Federal recap, week of July 27: 5 Senate resolutions passed, 7 bills introduced

Senate passes five designations in one day

On July 30, the Senate passed five resolutions designating Gold Star Children's Day, National Farmers Market Week, National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, American Grown Flower and Foliage Month, and commending Mississippi Christian University on its 200th anniversary.

Why it matters: Why it matters: Senate resolutions of this type carry no binding legal force and require no House action or presidential signature — they are expressions of the Senate's sentiment and take effect only as symbolic record.

House bill would ban forced arbitration in workplace disputes

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12) introduced HR 9995 on July 30 to prohibit mandatory arbitration clauses in employment disputes.

Why it matters: Why it matters: Forced arbitration — a contractual requirement that workers resolve disputes privately rather than in court — currently shields employers from class actions; a ban would redirect those claims into the public court system.

AI Ads Act introduced in the House

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) introduced the AI Ads Act (HR 9985) on July 30.

Why it matters: Why it matters: The bill is in committee with no highlights yet filed, but its title signals a disclosure or restriction framework for AI-generated political or commercial advertising — a category Congress has not yet regulated at the federal level.

Senate bill would change how IRS tax penalties are assessed

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced S 5173 on July 30 to amend the Internal Revenue Code so that certain tax penalties are assessed and collected through the same process used for taxes themselves, with added notice requirements.

Why it matters: Why it matters: Currently, some IRS penalties must be contested through a separate procedure before they can be collected; treating them as directly assessable would let the IRS collect them faster, while the notice requirements would give taxpayers earlier warning.

House bill would bar DHS from using funds for discriminatory profiling

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25) introduced HR 10011 on July 30 to prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from spending federal funds on discriminatory profiling.

Why it matters: Why it matters: A statutory spending prohibition would apply across DHS components — including CBP, ICE, and TSA — and could be enforced through the appropriations process rather than relying solely on agency policy.

Sources

Official congressional and federal records used to verify the issue.

• SRES 824 — A resolution designating August 1, 2026, as "Gold Star Children's Day". · 2026-07-30
• SRES 823 — A resolution designating the week of August 2 through August 8, 2026, as "National Farmers Market Week". · 2026-07-30
• SRES 821 — A resolution designating July 30, 2026, as "National Whistleblower Appreciation Day". · 2026-07-30
• SRES 822 — A resolution designating July 2026 as "American Grown Flower and Foliage Month". · 2026-07-30
• SRES 825 — A resolution commending Mississippi Christian University for 200 years of service to the State of Mississippi and the United States. · 2026-07-30
• S 5173 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat tax penalties as assessable in the same manner as taxes, to provide notice requirements for certain penalties, and for other purposes. · 2026-07-30
• HR 9997 — National Guard for National Service Act of 2026 · 2026-07-30
• HR 9995 — To prohibit forced arbitration in work disputes, and for other purposes. · 2026-07-30
• HR 9986 — To require a GAO study on State and Federal prison libraries, and for other purposes. · 2026-07-30
• HR 10011 — To prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from using Federal funds to engage in discriminatory profiling, and for other purposes. · 2026-07-30
• HR 9978 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to create an above the line deduction for certain homeowners insurance premiums. · 2026-07-30
• HR 9985 — AI Ads Act · 2026-07-30