Sara Jacobs

This bill would restore press access to the Pentagon that was restricted under Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth's 2025 policies. The legislation requires the Secretary of Defense to reinstate journalist access to areas like the "Correspondents' Corridor" and other press working spaces within 30 days of enactment, and to allow credentialed reporters to move around the Pentagon without military escorts, as was permitted before May 2025. The bill also establishes that security reviews for press credentials must be conducted by career officials at the Pentagon Force Protection Agency without political influence or unnecessary delays. Additionally, any future changes to Pentagon press access policies would require advance consultation with the congressional Armed Services committees. The legislation reflects Congress's view that independent press access to the Pentagon is essential for accurate reporting on defense policy, effective government oversight, and public understanding of how the military operates.

This bill requires the Department of Defense to create a centralized reporting system for tracking artificial intelligence problems and vulnerabilities across all military AI systems. The program will collect information about AI incidents such as system failures, unexpected behavior, safety hazards, and security weaknesses, then analyze trends to improve military AI reliability and safety. The Secretary of Defense must designate an official to oversee the program and ensure that military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors can report problems without fear of retaliation or punishment. The bill protects sensitive and classified information shared through the reporting process and requires the Secretary to submit annual reports to Congress from 2027 through 2031 detailing the number of incidents reported, major trends, corrective actions taken, and any incidents resulting in harm to service members. Overall, the legislation aims to make military AI systems safer and more reliable by identifying and addressing problems before they cause operational or safety issues.

This bill establishes a governance-based ranking system for determining what types of U.S. security assistance foreign partner countries can receive. The State Department and Defense Department must assess each partner country's governance quality and place them into one of four tiers within 90 days, with annual updates thereafter. Countries in the lowest tier (Tier One) can only receive training and humanitarian programs, while those in higher tiers gain access to progressively broader assistance including lethal equipment, military exchanges, and defense cooperation at the highest tier. The Secretary of State can waive these restrictions for strategically important partners with congressional notification, though waivers expire after five years unless Congress takes action to extend them. This system applies to all forms of U.S. security aid, arms transfers, and military cooperation activities authorized by federal law.

The SAFER Health Act of 2026 strengthens privacy protections for medical information related to pregnancy termination or loss by amending existing federal health privacy laws. The bill prohibits health care providers and their business associates from disclosing a patient's abortion or miscarriage information in legal proceedings without the patient's written consent, with narrow exceptions only for the provider's self-defense in malpractice cases or when investigating physical harm to the patient who cannot consent. The legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services to update federal regulations within 90 days to implement these protections and to clarify that refusing to share pregnancy termination or loss information does not violate information-sharing requirements. The bill applies nationwide and prevents states from weakening these protections, though states may enact stronger privacy rules if they choose. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must also conduct a public outreach campaign to inform providers, patients, and the public about these new requirements.

The Restore Military Families' Voices Act modifies federal rules governing privatized military housing to strengthen protections for military families. The bill prohibits landlords from requiring military tenants, prospective tenants, or former tenants to sign nondisclosure agreements or confidentiality agreements related to housing conditions or services. It also expands whistleblower protections by allowing tenants to report problems to additional entities including the Defense Department's Chief Housing Officer, inspectors general, and members of Congress without fear of retaliation from landlords. The legislation requires the Inspector General to notify the relevant military department and congressional Armed Services committees within ten business days of receiving any retaliation reports. The bill applies to all types of military housing, including family housing and unaccompanied housing, and does not specify new funding requirements or implementation timelines.

The Sectoral AI Governance Act of 2026 gives federal agencies authority to create rules regulating algorithmic decision-making systems that could violate laws they enforce. Under the bill, agencies like the FTC, SEC, and EPA would be able to issue regulations to prevent harmful uses of AI and automated systems in their jurisdictions, treating violations of these rules as violations of the underlying federal law. The legislation requires agencies to consult with other agencies and the White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to avoid conflicting rules, and it mandates that agencies review rules every three to five years to ensure they remain appropriate. Agencies must submit biennial reports to Congress detailing their rulemaking activities, enforcement actions, and resource needs, with the first report due two years after enactment. The bill does not preempt state regulation of algorithmic systems and allows agencies flexibility in implementing rules while protecting government services and public benefits from unnecessary disruption.

