Cindy Hyde-Smith

The Ecuador Shrimp Tariff Act would gradually increase tariffs on shrimp imported from Ecuador starting in 2027, with rates rising from 10 percent in 2027 to 20 percent in 2028 and finally to 40 percent from 2029 onward. The bill also adds an additional 10-cent per kilogram duty on shrimp imports across the board, with revenues dedicated to funding inspections of imported shrimp and catfish. Additionally, the legislation requires that cooked shrimp and crawfish be labeled with their country of origin, removing them from exemptions that currently apply to most processed foods. The bill affects importers and consumers of shrimp products in the United States, potentially raising prices for these goods, while primarily targeting Ecuador as the largest source of U.S. shrimp imports.

This Senate resolution designates September 2026 as "National Cholesterol Education Month" and September 30, 2026, as "LDL-C Awareness Day" to raise public awareness about cholesterol's role in cardiovascular disease. The resolution highlights that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with costs projected to nearly triple to $1.8 trillion by 2050, and notes that more than 25% of American adults have high LDL cholesterol, a major modifiable risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. It points out significant gaps in care, including that fewer than 1 in 4 high-risk patients reach recommended cholesterol targets and only 27% of heart attack patients receive proper follow-up testing, with African-American adults particularly underserved despite higher disease rates. The resolution is symbolic rather than regulatory or funding-based; it encourages individuals to know their LDL-C numbers and calls attention to the need for better screening and treatment, but it does not create new programs, mandates, or appropriations. It affects the general public and healthcare community by promoting awareness rather than imposing legal requirements.

This resolution designates the week of September 20 through September 27, 2026, as "Gold Star Families Remembrance Week." It honors families who have lost a loved one who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as the families of veterans. The measure notes that while the last Sunday in September has long been recognized as "Gold Star Mother's Day," there had been no dedicated observance honoring the broader families affected by the loss of a service member. It encourages people across the country to mark the week by performing acts of service and goodwill in their communities and by celebrating the sacrifices made by these families. The resolution is symbolic, carrying no funding or legal requirements, and simply expresses the Senate's recognition and appreciation.

This resolution designates September 25, 2026, as "National Ataxia Awareness Day" to raise public awareness about ataxia, a group of rare neurodegenerative diseases that impair coordination, speech, and movement. It affects individuals of all ages diagnosed with inherited or acquired forms of ataxia, such as ataxia telangiectasia, Friedreich's ataxia, and spinocerebellar ataxia, as well as their families who face physical, emotional, and financial challenges from the condition. The resolution highlights that ataxia currently has few treatments and no cure, and it calls for improved diagnosis, better access to care, and accelerated research toward effective treatments. It also encourages states, territories, and local governments to recognize and support the day. As a Senate resolution, it carries symbolic weight and does not include any funding, mandates, or enforcement provisions.

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.

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

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.