The RAISE Act of 2025 creates a refundable tax credit for K-12 teachers and early childhood educators based on their school's student poverty rate, with a base $1,000 credit plus potential additional amounts up to $14,000 for K-12 teachers and $9,000 for early childhood educators without bachelor's degrees. It also increases the deductible expense limit for teachers from $250 to $500 per year and establishes mandatory funding for school districts that maintain or increase teacher salaries, reserving 20% of funds over $2.2 billion for teacher salary incentive grants. The bill includes provisions to prevent employers from using the tax credit in collective bargaining or changing teacher assignments to avoid providing the credit. Eligibility requires specific teaching credentials and employment in qualifying schools with high poverty rates. These changes would apply to taxable years beginning after the bill's enactment date.
HR 3270, the Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025, aims to strengthen the pipeline of air traffic controllers by improving training programs and retention. It provides $20 million annually (2026-2031) for colleges to develop specialized curricula and equipment through the Enhanced-Collegiate Training Initiative program, allowing graduates to be hired noncompetitively as controllers. The bill also establishes a committee to modernize training curricula and the Air Traffic Skills Assessment exam, while creating retention bonuses for certified controllers and mental health training for medical examiners. These changes directly affect colleges offering air traffic control programs, prospective controllers, and current FAA air traffic controllers.
HR 3277, the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to cover medically necessary outpatient and inpatient treatments for congenital anomalies or birth defects primarily affecting the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw. This includes reconstructive procedures, dental/orthodontic support during treatment, and follow-up care, but excludes purely cosmetic surgery not tied to a medical diagnosis. Cost-sharing (like copays) for these services must not be stricter than for other medical benefits. The law takes effect for plan years beginning January 1, 2026, and mandates insurers to provide notice about this coverage to beneficiaries.
The SERVICE Act of 2025 creates a federal grant program to fund local veteran response teams within law enforcement agencies. These teams, composed of veteran officers and community partners, will provide 24/7 crisis response for at-risk veterans, coordinate with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and offer mental health training focused on military-related issues like PTSD. The program directly affects veterans in crisis and law enforcement agencies that receive grants to establish these teams. It requires teams to track outcomes and share best practices, with funding tied to existing crime control grants for fiscal years 2026-2030.
The MIL FMLA Act expands the Family and Medical Leave Act to provide military families with additional leave options. It allows eligible employees to take up to 26 workweeks of leave during a 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember (active duty member or veteran), regardless of the employee's family relationship to the servicemember. The bill adds new definitions to include domestic partners, grandparents, siblings, and other extended family members as eligible caregivers, and creates a new "veteran leave" provision for employees who are covered servicemembers needing leave due to service-related serious injury or illness. These changes aim to better support military families by providing more comprehensive leave options for caregiving needs related to military service.
This bill requires federal agencies to incorporate bird-safe features in public buildings during construction, acquisition, or major facade renovations (over 50% alteration). It mandates the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop and regularly update a design guide with practical strategies - like specific glass treatments, lighting modifications, and maintenance practices - to reduce bird collisions. The guide must be shared with all federal agencies and included in annual compliance reports to Congress, which also require annual assessments of bird fatalities at federal buildings. Exemptions apply to historic sites like the White House, Supreme Court, and Capitol complex.
The Certainty for Our Energy Future Act ends tax credits for new wind and solar energy projects that begin construction after December 31, 2030, effective January 1, 2026. It also denies clean energy tax benefits to companies controlled by governments of China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. The bill uses existing IRS guidelines to define when construction begins for projects, avoiding new bureaucratic rules. Treasury must issue implementation guidance within 180 days, with country-related restrictions taking effect 180 days after that guidance is published.
HR 3295, the Federal Animal Research Accountability Act of 2025, requires research institutions receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to submit detailed annual reports on animal use. These reports must categorize animals by species and specify: (1) animals used with no pain/distress, (2) animals with pain/distress using pain relief, (3) animals with pain/distress where pain relief would interfere with research, and (4) animals bred but not yet used. The NIH must make these reports publicly accessible online within three months of submission through a searchable database. The bill applies to all NIH-funded research entities and takes effect two years after enactment.
HR 2623, the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025, directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish at least five specialized medical centers focused on treating veterans with specific conditions like PTSD, depression, chronic pain, and substance use disorders using innovative therapies. These centers must meet strict criteria, including academic partnerships with medical schools, research capabilities, veteran advisory committees, and data-sharing systems for evaluating treatment effectiveness. The bill authorizes $30 million annually for these centers' research and education activities and requires the VA to submit annual reports to Congress on their operations and findings. It directly affects veterans seeking advanced treatments for covered conditions through VA facilities and establishes a peer review process to select designated centers based on scientific merit.
This bill blocks federal contractors from using DeepSeek or similar AI tools developed by High Flyer (or its affiliates) for government work, with limited security waivers allowed for national defense or research. It requires a detailed report within one year on national security risks from AI platforms based in or linked to "countries of concern" (as defined in existing law). The report must analyze data privacy threats, including how U.S. user data stored in these platforms could be accessed by foreign governments, used for propaganda, or exploited for economic espionage. The law aims to protect U.S. data security and prevent foreign adversaries from leveraging AI systems for strategic advantage.
This bill allows businesses to immediately deduct research and development (R&D) costs instead of spreading them over 60 months, directly benefiting companies investing in innovation. It increases the refundable R&D credit cap for small businesses from $250,000 to $750,000 over time, with specific phase-in amounts starting in 2025. Additionally, it expands access for startups by raising the gross receipts threshold for eligibility from $5 million to $15 million and increasing credit rates for qualified small businesses. These changes aim to make R&D tax incentives more accessible and valuable for smaller companies and new ventures.
This bill increases funding for home modifications for veterans with service-connected disabilities. It raises the maximum VA payment from $6,800 to $10,000 per modification, depending on when a veteran applied for benefits (before or after the law's enactment). The payment amount will adjust annually based on construction cost changes, and veterans can receive no more than three modifications total. The law directly affects disabled veterans needing home accessibility improvements under VA home health services.
