Angela Alsobrooks

This bill prevents the federal government from imposing tariffs higher than those in effect on January 19, 2025, on school supplies and educational materials. The legislation covers specific items like notebooks, pencils, pens, backpacks, lunchboxes, and keyboards, as well as any other classroom supplies that the Secretary of Commerce designates in coordination with the Secretary of Education. The bill aims to keep back-to-school costs affordable for students, families, teachers, and schools by freezing tariff rates at their previous levels. Congress acknowledged that arbitrary tariff increases drive up prices for educational supplies. The Secretary of Commerce must report to Congress every six months listing exempt items and any newly designated school supplies, with Congress able to disapprove new designations through a joint resolution.

This bill creates a new tax credit to help seniors age 60 and older pay for home modifications that improve accessibility and safety. Eligible individuals can claim up to $10,000 per year in tax credits for expenses like installing wheelchair ramps, grab bars, handrails, chair lifts, widened doorways, and other similar modifications to their primary residences. The credit phases out for higher-income taxpayers, with the income thresholds ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 depending on filing status, and the credit amount reduces by $1 for every $2 of income above these thresholds. The credit applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026, and the dollar limits will be adjusted annually for inflation starting in 2028. The legislation also prevents taxpayers from claiming the same expenses as both a tax credit and a tax deduction, and requires the Treasury Department to issue guidance on how to implement the program.

Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act This bill modifies dental coverage under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Specifically, the bill prohibits lifetime or annual limits on CHIP dental coverage. It also requires states to offer dental-only supplemental coverage under CHIP to children who have other health insurance but are otherwise eligible for CHIP (i.e., wraparound coverage); such coverage is currently at the option of the state.

Medicaid Dental Benefit Act of 2026This bill requires state Medicaid programs to cover dental and oral health services for adults. It also increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for such services.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must develop oral health quality and equity measures and conduct outreach relating to such coverage. Additionally, the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission must report on specified information relating to adult oral health care.

This bill amends federal transit and rail funding rules to allow transportation projects to acquire land and property before environmental reviews are completed. The changes affect recipients of federal transit assistance under Chapter 53 of title 49 and passenger rail projects under chapters 229, 249, and 243, allowing them to purchase, lease, or otherwise obtain necessary real property interests earlier in the project development process. However, the property cannot be physically developed or improved until all required environmental reviews are finished. The Federal Transit Administration must update its guidance documents within six months of the bill's enactment to implement these changes. This legislation essentially creates "modal parity" by giving transit and rail projects the same property acquisition flexibility, potentially allowing them to secure land at current prices while environmental assessments proceed in parallel rather than sequentially.

Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2026This bill provides for Medicare coverage of dental and oral health services, including routine diagnostic and preventive services, basic and major dental services, and emergency care; dental prostheses are also covered. Currently, such services are excluded from Medicare coverage.

The PREVENT Act directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to maintain and expand a federal program focused on preventing child sexual abuse. The program will work to identify gaps in current research and prevention efforts, improve data collection and surveillance systems for tracking child sexual abuse including technology-facilitated abuse, increase understanding of risk factors, and develop and spread evidence-based prevention strategies and policies. The bill specifically emphasizes addressing the growing problem of technology-facilitated child sexual abuse. The legislation authorizes $6 million per year in funding for the program for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, totaling $30 million over the five-year period.

The Regional Export Promotion Act of 2026 expands and formalizes the Export-Import Bank's Regional Export Promotion Program, which helps American businesses access export financing and support by partnering with state, local, and nonprofit economic development organizations. The bill creates a five-year pilot program specifically focused on small businesses, requiring the Export-Import Bank to prioritize partnerships with underserved communities including HUBZones, community development financial institutions, minority banks, local chambers of commerce, and community banks. Under the pilot program, the bank will provide specialized training, export credit insurance products tailored for small businesses, and streamlined application processes to help small business exporters. The legislation requires the Export-Import Bank president to report annually to Congress on the number of new partnerships developed, the volume of bank products used by small businesses through these partnerships, and recommendations for future funding or improvements. No specific appropriations are mentioned in the bill, but the legislation directs the bank to assess whether additional funding would strengthen the program's effectiveness.