Tim Kennedy

This bill requires the U.S. Postal Service to provide curbside mail delivery to residents in certain housing developments and prohibits the agency from using its funds to eliminate or reduce this service. The requirement applies to housing developments defined as clusters of 50 or fewer single-family homes in subdivisions or neighborhoods that are located within 300 yards of other residences already receiving curbside delivery. The bill affects both the Postal Service and residents of qualifying residential areas by ensuring they maintain access to curbside mail service rather than alternative delivery methods. The legislation does not specify any new funding allocations or implementation timeline, instead directing the Postal Service to use existing funds, including those in the Postal Service Fund, to comply with the requirement.

The STORMWATER Act extends a federal program that funds centers of excellence focused on developing and improving stormwater control technologies and infrastructure. The bill increases the number of required centers from between three and five to exactly five centers nationwide, and adds a requirement that one center be specifically located in and dedicated to addressing stormwater challenges in the Great Lakes region. The legislation extends the authorization for this program from fiscal years 2022-2026 to fiscal years 2027-2031, effectively continuing federal funding for these research and development centers for an additional five-year period. The bill affects universities and research institutions that host or partner with these centers, as well as communities seeking improved stormwater management solutions. While the bill does not specify the exact dollar amounts, it authorizes continued appropriations for these centers through 2031.

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a three-year pilot program that provides a toll-free mental health hotline for friends and family members of veterans. The hotline will be staffed by VA psychologists and social workers who offer advice on discussing mental health issues with veterans and provide referrals to VA services or other mental health resources. The VA must launch the program within one year of the bill's enactment and conduct outreach to veterans service organizations and other veteran-serving groups within 60 days, while also posting promotional materials at VA facilities and on the VA website. After the three-year pilot period ends, the VA must submit a report to Congress detailing call volume, response times, types of referrals made, and recommendations on whether the program should continue or expand. The bill does not specify funding amounts, leaving budget details to be determined during the appropriations process.

The Remote Control Locomotives Safety Improvement Act of 2026 prohibits railroads from operating trains on main lines using remote control technology without a certified locomotive engineer physically present in the locomotive cab. The bill restricts remote control operations to rail yards only and bars waivers of these requirements for major Class I and Class II railroads or for trains operating on heavily-trafficked tracks. The Federal Railroad Administration must audit all major railroads within 180 days of enactment and smaller carriers within one year to ensure compliance. Railroads that violate the law face civil penalties of either one percent of their annual operating income or $1 million per day of violation, whichever is greater. The regulations take effect immediately upon the bill's enactment without requiring the standard federal rulemaking process.

This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to link the applications of family members (parents, legal guardians, children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings residing within a single household) throughout the NEXUS application process (an expedited border inspections program between the United-States and Canada).CBP must permit a family member to schedule NEXUS interviews for all linked family members and may provide linked family members the option to participate in joint interviews. CBP may exempt from the interview process a child under 14 years of age who is linked to an eligible family member.

The DHS Release Transparency Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to offer detainees held by Customs and Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement the opportunity to designate a point of contact to receive notifications about their release. When an individual is released from custody (except those held at ports of entry for less than 12 hours), the agency must attempt to notify the designated contact person at least twice, with translation services provided to both the detainee and their contact in their preferred languages. The bill protects privacy by prohibiting the government from using any information collected through this notification process for enforcement purposes. The legislation affects all individuals detained by the two agencies and aims to improve transparency in the immigration detention system by ensuring families and representatives know when their detained relatives are being released.

The VA Police Recruitment and Retention Act of 2026 prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies from downgrading law enforcement positions within the VA, whether those positions are permanent, temporary, full-time, part-time, or intermittent. The bill applies retroactively to any police position downgrades that occurred between October 1, 2025, and the date the bill becomes law, requiring those positions to be restored to their previous grade levels and affected employees to receive all back pay they would have earned. The legislation prevents federal funds from being used to downgrade VA law enforcement positions and covers any action by the VA, the Office of Personnel Management, or other agencies that could result in a loss of grade or pay for these roles. The bill directly affects VA police officers and law enforcement personnel who may have experienced or faced position downgrades, protecting their job classifications and compensation. No specific funding amount is mentioned in the legislation, as it primarily prevents certain personnel actions rather than authorizing new expenditures.

The Safe Flights for Passengers and Flight Crews Act requires the Federal Aviation Administration to reclassify certain charter airline operations under stricter federal regulations. Specifically, the bill eliminates the ability of public charter companies operating aircraft with more than 9 passenger seats to use flexible scheduling rules; instead, they must comply with the same safety and operational standards as traditional scheduled airlines. This change takes effect 90 days after the bill becomes law and applies to charter operators that advertise fixed departure times, locations, and arrival destinations in advance. The legislation aims to improve safety for passengers and flight crews by subjecting these charter operations to more rigorous FAA oversight and regulations. No specific funding is mentioned in the bill.

The Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act would increase borrowing limits for graduate and professional students under the federal student loan program. Starting July 1, 2026, the bill raises the annual limit for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans to $50,000 per year for graduate and professional students, and sets an aggregate (total lifetime) limit of $200,000 for these loans in addition to what students borrowed for undergraduate education. This change affects graduate students pursuing degrees in fields like law, medicine, business, and other professional programs who currently face lower borrowing caps. The bill does not specify new federal funding requirements, as it modifies existing loan authorization amounts rather than creating new spending. The legislation was introduced in December 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce for consideration.

The DHS Grants Accountability Act aims to improve oversight, transparency, and fairness in how the Department of Homeland Security administers preparedness, transit, and port security grant programs. The bill requires DHS to publish grant funding notices within 60 days of budget enactment and give applicants at least 30 days to submit applications, establishing clear and predictable timelines for states, cities, and transit agencies seeking federal security grants. It also mandates that DHS allocate funds based on explicit criteria disclosed to Congress annually, rather than discretionary considerations, and extends the period that recipients can use grant funds from current timelines to at least 54 months, providing more flexibility for project implementation. The legislation applies to multiple grant programs across DHS, including homeland security preparedness grants and security grants for public transportation, railroads, buses, and ports. No specific new funding is authorized in this bill; rather, it establishes administrative requirements for how existing grant dollars are distributed and managed.

This bill requires FEMA's administrator to take over management of the Next Generation Warning System grant program and distribute previously authorized funding that has stalled. Specifically, FEMA must disburse all obligated funds from fiscal year 2022 within 180 days of the bill's enactment and begin processing grant awards using funds appropriated for fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security must conduct research and development over the next year to improve emergency warning systems in three key areas: accessibility for all people, resilience against threats, and security protections. The department must then submit a report to Congress within two years detailing its research findings. The bill essentially aims to jumpstart a stalled federal program to modernize the nation's emergency alert capabilities while ensuring these systems are accessible and secure.

The Veterans Healthcare Equality Act of 2025 prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from discriminating against transgender veterans in the provision of healthcare and requires that medically necessary treatments for gender dysphoria be provided without discrimination. The bill specifically restores protections for transgender and intersex veterans by codifying nondiscrimination requirements into federal law, addressing congressional concerns that the VA has rolled back previous protections for this population. The legislation affects all transgender veterans eligible for VA healthcare services nationwide. Within 90 days of enactment, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must brief Congress on implementation efforts, followed by quarterly briefings to ensure compliance. The bill carries no explicit new federal funding authorization, but rather directs the VA to maintain and provide existing healthcare services equitably to all eligible veterans regardless of gender identity.

This bill directs the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire at least 1,000 new officers annually, plus support staff, to meet staffing targets identified in their Workload Staffing Model until adequate staffing levels are achieved. The staffing calculations must account for seasonal traffic fluctuations, current commercial forecasts, and increased outbound inspection operations at land borders. Within 90 days, CBP must also submit a report to Congress identifying infrastructure improvements, detection equipment, and safety gear needed to better intercept drugs like opioids at ports of entry. Additionally, the bill requires quarterly reports to Congress detailing any temporary reassignments of officers between ports, including costs and impacts, with at least 10 days' notice before moving officers unless there is an emergency. If CBP fails to meet the 1,000-officer hiring requirement in fiscal year 2026 or beyond, Congress's Government Accountability Office must review and report on why the hiring targets were not met.

The McCarran-Walter Technical Corrections Act would modify immigration law to allow members of federally recognized American Indian tribes and First Nations members from Canada to cross U.S. borders more easily. The bill replaces an outdated "blood quantum" requirement (at least 50% Native American ancestry) with a clearer standard based on tribal membership or eligibility for membership in federally recognized U.S. tribes, or registered Indian status or First Nation membership in Canada. People admitted under this provision would receive permanent resident status in the United States. This legislation affects Native Americans and Canadian First Nations individuals seeking to travel or relocate across the U.S.-Canada border. The bill contains no specific funding or implementation timeline but would update existing law to reflect modern tribal enrollment practices.

Occupational Therapy Mental Health Parity Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to conduct outreach on Medicare coverage of occupational therapy services to treat substance use or mental health disorders.

This bill helps disaster victims keep valuable tax credits after federally declared disasters reduce their income. When a disaster occurs in someone's area, their earned income often drops temporarily, which can cause them to lose eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and child tax credits. The bill allows affected individuals to "look back" and use their income from the year before the disaster when calculating these credits, preserving their tax benefits even if their disaster year income is lower. Married couples qualify if either spouse lived in the disaster area, and the IRS has authority to set the election process and deadlines. The changes take effect for tax years beginning after the bill is enacted, and the IRS can treat incorrect applications of the rule as minor clerical errors rather than tax violations, making compliance more flexible for struggling disaster victims.

