CMSgov · github-actions · Apr 27, 2026
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ Eligibility made easy
 
 Eligibility Made Easy (Emmy) using Consent-Based Verification (CBV) is a prototype that allows benefit applicants to verify their income directly using payroll providers. It is currently being piloted for testing and validation purposes.
 
- ## Project Vision 
+ ## Project Vision
 Eligibility Made Easy (Emmy) is a project to allow applicants to verify their income and community engagement directly using payroll providers and educational records. Emmy was developed and is supported by CMS in order to offer states a drop-in component for their application process to allow applicants to apply for state benefits more easily. This is part of a more comprehensive process to [improve data services for benefits delivery](https://assets.performance.gov/cx/files/OMB-CX-LifeExperience-FFS-ImprovingData.pdf).
 
- ## Project Mission 
-Emmy uses consent-based verification (CBV) with multiple data sources, making the process much faster and more efficient than a simple document-upload service. CBV enables additional cost avoidance by optimizing manual document review processes. Rather than having to process incorrect or blurry documents, consent-based verification produces an easily consumed report with essential information. Verification information is returned in a standardized format easy for other systems to process (JSON), allowing integration with existing state systems. 
+ ## Project Mission
+Emmy uses consent-based verification (CBV) with multiple data sources, making the process much faster and more efficient than a simple document-upload service. CBV enables additional cost avoidance by optimizing manual document review processes. Rather than having to process incorrect or blurry documents, consent-based verification produces an easily consumed report with essential information. Verification information is returned in a standardized format easy for other systems to process (JSON), allowing integration with existing state systems.
 
 Emmy is under active development by CMS, with new updates released on a 2-week cadence.
 # Core Team
@@ -110,15 +110,28 @@ To run database migrations on the test environment that is used by rpec tests, r
 
 ### JSON API Testing
 
+To acceptance test the JSON API, you can run the independent **reference server implementation**.
+
 1. **Create an API key for the agency you want to test:**
    ```bash
    cd app
-   rails 'users:create_api_token[agency_name]'
+   bin/rails 'users:create_api_token[agency_id]'
    ```
 
 2. **Run the standalone test receiver:**
    ```bash
-   JSON_API_KEY=$(rails runner "puts User.api_key_for_agency('agency_name')") ruby lib/json_api_receiver.rb
+   JSON_API_KEY=$(bin/rails runner "puts User.api_key_for_agency('agency_id')") ruby lib/json_api_receiver.rb
+   ```
+
+3. **Configure Emmy App to POST to the reference server.** Add this to your `.env.local`:
+   ```bash
+   # For testing LA SFTP against sinatra reference implementation
+   LA_LDH_TRANSMISSION_METHOD=json_and_pdf
+   LA_LDH_INCOME_REPORT_URL=http://localhost:4567
+   LA_LDH_PDF_API_URL=http://localhost:4567/pdf
+   LA_LDH_INCOME_REPORT_APIKEY=foo
+   LA_LDH_INCLUDE_REPORT_PDF=false
+   LA_LDH_INCOME_REPORT_ACCOUNTCODE=foobar
    ```
 
 This starts a standalone test server on port 4567 that logs incoming JSON data and verifies HMAC signatures. The receiver is completely independent and can be used as a reference implementation for agencies building their own JSON API endpoints.
@@ -453,9 +466,6 @@ See [GOVERNANCE.md](./GOVERNANCE.md)
 
 If you have ideas for how we can improve or add to our capacity building efforts and methods for welcoming people into our community, please let us know by sending an email to: ffs at nava pbc dot com. If you would like to comment on the tool itself, please let us know by filing an **issue on our GitHub repository.**
 
-## Glossary
-Information about terminology and acronyms used in this documentation may be found in [GLOSSARY.md](GLOSSARY.md).
-
 ## Policies
 
 ### Open Source Policy
@@ -491,4 +501,4 @@ This project is in the public domain within the United States, and copyright and
 All contributions to this project will be released under the CC0 dedication. By submitting a pull request or issue, you are agreeing to comply with this waiver of copyright interest.
 
