Legislative Activity

The Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act establishes a new 20% federal tax credit for converting eligible, older commercial buildings into affordable housing. This incentive aims to increase housing supply by requiring that at least 20% of the converted units remain rent-restricted for low-income residents for 30 years. State agencies will allocate these credits, which are subject to a national cap of $12 billion, based on approved plans prioritizing financially necessary projects.

The Unfair Tax Prevention Act amends the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT) rules to specifically target certain U.S. companies connected to foreign tax systems operating outside their direct jurisdiction. These "foreign-owned extraterritorial tax regime entities" will now be automatically subject to BEAT, with specific exceptions removed and a portion of their cost of goods sold automatically treated as a base erosion benefit. This legislation aims to close loopholes related to complex, indirect foreign ownership structures.

The Targeting TANF to Families in Need Act requires states to restrict the use of specific federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. These funds can only be used to assist families whose income is less than twice the federal poverty guidelines. This new targeting requirement will take effect starting October 1, 2026.

The DETERRENCE Act significantly increases federal penalties for serious crimes like kidnapping, murder-for-hire, stalking, and assaults against federal officials. These enhanced sentences are specifically triggered when the criminal activity is knowingly directed by or coordinated with a foreign government or its agents. The bill aims to deter foreign interference in domestic criminal acts by imposing much harsher punishments on those involved.

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 establishes a national standard for carrying concealed handguns across state lines. This act allows individuals legally permitted to carry in their home state to carry concealed in any other state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. The law does not override private property restrictions or prohibitions on government property, but it provides protections and legal recourse for those traveling in compliance with the new federal standard.

This Act officially authorizes the adjustment of the boundaries for Big Bend National Park. The Secretary of the Interior is permitted to acquire approximately 6,100 acres of land or rights through donation or exchange to expand the park. Crucially, this expansion explicitly prohibits the use of eminent domain to secure the additional property.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore and modify the asset test for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) taxable REIT subsidiaries (TRSs). Specifically, it increases the allowable percentage for certain assets held by a TRS from 20 percent to 25 percent. This change will take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Ending Drug Trafficking in Our Communities Act extends critical funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program through fiscal year 2031. This legislation also mandates that the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy actively identify and implement promising, evidence-based practices to improve drug trafficking investigations and inter-agency information sharing. The goal is to ensure the HIDTA program utilizes the most effective strategies nationwide to combat drug trafficking.

The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act aims to prevent private health insurance plans from discriminating against patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). This legislation clarifies that plans cannot offer worse benefits or unfairly limit coverage for dialysis treatments compared to other medical services. Furthermore, it stops these plans from shifting the primary financial responsibility for ESRD care onto Medicare. The bill maintains existing rules ensuring fair treatment while preserving a health plan's ability to select its network of dialysis providers.

The Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act of 2025 exempts specific, clearly defined less-than-lethal projectile devices from standard federal firearm restrictions under Title 18 of the U.S. Code. This exemption applies only to devices incapable of firing standard ammunition and designed to minimize the risk of serious injury or death. The bill also establishes a process for manufacturers to seek official confirmation from the Attorney General regarding a device's classification.

The Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act revises physician self-referral rules to improve healthcare access in underserved areas. Specifically, it creates a new exception allowing physician self-referrals to hospitals located in designated rural areas that meet specific distance requirements. Furthermore, the bill removes existing restrictions that previously limited the expansion of services at physician-owned hospitals.

The Major Richard Star Act ensures that military retirees with combat-related disabilities can receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently without reduction. This law removes previous restrictions that caused military retirement pay to be offset by VA disability payments for these specific cases. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the Act's enactment.

The AI PLAN Act mandates the creation of a unified federal strategy to defend against financial crimes and threats posed by artificial intelligence. Key agencies must annually report to Congress on current defenses, available tools, and necessary resources to combat AI-driven risks like deepfakes and fraud. Following this report, the agencies must provide specific legislative recommendations and best practices for businesses and government entities.

The "Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act" extends the statute of limitations to 10 years for prosecuting fraud related to specific pandemic unemployment programs. It applies to violations or conspiracies under Title 18 and Title 31 of the U.S. Code and rescinds $5,000,000 from previously allocated funds to offset the budget. The changes made by this law will begin on the date of enactment.

This bill, the Generating Retirement Ownership through Long-Term Holding Act, allows individual investors to defer paying taxes on capital gain dividends from mutual funds if those dividends are automatically reinvested into more fund shares. Taxes on these deferred gains are only due when the investor sells the shares or upon death. This provision aims to encourage long-term investment in mutual funds by providing immediate tax relief on reinvested earnings.

This bill expresses the House of Representatives' support for maintaining the stepped-up basis under section 1014 of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows inherited assets to be adjusted to their current market value, protecting family-owned farms and small businesses from increased taxes. It opposes any changes to the tax code that would negatively impact the ability of these businesses to pass their operations on to the next generation. The bill recognizes the importance of generational transfers for the continuation of family farms, ranches, agribusinesses, and small businesses.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 620 East Pecan Boulevard in McAllen, Texas, as the "Agent Raul H. Gonzalez Jr. Memorial Post Office Building." The legislation ensures that all official records and documents reflect this new memorial name for the building.

The American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025 revises how businesses treat research and experimental (R&E) expenditures for tax purposes. Taxpayers can now choose between immediately deducting R&E costs or amortizing them over a period of at least 60 months. This legislation also makes technical adjustments to ensure consistency between immediate deductions and claiming the research tax credit.

The Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act seeks to reinstate the previous, higher reporting thresholds for third-party payment processors issuing Form 1099-K. This means payment networks will only be required to report earnings to the IRS if a user exceeds both a \$20,000 total payment amount and 200 separate transactions in a calendar year. Furthermore, the bill applies this "de minimis" standard to backup withholding rules for these network payments starting in 2025.

The "Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2025" aims to combat trade-related crimes by establishing a specialized task force within the Department of Justice, enhancing the investigation and prosecution of illegal activities related to imports and exports. It mandates the Attorney General to develop partnerships, provide training, and submit annual reports to Congress on the progress and financial needs in addressing these crimes. The act allocates \$20 million for fiscal year 2026 to support these efforts, with a focus on bolstering the Criminal Division's capacity to prosecute trade-related offenses.