The Rural Mothers and Fathers Choice Act establishes a ten-year federal grant program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services to support families in rural and tribal communities. The bill will award up to six implementation grants of $6 million per year to eligible organizations, with priority given to counties with fewer than 50,000 residents and economically distressed areas. Grantees must operate community service hubs and spokes that provide integrated services across at least four of six categories: family support services, early childhood care, kindergarten through grade 12 education support, workforce development, health services, and infrastructure improvements like broadband access. Each grant recipient must establish a Family Advisory Council with at least 40 percent parent representation to help guide spending decisions. The bill requires grantees to meet performance benchmarks every three and six years to continue receiving funds, track outcomes related to employment, school attendance and graduation rates, and match federal dollars with 10 percent local contribution in years four through six and 20 percent in years seven through ten of the grant period.

This bill modifies the federal tax credit for educational scholarships by increasing the credit limit and adjusting it for inflation. Currently, the tax credit for qualified elementary and secondary education scholarships is capped at $1,700 per taxpayer, and this bill raises that limit to $1,700 while allowing married couples filing jointly to claim twice that amount, or $3,400 combined. Starting in 2027, the credit amount will be automatically increased each year to account for inflation, with adjustments rounded to the nearest $50 and published by the Treasury Department by November 1st of each year. The changes take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, meaning taxpayers will see the higher credit amounts starting with their 2026 tax returns. This legislation essentially makes it easier and more valuable for families to use federal tax credits to help pay for private school tuition and education expenses through scholarship programs.

This Senate resolution formally commends Mississippi Christian University, formerly known as Mississippi College, on the occasion of its 200th anniversary. Founded in 1826 as Hampstead Academy, the institution has a long history of milestones, including being the first coeducational college in the United States to award degrees to women in 1831 and later developing graduate, law, nursing, and physician assistant programs. The resolution recognizes the university's academic, athletic, and faith-based contributions to Mississippi and the nation, noting its role as a major employer in Clinton, Mississippi, and the achievements of its alumni, including four state governors. This is a symbolic, non-binding measure that carries no funding or legal requirements; it simply expresses congressional appreciation and directs that an official copy be sent to the university's president and interim provost. The resolution does not affect any laws, funding, or timelines beyond this commemorative gesture.

Save Our Shrimpers ActThis bill requires the Department of the Treasury to instruct U.S. leadership of international financial institutions (e.g., the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank) to oppose providing financial assistance for any project to support shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or the export of shrimp in a borrowing country.Treasury may waive this requirement with respect to a project upon notifying Congress that the waiver is in the national interest of the United States.The requirement expires seven years after the enactment of this bill.

This resolution designates April 2026 as National Native Plant Month.

Gun Owner Registration Information Protection Act This bill prohibits federal funding of, or support for, state databases that list (1) firearms lawfully owned or possessed by individuals, or (2) individuals who lawfully own or possess firearms.

This bill establishes the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians in Natchez, Mississippi, as an affiliated area of the National Park System. The bill also establishes Historic Jefferson College in Natchez, Mississippi, as an affiliated area of the National Park System, subject to the Department of the Interior's determination that the site meets established criteria for affiliated areas.

S. 3712, known as the "Baby Observation Act" or "BO's Act," directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study the use of home cardiorespiratory monitors for infants to help prevent sudden unexpected infant death. The study will examine how well these monitors work at tracking heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and other vital signs—especially for high-risk infants—and will explore new models of care to improve infant sleep environments. Within one year of the bill's enactment, the Secretary must report findings to Congress that include evidence on monitor effectiveness, recommendations for health insurance coverage criteria, and whether these devices warrant coverage under public or private insurance plans. This legislation affects parents and caregivers of infants, healthcare providers, and insurance companies. The bill does not specify direct federal funding but requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct the research using existing authority under the Public Health Service Act.

The SAVE Moms and Babies Act of 2026 would amend federal drug approval law to prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from approving any new abortion medications and from granting experimental use permits for abortion drugs. For abortion drugs already approved by the FDA, the bill would impose strict new requirements, including limiting use to the first 70 days of pregnancy and requiring in-person administration only at medical facilities by a certified physician—not through pharmacies or mail. Previously approved abortion drugs would need to comply with enhanced safety protocols, including mandatory reporting of adverse events and strict physician certification requirements. The bill also contains a provision that would automatically rescind any existing experimental drug permits for abortion medications three years after the law takes effect. While no specific funding is allocated in the bill itself, it would significantly expand FDA regulatory authority over medication abortion and establish reporting requirements that would affect patients, healthcare providers, and drug manufacturers.

