This bill modifies tax credit rules to help businesses recover after disasters. It allows businesses operating in designated disaster areas to treat certain unused tax credits (carryforwards) as transferrable credits against current tax liability, rather than letting them expire. Specifically, it applies to taxpayers making eligible expenditures for business operations in areas with a major disaster declaration after December 31, 2023, or a state-declared disaster meeting specific criteria. The change affects businesses in affected zones by providing immediate tax relief for qualifying expenses incurred within two years of the disaster declaration. It does not involve energy policy or new funding, but adjusts existing tax credit rules for disaster recovery.
The HARM Act 2.0 requires the U.S. government to identify and designate successor groups of the Wagner mercenary force (such as Africa Corps, Redut PMC, and Patriot PMC) as terrorist organizations under existing law. It mandates the Secretary of State to submit a report listing these groups, their leaders, and related entities, followed by a review by the Comptroller General. If designated, these groups and individuals would face sanctions including asset freezes and transaction bans under Executive Order 13224. The bill also requires annual reports for five years detailing the groups' activities, human rights abuses, financial networks, and the effectiveness of sanctions.
HR 7439 establishes new limits on when federal law enforcement officers can use deadly force, directly affecting all federal officers (including immigration officers) under the law. The bill prohibits using deadly force solely to prevent a suspect's escape, disable a moving vehicle, or address threats to property or self-harm. It requires officers to give a verbal warning before using deadly force when safe, bans warning shots except in federal prisons, and mandates new training on avoiding deadly force. These provisions aim to clarify and restrict the circumstances under which deadly force may be justified during federal law enforcement operations.
This bill directs the Postmaster General to issue a commemorative "forever stamp" depicting Bayard Rustin, a key civil rights leader and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. The stamp must meet standard first-class mail postage requirements and remain valid for that purpose even if postage rates later increase. It is purely symbolic, honoring Rustin's legacy in civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy without creating new policies or affecting any laws. The Postal Service is the sole entity responsible for implementing this commemorative measure.
HR 7395, the NO ICE ADs Act, prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from spending federal funds on television advertisements promoting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), recruiting for ICE, or improving ICE's public image. This bill directly affects DHS by restricting how it can use its budget for communication activities related to ICE. The key provision bans the obligation or expenditure of funds for any TV ads intended to advance ICE's brand, programs, or personnel recruitment. It does not alter immigration enforcement policies or create new legal requirements, only limiting specific advertising spending. The bill aims to prevent federal resources from being used to support ICE's public outreach efforts.
This bill requires the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a comprehensive assessment of Puerto Rico's water and wastewater infrastructure needs within 180 days of enactment. The assessment must evaluate current conditions, ongoing projects under the 1992 Water Resources Development Act, and resilience gaps related to natural disasters and system failures. The Corps must then submit a detailed report to Congress outlining vulnerabilities, project status, modernization needs, and recommendations for improving federal-local coordination. The bill directly affects Puerto Rico's water infrastructure systems and the agencies managing them, including the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority. It is a procedural requirement for a study and report, not a funding or implementation measure.
This bill imposes a hiring freeze on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), prohibiting the use of federal funds to hire new employees or transfer existing federal workers to ICE. The freeze begins upon the bill's enactment and automatically ends when Congress passes a specific law overriding it. It directly affects ICE's staffing capabilities by halting new appointments and transfers using federal funding. The measure is procedural, focusing solely on restricting hiring authority without altering immigration enforcement policies.
SRES 597 is a Senate resolution authorizing the U.S. Senate to initiate or join a federal lawsuit against the Department of Justice for failing to fully comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act (Public Law 119-38), which required the complete release of all Epstein-related documents by December 19, 2025. The resolution directs the Senate Majority Leader to file the lawsuit to compel the DOJ to release unredacted documents meeting the Act's requirements, covering legal costs from Senate appropriations. This action follows the DOJ's release of only about 12,000 documents (less than 1% of files) by the deadline, along with misrepresentations about the volume and completeness of the release.
SRES 599 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing the Senate's view that protecting Haitian women and girls' rights is essential for Haiti's stability. It condemns Haiti's transitional government for excluding women from leadership (e.g., no women on the Transitional Presidential Council) and failing to meet the constitutional 30% women's representation requirement, while also criticizing international partners for not prioritizing gender-based violence prevention. The resolution specifically calls for urgent measures including: ensuring 30% women in all government leadership roles, improving protection services for survivors of gender-based violence, and implementing safety protocols in displacement sites. It also demands the U.S. rebuild its Women, Peace, and Security programs and requires all aid to include gender-disaggregated data and prioritize women's leadership.
HRES 1040 is a symbolic resolution recognizing the Greensboro Four sit-in during Black History Month. It commemorates the 66th anniversary of the February 1, 1960, sit-in at a Greensboro Woolworth's lunch counter, where four Black students challenged racial segregation. The resolution encourages states to include the Greensboro Four's history and contributions in school curricula. As a non-binding resolution, it has no legal effect but formally honors this pivotal civil rights moment.
HR 7391, the Community Health Center Drug Pricing Protection Act, requires that Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) pay the discounted 340B ceiling price for covered drugs **at the time of purchase**, not later through rebates or adjustments. This directly affects FQHCs, which rely on 340B discounts to provide affordable care to low-income patients. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit manufacturers from entering agreements where FQHCs initially pay more than the ceiling price, with later reimbursement. It takes effect immediately upon enactment for all new drug purchases and applies to existing agreements starting then.
This bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15422 NY 104 in Martville, New York, as the "Sergeant Staret J. Engleston Memorial Post Office Building".
