Teresa Leger Fernandez

This bill withdraws federal land in the Rio Chama Watershed area of northern New Mexico from mineral exploration and mining under federal law. The withdrawal applies only to federally owned minerals and does not affect mineral rights held by Indian tribes or recognized Spanish and Mexican land grants in the region. The legislation preserves traditional and customary uses of common materials like stone, sand, gravel, and clay by local community members, land grant holders, and tribal members for domestic, cultural, religious, and agricultural purposes. The bill does not specify any direct federal funding requirements or implementation timeline beyond the immediate withdrawal of the specified lands from future mining claims.

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to maintain fair reimbursement rates for home and community-based services provided to veterans, particularly in rural areas. The legislation reinstates any reimbursement rates that were reduced after December 31, 2025, and prevents future rate cuts unless the VA notifies Congress at least 90 days in advance. The VA must submit a comprehensive report within 90 days explaining how it sets these reimbursement rates, including what data sources it uses and how it consults with home care providers. Additionally, the VA must submit annual reports assessing whether there are enough home care providers in different regions to meet veteran demand and describing its plans to address any shortages. The bill aims to ensure that rural veterans have adequate access to affordable home-based care services by preventing payment rates from becoming too low for providers to sustain their operations.

This bill awards a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to individuals who fought for the United States against Imperial Japan in the Pacific during World War II and became prisoners of war between December 8, 1941, and August 15, 1945. The medal recognizes the service and sacrifice of soldiers and civilians who defended locations including Bataan, Corregidor, Guam, Wake Island, and the Philippines, including the approximately 700 American and 6,000 to 10,000 Filipino troops killed during the Bataan Death March. The medal will be designed by the Secretary of the Treasury and displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, with the possibility of being loaned to other locations associated with Pacific theater battles. The Treasury Department can also produce and sell bronze duplicate medals to recover the costs of producing the main medal. No specific funding amount or deadline is specified in the legislation.

Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act of 2026This bill expands loan forgiveness for educators by revising the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. The program provides loan forgiveness (up to $17,500) for teachers who are highly qualified, teach full-time in a low-income elementary or secondary school or educational service agency, and complete five years of consecutive service.Specifically, the bill renames the program as the Educator Loan Forgiveness Programs.Additionally, the bill expands the program by making additional loan types eligible for benefits under the program (e.g., Parent PLUS Loans).Further, the bill expands program eligibility to early childhood educators and program directors serving in early childhood education programs and school leaders serving in public high-need schools.The bill requires the Department of Education tomake monthly student loan payments on behalf of the educator during qualifying service (i.e., employment as a full-time qualifying educator in a high-need school or an early childhood education program),provide complete loan forgiveness after five years of qualifying service (which does not have to be consecutive), andtake steps to notify borrowers about changes to the program.

This bill establishes the Caja del Rio National Conservation Area, protecting approximately 17,837 acres of federal land in New Mexico to preserve the region's cultural, spiritual, religious, ecological, and historical values while enhancing Indian tribes' participation in its management. The legislation requires the federal government to create a comprehensive management plan within three years and a travel management plan within one year that restricts motorized vehicle use to a single road and necessary access routes, while authorizing an optional land exchange with New Mexico within eighteen months. The bill grants Indian tribes authority to manage portions of the conservation area, protects their access for cultural and spiritual practices including the ability to temporarily close areas to the public, and allows tribal members to collect plants and minerals for traditional purposes without regulatory quantity restrictions. The protected area is withdrawn from mining, mineral leasing, and geothermal leasing activities, though the law preserves any rights that existed before its enactment. Overall, the bill creates a comprehensive framework balancing resource protection with tribal sovereignty and traditional use rights.

