From idea to law.

This bill reauthorizes the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom through 2028. The commission is an independent federal commission tasked with monitoring international religious freedom conditions, reviewing U.S. government policy, and making policy recommendations. (Under current law, the commission is authorized through December 11, 2026.)

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill provides for wireless emergency alerts to be transmitted to mobile devices via satellite. (Currently, wireless emergency alerts are sent via terrestrial mobile networks to individual devices in geographically targeted areas. Commercial mobile service providers are not required to participate; only devices connected to a participating service provider’s network receive alerts.)

Under the bill, commercial mobile service providers that participate in the wireless emergency alerts system must give notice to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) indicating whether they will transmit such alerts via satellite (in addition to sending alerts via terrestrial networks).

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act establishes a two-year window for members of the clergy who have opted out of Social Security and Medicare taxes (and are thus ineligible for benefits under those programs) to opt back in.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act extends through FY2037 the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) authority to collect oil and gas permit processing fees. For each new permit application, BLM collects a fee that is transferred to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund. (Under current law, the fees are authorized through FY2026.)

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill redesignates the Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona as the Chiricahua National Park.

The bill directs the National Park Service (NPS) to (1) ensure the protection of traditional cultural and religious sites in the park, and (2) provide access to those sites by members of Indian tribes for traditional cultural and customary uses.

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This act requires the Department of Labor to provide training and education to its employees on how to effectively assist law enforcement in detecting human trafficking.

The act directs Labor to determine which employees should receive the training and education based on their official duties. Further, it requires the training and education to include information that is appropriate for the employees' location or environment; that reflects current trends and best practices for the location or environment; and that is relevant to detecting human trafficking, identifying suspected victims, and referring potential cases to the Department of Justice and other appropriate authorities.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convey approximately 3.4 acres in Anchorage, Alaska, to the Southcentral Foundation (SCF) for use in connection with health and social services programs.

The conveyance must be made by warranty deed. The conveyance may not (1) require any consideration (such as payment) from the SCF for the property; (2) impose any obligation, term, or condition on the SCF relating to that property; or (3) allow for any U.S. reversionary interest in the property.

HHS must be accorded any easement or access to the property as may be reasonably necessary to satisfy any retained obligation or liability of HHS.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act requires online dating service providers (i.e., mobile applications or websites) to provide users with a fraud ban notification if the user has established an account with the service and received a message through the service from a banned user of the service.

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This bill requires the Department of Commerce to study and report on products that are in high demand across the critical infrastructure sectors. Critical infrastructure sectors are those whose assets, systems, and networks are vital to national security, the economy, public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.

The study must (1) identify the products in high demand across those sectors that are being imported due to manufacturing, material, or supply chain constraints; and (2) analyze the costs, benefits, and feasibility of manufacturing those products in the United States.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill directs the Forest Service to convey specified property to Gila County, Arizona, upon the county's submission of a written request for such conveyance. The property, identified as the Gila County Area, consists of approximately 232.9 acres of National Forest System land located in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona.

The county must use the land for the purposes of serving and supporting veterans. If any land conveyed under this bill ceases to be used for such purpose, all right, title, and interest in and to the land shall revert to the United States, at the discretion of the Forest Service.

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This act allows the fiduciary of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to rely on a valuation provided by an independent valuation expert or business appraiser in determining the fair market value of the plan's assets if the assets are not securities for which there is a generally recognized market and the expert or appraiser follows specified methodologies.

In general, ESOPs are defined contribution pension plans where employees accrue shares of their employers' stock in individual accounts as part of their compensation. After separating from employment or retiring, employees receive the cash value of their shares.

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This act directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to jointly develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of seafood to support enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) and seafood fraud.

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This bill revises the water rights settlement agreement entered into by the Crow Tribe of Montana and Montana.

The Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 ratified, authorized, and confirmed the water rights compact between the tribe and Montana. Among other provisions, this settlement act authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, design and construct the following two major projects on the Crow Reservation: (1) the rehabilitation and improvement of the Crow Irrigation Project (CIP); and (2) the planning, design, and construction of the MR&I System (the municipal, rural, and industrial water system of the Crow Reservation).

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This bill directs the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) of the Department of Commerce to promote tourism to music-related and sports attractions.

The bill requires NTTO to promote domestic and international travel and tourism to U.S. music festivals, concert venues, and other music-related attractions and locations. The bill also expands NTTO's current mandate to facilitate sports and recreation events and activities to include the promotion of international travel and tourism to such activities in the United States.

NTTO must report its activities and findings to Congress within one year after the bill's enactment and, thereafter, every two years.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Improving Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act

This act requires the Social Security Administration to provide a single point of contact for any individual whose Social Security number has been misused or whose Social Security card has been lost in transport. The point of contact must track cases to completion and coordinate with other units to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

The point of contact must consist of a team or subset of specially trained employees. Staffing may change provided there are procedures in place to ensure continuity of records and notify affected individuals when appropriate.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information from federal agencies and report to Congress regarding projects that are behind schedule or have expenditures that have exceeded the original cost estimate.

Specifically, the act requires OMB to issue guidance directing federal agencies to annually submit specified information to OMB regarding certain federally funded projects that (1) are more than five years behind schedule, or (2) have expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost estimate for the project.

Among other information, the agencies must submit to OMB

a description of each project;

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act reauthorizes through FY2030 activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address vector-borne diseases (e.g., diseases spread by bites from ticks or mosquitoes). These activities include (1) a national strategy, (2) grants for regional centers of excellence, and (3) cooperative agreements with state, local, and tribal health departments to increase capacity for preventing and responding to vector-borne diseases.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill renames the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center located in Casper, Wyoming, as the Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to standardize and publish geospatial data related to public recreational use of federal waterways (e.g., boating and fishing).

Under the act, NOAA must consult with relevant stakeholders (including state and local governments, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations) to develop and adopt standards for the coordination and dissemination of geospatial data relating to fishing restrictions and recreational vessels' use of federal waterways, including the exclusive economic zone of the United States (EEZ). (The EEZ generally includes waters between 3 and 200 miles seaward from the U.S. coastline.)

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This bill confers jurisdiction to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma's land claim arising under the Treaty of Grouseland. The court must render judgement without regard to the statute of limitations or any delay-based defense. This jurisdiction expires unless such a claim is filed within one year.

All other claims, including any future claims, of the tribe to land in Illinois are extinguished.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 the planning, design, and construction of the Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water System and the Dry Prairie Rural Water System, both located in Montana.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act establishes requirements for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and component agencies to assess and respond to incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault by incarcerated individuals against Bureau of Prisons (BOP) staff.

Specifically, the act requires DOJ to adopt national standards for the prevention, reduction, and punishment of sexual harassment and sexual assault by incarcerated individuals against correctional officers or other employees of the BOP.

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Local Access to Courts Act or LACA

This act adds College Station to the list of places where court must be held in the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas.

Additionally, the act adds El Centro to the list of places where court must be held in the Southern District of California.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act extends the federal tax deduction for qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses and the exclusion from gross income of qualified wildfire relief payments.

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This bill reauthorizes the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish in Washington, DC, a monument to commemorate the commitment and service represented by emergency medical services. This authorization expires seven years after enactment of the bill.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill expands a requirement for federal agencies to report expenditures on the USAspending.gov website to include other transaction agreement expenditures. (Other transaction agreements, or OTAs, are contractual instruments other than standard procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements; they are exempt from many federal procurement laws and regulations).

