a federal grant program that helps schools replace aging drinking water fountains and related water infrastructure. The legislation amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to extend the drinking water fountain replacement program for schools through fiscal years 2027 to 2029, and increases annual funding from $5 million to $7 million per year. The bill primarily affects public schools across the country that rely on this federal assistance to upgrade their water systems and ensure students have access to safe drinking water. The increased funding provides schools with additional resources to address water quality concerns and replace outdated or contaminated equipment.

The FLIGHT DECK Act directs the Federal Aviation Administration to create a voluntary training program allowing certified air traffic controllers to observe flight operations from an aircraft's flight deck during commercial flights. Eligible air traffic controllers can participate in at least one round-trip flight within the United States and its territories to better understand the complex requirements pilots and crew experience, with participants considered on-duty during the flights. Airlines, cargo operators, and general aviation companies may voluntarily participate in the program, though they are not required to displace off-duty pilots already occupying available flight deck seats. The FAA must establish regulations in consultation with airline pilot unions and air traffic controller representatives, and can impose additional security clearance and ticketing requirements to ensure safety. Within one year of the program's establishment, the FAA must report to Congress on participation rates, types of aircraft involved, barriers to participation, and recommendations for increasing engagement from both controllers and airlines.

The HOLDBACKS Act requires ticket sellers to be transparent about ticket availability and pricing before events go on sale. Specifically, primary ticket sellers must disclose at least seven days in advance the total number of tickets available, the number of performances being offered, and the complete ticket cost including all fees for sports events, concerts, theater performances, and other public venues. The bill prohibits ticket sellers from withholding available tickets from the public to artificially inflate prices or from misleading consumers about how many tickets remain available. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce these rules as violations of consumer protection laws, with the same penalties and enforcement authority it uses for other deceptive practices, and state attorneys general also retain the power to pursue violations under their own state laws.

The WATCH Personnel Act of 2026 provides emergency funding to keep the Transportation Security Administration operating and pays its employees during a budget lapse that began on February 14, 2026. The bill raises the minimum annual salary for Transportation Security Officers to $40,000 starting in fiscal year 2026, with automatic cost-of-living adjustments each year thereafter. It also authorizes emergency appropriations to cover TSA employee salaries, benefits, and pay differentials during the funding gap, plus a one-time $10,000 bonus for each officer working on February 14, 2026, though this bonus does not count toward retirement or other benefits. The emergency funding remains available until Congress passes a regular budget, a continuing appropriation, or September 30, 2026, whichever comes first. The bill is retroactively effective to February 13, 2026, meaning it covers the entire period of the appropriations lapse.

This bill, named after Kenya Merritt, creates a new workers' compensation program for civilian federal employees who were exposed to toxic burn pits and other hazardous materials while working overseas during U.S. military operations. The legislation covers employees from multiple federal agencies including the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and others, as well as federal law enforcement officers, who worked in countries where the United States was conducting a contingency operation for at least 30 days on or after August 2, 1990. The bill establishes a list of diseases presumed to be caused by burn pit exposure, matching those already recognized for veterans under existing law, and automatically adds any new diseases that the Veterans Affairs Department recognizes in the future. The Secretary of Labor must submit a report to Congress within one year detailing implementation progress and the number of eligible employees who can benefit from the program.

The Save the World Cup Act would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice from using federal funds for civil immigration enforcement activities within one mile of 2026 FIFA World Cup matches and fan festivals in the United States. This restriction applies to routine immigration enforcement like deportations and arrests related to immigration violations, though exceptions are carved out for genuine emergencies involving threats to human life, national security, terrorism, immediate public safety risks, or evidence destruction in criminal cases. The bill essentially creates temporary safe zones around World Cup venues to allow spectators and the general public to attend the events without fear of encountering immigration enforcement operations. The legislation does not require new funding and takes effect automatically if passed, applying only to the 2026 World Cup tournament period.

The PLATE Act would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to display visible license plates on all vehicles they use for immigration enforcement activities. Currently, these agencies can use federal funds to operate vehicles with hidden, obscured, or unmarked license plates, which prevents the public from identifying the vehicles. This bill would mandate that any vehicle funded with federal dollars and used for civil immigration enforcement must have its license plate clearly visible on the outside at all times. The legislation affects ICE and CBP operations nationwide and does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines, instead applying this transparency requirement as a condition on existing federal appropriations used for vehicle operations.

Modernizing and Improving the National Terrorism Advisory System Act of 2026This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to submit to Congress a strategy to modernize the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). The NTAS communicates information about terrorist threats by providing advisories to the American public.The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to report on implementation of the strategy.

