Congress in plain English — Friday, October 23, 2026
From Publius Papers. Ten bills became law on Tuesday, Oct 20, when the President signed ten of the twelve bills that were waiting on his desk in our last issue. They range from scam warnings on dating apps to a new national park in Arizona. Two more bills are still waiting. Congress.gov shows no bills passed by either chamber since our last issue. On Thursday, Oct 22, House members filed 53 new bills and 6 resolutions. Below: three of the new laws in detail, two notable new bills, and quick lists of the rest.
1. H.R. 2481 — Romance Scam Prevention Act (now Public Law 119-129)
Sponsor: Rep. David Valadao (R-CA)
Latest action: Signed by the President, becoming Public Law 119-129 (Oct 20, 2026). The House passed it by voice vote on June 23, 2025, and the Senate passed it without changes by unanimous consent on Sept 23, 2026.
What it does: Dating apps and websites sometimes ban an account because they think the person behind it is trying to get money from other members by fraud. Under this law, the service must notify every member who got a message from that banned account. The notice has to name the banned profile and say when the member last messaged with it. It must also warn that the person may have used a false identity or tried to defraud people, tell members not to send cash or personal financial information to other users, include tips on avoiding fraud, and give customer service contact information. The notice must be clear and conspicuous and go out by email or text (or another method the member agrees to) within 24 hours of the ban. The service can take up to 3 days if it judges that necessary, and it must hold the notice if law enforcement asks it to wait during an investigation. Services can't be sued for sending these notices. The FTC enforces the law as a ban on unfair or deceptive practices, and state attorneys general can also sue. The law sets one national standard: states can't set their own rules on these notices, but state contract and tort law still applies. It takes effect one year after enactment, on Oct 20, 2027.
Who it affects: People who use online dating apps and sites, the companies that run them, the FTC, and state attorneys general.
View on Congress.gov
2. H.R. 227 — Clergy Act (now Public Law 119-125)
Sponsor: Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA)
Latest action: Signed by the President, becoming Public Law 119-125 (Oct 20, 2026). The House passed an amended version 350–5 (Roll no. 139) on April 27, 2026, and the Senate passed it without changes by unanimous consent on Sept 30, 2026.
What it does: Some ministers, members of religious orders and Christian Science practitioners who object to public insurance on religious or conscience grounds can get an IRS exemption from Social Security and Medicare taxes on their ministry earnings. Those who do generally don't get Social Security or Medicare benefits from that work, and until now the choice couldn't be undone. This law opens a one-time window to opt back in. Clergy must apply to the IRS by the due date (including extensions) of their tax return for their second tax year that begins after Dec 31, 2028. CRS says that means April 15, 2031 for most people. They choose whether coverage starts in their 2029 or 2030 tax year, and the decision is permanent: they can't apply for the exemption again. People who opt back in still need the usual 10 years of covered work (40 credits) to qualify for benefits, according to CRS. Within 90 days, the IRS, working with the Social Security Administration, must report to Congress.
Who it affects: Clergy and members of religious orders who opted out of Social Security, the IRS, and the Social Security Administration.
How the House voted: Democrats 183–1, Republicans 166–4, and the one independent voted yes; 74 members didn't vote. The 5 no votes were Reps. Boebert (CO), Burchett (TN), Fletcher (TX), Roy (TX) and Self (TX).
View on Congress.gov
3. H.R. 7831 — License to Drill Act (now Public Law 119-134)
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-UT)
Latest action: Signed by the President, becoming Public Law 119-134 (Oct 20, 2026). The House passed it by voice vote on June 2, 2026, and the Senate passed it without changes by unanimous consent on Sept 30, 2026.
What it does: When a company applies to drill for oil or gas on federal land, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) charges a fee for each new permit application. The authority to collect that fee was set to run out after fiscal 2026. This law extends it through fiscal 2037. It also says that for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2037, all of the fees collected go into the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund, which pays for processing permits. The law doesn't change the fee amount.
Who it affects: Oil and gas companies that drill on federal land, the BLM offices that review their permits, and communities near federal oil and gas leases.
View on Congress.gov
4. H.R. 10881 — 21st Century Vehicle Choice Act
Sponsor: Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH)
Latest action: Introduced and referred to the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Natural Resources Committees (Oct 22, 2026).
