A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 770.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Comprehensive Health and Integrity in Licensing and Documentation Act of 2026 or the CHILD Act of 2026. It amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993. The bill allows certain businesses and organizations that work with vulnerable populations to request background checks. These background checks can be requested for their contractors who work with those populations. They can also be requested for individuals that the businesses or organizations license or certify to provide care for those populations.
Yes· 3 of 12
- Scored +8
Would children be better off under this?
Significantly increases safety for children by expanding background checks for caregivers and contractors.
- Scored +7
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
Improves safety for seniors who are often part of the vulnerable populations receiving certified care.
- Scored +7
Would people with disabilities be better off under this?
Increases safety for individuals with disabilities who rely on certified caregivers.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
Increases the number of individuals subject to federal background checks.
How the text last changed
Reported in House (11/5/2026), compared with Introduced in House. Each change is on the Text tab.
The newer version of the bill adds a short title, naming it the Comprehensive Health and Integrity in Licensing and Documentation Act of 2026 or the CHILD Act of 2026. It also renumbers the section that defines a covered individual for background checks under the National Child Protection Act of 1993 from Section 1 to Section 2. These are the only differences between the two versions of the text.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Expanded background checks for contractors and employees: Under Section 2, the bill amends the definition of a covered individual to include people who are employed by, contract with, or volunteer with an entity that is under contract with a qualified entity. This is positive because it helps ensure that more people working around vulnerable populations are properly screened through background checks.
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Background checks for licensed or certified individuals: Under Section 2, the bill adds individuals who are licensed or certified, or seek to be licensed or certified, by a qualified entity to the definition of a covered individual. This is positive because it allows organizations to check the backgrounds of the specific people they give licenses or certifications to for providing care.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- The provided text does not contain any explicit mentions of negative outcomes, consequences, or burdens for individuals or groups of people in the United States.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — Significantly increases safety for children by expanding background checks for caregivers and contractors. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Increases safety for individuals with disabilities who rely on certified caregivers. Would retired people be better off under this? — Provides better safety screening for home health and aged care contractors. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Improves safety for seniors who are often part of the vulnerable populations receiving certified care. Would business owners be better off under this? — Provides businesses with better legal tools to vet their contractors and certified staff. Would high-income households be better off under this? — Increases the safety of care services utilized by high-income families. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Increases the safety of care services often utilized by low-income families. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Increases the safety of care services utilized by middle-class families.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — Increases safety for consumers of care services by expanding screening requirements. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Allows businesses to utilize official background checks for contractors to ensure safety.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — Enhances safety for vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities, through stricter screening.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Expands the scope of the National Child Protection Act, increasing federal oversight of screening. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — Increases the number of individuals subject to federal background checks.
A committee approved it and sent it to the floor
What changed from Introduced in House
The newer version of the bill adds a short title, naming it the Comprehensive Health and Integrity in Licensing and Documentation Act of 2026 or the CHILD Act of 2026. It also renumbers the section that defines a covered individual for background checks under the National Child Protection Act of 1993 from Section 1 to Section 2. These are the only differences between the two versions of the text.
Each change
- Added Section 1, which establishes the short title of the Act as the Comprehensive Health and Integrity in Licensing and Documentation Act of 2026 or the CHILD Act of 2026.
- Changed the section number for the definition of a covered individual for background checks under the National Child Protection Act of 1993 from Section 1 to Section 2.
Written by an AI model from a comparison of this version’s text with the one before it, not by a person. .
- 11/5/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-873.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 770.
- 7/15/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 0.
- 11/20/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/25/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 4/30/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Laurel LeeRepublican · Florida
Jared MoskowitzDemocrat · Florida
Troy NehlsRepublican · Texas
Derek SchmidtRepublican · Kansas