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This bill directs the Department of the Interior to remove all deed restrictions from approximately 3.62 acres located at 2956 Park Avenue, on the Paducah Memorial Army Reserve Center in Paducah, Kentucky. The restrictions include easements, exceptions, reservations, terms, conditions, and covenants described in the quitclaim deed that was executed on April 27, 2012. The deed conveyed land from Interior to the City of Paducah, Kentucky.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Hershel "Woody" Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act

This bill requires the authorized monument honoring Medal of Honor recipients to be located within the Reserve (the great cross-axis of the National Mall, which generally extends from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and from the White House to the Jefferson Memorial).

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act provides continuing FY2027 appropriations for federal agencies through December 11, 2026, and extends various expiring programs and authorities.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act revises the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to expand eligibility for payments to agricultural producers and owners of forest land impacted by natural disasters. The act also provides additional options to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments before carrying out emergency measures.

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This act establishes and modifies various federal housing programs.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act requires the Federal Communications Commission to issue an order explicitly permitting the transmission of wireless emergency alerts to mobile phones in the event of a shark attack.

(Under current regulations, authorized government authorities are permitted to send wireless emergency alerts regarding public safety emergencies, including severe weather, missing children, and other threats to life or property.)

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Alaska’s Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition Act or the ARTIST Act

This act prohibits states from imposing bans on marine mammal products produced by Alaska Natives.

Specifically, states may not prohibit the interstate commerce, importation, sale, transfer, trade, barter, or possession of marine mammal ivory, marine mammal bone, or baleen legally produced by an Alaska Native as an authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act provides $70 billion in funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through FY2029 for immigration enforcement, border security, and related activities.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out a major medical facility project in St. Louis, Missouri, during FY2026.

The act specifies the maximum amount that may be spent on the project and details that the project consists of the construction of a new bed tower, clinical building expansion, consolidated administrative building and warehouse, utility plant, and parking garages.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act authorizes the Capitol Police Board to increase the mandatory retirement age for a member of the Capitol Police to up to age 62 when the board determines such waiver is in the public interest.

Under current law, members of the Capitol Police are generally subject to mandatory retirement at (1) age 57; or (2) upon completing 20 years of service if the member is older than 57. Previously, a waiver from the board would authorize a member to continue working until age 60.

The act authorizes the board to issue a waiver specifying a retirement age between 57 and 62.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Medal of Sacrifice Act of 2025

This act directs the President to issue a medal of sacrifice for eligible law enforcement officers and first responders who are killed in the line of duty.

The act also directs the President to establish a commission on the medal of sacrifice and appoint its members. The act sets forth responsibilities of the commission, including to advise on the design of the medal and determine how the medal will be presented.

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This act waives a statutory core township selection requirement for the Cape Fox Corporation and allows Cape Fox to receive other lands to fulfill its remaining land entitlement. Cape Fox is an Alaska Native village corporation for the Alaska Native village of Saxman, Alaska.

Specifically, the act states that Cape Fox shall not be required to receive its previously selected land of approximately 185 acres located within the township in which the Alaska Native village of Saxman, Alaska, is located. Instead, the act allows Cape Fox to receive land outside of Cape Fox's current exterior selection boundary upon written notice of the new selection to the Department of the Interior.

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This act modifies the limit on the amount of financing available to a Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) from the Small Business Administration (SBA). It also expands the definition of private capital with respect to SBICs.

Specifically, the act reduces the maximum outstanding financing available to an SBIC from 300% to 200% of the SBIC's private capital. The act increases from $350 million to $475 million the maximum financing available to two or more commonly controlled SBICs that make quarterly or semiannual interest payments.

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This act requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to vet the qualifications of applicants for certain funding programs that support affordable broadband deployment in high-cost areas (e.g., rural communities).

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This act authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend construction deadlines for hydropower projects that were issued a license before March 13, 2020. FERC is authorized, upon the request of the licensees, to extend the deadline for beginning construction on such projects an additional six years beyond the eight-year extension FERC is authorized to provide under current law. The extension must consist of no more than three consecutive two-year periods.

