Suzanne Bonamici

Essential Caregivers Act of 2026

This bill requires certain nursing and long-term care facilities to ensure residents have access to their designated essential caregivers during periods of restricted visitation.

Specifically, the bill requires Medicare skilled nursing facilities, long-term care hospitals, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities, as well as Medicaid nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, to allow residents to designate two essential caregivers and to allow these caregivers in-person access to residents even when visitation is otherwise restricted.

Facilities may limit access of essential caregivers only in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as specified. Essential caregivers must agree to follow all safety protocols established by the facility, which may be no more restrictive than the protocols for staff.

Disarm Hate Act

This bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm.

Specifically, it prohibits firearm sale or transfer to and receipt, possession, shipment, or transport by a person (1) who has been convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime, or (2) who has received an enhanced hate crime misdemeanor sentence.

High School Voter Empowerment Act of 2026

This bill directs states to designate public high schools as voter registration agencies and requires public high schools to conduct annual voter registration drives to register eligible students. The Department of Education must reimburse eligible public high schools for carrying out voter registration drives.

Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2025

This bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention.

Feeding Our Rural Kids Act of 2026 or the FORK Act of 2026

This bill establishes a summer meal delivery vehicle pilot program as part of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). (The SFSP is a federally funded, state-administered program that reimburses providers that serve no-cost, healthy meals and snacks to children and teens at summer sites in low-income communities.)

Under the bill, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) must award one-year grants of up to $100,000 for service institutions (e.g., school food authorities) to purchase, retrofit, or repair vehicles to facilitate noncongregate meal distribution. This is meal distribution outside of the typically required group, or congregate, setting (e.g., grab-and-go meal service).

Among other things, USDA must give priority to service institutions located in an area in which poor economic conditions exist and that serve a high proportion of students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. USDA must also ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that service institutions receiving grants are located in different states.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2025

This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand research on, and take other actions to address, uterine fibroids. These are muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus and may cause pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and reproductive issues.

In coordination with the National Institutes of Health and appropriate federal agencies, HHS must undertake research activities on uterine fibroids.

In addition, HHS must establish a database of services furnished to individuals diagnosed with uterine fibroids under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program and must develop a report on federal and state expenditures for such services.

Additionally, HHS must disseminate information on uterine fibroids to the public and to health care providers, including information on the elevated risk for minority women and available treatments.