Middle Mile for Rural America ActThis bill reauthorizes through FY2031 a Department of Agriculture program to support middle mile broadband infrastructure in rural areas. Under the program, middle mile infrastructure is broadband infrastructure that does not connect directly to end users (including anchor institutions) and may include interoffice transport, backhaul, internet connectivity, data centers, or special access transport to rural areas.The program provides grants, loans, and loan guarantees for middle mile projects in rural areas. It was established in 2018 but has not been funded.

This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a grant program that helps farmers and agricultural schools pay for safety equipment on tractors. Specifically, the grants would cover 70 percent of the cost to purchase, transport, and install rollover protection structures (cages or bars that prevent injury if a tractor tips over), with the department covering a higher percentage if installation costs exceed $500. Eligible recipients include agricultural producers and schools that teach farming, such as vocational schools, colleges, and secondary schools with agricultural programs. The bill authorizes $725,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with $500,000 going directly to grants and the remainder funding program administration, a public website, and a telephone hotline. The Agriculture Department would contract with a nonprofit organization to manage applications, identify approved safety structures, and verify that tractors qualify for the program.

This resolution commends Delta State University for its 100 years of service to Mississippi and the United States. It also recognizes Delta State University for its academic, cultural, and athletic excellence.

The LABEL Act (Let Americans Buy with Explicit Labeling Act) amends existing law to require clearer labeling of fish products sold in the United States. Specifically, it mandates that fish packages and displays show the country of origin and whether the fish is farm-raised or wild-caught in a prominent, easy-to-read location on the label. The required information must appear in a font size at least as large as other descriptions of the fish on the package, ensuring consumers can easily spot and understand this information while shopping. The law applies to all fish sellers and distributors in the U.S. market. The new labeling requirements take effect 180 days after the bill becomes law, giving companies six months to comply with the updated labeling standards.

This resolution designates September 2025 as National Cholesterol Education Month and September 30, 2025, as Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) Awareness Day.

The Restoring Rural Health Act addresses a specific problem facing critical access hospitals—rural hospitals that receive special Medicare funding—by modifying federal rules about their location requirements. The bill allows certain critical access hospitals that were designated as such on January 1, 2024, to continue receiving their special status and federal funding even if they receive a notice between December 2024 and January 2027 that they don't meet distance requirements set by federal regulations. This effectively gives these rural hospitals a grace period to address compliance issues without losing their critical access designation, which provides them with cost-based reimbursement from Medicare rather than the lower payment rates given to other hospitals. The bill primarily affects rural healthcare facilities and their patients in areas that rely on these hospitals for medical care. The measure was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and does not specify additional appropriations beyond modifying existing Medicare payment rules.

This resolution designates September 25, 2025, as National Ataxia Awareness Day. Ataxia is a clinical manifestation that indicates degeneration or dysfunction of the brain that negatively affects coordination, precision, and accurate timing of physical movements.

The SECURE Benefits Act of 2025 requires taxpayers claiming the child tax credit, earned income tax credit, saver's credit, and certain education credits to have valid Social Security numbers, with stricter requirements for individuals with temporary work authorization. The bill creates a new "temporary work-authorized" Social Security number for people granted temporary work permits by the Department of Homeland Security, and requires the IRS to verify with DHS that such authorization is still valid when these credits are claimed. The legislation imposes significant penalties—up to $5,000 or the credit amount, whichever is greater—on anyone fraudulently claiming credits with expired or invalid work authorization, though exceptions exist for reasonable cause and good faith errors. Most provisions take effect on January 1, 2027, affecting millions of taxpayers who claim these credits, particularly immigrants with temporary legal status and their U.S. citizen children. The bill also requires coordination between the Social Security Administration, IRS, and Department of Homeland Security to share information about work authorization status.

This Senate resolution designates September 2025 as "National Infant Mortality Awareness Month" to highlight the troubling infant death rates in the United States and promote efforts to reduce them. The United States ranks 33rd out of 38 developed countries for infant mortality, with 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, and the problem disproportionately affects African American, Native American, Latino, Asian, and Pacific Islander communities, as well as areas with high poverty and limited healthcare access. The resolution supports educational campaigns about infant mortality causes and prevention, while recognizing existing federal programs like Healthy Start and the Newborn Supply Kit program that work to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. The measure calls on Americans to participate in awareness activities during September and emphasizes the importance of community-based interventions such as home visits, health education, and care coordination that can significantly reduce infant deaths and long-term healthcare costs.