The act also provides that FERC may reinstate certain expired licenses for projects with construction deadlines extended under this act, effective as of the date they expire.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act sets forth requirements for the processing of a proposed residential leasehold mortgage, business leasehold mortgage, land mortgage, or right-of-way document by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA must notify lenders upon receipt of such documentation, perform a preliminary review of such documents not later than 10 days after receipt, and approve or disapprove of such documents within 20 or 30 days, depending on the type of application.

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This act provides FY2026 appropriations for agencies and offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) except for (1) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and (2) the U.S. Border Patrol.

The act also includes provisions that approve obligations and provide for back pay related to the partial DHS shutdown that began on February 14, 2026, due to a lapse in appropriations for DHS.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act extends the authorities of Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until June 12, 2026.

Title VII of FISA generally addresses electronic surveillance and other methods of acquiring foreign intelligence information that are directed at targets outside the United States. Title VII includes surveillance under Section 702, which concerns acquiring communications of non-U.S. persons believed to be outside the United States to obtain foreign intelligence information. Information about U.S. persons may incidentally be acquired by this type of surveillance and subsequently queried (searched) under certain circumstances.

For additional information see

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This joint resolution opens approximately 225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties in Minnesota to mineral and geothermal leasing. Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies Public Land Order 7917, which withdrew such land from mineral and geothermal leasing for 20 years beginning in 2023. The Bureau of Land Management issued the order to protect and preserve the Rainy River Watershed, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Mining Protection Area, and the 1854 Ceded Territory of the Lake Superior Chippewa from potential adverse effects of mineral and geothermal exploration and development.

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This act reauthorizes through FY2031 and modifies the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, and related pilot programs. (The SBIR and STTR programs are administered by various federal agencies and provide competitive awards for domestic small businesses to conduct research and development projects that have the potential for commercialization.)

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This act permanently extends and expands judicial authority under the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016. The law allows and establishes procedures for civil claims and causes of action to recover artwork and other property lost between 1933 and 1945 because of Nazi persecution.

Among the changes, the act removes the deadline for filing civil claims or causes of action. Currently, the filing deadline is December 31, 2026. (Claims must still be filed within six years of the claimant's discovery of the property in question.)

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This bill authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to John W. Ripley for his acts of valor on April 2, 1972, as a member of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, for which he was previously awarded the Navy Cross.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to Nicholas Dockery (formerly known as Kareem N. Dockery), for his acts of valor on October 2, 2012, as a member of the Army while serving in Afghanistan, for which he was previously awarded the Silver Star.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to James Capers, Jr. for his acts of valor as a member of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War from March 31 through April 3, 1967, for which he was previously awarded the Silver Star.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act allows for the posthumous honorary promotion of Captain Cody Khork to the rank of major in the Army without the required 60-day notice to Congress.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act requires the Architect of the Capitol to create a congressional time capsule in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to be buried in the Capitol Visitor Center on or before July 4, 2026.

The time capsule shall contain a joint letter from congressional leadership (the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate) and such other contents as they shall determine.

The act directs the Architect of the Capitol to also install a plaque about the time capsule, subject to the approval of the Committee on House Administration of the House and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.

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This joint resolution reinstates provisions of District of Columbia (DC) tax law to conform with federal tax law.

As background, DC generally automatically adopts changes to federal tax law (known as rolling conformity). Therefore, upon enactment of the 2025 reconciliation act (commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), many of its tax provisions became DC law. DC subsequently enacted its own legislation (the DC Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025) that decoupled DC tax law from these federal provisions.

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This act permanently allows the Department of the Treasury to access certain death records maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to help prevent and recover improper payments (e.g., payments to deceased individuals). The act also establishes evidentiary requirements the SSA must meet before identifying an individual as deceased.

Current law requires the SSA to share its Death Master File with the Do Not Pay system maintained by Treasury for three years. The act makes this requirement permanent. Treasury must enter into an agreement with the SSA related to Treasury's share of the cost of state death data.

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This bill provides appropriations to several federal departments and agencies for the remainder of FY2026 and provides continuing FY2026 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through February 13, 2026. It also extends various expiring programs and authorities.

