Tammy Duckworth

This resolution expresses the Senate's view that the United States should prioritize supporting working mothers through investments in what it calls the "Mom Economy." The resolution highlights statistical disparities showing that mothers participate in the workforce at significantly lower rates than fathers, earn less than men, and often face barriers including expensive childcare and lack of paid leave. The resolution calls for Congress to consider a comprehensive package of investments including paid family and medical leave for all workers, universal childcare programs, expanded child tax credits, increased nutrition assistance, higher minimum wages, and protections against wage discrimination. While this is a non-binding resolution expressing the Senate's sense rather than a law that creates specific programs or funding, it signals support among sponsoring senators for policies aimed at reducing economic barriers for working mothers, particularly mothers of color who are described as facing disproportionate challenges.

The Accessible Ukraine Act requires all construction and renovation projects in Ukraine that receive U.S. funding to meet accessibility standards equivalent to those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act. The bill applies to projects funded by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund. The law includes limited exceptions for routine maintenance and emergency construction, though for emergency projects the Secretary of State must develop a plan within three months to ensure accessibility and allocate funds if necessary to provide people with disabilities equal access to services. The bill also establishes an accessibility working group within 180 days to evaluate compliance and coordinate with local organizations, and requires the Secretary of State to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the number and cost of affected projects, waivers granted, and recommendations for improvement.

This bill creates a federal grant program to encourage states to adopt two police reform measures. First, states must require all law enforcement officers and academy recruits to complete annual training on fair and impartial policing, including at least eight hours initially and four hours yearly thereafter, covering topics like anti-bias training, de-escalation tactics, and crisis intervention. Second, states must enact laws requiring independent investigation and prosecution of deadly force incidents involving police officers, which can be accomplished through various methods such as civilian review boards, state attorneys general, special prosecutors, or agreements with outside law enforcement agencies. States that comply with these requirements become eligible for federal grants on a year-by-year basis, with a 240-day initial compliance deadline that can be extended by 120 additional days for good faith efforts. States that fail to maintain compliance lose their grant eligibility for the following fiscal year, and the Department of Justice Inspector General will audit participating states to verify they meet the training standards.

This bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 901 Lake Street in Oak Park, Illinois, as the "Detective Allan Reddins Post Office Building".

This bill establishes strict rules to prevent the Department of Defense from manipulating casualty records and military benefits by reclassifying or renaming ongoing military operations. The legislation requires that casualties remain permanently attributed to their original military operation in all official records, even if the operation is renamed or redesignated, ensuring accurate accounting of the human cost of war. The bill also prohibits the Defense Department from reducing or altering military personnel's benefits and awards—such as combat pay, leave, decorations, or veteran preference credits—simply because an operation was administratively reclassified, as long as troops continue fighting the same enemy under the same conditions. Specifically, the bill directs the Secretary of Defense to restore within 30 days all casualty records and benefits that were modified since February 28, 2026, relating to military operations against Iran, and to notify affected service members and families of these restorations. The bill aims to prevent executive branch officials from using administrative changes to obscure the true costs and duration of military operations from Congress and the American people.

This bill requires the Secretary of State and other federal agencies to develop a comprehensive strategy within 180 days to monitor and counter China's gray-zone operations in the Indo-Pacific region, which are defined as coercive activities short of open warfare such as military incursions, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns targeting Taiwan, the Philippines, and other U.S. allies. The strategy must assess current gaps in monitoring capabilities, identify vulnerable territories and allies' ability to respond, catalog existing assistance programs, and outline an action plan for preventing and deterring Chinese gray-zone activities through coordination with partners and public exposure of these tactics. Within 90 days of submitting the strategy, the Secretary of State must establish an interagency task force to implement it, track progress toward established objectives, and identify necessary funding and resources. The task force will conduct annual reviews and report publicly to Congress on the state of Chinese gray-zone operations and actors enabling them, and it will remain active for seven years from its establishment. The legislation does not specify new funding amounts but directs agencies to determine and report funding requirements needed to counter these activities.

This bill directs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study on artificial intelligence-enabled toys to assess potential physical, mental, emotional, and social risks to children under 14 years old. The study will examine educational outcomes from these toys, parental control usage, marketing practices, and whether evidence supports temporarily suspending sales of AI chatbot toys to children. Within two years of the bill's enactment, the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Product Safety Commission must jointly submit an action plan to Congress with recommendations for legislation, disclosure requirements, safety standards, and consumer education initiatives regarding AI-enabled toys. The bill does not appear to include specific funding amounts but establishes clear timelines for both the study and the regulatory response to ensure children's safety in an emerging technology market.

Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act of 2026This bill requires certain newly constructed, federally assisted housing, including single-family homes and town houses, to contain at least one level that complies with specified minimum standards of accessibility for individuals with disabilities.The standards include an accessible unit entrance, wheelchair accessible doorways, at least one wheelchair accessible bathroom, and light switches and outlets at reachable heights.An aggrieved person may commence a civil action with respect to a violation of this requirement.

# Summary of S. 5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026 This legislation protects and expands access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and related fertility treatments nationwide. The bill establishes a federal right for individuals to receive assisted reproductive technology (ART) and intrauterine insemination (IUI), while preventing states from imposing restrictions on these services that go beyond medical safety standards. Individuals, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and manufacturers can sue in federal court to challenge state laws that violate these protections, with prevailing plaintiffs entitled to recover attorney's fees. The bill extends significant fertility benefits to military members and veterans. Active-duty service members can access free ART and IUI treatments, including up to three egg retrievals and unlimited embryo transfers, and can preserve their reproductive material before deployment or hazardous assignments. Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare receive the same fertility treatment coverage, and the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs must coordinate on these services. For the broader population, the legislation requires private health insurance plans and Medicare to cover ART and IUI without cost-sharing that exceeds what applies to other medical services. State Medicaid programs must also provide these treatments beginning October 2027. Federal employees' health insurance plans gain fertility coverage as well. The bill takes effect six months after enactment for most provisions, with Medicare coverage starting January 2027 and Medicaid following October 2027.

The All Stations Accessibility Program Reauthorization Act, or ASAP Act, creates a new federal grant program to help states and local governments make older railroad and rail transit systems more accessible to people with disabilities. The bill authorizes $350 million annually starting in fiscal year 2027 for competitive grants that can fund station repairs, accessibility improvements, retrofits, and planning projects at rail systems that were operating before 1990. Recipients of grants must commit to long-term accessibility improvements that serve people with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities, while also addressing service equity for low-income riders and communities of color. The federal government will cover up to 80 percent of project costs, with local entities providing the remaining funding. Appropriations will be adjusted annually for inflation, and the bill encourages grant recipients to work with disability advocacy organizations when planning and assessing accessibility improvements.

This bill formally establishes the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences as an official federal research center within the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Institute will operate as a laboratory to study radio frequency emissions, spectrum propagation, electromagnetic spectrum sharing between federal and non-federal users, and interference issues affecting federal communication systems. Additionally, the bill directs the Commerce Department to launch a new initiative through the Institute to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies that can work in environments where standard radio signals don't penetrate well, such as underground mines, collapsed buildings, and other shielded spaces. The Institute is authorized to enter into partnerships with private companies and other federal agencies to assess technical needs and develop specifications for these emergency technologies. Within 18 months of the bill's enactment, the Commerce Department must report to Congress on its assessment of what improvements are needed to make emergency communication and tracking systems more reliable and effective.

# Summary The Blair Holt Firearm Owner Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2026 establishes a federal licensing system for handgun and semiautomatic rifle owners and creates a national record-keeping system for sales of these weapons. Individuals would need to obtain a firearm owner license from the Attorney General or qualify under a state-certified licensing system to possess these firearms, with applicants required to undergo background checks, submit fingerprints, provide a photo and personal information, and certify they meet various legal requirements including mental health standards. The licensing system would take effect one year after enactment for firearms already owned and immediately for new purchases, with licenses valid for five years and renewable through similar processes. The bill also requires licensed dealers to verify firearm owner licenses before transferring qualifying firearms and to report all such transfers to the Attorney General within 14 days, creating a federal database of firearm sales. Private firearm transfers between unlicensed individuals would generally be prohibited unless conducted through a licensed dealer. Violations of the licensing and record-keeping requirements carry criminal penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment, while violations of the firearms transfer restrictions carry up to 5 years. The law allows states to establish their own certified licensing and record systems as alternatives to the federal system and includes various exceptions for law enforcement, military personnel, and specific personal transfers between family members and temporary loans for hunting or target shooting.

This Senate resolution honors the 27th anniversary of the landmark 1999 Olmstead v. L.C. Supreme Court decision, which requires states to offer people with disabilities the choice to receive long-term services in community-based settings rather than institutions. The resolution affects the approximately 70 million adults with disabilities in the United States who rely on protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, emphasizing that despite decades of legal requirements, many individuals with disabilities still live in segregated institutional settings. The resolution condemns a June 2026 Department of Justice opinion that the sponsors argue misinterprets the Olmstead decision and its integration mandate, and it criticizes recent cuts to Medicaid, which funds home and community-based services for people with disabilities. The resolution calls on the Department of Justice to rescind its recent opinion and urges Congress to work together to restore Medicaid funding and expand support for community-based services. No specific funding amounts or timelines are established, as this is a symbolic resolution rather than legislation that appropriates money or creates binding mandates.