Tuesday, May 26th, 2026
PROTECT Kids: The House passed H.R.2616 (217-198), which requires public elementary and middle schools, as a condition of receiving certain federal funds for elementary and secondary education, to obtain parental consent before changing a student's gender on school forms or changing a student's sex-based accommodations.
21st Century ROAD to Housing: The House passed H.R.6644, agreeing to an added Senate amendment and adding their own that would prevent large institutional investors from holding "build-to-rent" homes for more than seven years. The bill would revise federal housing programs, including expanding available financing for affordable housing and providing grants for planning and community development activities. It aims to lower housing construction costs and expand inventory by eliminating unnecessary federal red tape. It now goes back to the Senate, and if passed, it would mark a win for lawmakers who sought to rein in large institutional investors’ involvement in residential real estate, with the latest House version incorporating senators’ restrictions.
Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization: The House passed S.2393, which is bipartisan legislation that officially authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to execute major medical facility construction, modernization, and expansion projects. Because the federal budget process involves both authorizing the scope/locations of projects and appropriating the funds, this act serves as the legal blueprint for the VA's major infrastructure plans.
Veterans’ 2nd Amendment Protection: The House passed H.R.1041 (216-201), which would protect veterans' Second Amendment rights. It ensures that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cannot arbitrarily report a veteran to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) merely because they require a fiduciary to help manage their financial benefits.
Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion: The House passed H.R.6047 (235-179), which would increase the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) monthly compensation benefit for service-connected, catastrophically disabled veterans and the surviving families of 100% disabled or deceased veterans.
American Access to Banking: The House passed H.R.4544, which is a bipartisan legislative effort designed to promote the creation of new community banks and credit unions—known as de novo depository institutions. It directs federal financial regulators to streamline the formation and application process for new institutions in order to serve underserved communities and expand mortgage and financing options.
Keeping Deposits Local: The House passed H.R.3234, which is a bipartisan bill that would allow community and regional banks to accept more "reciprocal deposits" without facing the strict caps and regulations applied to "brokered deposits". Regulatory focus on deposit stability has intensified since the banking crisis of 2023, which revealed how quickly uninsured deposits can flee due to concerns about counterparty risk, causing financial institutions and their customers to focus on safety and value of deposit insurance more than ever before.
Community Bank Deposit Access: The House passed H.R.5317, which is a bipartisan financial services bill that allows well-capitalized community banks to treat certain custodial and fiduciary deposits as stable core funds rather than heavily restricted "brokered deposits". The legislation focuses on bringing more stable, low-cost funding to community financial institutions.
Lulu’s Law: The House passed S.1003, which is a bipartisan piece of legislation that amends Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules to explicitly authorize state and local authorities to transmit Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) to mobile phones in the event of a shark attack or dangerous shoreline conditions.
Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum: The House failed to pass H.R.1329 (204-216), which would have designated at a specified site for The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum to be built. Democrats voted against the bill due to a last minute addition of a provision that the museum would have to be dedicated to “preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements, and lived experiences of biological women.” It would be prohibited from identifying, presenting, describing, or otherwise depicting “any biological male as a female.”
Immigration Budget Bill: Congressional leaders have pushed votes on their long-sought immigration budget bill until after they return the first week of June. Last week’s abrupt cancellation of votes came as Senate Republicans struggled to agree on legislative text amid an eleventh-hour fight over a new Justice Department "anti-weaponization" fund. GOP leaders will need nearly every Republican vote on the bill (S.2), which would provide nearly $70 billion for Immigration and Customs and Enforcement and the Border Patrol. Those agencies have been without regular appropriations since mid-February. Democrats have refused to back that funding without new restrictions on federal immigration agents.