 ## Core team
-See [COMMUNITY.md](./COMMUNITY.md).
+See [COMMUNITY.md](./COMMUNITY.md).
diff --git a/app/.env b/app/.env
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 # ##############################################################################
 LA_LDH_PINWHEEL_ENVIRONMENT=sandbox
 SANDBOX_PINWHEEL_ENVIRONMENT=sandbox
+RESEARCH_PINWHEEL_ENVIRONMENT=sandbox
 MAINTENANCE_MODE=false
 LA_LDH_WEEKLY_REPORT_RECIPIENTS=test@email.com
 
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ SUPPORTED_PROVIDERS=pinwheel,argyle
 DOMAIN_NAME=localhost
 LA_LDH_DOMAIN_NAME=la.localhost
 SANDBOX_DOMAIN_NAME=localhost
+RESEARCH_DOMAIN_NAME=research.localhost
 
 PINWHEEL_API_TOKEN_SANDBOX=API secret
 ARGYLE_SANDBOX_WEBHOOK_SECRET=Webhook Secret

diff --git a/app/AGENTS.md b/app/AGENTS.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ When developing on the Rails app, ensure you are always in the `app` subdirector
 - JS/TS: Prettier (`tabWidth: 2`, double quotes, no semicolons, `printWidth: 100`) via `npm run format` or `npm run format:precommit`.
 - Tests follow `_spec.rb` / `.test.ts`; favor descriptive, imperative example names. Use snake_case for Ruby, camelCase for JS, kebab-case for Stimulus files. Prefer `let` for object setup, `before` blocks for shared session/context setup, and `Timecop` for time freezing in controller specs (using `around` blocks).
 - ERB/HTML: Put each HTML tag on its own line (opening tag, contents, closing tag) for readability and avoid `usa-prose` classes unless required by design.
-- Do not use margin or padding utility helpers (e.g., `margin-bottom-*`, `padding-*`) unless explicitly requested.
+- Layout and spacing: Prefer USWDS / project utility classes in ERB for one-off layout and spacing (e.g., `display-flex`, `flex-justify-center`, `margin-top-*`, `padding-*`). Add SCSS when the same rules repeat across elements, when a named class carries semantic meaning (states, variants), or when styling is too complex or token-heavy to express cleanly as utilities.
 
 ## Testing Guidelines
 - Add coverage for new endpoints, logic, and service objects; exercise eligibility and payroll edge cases.

