This bill modernizes how the federal government assesses fish populations by incorporating environmental DNA (eDNA) technology, which detects fish genetic material in water samples. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will conduct a multi-year pilot study in at least three different fisheries to test whether eDNA sampling can improve stock assessments and reduce costs compared to traditional survey methods like trawling. The legislation establishes a National Aquatic Biomolecular Coordination Network involving 16 federal agencies to develop national standards for eDNA use, ensures water and sediment collection for eDNA analysis does not violate wildlife protection laws, and requires the government to train personnel and expand laboratory capacity to support this technology. The law authorizes unspecified funding for the pilot study and related activities, with Congress to receive annual progress reports, and calls for a comprehensive implementation plan within two years of the pilot study's start that details how eDNA methods will be integrated into federal fisheries management going forward.

This bill modernizes federal housing assistance programs for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians by updating funding authorizations for fiscal years 2027-2033 and streamlining administrative requirements. Key provisions expand eligibility for housing counseling grants to tribal entities, simplify annual reporting by allowing consolidated submissions, and establish two new competitive grant programs—the Tribal Homeless Housing Assistance Grant Program and the Tribal Continuum of Care Participation Grant Program—that provide rental assistance and supportive services to homeless or at-risk Native Americans while allowing tribes flexibility to design culturally appropriate services. The bill also enhances loan guarantee programs for Native American and Native Hawaiian homeownership by broadening eligible lenders, delegating loan endorsement authority to qualified institutions, extending loan terms up to 40 years for modifications, and establishing performance oversight mechanisms. Additionally, the legislation expands tribal participation in federal homeless assistance programs through improved board representation and environmental review processes, while allocating up to 5 percent of annual McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act funding and $25 million annually to tribal housing initiatives.

# Native Children's Commission Implementation Act of 2026 This comprehensive bill aims to improve outcomes for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children by strengthening Tribal communities, families, and access to critical services. The bill creates new advisory committees, expands healthcare and education programs, and modifies federal funding mechanisms to increase Tribal self-determination. ## Key Provisions **Justice and Safety**: The bill establishes an Advisory Committee on Tribal Juvenile Justice to address juvenile delinquency prevention. It creates the Alaska Native Victim Services Fund ($5 million annually through 2032) and expands family violence prevention services, including a national Indian domestic violence hotline. It also requires a study on missing Native American children. **Health Services**: The bill creates new federal advisory committees on Tribal health research, behavioral health, and maternal health to improve coordination. It allocates funds for grants to grow the perinatal workforce ($3 million annually) and requires direct grants to Tribes for community mental health services and substance use treatment (5% set-asides from existing programs). A new self-governance demonstration program allows up to 15 Tribes to administer behavioral health programs directly. **Family Support and Housing**: The Tiwahe Initiative receives $100 million annually to support family-centered services in Tribal communities. New homeless housing assistance programs provide grants to Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations for rental assistance and supportive services, with $25 million dedicated to Tribal participation in the federal Continuum of Care program. **Education**: The bill increases access to Head Start for Native children, particularly Native Hawaiians, and establishes a Native American language schools program providing per-pupil grants. It creates a teacher apprenticeship pilot program ($5 million annually) and a new Alaska Tribal School Program ($5 million annually). It also funds behavioral health and wellness services in Bureau-funded schools ($8 million annually). **Nutrition and Child Care**: The bill establishes pilot programs allowing Tribes to administer food assistance programs directly and creates tribally operated meal programs. It increases Child Care and Development Block Grant funding set-asides for Tribes from 2% to 5%. **Data and Research**: The bill establishes a National Institutes of Health Tribal Health Research Office to coordinate research and improve data on Native health disparities, particularly for maternal and infant health. **Funding Timelines**: Most

This bill reauthorizes and expands the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), a federal program created to map and characterize subsurface resources across the United States. The legislation extends funding for the program through 2031, five years beyond its current authorization deadline, and broadens its scope to include advanced technologies like digital geochemistry and real-time data collection systems. The bill specifically adds focus on mapping critical minerals, geothermal resources, and natural hydrogen deposits, as well as incorporates the 3D Hydrography Program into the initiative's data integration efforts. This reauthorization affects the U.S. Geological Survey and other federal agencies involved in mineral and resource mapping, along with states and industries dependent on accurate subsurface resource data. The legislation was introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator John Hickenlooper in June 2026 and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Saving the OOI Act of 2026This bill prohibits the National Science Foundation (NSF) from using federal funds to decommission or descope Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments until a thorough review of OOI is completed.OOI measures and observes ocean conditions using a series of in-water instruments that gather physical, chemical, geological, and biological data. On May 21, 2026, NSF announced that it would remove all in-water infrastructure from four of the five active OOI arrays.Under the bill, NSF must conduct a thorough review of OOI with engagement from the scientific and coastal communities before decommissioning or descoping specified OOI instruments. This includes OOI instruments anchored off of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, as well as instruments anchored in the Irminger Sea. NSF is required to maintain full and consistent OOI operations, including monitoring in states where instruments have already been decommissioned, until the review is complete.

