Cardiovascular and respiratory health

HR 4121: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies.

The bill provides appropriations to USDA for agricultural programs, including

  • the Office of the Secretary,
  • Executive Operations,
  • the Economic Research Service,
  • the National Agricultural Statistics Service,
  • the Agricultural Research Service,
  • the National Institute of Food and Agriculture,
  • the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
  • the Agricultural Marketing Service, and
  • the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The bill also provides appropriations to USDA for farm production and conservation programs, including

  • the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center,
  • the Farm Service Agency,
  • the Risk Management Agency, and
  • the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The bill provides appropriations to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund and the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund.

For USDA rural development programs, the bill includes appropriations for

  • Salaries and Expenses,
  • the Rural Housing Service,
  • the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and
  • the Rural Utilities Service.

The bill provides appropriations to the Food and Nutrition Service for

  • Child Nutrition Programs;
  • the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
  • the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
  • the Commodity Assistance Program; and
  • Nutrition Programs Administration.

The bill provides appropriations to the Foreign Agricultural Service for (1) Food for Peace Title II Grants, and (2) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants.

The bill also provides appropriations for

  • the Food and Drug Administration,
  • the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and
  • the Farm Credit Administration.

Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

HR 3944: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations to several federal departments and agencies for activities and programs related to military construction, veterans, agriculture, and the legislative branch.

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

  • the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026;
  • the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026; and
  • the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026.

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

  • Department of Defense military construction and family housing activities,
  • the Department of Veterans Affairs,
  • the Department of Agriculture,
  • the Food and Drug Administration,
  • the Senate,
  • various agencies that support Congress, and
  • several related and independent agencies.

(Pursuant to the longstanding practice of each chamber of Congress determining its own requirements, funds for the House of Representatives are not included in the Senate bill.)

The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

HR 2277: FACT Act

Federal Accountability Committee for Transparency Act or the FACT Act

This bill delays termination of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee until December 31, 2026. (This committee, part of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, was established to promote transparency and support oversight of the coronavirus response and certain coronavirus-related funds.)

The bill also renames the committee as the Fraud Prevention and Accountability Committee.

HR 1671: Justice for Vaccine Injured Veterans Act of 2025

Justice for Vaccine Injured Veterans Act of 2025

This bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for certain conditions that become manifest in a member of the Armed Forces who received a COVID-19 vaccine under orders any time from August 24, 2021, through January 10, 2023. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.

Specifically, the bill establishes a presumption of service-connection, regardless of whether there is a record of evidence of the condition during a servicemember’s period of service, for myocarditis, pericarditis, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and any other condition the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines is warranted based on a positive association with the COVID-19 vaccine. Under the bill, if the VA determines an additional condition should be specified, it must submit a notice of such determination to Congress.

The VA must also report to Congress every 60 days for four years regarding claims for compensation related to a condition associated with the COVID-19 vaccine. Such reports must be made publicly available.

S 717: Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2025

Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2025

This bill expands coverage of cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under Medicare.

Specifically, the bill allows physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to administer these programs in their offices, prepare and sign treatment plans, and prescribe exercise.

HR 1406: Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act of 2025

Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act of 2025

This bill authorizes Medicare coverage of additional types of lung cancer screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, regardless of whether they are recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must set coverage and payment limits for such tests. (Currently, Medicare covers screening tests for the early detection of lung cancer if they are recommended by the task force.)

S 575: I CAN Act

Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act or the I CAN Act

This bill allows other health care providers besides physicians (e.g., nurses) to provide certain services under Medicare and Medicaid.

Among other changes, the bill (1) allows a nurse practitioner or physician assistant to fulfill documentation requirements for Medicare coverage of special shoes for diabetic individuals; (2) expedites the ability of physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to supervise Medicare cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs; and (3) allows nurse practitioners to certify the need for inpatient hospital services under Medicare and Medicaid.

HJRES 58: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services relating to “Medicare Program; Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update; HH Quality Reporting Program Requirements; HH Value-Based Purchasing Expanded Model Requirements; Home Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) Items and Services Rate Update; and Other Medicare Policies”.

This joint resolution nullifies the rule titled Medicare Program; Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update; HH Quality Reporting Program Requirements; HH Value-Based Purchasing Expanded Model Requirements; Home Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) Items and Services Rate Update; and Other Medicare Policies, which was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on November 7, 2024.

The rule sets Medicare payment rates for 2025 for home health services, disposable negative pressure wound therapy (dNPWT) devices, and intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) items and services. It also specifies changes to reporting and participation requirements for providers of home health services and long-term care facilities under Medicare, including a requirement that long-term care facilities report additional data regarding acute respiratory illnesses.

HR 1156: Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act

Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act

This bill extends from 5 to 10 years the statute of limitations for federal criminal charges or civil enforcement actions for fraud related to several unemployment insurance programs that were established during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The extension applies to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation. The bill extends the statute of limitations for (1) criminal charges related to fraud, including aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit fraud; and (2) civil actions involving false claims. However, the bill does not apply to a criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action if the applicable statute of limitations expired before the date of the bill’s enactment.

Additionally, the bill rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to the Department of Labor for anti-fraud and program integrity activities.