Congressional Civics Act of 2026

HR471 — Fix Our Forests Act

Speeds hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire resilience by creating designated fireshed areas, a joint Fireshed Center, and new authorities that would streamline planning, data sharing, and on-the-ground restoration across federal, Tribal, state, local, private, and nonprofit lands. - Communities and households: At-risk communities would get coordinated mapping, smoke forecasting, and a unified grant application to make funding for home hardening and local projects easier to access. - Tribal governments and state/local partners: Tribes or Governors could trigger shared‑stewardship agreements within 90 days to join cross‑boundary planning and fireshed assessments that prioritize tribal water supplies and community risk. - Forest managers, utilities, and responders: Agencies would gain faster project authorities including NEPA exemptions for designated firesheds, higher Healthy Forests Restoration Act project thresholds (10,000 acres), a 150‑foot hazard‑tree clearance for power lines, expanded contracting tools, and intra‑agency strike teams to speed environmental reviews and implementation. Note: The sources set many deadlines, reporting rules, pilot programs, and several seven‑year sunsets but do not provide a specific federal cost estimate.

HR1229 — United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025

Would deepen U.S.-Israel defense cooperation by creating new joint programs, offices, and multi-year funding to develop and deploy counter-unmanned systems and other emerging defense technologies. - U.S. military and Department of Defense: Creates a United States–Israel Counter-Unmanned Systems Program and a program office, authorizes $150 million per year for 2026–2030, and requires annual unclassified reports. - U.S. and Israeli defense industries and tech firms: Authorizes joint research, testing, and procurement across artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, quantum, and automation with $50 million per year for 2026–2030 and a framework for cost sharing and intellectual property. - Regional partners and missile defense planners: Requires an assessment of integrated air and missile defense in the U.S. Central Command area with an unclassified report in 180 days and extends the War Reserves Stockpile Authority beyond January 1, 2029. Would authorize $150 million per year for counter-unmanned systems and $50 million per year for emerging technology cooperation from 2026–2030, and raises funding caps for anti-tunnel and counter-UAS programs through 2028.

HR2395 — SHORT Act

Reclassifies short‑barreled rifles and shotguns under federal law and limits state oversight. The SHORT Act would change the Internal Revenue Code and Title 18 to treat certain short‑barreled weapons differently, create a federal safe harbor for people who comply with Chapter 44, preempt state taxes and registration rules, and require destruction of some National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record entries. - Owners who follow federal Chapter 44 rules would be regarded as meeting any state or local registration or licensing requirement for short‑barreled rifles and shotguns. - States and localities would be barred from imposing taxes other than general sales or use taxes, or from requiring markings, recordkeeping, or registration for short‑barreled rifles and shotguns that affect interstate commerce. - The Attorney General would have to destroy within 365 days certain NFRTR registrations and transfer and maker applications that identify owners or makers of those weapons.

HR740 — Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025

Faster, clearer access to VA community care and mental health treatment. This bill would set measurable drive‑time and wait‑time standards for community care, tighten timelines and appeals for denials, and standardize rapid screening and admission for residential mental health programs. - Veterans and households: Veterans would get written notice of eligibility within two business days and VA would have to schedule primary, mental health, and most extended care within a 30‑minute average drive and 20 days of request. Specialty care would be scheduled within a 60‑minute drive and 28 days. - Mental health patients and families: The bill would require a standardized clinical screen within 48 hours of an admission request and admission of priority cases within 48 hours of determination. Placement must weigh veteran preferences and proximity to social supports and VA must offer accredited non‑VA options and transportation help if it cannot meet standards. - Providers and VA modernization: Provider claim deadlines would extend from 180 days to 1 year. The bill would reform the Center for Innovation with a required budget line item, create a three‑year pilot in at least five sites to allow outpatient mental health and substance use care without referrals, and require an interactive online self‑service appointment and appeals tool with a plan due in 180 days.

HR1379 — Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025

Post-conviction relief and expungement for trafficking survivors would create a federal process to vacate certain convictions and erase arrests that were directly caused by human trafficking. It would also create a presumption of duress as a defense for trafficking victims in federal prosecutions. - Survivors and families: Relief would apply to convictions or arrests occurring before, on, or after enactment and would place a movant back in the legal status they held before the arrest without treating the vacated conviction as a Federal conviction. - Incarcerated people: Courts could reduce prison terms for level A or level B offenses when the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the offense was a direct result of trafficking, after considering sentencing factors and community safety. - Process, privacy, and legal help: Motions would be filed under seal with no filing fees, and if the Government files opposition within 30 days a hearing must occur within 15 days. Licensed anti‑trafficking providers or clinicians could provide sworn affidavits as evidence, and federal grant programs could not bar funded entities from representing survivors in these motions.

HR1530 — American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act

This bill would create faster, more predictable funding for victims of state‑sponsored terrorism by directing sanctions, forfeitures, and settlement proceeds into a dedicated victims fund and tightening deposit and distribution rules. It also would add clear accounting and stronger oversight so Congress and the Comptroller General can track payments and remaining claims. - Victims and families: It would require a supplemental fifth‑round distribution to be authorized by the Special Master by April 1, 2025 and paid by June 30, 2025, and would establish annual pro rata payments starting in 2026 to deliver ongoing payments from the fund. - Funding streams and transfers: It would direct deposits of sanctions, forfeitures, penalties, fines, settlements, and related interest from actions tied to state sponsors of terrorism and from laws like the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Trading with the Enemy Act. It would also require transfers equal to 50 percent of excess unobligated balances from the Department of Justice and Treasury forfeiture funds and include specific transfers tied to Binance Holdings Limited. - Administration and oversight: It would cap Special Master support at 10 full‑time equivalent Department of Justice personnel with administrative costs paid from the fund. It would require annual public reports to Congress and a Comptroller General report by January 1, 2027 and every three years after to review fund administration and unpaid claims.