H.R. 6039 — Commonsense Legislating Act

This section expands the duties of the Small Business Administration under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs—which provide competitive grants to small businesses for federal R&D with commercialization potential—by (1) requiring assistance for small businesses applying to those programs, including to increase awards in historically low-award states; (2) directing SBA to modify SBIR policy directives within 90 days of enactment to require enhanced outreach to individuals at minority institutions (i.e., historically Black colleges and universities and other institutions serving predominantly minority students) and Hispanic-serving institutions; and (3) requiring STTR policy directives to include procedures for outreach to individuals at those institutions.

This section establishes grant programs under the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act (i.e., NATIVE Act) to support Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations in carrying out the Act's purposes (described in section 2, including promoting authentic tourism experiences that showcase Native American heritage, traditions, and cultural vitality). Specifically, it (1) authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make grants and enter into agreements with Indian tribes and tribal organizations; (2) authorizes the Director of the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations to do the same for Native Hawaiian organizations; (3) authorizes heads of other federal agencies—including the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Labor—to do the same; and (4) authorizes appropriations of $35 million for FY2026 through 2030. This section also redesignates current section 6 of the Act as section 7.

This section expands eligibility for the work opportunity tax credit—under which employers claim a credit equal to 40% of the first $6,000 of qualified wages (up to $2,400) paid to individuals from targeted groups facing barriers to employment (e.g., certain veterans, SNAP recipients)—to include qualified military spouses (i.e., spouses of Armed Forces members certified as such by a designated local agency on the hiring date). The provision applies to wages paid after the date of enactment for individuals beginning work after such date.

This section amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health consultation requirements (38 U.S.C. 1167, to be redesignated as 1169) as follows: (1) revises the heading of subsection (a) from "In general" to "Initial consultation"; (2) redesignates subsections (b) and (c) as subsections (c) and (d), respectively; (3) inserts new subsection (b) requiring VA, at least once each year, to offer a mental health consultation to each veteran receiving compensation for a service-connected mental health disability (i.e., to assess needs and discuss care options) and to conduct outreach on the availability of such consultations and other VA mental health services; (4) updates redesignated subsection (c) to apply its outreach provisions to claimants under both subsections (a) and (b); and (5) clarifies in redesignated subsection (d) that such consultations and outreach do not require reevaluation of a veteran's compensation entitlement. This section also makes conforming changes to the table of sections for 38 U.S.C. chapter 11 and directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO), not later than two years after enactment, to report to the congressional Veterans' Affairs Committees on implementation, including the number of veterans receiving annual consultations and outreach, reported barriers to access, and any such barriers identified. (As background, these provisions promote ongoing engagement with mental health services for the approximately 1.3 million veterans receiving disability compensation for service-connected mental health conditions, such as PTSD.)

This section extends federal criminal penalties to the embezzlement, theft, unlawful taking, or fraudulent obtaining of any package or other article delivered by a private or commercial interstate carrier before the addressee or agent takes physical possession. (Thus, such offenses are punishable by fine, imprisonment up to 10 years, or both; or up to 3 years if the value is less than $1,000.)

This section establishes an Interagency National Task Force on Working Families (Task Force), to be created by the Secretary of Labor in consultation with the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Treasury, Transportation, and Agriculture and the Small Business Administration Administrator not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act. The Task Force comprises at least 10 members designated by those agencies, meets at least quarterly with a two-thirds quorum, and must (1) identify factors impacting working families' standard of living, such as affordability challenges, child care, tax incentives, housing, education, health care, food access, technology gaps, environmental hazards, energy, transportation, and federal staffing cuts; (2) assess macroeconomic conditions' effects on families; (3) evaluate current federal policies and programs; and (4) develop legislative and regulatory recommendations after consulting external stakeholders. Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Task Force must submit to specified congressional committees—including the House Committees on Education and Workforce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Financial Services, Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture and the Senate Committees on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Finance; Energy and Natural Resources; and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry—a report on its findings and recommendations, including consulted stakeholders and meeting minutes, and make the report publicly available on the Task Force website.

This section establishes within the National Security Council the Fentanyl Disruption Steering Group, chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and composed of senior officials from the Departments of State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Energy, Homeland Security, the intelligence community (as defined in 50 U.S.C. 3003(4)), and the United States Postal Service. The Steering Group must (1) oversee agency implementation of policy priorities and directives to combat fentanyl trafficking and use; (2) identify and set goals for strategic disruption of fentanyl; (3) ensure use of all available resources and tools in accordance with strategic priorities; (4) oversee updates to and implementation of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Strategy to Combat Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Drugs; and (5) identify interagency disagreements and challenges. The agencies must submit to the Steering Group, not later than 60 days after enactment and annually thereafter, unclassified descriptions (with possible classified annexes) of their existing and planned fusion cells, joint task forces, mission centers, and similar multi-agency initiatives related to fentanyl disruption, including purposes, goals, and composition. The Steering Group must develop and maintain a strategic plan for public-private partnerships between the agencies and private entities on fentanyl trafficking disruption and submit reports describing the plan to Congress not later than 30 days after enactment and annually thereafter.

This section requires each standing committee of the House of Representatives to hold a hearing on the implementation of this Act within one year of enactment. The provision is enacted as an exercise of the House's rulemaking authority and is considered part of the rules of the House.

This section prohibits Members, Delegates, Resident Commissioners, officers, and employees of the House from serving as officers or directors of any public company, defined as an issuer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (i.e., an entity that issues or proposes to issue a security) with securities required to be registered under section 12 of that Act or required to file reports under section 15(d). It further requires such individuals to comply with regulations issued or revised, as necessary, by the Committee on Ethics regarding prohibited service or positions that could lead to conflicts of interest.

This section specifies that the budgetary effects of this Act, for purposes of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, are to be determined by reference to the latest statement titled “Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation” submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee prior to the vote on passage.