Tammy Baldwin

North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize the individuals and communities that provided financial and other support for the North Platte Canteen in North Platte, Nebraska, during World War II.

This resolution condemns Russia's nuclear escalatory rhetoric and implied threats on the potential use of nuclear weapons in the context of its invasion of Ukraine. The resolution also (1) condemns Russia's purported suspension of participation in the New START Treaty, (2) emphasizes the value of arms control agreements between the United States and Russia, and (3) calls on the administration to continue pursuing nuclear arms control and risk reduction with Russia and China.

Fighting Trade Cheats Act of 2026

This bill increases penalties for, and establishes additional enforcement mechanisms related to, fraudulent and grossly negligent violations of U.S. customs laws.

Specifically, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a fraudulent violation to three times the domestic value of the merchandise. (Currently, the maximum penalty is the domestic value of the merchandise.) It prohibits a person who commits a fraudulent violation from importing merchandise into the United States for a five-year period.

Additionally, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for a grossly negligent violation to the lesser of (1) 3 times the domestic value of the merchandise; or (2) 10 times the lawful duties, taxes, and fees. (Currently, the maximum penalty is the lesser of the domestic value of the merchandise or four times the lawful duties, taxes, and fees.) It prohibits a person who commits a grossly negligent violation from importing merchandise into the United States for a two-year period.

Further, the bill applies these importation bans to an affiliated person (e.g., a family member or employee) of the person who committed the fraudulent or grossly negligent violation.

The bill establishes a private right of action for an interested party (e.g., a manufacturer) affected by customs fraud or grossly negligent violations.

The bill prohibits any person (or an affiliated person) who commits a fraudulent or grossly negligent violation from participating in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Importer of Record program, and further requires revocation of their importer of record numbers.

This resolution designates the week beginning on February 2, 2026, as National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week.

Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2026

This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Healthy Start program, which is administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau within the Health Resources and Services Administration. This program provides grants and other support for communities experiencing high rates of infant mortality and adverse maternal health outcomes, including support for case management, medical care, and health education. (For additional information on the Healthy Start program see CRS Insight IN12550.)

Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act

This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 and revises Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants for programs and training to improve mental health among health care professionals and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative to educate health care professionals about their mental health and related services.

Specifically, the bill reauthorizes HRSA grants to health care service providers and medical professional associations to implement programs supporting these professionals’ mental health, such as through peer-support programs or providing mental health care. It also authorizes HRSA to prioritize applicants that focus on reducing administrative burden on health care workers.

Also, the bill reauthorizes HRSA grants to government and certain educational entities for training health care students and professionals on how to address mental health and related issues. It also specifies that grants or contracts awarded under the program must be for not less than three years.

Additionally, the bill reauthorizes a CDC education and awareness initiative to help health care professionals understand and seek support for their mental health. It also requires the CDC to submit annual reports to specified congressional committees on the initiative’s activities and outcomes.

This resolution supports the designation of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer and recognizes the critical role of women in agriculture.

The resolution also encourages citizens to celebrate the impact these women have on the food systems and agricultural workforce of the United States by encouraging and empowering women to pursue careers in agriculture and cultivate leadership opportunities.

Keeping All Students Safe Act

This bill prohibits the use of seclusion and limits the use of physical restraint in schools and Head Start programs that receive federal funding.

Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of seclusion, which is the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from leaving. The term does not include a time out, which may involve separating the student from others in a non-locked setting.

The bill prohibits the use of mechanical or chemical restraints or physical restraints that restrict breathing or are life threatening.

The bill outlines the requirements for the use of physical restraint, including that the student's behavior must pose an imminent danger of serious physical injury to the student or other individual. Each state must ensure that a sufficient number of program personnel are trained and certified by a state-approved crisis intervention training program. Additionally, each program must establish procedures to follow after an incident involving physical restraint.

Further, the bill establishes enforcement provisions, including a private right of action for a student who has been subjected to unlawful seclusion or restraint. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services must withhold payments from a program for unlawful seclusion or restraint.

Finally, the bill requires each state educational agency (SEA) to establish, implement, and enforce policies and procedures required by the bill. It also creates a grant program to assist SEAs with these activities.

Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025

This bill extends increased dependency and indemnity compensation to the surviving spouse of a veteran whom the Department of Veterans Affairs has determined died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) regardless of how long the veteran had such disease prior to death. Under current law, such compensation is paid for a service-connected disability that was rated totally disabling for a continuous period of at least eight years immediately preceding death.

Under the bill, such extension of increased compensation applies retroactively to veterans who died from ALS on or after October 1, 2022.

Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act

This bill imposes certain new requirements on infant formula manufacturers and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following the discovery of contaminated, adulterated, or misbranded infant formula.

Specifically, the bill requires infant formula manufacturers to report to the FDA within one business day of learning that formula that was processed by the manufacturer but that is no longer within the manufacturer’s control may not provide required nutrients or may be otherwise adulterated or misbranded.

Further, if any testing of finished infant formula reveals the presence of specified microorganisms (e.g., salmonella), the manufacturer must notify the FDA within one business day. (Under current law, manufacturers are only required to report contamination to the FDA if the affected formula has left the manufacturer’s control.) The manufacturer must also promptly provide the test results to the FDA and consult with the FDA on proper isolation and disposal of the affected product. The FDA must respond to such a notification and begin discussing proper investigative and corrective action with the manufacturer within one business day.

Within 90 days of a report of adulterated, misbranded, or contaminated infant formula, the FDA must determine whether the manufacturer that reported the problem has performed, or is performing, appropriate investigative and corrective action.

Finally, the FDA is required to periodically report on the infant formula supply chain and efforts to improve the safety and supply of infant formula, and must consult with other federal agencies and infant formula stakeholders on these issues.