Joaquin Castro

This bill extends from 5 to 10 years the statute of limitations for civil and criminal violations of U.S. export control laws. The bill also specifies that the commencement of an action, suit, or proceeding includes the issuance of a charging letter. (A charging letter is a formal notification by the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security that a company or individual is under investigation for an apparent violation of export administration laws or regulations.)

Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act

This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a final rule that prohibits certain discharges of plastic pellets and other preproduction plastic into waters of the United States.

25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act

This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center.

The sale of all coins issued under this bill must include a surcharge to be paid to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center to support operations and maintenance. However, if the issuance of this commemorative coin exceeds certain annual limits, no surcharge may be included.

Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2026 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2026

This bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosures of campaign expenditures, and requiring additional disclosures regarding certain political advertisements.

Specifically, the bill expands existing foreign money prohibitions to include disbursements for paid web-based or digital communications and federal judicial nomination communications. It also prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda.

The Government Accountability Office must, for each four-year election cycle, study and report on the incidence of illicit foreign money in federal elections.

Next, the bill makes it unlawful to establish or use a corporation, company, or other entity with the intent to conceal an election contribution or donation by a foreign national. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both.

Covered organizations (e.g., corporations, labor organizations, and political organizations) must, within 24 hours, file reports with the Federal Election Commission to disclose campaign expenditures of more than $10,000 during an election cycle.

The bill also requires organizations to provide additional disclosures regarding political advertisements, including the donors who contributed the most money to that organization in the last year.

Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2026

This bill authorizes and establishes procedures for federal courts to issue federal extreme risk protection orders. Additionally, the bill establishes grants to support the implementation of extreme risk protection order laws at the state and local levels, extends federal firearms restrictions to individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders, and expands related data collection.

Extreme risk protection order laws, or red flag laws, generally allow certain individuals (e.g., law enforcement officers or family members) to petition a court for a temporary order that prohibits an at-risk individual from purchasing and possessing firearms.

Among its provisions, the bill

• authorizes a family or household member, or a law enforcement officer, to petition for a federal extreme risk protection order with respect to an individual who poses a risk to themselves or others;

• directs the Department of Justice to establish a grant program to help states, local governments, Indian tribes, and other entities implement extreme risk protection order laws;

• extends federal restrictions on the receipt, possession, shipment, and transportation of firearms and ammunition to individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders; and

• requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to compile records from federal, tribal, and state courts and other agencies that identify individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders.

Safe Schools Improvement Act

This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Sex includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (including intersex traits).

Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level.

The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.

This joint resolution terminates the national emergency that was declared by President Donald J. Trump in an executive order on July 30, 2025, that also imposed an additional 40% tariff on certain imports from Brazil based on the emergency declaration. (The executive order exempted certain products, such as civil aircraft and parts, wood pulp, precious metals, energy and energy products, and fertilizers, from this additional tariff.)