House Committee Tackles Veterans’ Rights, College Sports, Women’s Museum Debate

Four major bills are headed for debate on the House floor, each touching on veterans’ gun rights, disability benefits, college athlete compensation, and the creation of a long-sought Smithsonian museum. But first, these bills need to clear the House Rules Committee, which plans to meet Tuesday, May 19 at 4:00 p.m. in H-313 Capitol.

The proposed legislation dives into some of the most politically charged topics of the 119th Congress. We’re talking about Second Amendment protections for veterans, the future of college sports, and the heated debate over gender identity in the context of a women’s history museum.

Veterans’ Rights and Gun Ownership

One of the more straightforward bills is H.R. 1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. This bill would stop the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from reporting veterans to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System just because they’ve been assigned a fiduciary to manage their benefits.

Previously, that administrative label alone could prevent a veteran from buying a firearm, even without any court finding of dangerousness. The VA already dropped this practice administratively in February 2026, calling it a “decades-old wrong.” But H.R. 1041 would lock that change into law, making sure no future administration can bring it back.

Support and Opposition

Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) sponsors the bill, which has cleared the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and now sits before the Rules Committee. The report, H. Rept. 119-143, shows broad support among Veterans’ Affairs Committee members, with statements from Chairman Bost, Subcommittee Chairman Morgan Luttrell, and Rep. Eli Crane.

This strong backing highlights the push to protect veterans’ rights while also weighing public safety concerns. It’s a balancing act that lawmakers seem eager to tackle.

Expanding Veterans’ Disability Benefits

Another key bill is H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) sponsors this one, aiming to give more financial support and benefits to veterans with disabilities.

• It adds a supplemental monthly allowance of $833.33 for veterans who get aid and attendance benefits due to disability.
• Dependency and indemnity compensation would automatically go up when Social Security benefits increase, plus an extra 1 percent per increase, up to five times.
• VA housing loan fees would change for veterans with disabilities rated at 70 percent or lower.

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee ordered the bill reported on February 12, with a 13-10 vote. That narrow margin hints at partisan disagreements, maybe over the bill’s scope or its price tag.

Advocacy groups like the Paralyzed Veterans of America have thrown their support behind the measure. But federal spending and VA funding debates are still hanging over the bill.

Legislative Challenges

The bill faces real challenges, especially given its financial impact and the current political climate. The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed it, and the committee report is now part of the Rules Committee record.

The Rules Committee’s decision will shape what happens next.

College Athlete Compensation and the SCORE Act

Things get a bit more complicated with H.R. 4312, the SCORE Act. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) sponsors this one, aiming to set up a federal framework for college athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation.

• Schools couldn’t restrict student-athletes’ NIL agreements.
• Any school making $20 million or more in annual athletics revenue would have to provide mental health services, financial literacy resources, NIL legal advice, and at least three years of medical care after graduation.
• The bill sets a compensation pool floor at 22 percent of average college sports revenue.
• Agent fees would be capped at 5 percent.
• It would override conflicting state laws, aiming for a single national standard.

The NCAA has lobbied hard on H.R. 4312, spending $310,000 in the first quarter of 2026 on issues tied to the SCORE Act, gender equity, student-athlete employment, and Title IX. The Rules Committee’s comparative prints show just how much negotiation has already happened.

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act

Maybe the most politically charged bill on the Rules Committee’s May 2026 agenda is H.R. 1329, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) sponsors this bill, which would authorize the museum’s spot on the South Monument site of the National Mall.

The goal has had bipartisan support for years, but things have gotten tense. A Republican amendment would limit the museum’s content to only “biological women,” making it a lightning rod for controversy.

Political Controversy

The Democratic Women’s Caucus has blasted the amendment, calling it a “Republican attack on Women’s History Museum.” House Democrats sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, urging him not to bring the changed bill to the floor.

The version reported by the Committee on House Administration on April 23 includes language that requires the museum’s exhibits to reflect “diverse political viewpoints and authentic experiences” of women. It also mandates biennial compliance reports to Congress.

Future of the Museum

The Rules Committee hearing will decide whether the bill moves forward and what conditions will apply. The debate about the museum’s content and how lawmakers define gender might end up shaping this whole legislative push.

Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-MA), who’s cosponsoring the bill, plans to share his thoughts when the committee meets. It’s hard to predict exactly where this goes, but his perspective could influence the conversation.