HR 7173, the Follow the Science Act, restricts political appointees from influencing National Institutes of Health (NIH) operations and grant decisions. It prohibits most political appointees (defined broadly as those in policy-making roles) from being employed by NIH or participating in grant reviews, funding selections, or policy implementation. The bill requires the NIH Director to report on past political appointee involvement in these activities to Congress within 30 days of enactment. These changes aim to ensure NIH decisions are based on scientific merit rather than political influence, with limited exceptions for other federal agencies.
HR 7185, the Home Savings Act, allows individuals to exclude from taxable income certain retirement plan distributions used for down payments or closing costs when buying a principal residence. It applies to defined contribution plans (like 401(k)s), IRAs, annuity plans, and 457(b) plans, covering the individual or their eligible relatives (spouse, children, grandchildren, or ancestors). The exclusion is limited to distributions made after 2025 but expires for distributions after December 31, 2030. This policy change directly affects homebuyers using retirement savings for home purchases, reducing their taxable income for those specific expenses.
HR 7171, the Fair Legal Access Grants Act, provides federal grants to states, local governments, and Tribal governments to help individuals seeking extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) access legal resources. The bill authorizes $50 million annually from 2028 to 2034 to fund legal representation, multilingual legal resource centers, and training for legal and law enforcement staff on ERPO processes. It directly affects people eligible to petition for ERPOs - court orders designed to temporarily restrict firearm access when someone poses a risk of harm to themselves or others. The grants aim to ensure petitioners receive counsel, translation services, and accurate information about the ERPO process, without interfering with state court jurisdiction over such cases.
This bill requires the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services to translate key gun violence prevention materials - including extreme risk protection orders and safe storage guides - into the 10 most common non-English languages in the U.S. (like Mandarin, Spanish, and Korean) for limited English proficient populations. It mandates that community-based organizations review translations for cultural appropriateness before publication and prioritizes grant applications that include outreach plans for these communities. The bill also directs DOJ and HHS to create public awareness campaigns using in-language, culturally tailored messaging to promote gun violence prevention strategies. These provisions apply directly to federally funded programs and services aimed at reducing firearm-related harm.
This bill authorizes Congress to award Frank Siller a Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his founding of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The foundation supports first responders, military families, and veterans through programs like mortgage assistance, veteran housing, and homelessness support. The medal would be designed and struck by the U.S. Mint, with bronze duplicates sold to cover costs. It is a purely commemorative honor with no policy or funding changes beyond the medal production and sales. The bill directly affects Frank Siller as the recipient of this symbolic tribute.
The PrEP Access Act expands Medicare Part B coverage to include pharmacist-provided HIV prevention services, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) counseling, medication administration, and related testing. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries (primarily seniors) and pharmacists, allowing pharmacists to bill Medicare for these services under state law. Key provisions set payment at 80% of the lesser of actual charges or 85% of physician rates, and prohibit balance billing for these services. The policy change takes effect January 1, 2027, making PrEP more accessible through pharmacy settings.
The SAFE KIDS Act would void surrogacy contracts between U.S. surrogates and foreign nationals from designated "foreign entities of concern" (nations listed under 10 U.S.C. §4872(f)(2)), except for married couples where at least one prospective parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. It prohibits surrogacy brokers from facilitating such contracts, imposing fines or up to one year in prison for knowingly arranging these agreements. If a contract is voided, custody decisions for the child would be determined by state courts based solely on the child’s best interests, disregarding the invalid agreement. The bill aims to address what Congress identifies as a national security threat involving exploitation of U.S. surrogacy laws and potential human trafficking.
This bill eliminates the $250,000 tax exclusion limit for single homeowners and $500,000 limit for married couples when selling their primary residence. It removes the current dollar cap on capital gains tax exclusion, meaning all profit from such home sales would be tax-free. The change applies to sales occurring after the bill's enactment. This directly affects homeowners who currently owe taxes on gains exceeding the removed limits.
The CLEAR Act (HR 4218) amends the Clean Air Act to streamline state compliance with air quality standards. It extends the review cycle for national air quality standards from five to ten years, requires states to consider economic feasibility alongside technical achievability when developing plans, and gives states up to three years (instead of two) to fix deficiencies before federal intervention. The bill also creates a new exception for wildfire mitigation actions like prescribed fires, allowing states to exclude wildfire-related air quality data from violation determinations. These changes primarily affect states responsible for implementing air quality plans under federal oversight.
HR 7156, the SCAM Act, would expand grounds for revoking U.S. citizenship (denaturalization) for naturalized citizens who commit specific offenses within 10 years of becoming citizens. It targets individuals convicted of defrauding federal, state, or local governments (e.g., $10,000+ in public benefit fraud), affiliating with foreign terrorist organizations, or committing aggravated felonies or espionage. If convicted in these categories, the government could automatically revoke citizenship retroactively (as if it never existed) based on evidence that the person lacked good moral character or loyalty to the U.S. at the time of naturalization. This bill directly affects naturalized citizens who commit these offenses within a decade of gaining citizenship, with revocation triggering immediate deportability.
HR 7134, the "Destroy Zombie Guns Act," requires businesses that destroy firearms to dismantle and destroy every component of a firearm during the destruction process. It directly affects licensed firearm destruction companies that handle weapons for disposal, ensuring no parts remain usable. The bill amends federal law to prohibit partial destruction, defines "engaged in the business" for these companies, and adds penalties including fines, up to two years in prison, and license suspension or revocation for violations. This policy change aims to prevent firearms from being reassembled after destruction.
HR 7137, the Shutdown Fairness Act, requires federal agencies to pay covered employees (including most federal workers and military personnel) and covered contractors their regular pay during government shutdowns. It appropriates funds from the Treasury to cover standard employee compensation and contractor payments for work performed during a lapse in regular appropriations, ensuring pay continues without delay (within 7 days if a shutdown is ongoing at enactment) and aligns with regular pay schedules. The bill applies only to individuals employed or with accepted offers before the shutdown began and mandates that these payments be charged to future appropriations. It does not change agency obligations under existing contracts or authorize new spending beyond the specified shutdown period.
