Andy Kim

The NEST Act requires the Department of Health and Human Services to distribute newborn supply kits to mothers of newborns through grants to eligible organizations like nonprofits, health centers, tribal organizations, and hospitals. Each kit includes essential items for infant care and postpartum recovery, such as diapers, wipes, hygiene products, postpartum supplies, breastfeeding materials, a blood pressure monitor, and educational information about maternal health resources and programs. The program prioritizes serving low-income mothers, rural communities, and areas with high maternal mortality rates. The legislation authorizes $5 million annually from 2027 through 2031 and requires the department to report on the program's reach and outcomes, including information on which mothers were served and the program's impact on maternal and infant health.

The Honest Services Fraud Improvement Act creates a new legal avenue for citizens to sue government officials for fraud. Specifically, it allows qualified U.S. citizens who live in or represent a jurisdiction to bring civil lawsuits against federal, state, local, or tribal government officials who engage in schemes to defraud the public of honest government services. To qualify, plaintiffs must be constituents of the official's jurisdiction, cannot themselves be political candidates, and cannot be funded by or coordinated with any candidate or campaign. Lawsuits must be filed within one year of discovery of the alleged fraud, and if successful, courts may award compensatory damages, triple damages for any bribes involved, attorney's fees, and other costs to the plaintiff. The bill includes a 60-day review period allowing federal prosecutors to intervene with a criminal prosecution, in which case the civil case would be dismissed.

This bill clarifies and strengthens federal laws against illegal gratuities involving government programs that receive federal funding. It creates a new offense specifically targeting situations where someone gives or receives payments of $1,000 or more to a government official in connection with contracts or transactions worth $5,000 or more. The bill increases penalties for the existing illegal gratuities offense from 10 years to 15 years in prison and establishes up to 2 years in prison for the new offense, with the ability to impose fines as well. Additionally, it expands asset forfeiture provisions so that money and property involved in these illegal gratuities can be seized by the government. The legislation applies to federal, state, local, and tribal government officials and employees, as well as officials and agents of organizations receiving federal funds.

The Anti-Bribery Improvement Act modifies federal bribery laws by expanding what conduct is prohibited when offering bribes to public officials and witnesses. Specifically, the bill adds "access" as a new prohibited form of bribery, defining access as a public official's ability to influence decisions or actions on matters that may come before them in their official capacity. The legislation makes it illegal to offer bribes to induce officials to provide such access or to make explicit promises or undertakings to provide access. The bill affects federal prosecutors, law enforcement, and any individuals or entities attempting to unlawfully influence public officials. The legislation does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines beyond its introduction in September 2026.

This bill modifies the federal school lunch program to better assist children of military service members by excluding certain military housing allowances from the income calculations used to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals. Currently, these housing allowances are counted as household income, which can disqualify military families who would otherwise qualify for assistance. The bill affects military-connected families with school-age children who participate in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Defense to jointly submit a report to Congress by October 1, 2026, examining how the government could automatically certify military children as eligible for meal assistance without requiring families to submit separate applications, potentially using existing military financial data. This legislation aims to streamline access to nutritional support for military dependents and reduce administrative burden on military families.

The Stop the Wait Act of 2026 eliminates the five-month waiting period that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries must currently wait before receiving benefits. Under current law, individuals approved for disability benefits must wait five months after becoming disabled before payments begin, which causes financial hardship for people unable to work. The bill phases in this change gradually between 2026 and 2030, reducing the waiting period from five months to three months, then two months, then one month, before eliminating it entirely starting January 1, 2031. The legislation also expands Medicare eligibility for disabled individuals during the transition period if they lack other health insurance coverage, allowing them to access Medicare benefits more quickly rather than waiting the standard 24 months. The bill does not specify new federal funding requirements, as it reallocates existing Social Security and Medicare resources to accelerate benefit payments for eligible disabled individuals.

The Medicare at Home Act would add a new home care benefit to Medicare that covers assistance with activities like bathing, dressing, and eating, as well as meal preparation and medication reminders for seniors and people with disabilities. The benefit would be limited to 20 hours per week and would only be available to Medicare beneficiaries who need help with at least two activities of daily living or two instrumental activities of daily living, as certified by a physician. The bill addresses the fact that over 10 million Medicare beneficiaries currently need such assistance but are forced to pay out of pocket, often spending over $60,000 annually, or turning to Medicaid when their savings are depleted. Funding for the new benefit would come through adjustments to Medicare Part B premiums, with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services required to provide a cost estimate to Congress within 180 days of the bill's enactment. The benefit would become effective more than two years after the law passes, giving the Health and Human Services Department time to write regulations and establish standards for home care workers and agencies.

