Legislative Activity

The TCJA Permanency Act makes permanent several tax provisions that were enacted as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and were set to expire. These provisions include modifications to individual income tax rates and brackets, the standard deduction, the child tax credit, and the estate and gift tax exemption. The act also increases the exemption for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and adjusts the phase-out thresholds. Additionally, it includes various changes affecting deductions, credits, and exclusions for individuals, families, businesses, and estates.

The "Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act" rescinds any unspent funds that were previously allocated to the IRS. These funds were intended for specific activities outlined in section 10301 of Public Law 117-169. The rescission is effective from the date of the enactment of this act.

The "Fentanyl is a WMD Act" mandates the Department of Homeland Security to classify illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. This directs the Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office to treat illicit fentanyl as such, as defined in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

The FIND Act prohibits federal agencies from contracting with entities that discriminate against the firearm and ammunition industry. It requires federal contractors to certify they do not discriminate against firearm entities and prohibits them from awarding subcontracts to entities that do not provide a similar certification. Violations of these clauses will result in contract termination. The act defines "discriminate" as making judgments or refusing/limiting services based on biased criteria, rather than case-by-case evaluations, empirical data, financial risk, or legal non-compliance.

The "Equal Representation Act" mandates the inclusion of a citizenship status question on the 2030 census and all future censuses. It requires the Secretary to report the number of citizens and non-citizens in each state. It also changes the way congressional districts are calculated by excluding non-citizens from the population count used for apportionment.