Specifically, the bill includes 5 of the 12 regular FY2026 appropriations bills:

the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026;

the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026;

the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026;

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This bill provides FY2026 appropriations to several federal departments and agencies for activities and programs related to commerce, law enforcement, science, energy and water development, public lands, and the environment.

Specifically, the bill includes 3 of the 12 regular FY2026 appropriations bills:

the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026;

the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026; and

the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026.

The departments, agencies, and activities funded in the bill include

the Department of Commerce,

the Department of Justice,

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This act establishes a process to vacate convictions and expunge arrest records for certain criminal offenses committed by victims of human trafficking that directly result from or relate to having been a trafficking victim.

It defines the offenses eligible to be vacated or expunged and sets forth procedures for filing a motion.

The Government Accountability Office must assess the impact of this process, including the number of human trafficking survivors who file motions to vacate convictions or expunge records.

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This act requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review and report on the circumstances and causes of the shortfall in funding of the Veterans Benefits Administration for FY2024 and the expected shortfall in funding of the Veterans Health Administration in FY2025. The Department of Veterans Affairs must submit such GAO report to Congress. For each of the five fiscal years following the date of enactment of this act, GAO must conduct subsequent reviews and reports regarding the funding of the VA.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act excludes compensation received for a military service-connected disability from a veteran's income when determining eligibility for assistance under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The CDBG program provides grants to urban communities for development activities focused on revitalizing neighborhoods, economic development, and providing improved community facilities and services.

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This act revises requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow schools to offer students whole and reduced-fat milk. The act also requires that local school food service personnel receive annual training and certification on food allergies.

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This act directs the Department of the Interior, after receiving a request from La Paz County, Arizona, to convey approximately 3,400 acres of identified land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the county for fair market value.

Interior must exclude from the conveyance any federal land that contains significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.

As a condition of the conveyance, La Paz County and any subsequent owner must

make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing tribal artifacts;

minimize impacts on tribal artifacts if they are disturbed;

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act reauthorizes through FY2028 the Congressional Award Board, the board that administers the Congressional Award Program, and modifies program medals.

(The program, established by law in 1979, awards medals to youth ages 14 to 23 who satisfy standards of achievement set by the board. The program aims to promote initiative, achievement, and excellence among youth in the areas of public service, personal development, and physical fitness.)

The act removes a requirement for program medals to consist of gold-plate over bronze, rhodium over bronze, or bronze.

The reauthorization is effective as if enacted on October 1, 2023 (the date on which a prior reauthorization expired).

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This bill reauthorizes and modifies administration of Marine Debris Program (MDP) activities and the Marine Debris Foundation. (The program and the foundation support efforts to assess, prevent, and otherwise address marine debris and its adverse impacts on the U.S. economy, the marine environment, and navigation safety.)

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This act requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to treat the postponement of the federal tax return deadline due to a federally declared disaster or certain other events as an extension of such deadline for purposes of calculating the limit on a tax refund. The act also provides that the IRS’s deadline for sending certain notices includes such postponement.

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This act extends for an additional five years the time period during which an eligible Alaska Native veteran may apply for a land allotment under the Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Program. The program makes Alaska Native veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Vietnam between August 5, 1964, and December 31, 1971, or their heirs eligible to receive up to 160 acres of federal land in Alaska.

Under the current program, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management may accept applications through December 29, 2025. This act extends this time period for an additional five years to December 29, 2030.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act or the MAPWaters Act of 2025 or the MAPWaters Act of 2025

This act directs the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to standardize and publish data relating to the public's access to federal waterways for recreational use.

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This act directs the Department of the Interior to complete all actions necessary to place approximately 40 acres of land in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, into restricted fee status for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Restricted fee status refers to land that is owned by a tribe or tribal member but is subject to restrictions by the United States against alienation (i.e., sale or transfer) or encumbrance (e.g., liens, leases, or rights-of-way) by operation of law.