What it does: The bill would expand three federal tax credits and make them permanent by removing their end dates. The credit for a new clean vehicle would rise from $3,750 to $7,500 for each of its two parts, but each taxpayer could claim it only once in their lifetime. The income limits would drop from $300,000 to $225,000 for joint filers, from $225,000 to $169,000 for heads of household, and from $150,000 to $112,500 for other filers. The used clean vehicle credit would double from $4,000 to $8,000, and the cap would go from 30% to 60% of the sale price. The credit for installing EV charging and other alternative-fuel refueling equipment would go from 30% to 50% of the cost. The bill also asks for reports: one from the Commerce Department within 180 days on how many vehicle models are for sale and on price and ownership-cost trends, and yearly Energy Department reports on the critical minerals that hybrids, EVs and batteries need. Within two years, the Energy Department would also have to map where "gasoline super-users" live and which 100 routes they use most. The bill defines super-users as the 10% of light-duty vehicle owners who burn the most gas. After that, yearly reports would track EV charger availability along those routes.
Who it affects: Car and truck buyers, especially people who drive a lot, automakers and dealers, businesses that install charging stations, the IRS, and the Commerce and Energy Departments.
Odds it moves: Early. It has been sent to three committees and has no cosponsors yet.
View on Congress.gov
5. H.R. 10873 — AI Cyber Defense Act
Sponsor: Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC)
Latest action: Introduced and referred to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee (Oct 22, 2026).
What it does: A "distillation attack" generally means using a powerful AI model's answers to train a copycat model. Within 180 days, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would have to work with U.S. AI companies on an official definition of these attacks and on voluntary standards for detecting and preventing them. NIST would publish the standards within a year after they're set. Also within 180 days, NIST would set up an "AI Cybersecurity Roundtable" of AI companies and critical infrastructure operators to write voluntary best practices for using AI to defend against cyberattacks, published within a year. Companies tied to China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Russia, Iran, North Korea or Cuba, or headquartered or controlled there, couldn't take part. Neither could any other entity NIST names as a concern. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are not excluded. All of the standards would be voluntary.
Who it affects: AI developers and cloud computing providers, operators of critical infrastructure such as power and water systems, and NIST.
Odds it moves: Early. It has been referred to committee, and its one cosponsor, Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA), is from the other party.
View on Congress.gov
The other seven new laws (signed Oct 20)
Each passed the House by voice vote and the Senate by unanimous consent. Summaries are based on official CRS summaries.
H.R. 4307 — Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act (Public Law 119-131), Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI): the Labor Department must train employees whose jobs make it useful to spot human trafficking, identify likely victims and refer cases to the Justice Department and other authorities.
H.R. 1721 — Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act (Public Law 119-127), Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA): the Commerce Department must find which high-demand products for critical infrastructure are being imported because of manufacturing or supply-chain limits, and study the costs, benefits and feasibility of making them in the U.S.
H.R. 6380 — Chiricahua National Park Act (Public Law 119-133), Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ): Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona becomes Chiricahua National Park. The Park Service must protect tribal cultural and religious sites and give tribal members access to them. At a tribe's request, it may briefly close the smallest practical area for traditional ceremonies.
H.R. 837 — Pleasant Valley Ranger District site (Public Law 119-126), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ): at Gila County, Arizona's request, the Forest Service gives the county about 232.9 acres in the Tonto National Forest at no charge. The county must use the land to serve veterans, or it can revert to the U.S., and the county pays the costs of the transfer.
H.R. 4467 — Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act (Public Law 119-132), Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS): about 7 acres inside the park go to Mississippi at no charge for an interpretive center, and the park boundary is redrawn to leave them out.
H.R. 3620 — Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025 (Public Law 119-130), Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK): HHS gives about 3.4 acres in Anchorage, at no charge, to the Southcentral Foundation for health and social services programs.
H.R. 2388 — Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act (Public Law 119-128), Rep. Emily Randall (D-WA): about 1,082.63 acres in Washington are taken into trust for the tribe and become part of its reservation. Gaming is not allowed on the land.