This Senate resolution designates the week of September 21-27, 2025, as "Gold Star Families Remembrance Week" to honor military families who have lost loved ones in service to the United States. The resolution builds on the existing Gold Star Mother's Day, which has been observed on the last Sunday of September since 1936, by expanding recognition to include all family members affected by military deaths. Gold Star families are those who have lost a family member who died while serving in the Armed Forces, with the gold star serving as a symbol of that ultimate sacrifice. The resolution encourages Americans to observe this week by performing community service and celebrating these families' sacrifices. The measure requires no funding and was agreed to by the Senate in September 2025.

The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025 creates new federal assistance programs to help private forest landowners and timber service businesses respond to pine beetle outbreaks. The bill provides cost-share payments covering up to 85 percent of restoration costs for eligible private forest owners and up to 50 percent for timber service businesses conducting outbreak response work like timber harvesting, prescribed burning, debris removal, and insecticide treatment. Additionally, the bill authorizes emergency loans covering at least 75 percent of the estimated costs for forest owners to address pine beetle damage, with an option to apply future cost-share payments toward loan repayment. To qualify, forest land must be located in counties designated as natural disaster areas within the preceding 12 months due to drought, wildfire, hurricane, flood, or similar events, and must have confirmed pine beetle infestations verified by the Forest Service or state forestry agencies. The legislation also allows the Department of Agriculture to provide supplemental grants to state, tribal, and local governments for pine beetle response and recovery efforts.

This Senate resolution commemorates the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, killing 1,833 people and causing an estimated $161 billion in damage across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The resolution acknowledges that more than one million residents were displaced by the Category 3 hurricane, which destroyed over 200,000 homes and 20,000 businesses while leaving approximately five million people without power. It recognizes the heroic efforts of first responders, military personnel, and charitable organizations who conducted massive rescue operations, including the Coast Guard's rescue of over 33,000 people and the military's coordination of one of the largest domestic rescue operations in U.S. history. The resolution also highlights the significant progress made in rebuilding the region, noting that tourist visits to New Orleans have increased from 3.7 million in 2006 to 17.5 million in 2022, and that the population of the Gulfport-Biloxi area has grown by 87% since its post-Katrina low point. The Senate expresses continued support for hurricane victims and reaffirms its commitment to ongoing recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region.

This bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer approximately 311 acres of National Forest land in Franklin County, Mississippi, to the Scenic Rivers Development Alliance, a state instrumentality. The land includes two parcels totaling about 137.7 acres and 173 acres respectively, located within the Homochitto National Forest near Okhissa Lake. The Alliance must pay fair market value for the land in cash, cover all appraisal and closing costs, and agree to maintain the Okhissa Lake Dam and comply with dam safety regulations. The conveyance includes several restrictions: the US retains all mineral and subsurface rights, the land cannot be subdivided for residential development, and the government can reclaim the property if it's sold to a private entity or used for non-recreational purposes. The Secretary must complete the transfer within 180 days after the appraisal is finished and a written agreement is signed, with proceeds deposited into a federal fund for acquiring additional National Forest land.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026This bill provides FY2026 appropriations to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and several related agencies.The bill provides appropriations to DOT forthe Office of the Secretary,the Federal Aviation Administration,the Federal Highway Administration,the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,the Federal Railroad Administration,the Federal Transit Administration,the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation,the Maritime Administration,the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, andthe Office of Inspector General.The bill provides appropriations to HUD forManagement and Administration,Public and Indian Housing,Community Planning and Development,Housing Programs,the Federal Housing Administration,the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae),Policy Development and Research,Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity,the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, andthe Office of Inspector General.The bill also provides appropriations to several related agencies, includingthe Access Board,the Federal Maritime Commission,the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Office of Inspector General,the National Transportation Safety Board,the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the Surface Transportation Board, andThe U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

The Habitat Enhancement Now Act establishes two federal grant programs to help protect migratory waterfowl populations across North America. The first program funds the installation and maintenance of "hen houses" (nesting structures) in prairie pothole wetlands, primarily in the northern prairie region where most North American ducks breed. The second program specifically supports breeding habitat development in California through grants that help landowners establish nesting areas, create ponds for young ducklings, and implement other wildlife-friendly practices. The Secretary of the Interior will administer both competitive grant programs, which are open to state and local governments, tribes, nonprofits, and individuals. The legislation allocates $3.5 million annually for each program through fiscal year 2030, totaling $7 million per year, to address declining duck populations caused by the loss of quality breeding habitat.