Legislative Intelligence Briefing - Monday, May 18, 2026

Executive Summary

Congress returns from a weekend recess on Wednesday, May 20, with a packed House floor schedule for the week of May 18 featuring 22 bills — including a War Powers Resolution measure on Iran, veterans legislation, college athlete NIL reform, and a cluster of banking access bills. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee convenes Tuesday, May 19 for a critical reconciliation markup, while Senate Appropriations subcommittees launch a wave of FY2027 budget hearings. The Federal Register published 17 regulatory actions today, led by significant EPA proposed rules on vehicle emissions and power plant effluent standards.

Floor Schedule: House — Week of May 18

Neither chamber is in session today (Monday). The House resumes Wednesday, May 20; both chambers enter Memorial Day recess May 25.

High-priority items on the House floor this week:

H. Con. Res. 86 — Iran War Powers Resolution (listed as "items that may be considered")

Sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5), introduced April 20, 2026. Directs the President under Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran. Currently referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee; its appearance on the floor schedule signals potential privileged consideration.

→ Walk me through the procedural status and likely floor outcome for H. Con. Res. 86

→ Draft a one-page memo on H. Con. Res. 86 and its implications for U.S.-Iran policy

H.R. 4312 — SCORE Act (under rule, closed rule with 1 hour debate)

Sponsored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12). Establishes a federal framework for college athlete Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation. Prohibits institutions from restricting NIL agreements; requires schools generating $20M+ in annual athletics revenue to provide counseling, medical benefits, and maintain at least 16 varsity sports teams. Preempts state NIL laws. Student athletes explicitly excluded from employee status. Rules Committee reported H. Res. 916 providing for consideration under a closed rule.

→ Expand on the SCORE Act's NIL framework and state preemption provisions

H.R. 1041 — Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act (under rule)

Sponsored by Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL-12). Prohibits the VA from transmitting veterans' personally identifying information to the NICS background check system solely because a veteran has an appointed fiduciary — unless a judicial authority finds the individual is a danger to themselves or others.

→ See cosponsor list and lobbying activity on H.R. 1041

H.R. 6047 — Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026 (under rule)

Sponsored by Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI-7). Placed on Union Calendar (No. 497) as of April 2, 2026.

Veterans Package (suspension calendar):

H.R. 785 — Representing our Seniors at VA Act of 2025
H.R. 3482 — Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act
H.R. 3726 — Fisher House Availability Act of 2025
H.R. 2954 — Veterans' Transition to Trucking Act of 2025
S. 2393 — FY2025 VA Major Medical Facility Authorization Act

Banking Access Package (suspension calendar):

H.R. 5317 — Community Bank Deposit Access Act of 2025
H.R. 3234 — Keeping Deposits Local Act of 2025
H.R. 4544 — American Access to Banking Act

H.R. 1329 — Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act (under rule)

H.R. 7432 — Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act (suspension)

H.R. 6506 — Taxpayer Due Process Enhancement Act (suspension)

Senate: Reconciliation Markup — Tuesday, May 19

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee convenes Tuesday, May 19 at 12:00 PM in Dirksen 342 for a business meeting to consider reconciliation recommendations to the Budget Committee. This is a significant procedural step in the Republican reconciliation package ("Big Beautiful Bill" process). The committee's recommendations will feed into the Senate Budget Committee's reconciliation instructions.

→ Expand on what HSGAC is expected to recommend in its reconciliation markup on May 19

→ Draft a memo on the Senate reconciliation markup process and HSGAC's role

Committee Hearings: Week of May 19

Tuesday, May 19 — High-Priority Hearings:

Senate Armed Services Committee — Closed/open hearing on Department of the Navy posture, FY2027 Defense Authorization Request and Future Years Defense Program. Closed session at 9:30 AM (Capitol Visitor Center, Senate side, Room 217), followed by open session at approximately 11:00 AM in SD-G50.

→ Pull the FY2027 Navy budget request and key SASC members to watch

House Armed Services Committee — "U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Greater Middle East and Africa" (Rayburn 2118, 10:00 AM)

House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with China — Hearing (Capitol HVC 210, 10:00 AM)

House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee — "Arms Control and Nonproliferation in an Era of Great Power Competition" (Rayburn 2172, 10:00 AM)

House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, IP, AI, and the Internet — "Court Packing: A Threat to the Supreme Court's Legitimacy" (Rayburn 2141, 10:00 AM)

House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance — "Modernizing the BSA for Financial Crime in the 21st Century" (Rayburn 2128, 10:00 AM)

→ Expand on the BSA modernization hearing and related legislation

House Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee — "Your Paycheck, Returned: How the Working Families Tax Cuts Delivered for Americans" (Longworth 1100, 10:00 AM)

House Science Committee Environment Subcommittee — "Research-Driven Resilience: Applying Science to Secure U.S. Water Systems from Cyber Threats" (Rayburn 2318, 10:00 AM)

House VA Technology Modernization Subcommittee — "PACT Act Implementation: Modernizing VA Disability Claims Through Effective Technology" (Cannon 360, 3:00 PM)

House Homeland Security DHS Subcommittee — Oversight Hearing on DHS (Rayburn 2362-B, 4:00 PM)

House Appropriations THUD Subcommittee — Budget Hearing: Department of Transportation (Rayburn 2358-A, 4:00 PM)

House Small Business Committee — "Building the Future: How Small Home Builders are Closing America's Housing Gap" (Rayburn 2360, 10:00 AM)