diff --git a/app/Gemfile.lock b/app/Gemfile.lock
@@ -119,12 +119,12 @@ GEM
       aws-sigv4 (~> 1.5)
     aws-sigv4 (1.12.1)
       aws-eventstream (~> 1, >= 1.0.2)
-    axe-core-api (4.11.1)
+    axe-core-api (4.11.2)
       dumb_delegator
       ostruct
       virtus
-    axe-core-rspec (4.11.1)
-      axe-core-api (= 4.11.1)
+    axe-core-rspec (4.11.2)
+      axe-core-api (= 4.11.2)
       dumb_delegator
       ostruct
       virtus
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ GEM
       tzinfo
     factory_bot (6.5.6)
       activesupport (>= 6.1.0)
-    faker (3.6.1)
+    faker (3.8.0)
       i18n (>= 1.8.11, < 2)
     faraday (2.14.1)
       faraday-net_http (>= 2.0, < 3.5)
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ GEM
     jmespath (1.6.2)
     jsbundling-rails (1.3.1)
       railties (>= 6.0.0)
-    json (2.19.3)
+    json (2.19.4)
     json-logic-rb (0.1.5)
     language_server-protocol (3.17.0.5)
     lint_roller (1.1.0)
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ GEM
     method_source (1.1.0)
     mini_mime (1.1.5)
     mini_portile2 (2.8.9)
-    minitest (6.0.3)
+    minitest (6.0.5)
       drb (~> 2.0)
       prism (~> 1.5)
     mission_control-jobs (1.1.0)
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ GEM
     net-smtp (0.5.1)
       net-protocol
     net-ssh (7.3.2)
-    newrelic_rpm (10.2.0)
+    newrelic_rpm (10.4.0)
       logger
     nio4r (2.7.5)
     nokogiri (1.19.2-aarch64-linux-gnu)
@@ -346,8 +346,8 @@ GEM
       racc (~> 1.4)
     orm_adapter (0.5.0)
     ostruct (0.6.3)
-    parallel (1.27.0)
-    parser (3.3.10.2)
+    parallel (2.0.1)
+    parser (3.3.11.1)
       ast (~> 2.4.1)
       racc
     pdf-reader (2.15.1)
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ GEM
       redis-client (>= 0.22.0)
     redis-client (0.26.4)
       connection_pool
-    regexp_parser (2.11.3)
+    regexp_parser (2.12.0)
     reline (0.6.3)
       io-console (~> 0.5)
     responders (3.2.0)
@@ -486,11 +486,11 @@ GEM
       rspec-mocks (>= 3.13.0, < 5.0.0)
       rspec-support (>= 3.13.0, < 5.0.0)
     rspec-support (3.13.7)
-    rubocop (1.86.0)
+    rubocop (1.86.1)
       json (~> 2.3)
       language_server-protocol (~> 3.17.0.2)
       lint_roller (~> 1.1.0)
-      parallel (~> 1.10)
+      parallel (>= 1.10)
       parser (>= 3.3.0.2)
       rainbow (>= 2.2.2, < 4.0)
       regexp_parser (>= 2.9.3, < 3.0)
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ GEM
     uri (1.1.1)
     useragent (0.16.11)
     vcr (6.4.0)
-    view_component (4.6.0)
+    view_component (4.7.0)
       actionview (>= 7.1.0)
       activesupport (>= 7.1.0)
       concurrent-ruby (~> 1)
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ GEM
     wkhtmltopdf-binary (0.12.6.10)
     xpath (3.2.0)
       nokogiri (~> 1.8)
-    yard (0.9.38)
+    yard (0.9.42)
     zeitwerk (2.7.5)
 
 PLATFORMS
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   ed25519
   erb_lint
   factory_bot (~> 6.5)
-  faker (~> 3.6)
+  faker (~> 3.8)
   faraday (~> 2.14.1)
   gpgme (~> 2.0)
   i18n-tasks (~> 1.1)

diff --git a/app/app/assets/stylesheets/application.postcss.css b/app/app/assets/stylesheets/application.postcss.css
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 @forward "activity_hub.scss";
 @forward "cbv.scss";
 @forward "demo-launcher.scss";
+@forward "document_uploads.scss";
 
 /* Import styling from ViewComponents */
 @forward "../../components/activity_flow_progress_indicator/activity_flow_progress_indicator.scss";

diff --git a/app/app/assets/stylesheets/cbv.scss b/app/app/assets/stylesheets/cbv.scss
@@ -532,24 +532,3 @@ input#invitation_link {
   font-weight: bold;
   color: #005EA2;
 }
-
-/*
- * Document upload page
- */
-.document-uploads__preview {
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-}
-.document-uploads__preview-icon {
-  box-sizing: content-box;
-  color: color("gray-cool-40");
-  flex-shrink: 0;
-  height: units(4);
-  padding: units(1);
-  width: units(4);
-}
-.document-uploads__preview-filename {
-  @include u-font("sans", 2);
-  overflow: hidden;
-  word-break: break-word;
-}
diff --git a/app/app/assets/stylesheets/demo-launcher.scss b/app/app/assets/stylesheets/demo-launcher.scss
@@ -106,9 +106,42 @@
     margin: 0;
   }
 
+  .demo-launcher__launch-section {
+    padding-top: units(2);
+    border-top: 1px solid color("base-lighter");
+  }
+
+  .demo-launcher__share-widget {
+    margin-top: units(2);
+    padding: units(2);
+    border: 1px solid color("base-lighter");
+    border-radius: radius("md");
+    background-color: color("base-lightest");
+  }
+
+  .demo-launcher__share-row {
+    display: grid;
+    gap: units(1);
+    align-items: end;
+
+    @include at-media("tablet") {
+      grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) auto auto;
+    }
+
+    .usa-input,
+    .usa-button {
+      margin: 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  .demo-launcher__share-status {
+    margin-top: units(1);
+    margin-bottom: 0;
+  }
+
   // -- Left column: test scenarios --
   .demo-launcher__test-scenarios {
-    margin-top: units(8);
+    margin-top: 0;
   }
 