The CLEAN–UP Act allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean up contaminated sediments in waterways without facing legal liability under federal environmental law, provided the cleanup follows a joint plan approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill affects waterway projects authorized by Congress or under existing water resources development law, requiring the Army Corps to coordinate with local interests, consult with other government officials, and allow public comment before proceeding. The legislation protects the federal government from liability for hazardous substances released during these approved cleanup activities while preserving the government's ability to seek cost recovery from parties responsible for the original contamination. No specific funding amounts or timelines are specified in the bill; it primarily establishes a procedural framework for managing sediment remediation projects more efficiently while maintaining environmental and public health protections.

The Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act of 2025 requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to create an electronic, searchable database of all firearms records within three years, including information about the importation, production, shipment, receipt, sale, and disposition of guns. This database would be searchable by firearm characteristics (such as serial number, manufacturer, and model) and transaction dates, but notably cannot be searched by personal information about gun owners. The system affects licensed firearms dealers, who can voluntarily submit their records electronically or can hand over paper records to the ATF after ten years have passed since a transaction. Access to the database is limited to legitimate law enforcement investigations by federal, state, local, tribal, or foreign agencies, as well as for foreign intelligence purposes and ATF compliance inspections. The bill requires the Government Accountability Office to audit compliance with these requirements annually and report to Congress every two years, and includes a provision that prevents funding restrictions from delaying the system's implementation.

The SAFE TRACKS Act requires states to provide more frequent and comprehensive reports on highway-rail grade crossing safety to the Federal Railroad Administration. Specifically, the bill mandates that states include information about their plans to work with railroads and other stakeholders to reduce pedestrian fatalities and suicides along railroad rights of way, with input from mental health and law enforcement agencies. The legislation also changes the reporting timeline, requiring states to submit these safety reports every five years rather than on their previous schedule. The bill primarily affects state transportation and railroad officials responsible for grade crossing safety and suicide prevention along railroad corridors. While no specific new federal funding is detailed in the text provided, the expanded reporting requirements will help federal and state authorities better track and coordinate efforts to prevent accidents and deaths at railroad crossings and along railroad properties.

The PERU Act of 2025 would allow Peruvian citizens to enter the United States as E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrants, visa categories designed for treaty traders and investors. Currently, Peru is not included in the list of countries whose nationals qualify for these visas. The bill makes Peru eligible for this status, provided that the Peruvian government grants equivalent visa privileges to U.S. citizens—creating a reciprocal agreement between the two nations. This change would facilitate business and investment activities between the United States and Peru by streamlining the entry process for traders and investors from both countries. The bill was introduced in September 2025 and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

The Water Crisis Prevention Act of 2025 directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review what federal disaster aid is currently available to states, cities, individuals, and small businesses when water infrastructure fails—such as from water main breaks—regardless of whether an emergency has been formally declared. Within six months of the bill's passage, the GAO must complete this review and report its findings to Congress along with recommendations on how federal agencies and states can better identify areas vulnerable to water infrastructure disasters and what new federal funding Congress might provide to prevent or reduce these crises. The bill addresses a gap in disaster preparedness by examining both the existing financial assistance available and opportunities to strengthen the nation's aging water systems before disasters occur. No specific funding amounts are authorized in the legislation; instead, it seeks to lay the groundwork for future congressional action based on the GAO's findings.

The LEO Fair Retirement Act addresses a longstanding issue for federal law enforcement officers: overtime hours that go unpaid due to pay caps. Currently, federal law limits how much overtime compensation officers can receive in a given period, which means officers often work significant extra hours without compensation. This bill allows law enforcement officers to include that uncompensated overtime in their retirement annuity calculations, improving their pension benefits. To do so, officers must make a lump-sum payment to cover the employer and employee contributions that would have been made on that overtime pay, or alternatively accept a reduced annuity. The bill applies to federal law enforcement across multiple agencies including FBI agents, Postal Inspectors, federal air marshals, and probation officers. The Office of Personnel Management must issue regulations within one year, and the changes take effect one year after the bill's enactment. Additionally, officers who make these lump-sum payments can claim a tax credit for the amounts paid.

H.R. 2285, the DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act of 2025, requires the Department of Homeland Security to report annually to Congress on the accreditation status of all its basic training programs—entry-level programs that prepare new law enforcement and law enforcement support personnel. The bill mandates that DHS provide detailed information within 90 days of enactment and every year thereafter, including when each program achieved accreditation, upcoming reaccreditation dates, and reasons why any programs lack accreditation, along with timelines to obtain it. Additionally, if any training program loses accreditation, the relevant DHS component must notify the Secretary within 30 days, and the Secretary must inform Congress within another 30 days with details about what caused the lapse and how the department plans to regain accreditation. The law also directs DHS's Science and Technology office to develop systems and technologies that expand access to Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies, especially those in rural and remote areas. The reporting requirements will continue until all DHS basic training programs achieve accreditation.