This resolution honors the victims of a mass shooting that occurred at the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18, 2026. The measure specifically remembers three individuals who died in the attack: security guard Amin Abdullah, who confronted the gunmen; Abul Izz, a longtime mosque community member; and Nader Awad, who died shielding others from gunfire. The resolution expresses the House's condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed, condemns Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate, and pledges support for those affected by this act of domestic terrorism. The measure also calls for solidarity among all Americans regardless of religion, race, or background in response to violence and hatred. As a commemorative resolution, this legislation does not create new programs, allocate funding, or establish timelines, but rather serves as an official statement of congressional recognition and support for the affected community.

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 directs the Food and Drug Administration to revise regulations governing beverages marketed for toddlers ages 12 to 36 months to prevent consumer confusion with infant formula. Specifically, the FDA must prohibit beverages for children over 12 months from being labeled as "infant formula" and require milk-based and non-dairy beverages intended for toddlers to use clear descriptive names such as "milk-based drink" or "soy-based drink," with added qualifiers like "sweetened" or "flavored" if applicable. All such beverages must include prominent warnings against serving to infants under 12 months and statements that these products are not recommended for children ages 12 to 24 months and are not necessary for a healthy diet. The FDA has one year from enactment to propose the new regulations and two years to finalize them, with compliance required three years after the law takes effect. No specific funding is authorized in the bill.

The Expeditionary Diplomacy Act directs the State Department to strengthen its capacity to conduct diplomacy in high-risk environments. The bill requires the Secretary of State to define "expeditionary diplomacy" within 90 days and establish a dedicated Tiger Team of department officials to develop recommendations for improving how diplomats engage in these challenging settings. The Government Accountability Office must also assess current challenges and barriers to expeditionary diplomacy within 18 months, including issues related to security personnel capacity, personnel policies, and training. The legislation creates a new responsibility for Chiefs of Mission to encourage foreign service officers to regularly engage in expeditionary diplomacy through appropriate risk management practices. No specific funding amounts are designated in the bill, but it requires implementation timelines ranging from one to two years, with quarterly congressional updates on the Tiger Team's progress.

H.Con.Res. 82 is a symbolic resolution expressing congressional support for International Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual observance founded in 2009 to honor transgender individuals and their contributions to society. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but rather calls on Congress to recognize the day through ceremonies and programs while celebrating transgender achievements and leadership. The resolution acknowledges the ongoing discrimination and violence faced by transgender people in employment, healthcare, housing, education, and public services, while also highlighting the growing political representation of transgender individuals in elected office, including Sarah McBride's election to Congress. It was introduced by a bipartisan group of 60 House members and referred to the Judiciary Committee, though as a concurrent resolution, it requires no presidential signature and carries no legal force or budget implications.

This bill demands accountability for the January 29, 2024 killing of 5-year-old Hind Rajab, her family members, and two Palestinian paramedics in Gaza City by Israeli Defense Forces. The legislation requires the Secretary of State to investigate within 45 days and report to Congress on whether U.S.-provided weapons were used in the attack, whether U.S. citizens or U.S.-trained soldiers were involved, and what steps Israel took to investigate. If the attack constitutes a war crime and involved U.S. weapons, personnel, or trained soldiers, the Secretary of State must refer the case to the Attorney General for potential prosecution under U.S. law. The bill also establishes a policy for the federal government to collect evidence on potential war crimes during the Israel-Hamas conflict and calls for compensation to the victims' families from both Israel and potentially the U.S. State Department if American citizens were involved. The legislation notes that the U.S. has provided over $21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel since October 2023.

The Conflict Prevention Act would establish a new Center for Conflict Analysis, Planning, and Prevention within the State Department to help the U.S. government better understand and prevent violent conflicts worldwide. The center would be led by a Director who reports to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs and would employ up to 20 full-time staff members, including experts who can be temporarily deployed to embassies in conflict zones or at-risk regions. The center's primary responsibilities include developing analytical tools to forecast conflict hotspots, supporting peace negotiations and mediation efforts, advising regional bureaus on conflict prevention strategies, and training Foreign Service officers in conflict prevention and mediation skills. The bill does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines but emphasizes that this centralized hub would help U.S. diplomats and policymakers make more informed decisions about preventing conflicts and advancing American national security interests. The legislation was introduced on January 14, 2026, by Representatives Jacobs and McCaul and referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

