Mark DeSaulnier

Military Spouse Hiring Act

This bill allows employers to claim a tax credit for a percentage of qualified wages paid to an employee who is a military spouse by expanding the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to add qualified military spouses as a targeted group. (The WOTC applies to employers who hire members of specific targeted groups, such as veterans, ex-felons, and long-term unemployment recipients, and is generally equal to a percentage of the wages paid to such individuals in the first year of employment, up to a maximum amount. Under current law, the wages must be paid before 2026.)

The bill defines a qualified military spouse as any individual who is certified by a state workforce agency as being (as of the hiring date) a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces.

TAP Promotion Act

This bill requires that pre-separation counseling under the Transition Assistance Program include a presentation that promotes the benefits available to veterans from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill also requires the VA to annually report on the presentation to (1) identify veterans service organizations that participate, (2) provide the number of members of the Armed Forces who attend, and (3) provide any recommendations for changes to the presentation.

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for various agencies and offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), except for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and management and oversight activities of the Office of the Secretary.

Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to DHS for

• the Federal Protective Service,

• the Office of Inspector General,

• the Transportation Security Administration,

• the U.S. Coast Guard,

• the U.S. Secret Service,

• the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,

• the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,

• the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and

• the Science and Technology Directorate.

The bill does not provide appropriations for some agencies and activities that have been funded in prior DHS appropriations acts, including ICE, CBP, and management and oversight activities of the Office of the Secretary.

Dental Care for Veterans Act

This bill expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill makes all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system eligible for VA-provided dental services. Currently, only veterans who have a service-connected dental issue or meet other narrow criteria are eligible for certain dental services.

The bill phases in eligibility over four years based upon existing eligibility, degree of service-connected disability or other disability, prisoner of war status, award of a Purple Heart, financial need, or VA health care eligibility.

Right to FDA-Approved Medicines Act

This bill sets out statutory protections for an individual's right to access and a health care provider's right to provide medicines (i.e., drugs and biological products) approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Generally, the bill prohibits measures that single out and impede access to FDA-approved medicines and related information. However, a party may defend against a claim that a measure violates the bill's prohibitions by demonstrating, through clear and convincing evidence, that the measure significantly advances access to FDA-approved medicines and such access cannot be advanced through less restrictive means. The bill also specifies that the prohibition preempts inconsistent state and local laws and applies in spite of other federal laws, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.

The Department of Justice, individuals, or health care providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations.

Stop Antiabortion Disinformation Act or the SAD Act

This bill prohibits deceptive advertising for reproductive health services.

Specifically, the bill makes it unlawful for a person (i.e., individual, partnership, corporation, association, or organization) to deceptively advertise the reproductive health services they offer, including by misrepresenting that the person (1) offers or provides contraception or abortion services (or referrals for such contraception or abortion services), or (2) employs or offers access to licensed medical personnel.

The bill provides for enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission.

In addition to any other penalty, violations are subject to a civil penalty that may not exceed the greater of $100,000 (adjusted annually for inflation) or 50% of the revenue earned during the preceding 12-month period by the ultimate parent entity of the person who violated the bill.

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.