This resolution seeks to expel Representative Tony Gonzales from the House of Representatives based on allegations of sexual misconduct with House staff members. According to the resolution, Gonzales engaged in unwelcome sexual advances and a sexual relationship with a staffer who worked under his direct supervision, violating House rules on sexual conduct established in 2018. The resolution details text messages from 2024 in which Gonzales allegedly requested explicit photos and descriptions of sexual positions from his employee, and notes that a second former campaign staffer also came forward in 2026 with accusations of sexually explicit messages. The resolution emphasizes that Gonzales admitted to the sexual relationship in March 2026 after initially denying the allegations, and subsequently ended his re-election campaign but did not resign from office. To remove him, the resolution requires a two-thirds majority vote in the House, and Gonzales would have the opportunity to defend himself before the vote takes place.

H.R. 7467 expands legal rights for victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking by creating new civil lawsuits and removing time limits for filing claims. The bill allows victims of sexual abuse crimes and human trafficking to sue perpetrators (and those who financially benefit from these crimes) in federal court for damages and attorney's fees. Currently, these civil claims face time limits—typically 10 years after the crime or 10 years after a minor victim reaches age 18—but the bill eliminates these deadlines entirely for the most serious offenses: sexual abuse offenses under sections 2241-2243, transportation for sexual activity under sections 2421-2423, and human trafficking under sections 1589-1591. Civil lawsuits must pause if a related criminal case is ongoing. The bill applies immediately to any pending claims and includes a one-year lookback period allowing victims whose claims were previously dismissed due to time limits to refile them. No new funding is specified in the legislation.

The Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2026 strengthens federal requirements for colleges and universities to address alcohol and substance misuse among students and employees. The bill updates and expands existing prevention and recovery programs by requiring institutions to adopt evidence-based prevention strategies and to offer comprehensive support services such as counseling, treatment, recovery support, peer services, and reentry assistance for students struggling with substance use disorders. Colleges must also coordinate with local health agencies and community organizations, integrate mental health and substance use services on campus, and train staff to recognize and respond to substance use crises. The legislation authorizes $15 million in federal grants annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2032 to support these programs, with the Education and Health and Human Services departments required to develop best practice guidelines within a year of enactment. Most requirements take effect two years after the bill becomes law, giving institutions time to comply.

Nutrition Administration Assistance Act of 2026This bill authorizes additional funding through FY2030 to pay administration costs incurred by states for certain Department of Agriculture nutrition programs. The bill specifically authorizes funding for administration costs incurred bystate agencies to carry out the Commodity Supplemental Food Program,states to carry out state plans under the Emergency Food Assistance Program, andstates to carry out the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.

H.R. 6869 modifies the 2010 Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act, which resolved a long-standing water rights dispute involving Native American pueblos in New Mexico. The bill gives water project partners—including five pueblos, the federal government, New Mexico state, and local governments in Santa Fe County—more flexibility to extend deadlines for completing the Regional Water System without penalty. Specifically, it allows these parties to jointly agree to extend project completion dates if they determine an extension is reasonably necessary, rather than being locked into fixed timelines. The bill affects water infrastructure development in the Santa Fe area and the tribal, state, and local governments involved in the settlement agreement, though no new federal funding is specified in the text provided.

H.Res. 949 is a symbolic resolution that expresses congressional support for designating the first Saturday in May as "National Lowrider Day." The resolution celebrates lowrider culture—which traces back to 1940s Chicano communities in the Southwest—as an important part of American cultural history, highlighting how lowrider vehicles serve as mobile works of art and symbols of community identity, creativity, and resistance against discrimination. The resolution acknowledges that lowrider clubs contribute to their communities through service, mentorship, and cultural events, and notes that major institutions like the Smithsonian are now documenting and celebrating this heritage. The resolution calls on local, state, and federal entities to support public events and educational programs that honor lowrider culture, and the first Saturday in May was chosen as an appropriate time to celebrate when weather conditions favor cruising across the country. This resolution has no direct funding or regulatory impact—it is a statement of support that does not create law or obligate spending.