FY2027 Appropriations: Active Subcommittee Hearing Wave

The appropriations process is in the Subcommittee Markups phase (active), with Full Committee Markups approximately 14 days out. Public testimony submission windows remain open through May. Senate Appropriations subcommittees are running a concentrated FY2027 budget hearing schedule this week:

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55 member offices have opened FY2027 appropriations request portals. A sample of recently active portals (all detected April 22, 2026):

Rep. John Mannion (D) — mannion.house.gov/fy27-appropriations-requests
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D) — sarajacobs.house.gov/appropriations-requests
Rep. Troy Carter (D) — troycarter.house.gov/services/fy27-appropriations-requests
Rep. Mike Collins (R) — collins.house.gov/services/fy27-appropriations-requests
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D) — espaillat.house.gov/appropriations-requests
Rep. Pete Sessions (R) — sessions.house.gov/appropriations-requests
Rep. Donald Norcross (D) — norcross.house.gov/fy27-appropriations-requests
Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García (D) — chuygarcia.house.gov/appropriations-requests
Rep. Tim Burchett (R) — burchett.house.gov/appropriations-requests
Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D) — mcclellan.house.gov/appropriations-requests

Action item: With subcommittee markups active and full committee markups ~2 weeks away, this is the final window to submit public testimony and engage member offices on FY2027 funding requests. If your provisions are not in a chairman's mark, push for full committee amendments now.

Regulatory Actions: Federal Register — May 18, 2026

EPA — Vehicle Emissions (Proposed Rule, Doc. 2026-09905)

EPA proposes to revise the Tier 4 criteria pollutant phase-in schedule for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. Would extend Tier 3 standards for certain vehicles through MY 2027–2028, with Tier 4 phasing in starting MY 2029. Comments close July 6, 2026 (49 days).

→ Expand on EPA's Tier 4 vehicle emissions proposed rule 2026-09905 and its impact on automakers

EPA — Power Plant Effluent Standards (Proposed Rule, Doc. 2026-09895)

EPA proposes to revise Clean Water Act effluent limitations guidelines for steam electric power generating facilities, targeting unmanaged combustion residual leachate. Estimated to reduce costs by $446–$1,090 million annually (at 3% discount rate). Comments close June 17, 2026 (30 days).

NCUA — GENIUS Act Stablecoin Implementation (Proposed Rule, Doc. 2026-09915)

The National Credit Union Administration proposes regulations implementing the GENIUS Act for payment stablecoin issuers that are subsidiaries of federally insured credit unions. Supplements a February 2026 NCUA proposal; addresses share insurance coverage, tokenized shares, and licensing. Comments close July 17, 2026 (60 days).

→ Expand on NCUA proposed rule 2026-09915 implementing the GENIUS Act for credit union stablecoin issuers

NHTSA — Event Data Recorders (Final Rule, Doc. 2026-09849)

NHTSA finalizes a delay to expanded pre-crash data capture requirements for vehicle Event Data Recorders. Adopts a four-year phase-in compliance schedule beginning September 1, 2028, in response to petitions for reconsideration of a December 2024 final rule. Effective June 17, 2026.

NRC — Byproduct Material Modernization (Proposed Rule, Doc. 2026-09877)

NRC proposes to modernize licensing regulations for byproduct material, source material, and special nuclear material to reduce regulatory burden and eliminate unnecessary requirements. Comments close July 2, 2026 (45 days).

NRC — Kairos Power Hermes Test Reactor (Notice, Doc. 2026-09880)

NRC approved Kairos Power LLC's request to extend the construction completion deadline for the Hermes test reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee from December 31, 2026 to April 30, 2029.

FWS — Polar Bear Incidental Take, Alaska (Proposed Rule, Doc. 2026-09885)

Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to authorize incidental take of polar bears during seismic exploration on Alaska's North Slope by SAExploration, Inc., for a 5-year period beginning July 1, 2026. Comments close June 17, 2026.

Postal Regulatory Commission — Global Expedited Package Services (Notice, Doc. 2026-09834)

Comment period closes tomorrow, May 19, 2026 on a new non-published rates postal product (Global Expedited Package Services–Non-Published Rates 18).

Economic and Political Context

Two CBS News/YouGov polls published today show continued economic anxiety: 44% of Americans rate their personal financial situation as "fairly bad" or "very bad." On economic policy, 35% prefer Democrats vs. 31% who prefer "Trump and Republicans," with respondents 15 percentage points more likely to say Republican policies hurt their cost of living. This polling context is likely to shape floor debate on the Working Families Tax Cuts hearing (Ways and Means, May 19) and the broader reconciliation package.

→ Draft a memo on the political implications of the CBS economic polling for the reconciliation debate

Action Items

Iran War Powers (H. Con. Res. 86): Monitor floor scheduling — if brought to a vote this week, it will be a significant bipartisan test on Iran hostilities authority. Prepare position statements.
Reconciliation Markup (May 19, HSGAC): Track committee recommendations to the Budget Committee; these feed directly into the Senate reconciliation vehicle.
FY2027 Appropriations: Submit public testimony and engage member offices before subcommittee markups conclude. Full committee markups are approximately 14 days away.
EPA Comment Deadlines: Tier 4 vehicle emissions (July 6), power plant effluent standards (June 17), and polar bear incidental take (June 17) all have open comment windows.
NCUA GENIUS Act Rule (July 17): Credit unions and fintech stakeholders should engage on stablecoin licensing framework before the comment period closes.
Postal Rate Notice (May 19): Comment period closes tomorrow on new USPS non-published rates product.

Monday, May 18, 2026