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This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2026 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, military construction, and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). The bill also sets forth policies and authorities for the Department of State, the Coast Guard, and the Intelligence Community (IC).

Among other elements, the bill

authorizes the procurement of various items, including aircraft, ships, and missiles;

sets active duty and reserve component personnel strength levels;

sets policy regarding various aspects of military health care and military compensation;

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This bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 West Oklahoma Avenue in Guthrie, Oklahoma, as the "Oscar J. Upham Post Office".

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act extends and modifies the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, under which states and counties containing certain federal land may receive payments from the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for schools, roads, and certain other municipal services.

The act modifies the SRS program, including by

extending payments made to states and counties containing federal land through FY2026,

providing lapsed payments for FY2024 and FY2025,

extending the authority of counties to initiate projects using such funds through FY2028, and

extending the authority to initiate projects proposed by resource advisory committees through FY2028.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act revises the federal charter for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association to shift authority from the charter to the bylaws.

Specifically, it makes the following changes:

removes the requirement for the foundation to be incorporated and domiciled in the District of Columbia;

requires the board of directors to decide, and specify in the bylaws, the location of the principal office;

specifies that the bylaws—not the charter—must provide for the terms of membership, the responsibilities of the board of directors, and the election of officers;

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This act requires that the Department of Veterans Affairs disapprove courses of education provided by educational institutions that charge higher than in-state tuition for individuals utilizing the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve education benefits while living in the state where the education is located, regardless of the individual’s state of residence.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act provides for the award of Congressional Gold Medals to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team in recognition of the team's achievement at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This joint resolution opens public land for oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies the record of decision (ROD) issued by the Bureau of Land Management on December 9, 2024, for the program that leases, develops, produces, and transports oil and gas in and from the Coastal Plain program area within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

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This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on November 20, 2024, which amended the 2015 resource management plan (RMP) for the Buffalo Field Office in Wyoming to make no federal coal available for future leasing. Thus, the joint resolution requires the BLM to follow the 2015 RMP as it was before it was amended in 2024 and make coal available for leasing.

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This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) relating to the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Alaska’s Central Yukon planning area and issued on November 12, 2024.

By way of background, an RMP guides the management of lands administered by the BLM. This Central Yukon RMP modified the prior RMP for the area, including by designating 21 areas of critical environmental concern or research natural areas, encompassing approximately 3,611,000 acres.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) relating to the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the North Dakota Field Office and issued on January 8, 2025.

By way of background, an RMP guides the management of lands administered by BLM. The 2025 North Dakota RMP modified the 1988 RMP, including by limiting development of oil and gas in low-potential areas and new coal leasing to areas within four miles of existing mines.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This joint resolution opens certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in eastern Montana to coal leasing. Specifically, it nullifies the rule issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) relating to the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment for the Miles City Field Office in Montana. The BLM approved the RMP Amendment on November 20, 2024. The RMP Amendment made no acres available for coal leasing and 1,745,040 acres unavailable for further consideration for coal leasing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This joint resolution reopens portions of the National Petroleum Reserve for oil and gas leasing. (The reserve is an approximately 23-million-acre area on Alaska’s North Slope.)

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This bill modifies an existing requirement for the Department of State to review and report on its guidance to federal agencies on the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. (The U.S.-Taiwan relationship has been unofficial since 1979, when the United States established diplomatic relations with China and broke them with Taiwan.)

Current law requires the State Department to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan and report to Congress on this review. Under this bill, the State Department must review that guidance and report to Congress every two years while the guidance is in effect.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This joint resolution requests the Department of the Interior to authorize the display of U.S. semiquincentennial materials and other significant artifacts, digital content, film footage, and associated audio and imagery in and around the vicinity of the National Mall during the period beginning on December 31, 2025, and ending on January 5, 2026.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act reauthorizes and revises programs and activities relating to addressing substance use disorders, overdoses, and mental health. (For additional information on each section of this act, see CRS Report R48864.)