H.R. 6205, the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, modifies the 2010 water rights settlement agreement for Taos Pueblo by expanding financial support for water infrastructure projects. The bill establishes two new supplemental trust funds—one for groundwater development and one for surface water sharing infrastructure—in addition to the existing water development fund, enabling the Pueblo to invest these funds and use earnings for water projects. It also creates a grant program for non-Pueblo entities to develop "mutual-benefit projects," including a critical mitigation well system, with completion deadlines of 4-5 years and provisions to reallocate funds if deadlines are missed. Congress appropriates $367 million in total federal funding, including $190 million for the Pueblo's groundwater development fund, $161 million for mutual-benefit projects, and $16 million for surface water sharing, with provisions to adjust amounts upward through 2035 for construction cost inflation. The bill streamlines settlement implementation by allowing alternative water infrastructure to satisfy the original mitigation requirements without additional cost-sharing or formal agreement modifications.

The Protect Culturally Sensitive Information Act establishes federal protections for culturally sensitive information shared by Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Entities, and Native Hawaiian Organizations with the government. The bill allows these groups to designate information about culturally significant sites, burial grounds, cultural items, and religious practices as protected, preventing public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Federal agencies receiving such designated information must consult with the relevant tribes or organizations to determine how to store it and who can access it, with limited exceptions only for legally compelled disclosures (such as court orders), where agencies must still notify the tribes within three business days and work to minimize harm. The Secretary of the Interior must establish guidelines within one year to help federal agencies understand and properly handle this sensitive information, and all agencies must create new regulations to implement these protections within one year of the bill's enactment.

The No Payola Act would repeal a provision of a 2026 spending law that required Senate offices to be notified when legal documents were served regarding Senate data disclosures. The bill specifically targets Section 213 of the 2026 Continuing Appropriations Act and undoes amendments it made to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2005. Additionally, the legislation requires any Senator who received funds through a private lawsuit related to these Senate data disclosure rules to return those funds to the U.S. Treasury. The bill was introduced in November 2025 by Representatives Leger Fernandez, McGovern, and Neguse and was referred to the House Administration Committee. No specific funding amounts or implementation timeline are detailed in the legislation.

Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery ActThis bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive certain requirements for matching federal funds in fire recovery projects. Specifically, USDA may waive cost-sharing requirements for projects responding to fires resulting from management activities (e.g., controlled burns) conducted by USDA on National Forest System land.

The Integrated Resource Planning Modernization Act directs the Department of Energy to develop and publish federal guidelines and best practices for how states and electric utilities should plan their electricity systems for the future. These guidelines will cover modern planning methods such as incorporating renewable energy, battery storage, grid improvements, and demand management into long-term capacity planning while ensuring reliable power supply at minimal cost. The bill requires the Department to provide technical assistance to states, utilities, and grid operators to help them understand and implement these guidelines. Additionally, the legislation establishes a grant program providing federal funding to states to help them adopt these modernized planning practices, with states required to submit implementation plans and progress reports. States will have up to five years to use the grant money, and the Department must publish its initial guidelines within two years of the bill's enactment and update them every five years thereafter.

H.R. 5914 increases federal funding for historic preservation by doubling the annual deposit into the Historic Preservation Fund from $150 million to $300 million, beginning in fiscal year 2026. The bill guarantees that State Historic Preservation Offices receive at least 40 percent of the fund annually, while Tribal Historic Preservation Offices receive at least 20 percent, with adjustments made if the number of tribal offices increases. Money deposited into the fund becomes available for spending in the following fiscal year without requiring additional congressional approval, streamlining the funding process. The legislation also specifically authorizes funding for several preservation programs focused on underrepresented communities, including African American Civil Rights Movement initiatives, Equal Rights Grants, and survey grants for underrepresented communities. If revenues fall short of the $300 million target, the difference will be covered from the general Treasury fund, ensuring consistent preservation funding going forward.

This bill amends the Head Start Act to protect and restore the Head Start program, which has served low-income children since 1965 by providing early education, health services, nutrition, and family support. The legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain the Office of Head Start with its central office and 12 regional offices exactly as they were structured before January 20, 2025, and prohibits the department from reducing staffing levels below those existing on that date. The bill prevents the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restructuring the office or cutting its workforce, though any proposed changes must be reported to Congress and made public at least 60 days in advance. The bill reflects concern that the Head Start program—which operates in every congressional district and has historically enjoyed bipartisan support—faces potential elimination or reorganization, and it aims to preserve the program's institutional structure and operational capacity.