This bill requires the Comptroller General of the United States to assess which federal programs administered by states and local governments face the greatest risks of waste, fraud, and improper payments. The assessment must be completed within two years of the bill's enactment and repeated periodically thereafter, examining vulnerabilities in how federal funds are managed at federal, state, and local levels. The Comptroller General will analyze existing audit materials, inspector general reports, and other oversight data to identify problem areas and effective solutions that have reduced fraud and waste in these programs. The assessment will also evaluate what federal tools and resources are available to help states and local governments prevent problems and recommend improvements to federal agencies and Congress. This legislation primarily affects state and local government administrators who handle federal funds, as well as federal agencies that oversee these programs, though no specific funding amount is designated in the bill itself.

This Senate resolution affirms Congress's commitment to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and calls for protecting the right of people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes and communities rather than in institutional settings. The resolution specifically rejects a recent Department of Justice opinion that contradicted the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision, which requires states to offer community-based services to qualified individuals with disabilities. The resolution notes that over 8.4 million people currently receive home and community-based services through Medicaid, which costs about three times less than institutional care and leads to better outcomes including improved life satisfaction and dignity. The Senate pledges to work on a bipartisan basis to increase funding for community-based services, protect Medicaid from cuts, and call on federal agencies including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and others to develop policies that promote independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. This is a symbolic resolution expressing the Senate's position rather than legislation that creates new law or appropriates funding.

The Digital Age Assurance Act of 2026 creates a system for verifying users' ages across digital devices and platforms while protecting children's privacy. Operating system providers like Apple and Google would be required to collect users' dates of birth and classify them into age brackets (under 13, 13-15, 16, or 17 and older), then share this age information through secure signals to apps, websites, and browsers that request it. App developers and website operators would be required to request these age signals and use them to enforce their own age-appropriate access policies, while being prohibited from sharing the age data with third parties or using it for targeted advertising. The bill includes strong protections for children by banning targeted advertising to minors and prohibiting companies from selling children's personal data to data brokers. It establishes civil penalties of up to $2,500 for negligent violations and $7,500 for knowing violations, with penalties multiplied by the number of children affected, and gives both the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general enforcement authority. The law takes effect 18 months after enactment and includes safeguards to prevent anticompetitive behavior by large platforms, while explicitly preserving existing student privacy laws and excluding requirements for collecting government IDs or using facial recognition technology.

The MediKids Act would expand Medicaid coverage to all children and young adults under age 26, regardless of income, starting two years after the bill's enactment. States would be required to automatically enroll all children born within their borders at birth and extend continuous coverage through age 26, with parents or guardians able to opt out only if the child has alternative health insurance that meets federal standards. The federal government would cover 100 percent of the costs for individuals newly eligible under this expansion who were not previously covered by Medicaid as of January 1, 2025. The bill also removes immigration status restrictions, allowing undocumented children and young adults to access Medicaid benefits, and exempts this group from work requirements and certain community engagement obligations. This legislation was introduced by Senators Kim, Duckworth, Padilla, and Booker in July 2026.

The Language Access for All Act of 2026 requires all federal agencies to provide meaningful language assistance to people with limited English proficiency within one year of enactment. Agencies must translate vital documents into frequently encountered languages, provide interpreters and translated digital content, train staff on language access procedures, and establish Language Access Coordinators to oversee compliance. The bill also mandates that agencies develop detailed language access plans subject to public comment, establish technical standards for language services, and create a public complaint system managed by the Department of Justice, with annual reporting on access barriers. For artificial intelligence and machine translation tools, agencies must retain qualified human translators to verify accuracy, disclose error rates and limitations annually, and undergo biennial audits to prevent discrimination. Non-compliance is treated as civil rights discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, enforceable by the Department of Justice and individuals through administrative or civil court action.

This concurrent resolution provides for a joint session of Congress to be assembled at the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

This bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act to expand the types of advanced technologies the U.S. government can finance for export. Specifically, it broadens coverage from just "quantum computing" to the wider category of "quantum information science and technology," making more quantum-related products and services eligible for export financing support. The change affects American companies developing quantum technologies by potentially giving them access to Export-Import Bank financing to sell these products and services abroad, which could help U.S. firms compete globally in this emerging field. The modification applies to the Bank's existing Program on China and Transformational Exports, which focuses on supporting American technological leadership in strategic industries. The bill addresses concerns about maintaining American competitiveness in quantum technology as other countries advance their own quantum capabilities.

Gun Records Restoration and Preservation ActThis bill removes limitations on the authority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct activities related to the administration of federal firearms laws.Specifically, the bill removes provisions thatlimit the use of firearms tracing data,limit the disclosure of data under the Freedom of Information Act,prohibit imposing a requirement that gun dealers conduct a physical inventory,prohibit consolidating or centralizing records maintained by federal firearm licensees (e.g., gun dealers), andrequire background check records to be destroyed within 24 hours.