# Summary of S. 4779 This comprehensive legislation supports agricultural development, food security, and tribal self-determination across multiple areas. The bill expands access to nutritious food by increasing funding for micro-grants to food-insecure communities, establishing a new program providing grants and loans of up to $100 million for food banks and pantries in remote Alaska and frontier communities, and allowing SNAP benefits to cover delivery costs in rural areas. It also creates the Arctic Agriculture Accelerator Loan Program offering up to $250,000 in forgivable loans to help small food processing operations in noncontiguous states start or expand operations, with $10 million authorized annually through 2031. The bill significantly supports the seafood industry by requiring country-of-origin labeling for cooked crab, allowing wild-caught fish to qualify for farm loans, and establishing a $15 million competitive grant program for fiscal years 2027-2028 to develop seafood processing infrastructure in five coastal communities. It also creates labeling requirements for genetically engineered and cultivated fish products, establishes a "Wild USA Seafood" label for domestically caught fish, and prohibits federal funding for finfish aquaculture in U.S. federal waters. Additional provisions authorize $5 million annually for agricultural research in states without existing research facilities, fund seaweed methane reduction research, establish a coastal seaweed farming study with $10 million in funding, expand wood energy initiatives, and require federal agencies to procure American-grown flowers and plants. Finally, the bill significantly strengthens tribal self-determination by allowing tribes to enter into contracts with the Department of Agriculture, extending the Indian Self-Governance demonstration project through 2050, and modifying federal procurement rules to favor Indian-owned businesses.

This bill would change federal tax law to exclude micro-grants for food security from being counted as taxable income. The legislation specifically applies to eligible entities that receive these grants under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, meaning organizations that qualify for and receive food security funding would not owe federal income taxes on those grant amounts. The bill would take effect for any grants received in tax years beginning after it is enacted into law. No specific funding is allocated in this legislation, as it functions as a tax code change rather than a spending measure. The change is aimed at making it easier for food security organizations to use grant money for their intended purpose without the tax burden that would otherwise apply to such financial assistance.

This resolution recognizes the strategic importance of the Arctic region to U.S. interests and highlights the importance of cooperation with Arctic allies. The resolution also emphasizes engagement with Indigenous peoples in Arctic governance.

The Promoting Strong Native Families and Children Act would expand federal funding and reduce administrative barriers for Native American tribes managing child welfare programs. The legislation increases the tribal share of federal child welfare funding from 3 percent to 5 percent across multiple programs, including the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program and the Marylee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program, while also guaranteeing each participating tribe a minimum grant of $5,000. The bill allows tribes greater flexibility by permitting them to use funds for tribal customary adoptions, waiving or modifying matching requirements based on tribal circumstances, and enabling tribes to administer prevention-only programs without operating full foster care systems. Additionally, the legislation authorizes direct Social Services Block Grants to tribes and increases funding for the Tribal Court Improvement Program from $2 million to $5 million annually starting in fiscal year 2026. These changes take effect 30 days after enactment.

Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 and revises programs that support research and development of drugs and other therapies to address amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) and other neurodegenerative diseases.The bill reauthorizesgrants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for scientific research on investigational drugs to prevent or treat ALS for individuals not otherwise eligible for clinical trials,grants from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for research and development of therapies to prevent and treat ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases, anda Public-Private Partnership including the FDA and NIH that supports development and regulatory review of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. Also, the bill revises the NIH grants to require (1) the NIH, in considering grant renewal, to assess available information on the safety and efficacy of the investigational drugs; (2) grantees to promptly report available safety data from ongoing clinical trials; and (3) the NIH to determine the timeframe for enrollment in clinical trials for the investigational drugs.Additionally, every five years, the FDA must publish a plan describing actions it will take over a five-year period to foster development of safe and effective drugs, and facilitate access to investigational drugs, for ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. Each plan must include the FDA's previous actions and recommendations for improvements.Finally, the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Health and Human Services must report on the impacts of these grants.

The PHS ACCESS Act establishes new procedures for deploying Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers to underserved areas and organizations across the country. Specifically, the bill allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assign these medical and health professionals to Urban Indian organizations and other underserved communities to provide care and support. The legislation also creates a framework for awarding constructive service credit to officers who work in rural areas, remote locations, areas facing healthcare access challenges, or with Indian tribes and tribal organizations, with preference given to those filling positions in demonstrated workforce shortage areas. The bill requires the Secretary to develop transparent, objective criteria for awarding this service credit and to periodically update these standards to reflect changing workforce needs. The legislation essentially aims to incentivize Public Health Service officers to work in communities that struggle to attract and retain healthcare professionals.