H.Res. 963 is a House resolution that condemns antisemitism in all its forms and specifically addresses the problem of antisemitic content being generated and amplified by artificial intelligence platforms and social media. The resolution notes that AI systems can inadvertently or deliberately produce hateful content, spread false conspiracy theories, and target Jewish individuals and institutions, citing examples like Microsoft's Tay chatbot and xAI's Grok assistant. The resolution calls on technology companies to implement stronger safeguards, including transparency requirements, consultation with antisemitism experts, and prevention of algorithmic amplification of hateful content. It also encourages collaboration among government, academia, civil society, and industry to develop better standards, improve data sharing for research, and strengthen digital literacy efforts, particularly among young people. The resolution emphasizes that these efforts must be consistent with constitutional protections, civil liberties, and privacy rights.

The Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act expands TRICARE health coverage to include fertility treatments for active-duty service members and their dependents. Under the bill, covered individuals can access a wide range of fertility services—including in vitro fertilization (up to three egg retrievals per calendar year), artificial insemination, egg and sperm retrieval, and fertility medications—with cost-sharing determined by standard TRICARE rules rather than special fertility-related charges. The law prohibits the use of Department of Defense funds for preimplantation genetic screening, human cloning, international surrogacy, and artificial womb technology, while also preventing waiting periods or other limitations once a person receives a medical diagnosis of infertility. The Department of Defense must establish a coordination program to ensure timely access to fertility care and provide training to community healthcare providers on serving military families. The new coverage takes effect on October 1, 2027.

The Working Families Disaster Tax Relief Act allows families affected by federally declared disasters to calculate their eligibility for two important tax credits using income from the previous year instead of the current year. This helps disaster-affected workers and families qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit and the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit when their current-year income has been disrupted by the disaster. The bill defines eligible taxpayers as those whose home or workplace was located in a federally designated disaster zone during the disaster period, or those who were displaced from their home as a result of the disaster. The tax relief applies to anyone in an area where the President declared a major disaster under federal emergency assistance law. The changes take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, giving workers and families a valuable option to claim credits based on their pre-disaster earning capacity when their income has been temporarily reduced.

The AI Talent Act establishes new hiring teams within federal agencies and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) focused on recruiting and hiring artificial intelligence and technology specialists. These agency "talent teams" will streamline the hiring process by improving job exams, writing better job postings, and sharing candidate lists across agencies to fill tech positions faster. The bill also creates a federal-level team at OPM to coordinate government-wide AI hiring efforts and develop technical assessments that agencies can share and customize through an online platform. Additionally, the legislation modernizes hiring practices by allowing subject matter experts—people with deep knowledge of tech and AI fields—to design and administer job assessments, though it limits reliance on automated self-assessments after five years. The bill does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines beyond the five-year restriction on self-assessments.

This bill directs U.S. foreign assistance agencies to shift toward partnerships with local organizations and communities in countries receiving aid, rather than relying primarily on large international contractors. The legislation affects the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as local nonprofits, governments, and businesses in countries receiving U.S. development and humanitarian assistance. The bill requires agencies to simplify funding access for local partners, provide staff and resources in local languages, offer more flexible multi-year funding, and reduce reporting burdens on smaller local organizations. Key timelines include policy implementation within 180 days of enactment, an assessment of local language support options within one year, and annual reporting on progress toward increasing direct funding to local entities. The legislation contains no new direct appropriations but authorizes agencies to increase indirect cost rates for local partners, exempt some entities from certain federal reporting requirements, and limit competition on contracts up to $25 million annually if doing so strengthens local capacity.

This bill prohibits banks and credit card companies from charging certain fees to military members and federal employees during government shutdowns when appropriations lapse. Specifically, financial institutions cannot impose overdraft fees or insufficient funds charges on covered persons' checking or savings accounts, and credit card issuers cannot charge late payment fees if the payment was due during a shutdown period. The law applies to federal civil service employees, armed forces members, and uniformed services personnel who were furloughed or working without pay during the shutdown. The bill contains no specific funding provisions or implementation timeline beyond its definition of when the protections take effect—namely, during any period when federal agency appropriations are not in place.