   .demo-launcher__scenario-radios {
@@ -186,4 +219,10 @@
       flex-shrink: 0;
     }
   }
+
+  .demo-launcher__renewal-required {
+    &.demo-launcher__renewal-required--hidden {
+      display: none;
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/app/app/assets/stylesheets/document_uploads.scss b/app/app/assets/stylesheets/document_uploads.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+@forward "uswds";
+@use "uswds" as *;
+
+/*
+ * Document uploads
+ */
+.document-uploads {
+  margin-bottom: units(4);
+  margin-top: units(4);
+}
+.document-uploads__heading {
+  margin-bottom: units(2);
+  margin-top: 0;
+}
+.document-uploads__list {
+  list-style: none;
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0;
+}
+.document-uploads__item {
+  align-items: center;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid color("gray-cool-20");
+  display: flex;
+  gap: units(2);
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  padding-bottom: units(1);
+  padding-top: units(1);
+}
+.document-uploads__file {
+  align-items: center;
+  display: flex;
+  gap: units(2);
+  min-width: 0;
+}
+.document-uploads__icon {
+  background-color: color("blue-warm-5");
+  border: 1px solid color("blue-warm-20v");
+  border-radius: radius("md");
+  box-sizing: content-box;
+  color: color("primary");
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  height: 1.5rem;
+  padding: units(1);
+  width: 1.5rem;
+}
+.document-uploads__filename {
+  @include u-font("sans", 4);
+  line-height: line-height("sans", 4);
+  overflow: hidden;
+  word-break: break-word;
+}
+.document-uploads__remove-link {
+  color: color("secondary-dark");
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  @include u-font("sans", 4);
+  line-height: line-height("sans", 4);
+}
diff --git a/app/app/components/activity_flow_header_component.rb b/app/app/components/activity_flow_header_component.rb
@@ -8,4 +8,8 @@ def initialize(title:, exit_url:, back_url: nil)
     @exit_url = exit_url
     @back_url = back_url
   end
+
+  def confirm_on_exit?
+    helpers.params[:from_edit].blank?
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/app/components/activity_flow_header_component/activity_flow_header_component.html.erb b/app/app/components/activity_flow_header_component/activity_flow_header_component.html.erb
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 <div class="activity-flow-header"
      data-controller="activity-flow-header"
-     data-activity-flow-header-exit-url-value="<%= exit_url %>">
+     data-activity-flow-header-exit-url-value="<%= exit_url %>"
+     data-activity-flow-header-confirm-on-exit-value="<%= confirm_on_exit? %>">
+  <% close_icon_href = helpers.uswds_sprite_icon_href("close") %>
+  <% back_icon_href = helpers.uswds_sprite_icon_href("navigate_before") %>
 
   <div class="activity-header-title">
     <div class="activity-header-title__inner">
@@ -11,7 +14,7 @@
          class="activity-header-title__exit-link">
         <%= t("activities.activity_header_component.exit") %>
         <svg class="usa-icon" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img">
-          <use xlink:href="<%= asset_path("@uswds/uswds/dist/img/sprite.svg#close") %>"></use>
+          <use xlink:href="<%= close_icon_href %>"></use>
         </svg>
       </a>
     </div>
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@
               aria-label="Close this window"
               data-close-modal>
         <svg class="usa-icon" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img">
-          <use xlink:href="<%= asset_path("@uswds/uswds/dist/img/sprite.svg#close") %>"></use>
+          <use xlink:href="<%= close_icon_href %>"></use>
         </svg>
       </button>
     </div>
@@ -69,7 +72,7 @@
   <div class="back-nav">
     <%= link_to back_url, class: "back-nav__link" do %>
       <svg class="usa-icon" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img">
-        <use xlink:href="<%= asset_path("@uswds/uswds/dist/img/sprite.svg#navigate_before") %>"></use>
+        <use xlink:href="<%= back_icon_href %>"></use>
       </svg>
       <%= t("activities.activity_header_component.back") %>
     <% end %>