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This act increases the monthly special pension for living Medal of Honor recipients. The act also prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from increasing the amount of the pension for inflation if the amount was already increased during such year.

Additionally, the act extends a limitation on the pension paid to veterans who reside in Medicaid nursing homes and have no spouse or child. Currently, such pensions are limited to $90 per month through November 30, 2031. The act extends this limitation through January 31, 2033.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025

This act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the amounts payable for wartime disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Specifically, the VA must increase the amounts by the same percentage as the cost-of-living increase in benefits for Social Security recipients that is effective on December 1, 2025. The act requires the VA to publish the amounts payable, as increased, in the Federal Register.

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This act extends until FY2033 a requirement for the interest earned on certain funds held in the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund to be distributed to states for carrying out certain wildlife conservation and restoration programs. Specifically, the act extends the period in which the interest earned on revenue generated from excise taxes on certain firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment must be used for wildlife conservation and restoration programs established under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. This requirement was set to expire at the beginning of FY2026.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide specific information on a notice related to a math or clerical error, send a notice related to an abatement of taxes assessed due to a math or clerical error, provide procedures for requesting such an abatement, and implement a pilot program for sending notices of a math or clerical error.

Under the act, a notice sent by the IRS regarding a math or clerical error must include

a clear description of the error, including the type of error and the specific federal tax return line on which the error was made;

an itemized computation of adjustments required to correct the error;

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act ends the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, by providing FY2026 continuing appropriations for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing appropriations through the end of FY2026 for agriculture, military construction and veterans affairs, and legislative branch programs. It also extends various expiring programs and authorities.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act limits the circumstances in which credit reporting agencies may provide consumer credit reports to third parties in connection with residential mortgage transactions.

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This act designates the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Toms River, New Jersey, as the Leonard G. “Bud” Lomell VA Clinic.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act requires the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to annually report to Congress on export control licensing.

Under current law, BIS administers and enforces controls on the export of dual-use goods (e.g., items with both civilian and military uses) and certain military parts and components. These export controls are implemented primarily under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA) through the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide quarterly budget briefings to Congress, prohibits the VA from providing specified pay incentives to senior-level employees, and establishes an office to carry out customer service initiatives of the VA.

Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act of 2025 or the PRO Veterans Act of 2025

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This act authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take certain actions in cases of default on home loans under the VA home loan program, establishes a partial claim program, and temporarily increases amounts authorized for transitional housing and supportive services for veterans who are experiencing homelessness.

First, the act authorizes the VA to pay the holder of a loan guaranteed by the VA an amount necessary to avoid the foreclosure of the loan, provided that the holder of the loan and the veteran obligated on the loan execute documents to ensure the VA obtains a secured interest in the property covered by the loan.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided to the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), various independent and related agencies, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The rescissions were proposed by the President under procedures included in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Under current law, the President may propose rescissions to Congress using specified procedures, and the rescissions must be enacted into law to take effect.

Specifically, the act rescinds funds that were provided to the State Department or the President for

Contributions to International Organizations;

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act renames the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge located in Anahuac, Texas, as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.

The act provides statutory authority for Executive Order 14229, which also renamed the refuge as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

This act authorizes the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to postpone federal tax deadlines for taxpayers affected by a qualified state declared disaster, upon written request by the state governor. The act also increases the automatic extension of federal tax deadlines for certain taxpayers.

Under current law, the IRS may postpone federal tax deadlines for taxpayers affected by a federally declared disaster, including (but not limited to) deadlines for (1) filing federal tax returns, (2) paying federal taxes, (3) making retirement plan contributions, and (4) tax assessments and collections.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act or the GENIUS Act

This act establishes a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins (digital assets which an issuer must redeem for a fixed value).

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act

This act permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Read the full summary →

This act removes the requirement that Alaska Native village corporations must convey lands to Alaska to be held in trust for future municipal governments.