H.Con.Res. 56 is a congressional resolution recognizing the wage gap between Latina women and white, non-Hispanic men in the United States. According to the resolution, Latina women working full-time earn approximately 58 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men, with the gap even wider in rural areas where Latinas earn about 43 cents per dollar. The resolution designates October 8, 2025, as "Latina Equal Pay Day" and notes that over a 40-year career, this pay disparity costs Latina women an average of $1.2 million in lost earnings. While the resolution does not propose new legislation or allocate funding, it calls on Congress to recognize the wage disparity and reaffirm its commitment to achieving equal pay and closing the gender wage gap for Latinas.

This bill expands the Forest Service's authority to support ecosystem restoration by allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into contracts, grants, and agreements for native seed collection and seedling production. The legislation enables the Forest Service to partner with state forestry agencies, nonprofits, local private entities, colleges and universities, Indian Tribes, and multistate coalitions to restore forest habitats and revegetate damaged land. The bill amends existing programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to explicitly include seed and seedling activities as eligible restoration work. No new funding amounts or specific timelines are specified in the text, though the bill builds on funding mechanisms already established in these existing laws.

Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement ActThis bill authorizes deposits representing unpaid interest into the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund, the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund, and the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund. These funds were established in 2009 and 2010 under certain water rights settlement agreements that did not allow accrual of interest.

The Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act authorizes $30 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to fund grants that strengthen partnerships between sexual assault service programs and health care providers, behavioral health services, and disability programs. Eligible recipients include state and territorial sexual assault coalitions, nonprofit community-based sexual assault programs, and tribal organizations, which can use funds to develop trauma-informed training, provide direct services like therapy and case management, and create coordinated responses for survivors across their lifespan, including adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The bill also dedicates up to 10 percent of available funding for technical assistance and training to grantees and potential grantees, with a separate $5 million annual cap for federal administration. This legislation amends the existing Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to expand its focus to include sexual assault alongside domestic violence and dating violence.

The Weather-Safe Energy Act directs the Department of Energy to develop a free, publicly available digital tool called the Weather-Safe Energy Platform that provides weather and water data tailored for electricity system planning and operations. This tool will be available within two years and will include historical data and future projections of meteorological conditions, helping utility companies and grid operators prepare for extreme weather events like hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and droughts that could disrupt power systems. The bill also requires the Energy Department to fund research through competitive grants to expand understanding of how changing extreme weather patterns affect electricity infrastructure, and to provide training and technical assistance to utilities, grid operators, municipalities, and state regulators on using the platform and incorporating weather scenarios into their planning. The Secretary of Energy must report to Congress within five years and every three years thereafter on implementation progress, funding spent, research outcomes, and how widely the platform is being used by the energy sector.

Small Cemetery Conveyance ActThis bill authorizes the Forest Service to convey, without a payment or exchange in land, a cemetery to a state government, local government, Indian tribe, or certain community land grant that has a bona fide interest or historic claim to the cemetery. This authorization applies to up to 40 acres of land that was used, or previously used, as a cemetery, including up to 1 acre adjacent to the land used as a cemetery. The conveyed land must continue to be used as a cemetery. If it is not used for that purpose, the Forest Service may revert the land and any improvements back to the United States. The Forest Service may waive certain conveyance costs upon the demonstrated need of a state government, local government, Indian tribe, or community land grant.

The Support Water-Efficient Strategies and Technologies Act of 2025 modifies federal farm conservation programs to encourage farmers to adopt water-saving and drought-resistant practices. The bill increases government payments for eligible practices—such as installing efficient irrigation systems, transitioning from irrigated to dry-land farming, and improving water absorption—up to 85 percent of the costs for planning and installation. The legislation also expands payments to farmers who adopt perennial crop systems like agroforestry and perennial grains, and increases the five-year payment cap from the current amount to $200,000 per person or entity. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Agriculture to promote soil health through outreach and funding for soil testing to measure carbon sequestration. The measure affects agricultural producers across the country and aims to help them adapt to water scarcity while improving environmental conservation.