This bill requires food manufacturers to clearly label products containing synthetic dyes, artificial or natural flavorings, and nonnutritive sweeteners (like artificial sweeteners) on the front of packaging. Currently, these ingredients can be listed only in the small ingredient list on the back or side of packages. The legislation amends federal food labeling laws to consider foods missing these disclosures as "misbranded," which allows the government to take action against non-compliant products. The bill applies to most foods but excludes dietary supplements. No specific funding or implementation timeline is mentioned in the legislation, and it would be enforced by existing food safety authorities under current regulatory mechanisms.

The Silver Shield Act creates a new monitoring program within the U.S. State Department to track whether American military equipment and defense services sold or transferred to foreign countries are being used to harm civilians or violate international humanitarian and human rights laws. The program requires the State Department to establish written agreements with recipient countries prohibiting misuse of U.S. defense articles, investigate credible allegations of violations within 180 days, and make ineligibility determinations if serious violations are confirmed. The legislation pulls information from multiple sources including embassy reports, satellite imagery, media coverage, and public submissions through an online portal, and establishes an external advisory board of experts to guide investigations. While the bill authorizes necessary funding through existing foreign military sales and military financing accounts and requires the State Department to report on implementation within one year, it does not specify a dollar amount, instead allowing agencies to fund the program from their current budgets for these defense cooperation activities.

H.R. 4455, the United States Security Assistance Effectiveness Act, reorganizes how the State Department manages military and security aid to foreign countries by establishing a new Office of Security Assistance with a dedicated coordinator and requiring specialized training for department staff. The bill mandates the State Department create a central database within two years to track all security assistance programs by country, including funding levels and effectiveness measures, and directs the department to develop an 18-month monitoring framework to evaluate recipient countries' governance, human rights practices, and capacity to absorb aid. Additionally, the legislation requires a strategic planning framework to align security assistance with national security priorities and calls for the Comptroller General to assess how well the State Department and Department of Defense coordinate their security assistance efforts. The bill aims to improve transparency and oversight of U.S. military aid programs while ensuring assistance reaches countries and regions aligned with American strategic interests.

H.R. 4330 creates a new Early Childhood Education Trust Fund that would be financed by redirecting 15 percent of federal estate tax revenue toward child care services. The bill requires that at least 25 percent of these funds support child care supply grants distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services to state agencies that administer child care programs. The legislation also reduces the estate tax exemption threshold from $15 million to $7 million per person, effective January 1, 2026, which would increase the number of estates subject to estate taxes and generate more revenue for the trust fund. The bill takes effect on December 31, 2025, and would primarily affect wealthy families with large estates while providing additional federal funding for child care services that benefit working families with young children.

The My Body, My Data Act of 2025 protects personal information related to reproductive and sexual health by restricting how companies and organizations can collect, use, and share this data. The law applies to most businesses and online platforms (with exceptions for healthcare providers already regulated under HIPAA), and requires them to collect only data strictly necessary to provide requested services, establish clear privacy policies, and grant individuals the right to access, correct, and delete their information within 15 days at no cost. Companies are prohibited from retaliating against people who exercise these rights through price discrimination, service denial, or other penalties. Enforcement is handled by the Federal Trade Commission with civil penalties ranging from $100 to $1,000 per violation per day (or actual damages, whichever is greater), plus punitive damages and attorney fees, and the law allows individuals to sue directly in court without being bound by pre-dispute arbitration agreements.

H.R. 3005 extends and strengthens the Global Fragility Act of 2019, which funds U.S. efforts to prevent conflict and stabilize fragile regions worldwide. The bill requires senior federal officials—including the Deputy Secretary of State, USAID Administrator, and Defense Department leaders—to hold annual meetings to ensure that U.S. diplomatic, development, and security assistance programs in priority countries align with current policy goals and address any gaps in strategy. The legislation also reauthorizes the Prevention and Stabilization Fund and the Complex Crises Fund through fiscal year 2030 (extending them six years beyond their current 2024 expiration) and allows additional funding to support monitoring, evaluation, and administrative costs for these programs. Overall, the bill aims to improve coordination across U.S. government agencies and ensure long-term, coherent support for conflict prevention efforts in strategically important but unstable regions.