Aaron Salter, Jr., Responsible Body Armor Possession ActThis bill prohibits under federal law the purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor by civilians. The term enhanced body armor means body armor, including a helmet or shield, with a ballistic resistance that meets or exceeds the ballistic performance standard of RF1 armor, as determined using the National Institute of Justice standard in effect at the time the person purchases, owns, or possesses the armor.Violations are subject to a fine, imprisonment of up to five years, or both.The bill's prohibition does not apply to enhanced body armor that was lawfully possessed before the bill's effective date.

Weatherizing Infrastructure in the North and Terrorism Emergency Readiness Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and conduct an exercise to enhance collective domestic preparedness for and response to a terrorist attack during an extreme cold weather event (e.g., an event caused by a polar vortex when Arctic air expands southward). The scenario in the exercise must involve a terrorist attack causing cascading effects on critical infrastructure (i.e., systems and assets of vital importance to national security, public health, or safety) and must address how public and private entities can coordinate to mitigate such effects and bolster community resilience. Within 60 days after completion of the exercise, DHS must submit to Congress an after-action report including the initial findings of the exercise, plans for incorporating lessons learned into future operations, and any proposed legislative changes.

H.Res. 334 is a procedural resolution that modifies how Congress counts time in relation to two national emergencies declared by the President—one on February 1, 2025, and another on April 2, 2025. Specifically, the resolution amends two previous House resolutions (211 and 313) to ensure that calendar days are properly counted when Congress considers joint resolutions to terminate these declared emergencies. The changes remove certain sections from the earlier resolutions that may have created ambiguity about how days should be counted during the legislative process. This resolution affects the timeline for Congress to act on emergency declarations but does not provide funding or address the substance of the emergencies themselves. The amendments are retroactively effective to when the original resolutions were adopted in March and April 2025.

This bill directs the U.S. Postal Service to designate a single, unique ZIP Code for Wheatfield, New York.

This bill prevents the federal government from cutting, redirecting, or reallocating funding already appropriated to the National Weather Service and Great Lakes programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The legislation protects these programs by requiring that any future changes to their funding be explicitly authorized by new law rather than done through executive actions or budget adjustments. The bill affects weather forecasting operations and Great Lakes-related initiatives that depend on stable federal funding. Within 30 days of the law's passage and annually thereafter, NOAA's administrator must certify compliance with the funding protections to five congressional committees. The bill essentially locks in current funding levels for these programs unless Congress passes a new law specifically authorizing any changes.

The Protecting Medical Research Funding Act would restrict the federal government's ability to cut, redirect, or reprogram money allocated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Currently, the executive branch has broad authority to move funds around under existing law, but this bill would require Congress to pass a new law specifically naming this act in order to do so. The legislation affects medical researchers and institutions that depend on NIH funding, which supports a wide range of biomedical research across the country. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the NIH Director to certify compliance within 30 days of enactment and annually thereafter. In essence, the bill is designed to shield NIH research funding from executive branch cuts or reallocation without explicit congressional approval.

The Setting the Table for Transition Act temporarily expands food assistance eligibility for veterans and their households during a critical transition period. When a veteran receives their military discharge papers (DD Form 214), their household would qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps) benefits based only on the veteran's individual income for 100 days, rather than counting all household members' income as typically required. This narrower income calculation makes it easier for newly separated veterans and their families to qualify for nutrition assistance during their transition to civilian life. The bill applies to veterans who received honorable or general discharges. The legislation would take effect 90 days after being signed into law.

H.Res. 304 amends a previous House rule (H.Res. 211) to clarify how days are counted when Congress considers a resolution to terminate a national emergency declared by the President on February 1, 2025. Under the National Emergencies Act, Congress has a limited time period to vote on ending a presidential emergency declaration, and the resolution counts "calendar days" rather than legislative days. This technical amendment ensures that all calendar days during the House's current session count toward that deadline, removing a provision that could have excluded certain days from the calculation. The change takes effect retroactively as if it were part of the original rule adopted in March 2025. No funding is authorized or required by this resolution.

Staff Sergeant John D. Martek Purple Heart Restoration ActThis bill provides for the awarding of the Purple Heart to veterans who experienced a traumatic brain injury on or after December 7, 1941, that is attributable to an act of an enemy of the United States. To be eligible, such veterans must have a service-connected disability attributable to the brain injury or have a military record demonstrating the occurrence of the brain injury.The bill requires the military departments to (1) establish a process for persons to submit applications for the awarding of the Purple Heart to such veterans, and (2) award the Purple Heart to qualifying applicants regardless of the date of the brain injury.