Christopher Coons

ePermit Act

This bill establishes requirements related to digitizing environmental reviews conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) must develop, publish, and iteratively update data standards for the collection and curation of certain data related to environmental reviews. CEQ must also design, test, and build prototype tools for environmental reviews.

Additionally, CEQ must publish guidance to assist relevant agencies in implementing such standards as well as certain minimum functional requirements, such as data sharing that enables automated transfer of relevant data among federal agencies. Federal agencies responsible for environmental reviews or authorizations must implement the data standards and such minimum functional requirements.

To the maximum extent practicable, CEQ and such agencies must iteratively develop and maintain a unified interagency data system consisting of interconnected federal agency systems and shared services for environmental reviews and authorizations, including a common interactive, digital, cloud-based authorization portal.

Within a year, CEQ must oversee a pilot of shared services for environmental reviews and authorizations, including the portal. To the maximum extent practicable, CEQ must develop and implement the unified interagency data system by December 1, 2027.

Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2026

This bill deems an individual receiving outpatient observation services in a hospital as an inpatient for purposes of satisfying the three-day inpatient hospital-stay requirement with respect to Medicare coverage of skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. (Generally, individuals must have been an inpatient at a hospital for at least three days in order to qualify for SNF services. An individual's time spent under observation at a hospital for purposes of determining whether the individual should be admitted does not count towards this requirement.)

Removing Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Limitations Act of 2026

This bill removes the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services under Medicare.

Leadership in Critical and Emerging Technologies Act or the Leadership in CET Act

This bill directs the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to establish and carry out a pilot program to expedite the patent examination process for patents involving critical or emerging technologies (i.e., artificial intelligence, semiconductor design, or quantum information science). The USPTO must report to Congress on the impact and effectiveness of the pilot program.

Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025

This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas.

The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2027-FY2033; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law.

The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.

Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026

This bill imposes a variety of sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions related to Russia.

For example, under the bill, the President must

• impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on specified persons (individuals and entities) such as the Russian president, certain Russian military commanders, and any foreign person that knowingly provides goods or services relating to Russia's defense industrial base;

• increase the rate of duty on all goods imported into the United States from Russia to a rate of up to 500% ad valorem (i.e., relative to the value);

• increase the rate of duty up to 100% ad valorem on all goods imported into the United States from a country that was among the five largest importers of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas if such country knowingly makes new purchases of such products after enactment of the bill;

• impose property-blocking sanctions on financial institutions organized under Russian law and owned wholly or partly by Russia; and

• impose property-blocking sanctions on foreign vessels that knowingly transport certain products of Russian origin, including crude oil, uranium, and coal.

The bill prohibits (1) the export, reexport, or in-country transfer to or in Russia of U.S.-produced energy or energy product; (2) U.S. persons from making new investments in Russia or purchasing Russian sovereign debt; and (3) trading the securities of Russian government-owned, -controlled, or -affiliated entities on U.S. national securities exchanges.

The President may waive requirements of the bill by certifying it is in the national interest.

Hot Foods Act of 2025

This bill expands the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to permit the use of SNAP benefits to purchase hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption.

Providing Emotional Assistance with Relief and Love Act or the PEARL Act

This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to establish a pilot program to adopt dogs from local animal shelters to be trained as support dogs for CBP’s Support Canine Program. Support dogs are used for grief assistance, trauma mitigation, and morale.