Still on the President's desk (2 bills)
As of this morning, Congress.gov shows no signature or veto for these two. By our count, the Constitution's 10-day window (Sundays not counted) runs through Oct 26 for the first and Oct 27 for the second. A bill the President neither signs nor vetoes in that time becomes law without a signature, unless Congress's adjournment prevents its return.
H.R. 952 — Reversionary Interest Conveyance Act (presented Oct 14), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA): the BLM would sell the federal government's remaining interest in about 8.43 acres in Sacramento to the landowner for at least fair market value.
H.R. 7022 — Mystic Alerts Act (presented Oct 15), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX): wireless emergency alerts could also be sent to phones by satellite. Carriers that take part in the alert system would have to tell the FCC and their customers whether they will, and subscribers could opt out.
Not yet presented: The Common Cents Act on pennies and rounding, one of the bills covered in our Oct 15 issue that cleared Congress but hasn't been sent to the President, still shows no new action since Oct 14.
Also new in the House (filed Oct 22)
Fifty-three bills, five resolutions and one proposed constitutional amendment were filed, and each was sent to committee. Where bill text isn't posted yet, the description comes from the official title only. A selection:
Prices and pay: H.R. 10905, Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA), would ban individualized pricing, dynamic pricing and pricing based on facial recognition at large grocery stores and their online platforms. H.R. 10879, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), 1 cosponsor, would ban noncompete agreements for workers earning below set income thresholds. H.R. 10885, Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), 5 cosponsors, would require delivery apps to have partnership agreements with the restaurants they deliver for.
Gas and taxes: H.R. 10889 and H.R. 10890, Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), would create a "retail motor fuel credit" and a "motor fuel deduction." H.R. 10883, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), 1 cosponsor, deals with like-kind exchanges of certain residential property. H.R. 10891, Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY), would remove the limit on deducting theft losses from fraud.
Health: H.R. 10875, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), 44 cosponsors, would lower the Medicare eligibility age to 50. H.R. 10858, the CARE for Blood Cancer Act, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA), 11 cosponsors. H.R. 10887, the Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act, Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI).
Defense and security: Rep. Sheri Biggs (R-SC) filed three bills: the Stop Beijing's Bots Act (H.R. 10860), the Biotech Defense Act (H.R. 10859), and a bill blocking foreign cellular modules in defense systems (H.R. 10861). The Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act (H.R. 10866) comes from Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), with 2 cosponsors. There are also military family and service member bills on relocation (H.R. 10871), domestic violence survivors (H.R. 10870) and suicide prevention oversight (H.R. 10862).
Immigration and elections: H.R. 10896, Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), would end the diversity immigrant visa program. H.R. 10907, Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA), 36 cosponsors, would prohibit interference in federal elections. H.J.Res. 220, Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), proposes a constitutional amendment creating a national referendum process.
Everything else: These include bills on car theft (H.R. 10872), protecting students from sexually explicit materials (H.R. 10868), clean water (H.R. 10869), privacy of disaster aid data (H.R. 10893, H.R. 10894), labels showing how long household appliances should last (H.R. 10892), rideshare safety (H.R. 10897) and an organ-donor option on certain federal application forms (H.R. 10884). Five resolutions (H.Res. 1634–1638) cover awareness days, a church centennial, pay equity for disabled women, and continuity of constituent casework.
Separately, H.R. 1382, Rep. Jared Huffman's (D-CA) bill on San Francisco Bay under the Clean Water Act, was placed on the House Union Calendar (No. 749) on Oct 22, which makes it eligible for floor consideration.
What's next
The House Clerk lists the House's next session as Monday, Oct 26, at 12:30 PM Eastern. The deadlines for the President to act on the last two bills fall on Oct 26 and Oct 27.
Thanks for reading.
The Publius Papers team
Data: Congress.gov API (Library of Congress), pulled Oct 23, 2026, plus the House Clerk's record of roll call 139 and its floor schedule. The Congressional Record for Oct 22 wasn't yet posted when we pulled the data. This issue covers actions dated Oct 20–22. Bills 1–3 are summarized from their enrolled (final) text and official CRS summaries. Bills 4–5 are summarized from their introduced text, since CRS hasn't summarized them yet. Days-to-law on the chart count from the date each bill was introduced to the date it was signed. We only include "Odds it moves" when there's a real signal, like a vote, committee action or the cosponsor count.