Budget & Taxes

passed · United States · House Apr 28, 2026

HR 7959: IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act

This bill, the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act, aims to strengthen protections and incentives for individuals who report tax violations to the Internal Revenue Service. It directly affects whistleblowers who submit information about tax evasion or avoidance schemes and the IRS officials who evaluate those reports. Key changes include requiring Tax Court reviews of whistleblower awards to be conducted de novo based on the original administrative record, granting whistleblowers anonymity before the Tax Court unless a societal interest outweighs potential harm, and adding interest to award amounts if the IRS delays providing preliminary recommendations. The legislation also modifies IRS annual reports to include descriptions of top tax avoidance schemes disclosed by whistleblowers and corrects a provision regarding attorney fee deductions for whistleblowers.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill strengthens IRS whistleblower protections to improve tax enforcement, promoting fiscal responsibility and closing tax evasion loopholes.85% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 16, 2026

HR 7949: NSF Plant Biology Act

This bill authorizes $150 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to fund fundamental plant biology research at the National Science Foundation. The funds will be distributed through competitive grants to universities, nonprofit groups, private companies, and government agencies for research on plant and microbial biology relevant to agriculture, food, and biotechnology. The legislation also updates the legal definition of a nonprofit organization within the NSF's governing statute to align with current tax code requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly authorizes $150M annually in funding for plant biology research, directly advancing government spending and budget allocation for scientific programs.90% confidence

Track

introduced · United States · Senate Mar 18, 2026

S 4125: Stop Presidential Embezzlement Act

This bill, known as the Stop Presidential Embezzlement Act, imposes a 100 percent federal tax on civil damages received by high-ranking government officials, including the President, Vice President, members of Congress, and top executive branch leaders. The tax applies specifically to money these officials receive from lawsuits filed against the United States government, covering settlements, verdicts, or judgments obtained during their tenure in office. The legislation amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat these damages as taxable income while simultaneously excluding them from gross income calculations, effectively creating a special tax category for this specific type of compensation. The changes take effect for any damages received after the bill is enacted, targeting financial recovery from civil actions rather than criminal penalties or other forms of compensation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill imposes a 100% tax on civil damages received by high-ranking officials, closing a potential loophole and promoting fiscal responsibility by preventing windfall gains from government settlements.85% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 17, 2026

HR 7956: State Offices of Rural Health Program Reauthorization Act of 2026

This bill reauthorizes funding for the State Offices of Rural Health Program, which supports state-level efforts to improve healthcare access in rural areas. It authorizes $12.5 million annually for fiscal years 2023 through 2027 and increases funding to $13.5 million per year for fiscal years 2028 through 2032. The money will be distributed through grants to states that operate offices focused on rural health initiatives. This legislation directly affects state health departments and organizations working to address healthcare disparities in rural communities. The bill makes no changes to eligibility requirements or program goals, only extending and adjusting the funding levels.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly authorizes and increases federal funding for rural health programs, directly advancing budget allocation for public health services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill reauthorizes and increases funding for rural health programs, directly improving healthcare access in underserved areas.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Telehealth Tags Rural Communities

Track

in committee · United States · House Sep 8, 2026

HR 7972: Taxpayer Workforce Modernization Act

This bill establishes a fellowship program within the Internal Revenue Service to recruit private sector data scientists for a specialized task force aimed at improving tax administration. The program would hire at least 10 fellows on multi-year contracts to work on complex tax cases, develop data-driven audit methods, and train IRS staff in advanced analytics and artificial intelligence. Fellows would receive competitive pay comparable to senior government positions and could be permanently hired after their terms, while the IRS Commissioner must submit annual reports to Congress on the program's effectiveness and costs. The initiative focuses on using data analysis to enhance audit selection, detect offshore tax evasion, and improve overall tax collection efficiency.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill strengthens tax administration by modernizing IRS capabilities through data science and AI, improving efficiency and compliance.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill establishes fellowship program to recruit data scientists and implement AI/analytics in IRS, advancing technology adoption in government.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability Artificial Intelligence

Track

introduced · United States · Senate Mar 18, 2026

S 4127: Transportation Security Administration Pay Act of 2026

This bill provides temporary funding to ensure Transportation Security Administration employees receive their regular pay, benefits, and allowances during a potential government funding gap in fiscal year 2026. It allows the agency to use Treasury funds to cover salaries and benefits starting February 14, 2026, until a full-year budget is passed or the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026. The legislation prevents employees from receiving duplicate payments by restricting these funds to periods when no other pay sources are available and requires any costs to be transferred to the permanent budget once enacted. The bill takes effect retroactively as if it were passed on February 13, 2026, to cover the initial days of the potential funding lapse.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides temporary funding to ensure TSA employees receive pay during a government funding gap, directly supporting fiscal management and government spending.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill ensures TSA employees receive regular pay and benefits during funding gaps, protecting worker compensation and preventing financial hardship.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill provides funding to TSA employees ensuring transportation security operations continue without interruption during fiscal year 2026.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 19, 2026

HR 8023: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit for increasing wages paid to child care providers.

This bill creates a new tax credit for employers who increase the wages they pay to child care workers. It directly affects businesses that operate eligible child care facilities, which are defined as places serving at least six children and following state regulations. To qualify, an employer must pay higher average hourly wages to child care staff in the current year compared to the previous year, and the credit amount is based on the increase in those wages. The credit is generally 5% of the wage increase, but rises to 7% for facilities located in rural areas. Employers can choose to opt out of the credit if they prefer, and the bill also clarifies how the credit interacts with other tax provisions to prevent double benefits.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates a tax credit for employers increasing child care wages, directly advancing tax policy and supporting workforce development funding.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides tax credit to increase wages for child care workers, directly supporting labor standards and worker compensation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Child Labor Minimum Wage Tags Children

Track

in committee · United States · House Feb 2, 2026

HR 6821: Protect Our Students Act

HR 6821, the Protect Our Students Act, redirects federal highway safety funds to improve school zone safety. It increases the required allocation of these funds for school zone improvements from 40% to 50% and authorizes specific safety measures including crossing guards, flashing lights, visible signage, crosswalks, traffic calming, and automated enforcement. The bill directly affects students walking to school, local schools, and communities by mandating that federal highway safety programs fund these targeted school zone upgrades. This changes how existing federal transportation funds can be used, focusing resources on proven safety infrastructure.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases federal highway fund allocation for school zones from 40% to 50%, directly funding safety programs through reallocated existing appropriations.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationRedirects highway safety funds to school zones (50% allocation), mandating safety measures like crossing guards and signage, directly improving student safety infrastructure per bill summary.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationRedirects highway safety funds to school zones, increasing allocation to 50% and authorizing safety measures like crosswalks and flashing lights, directly enhancing transportation safety infrastructure.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety School Transportation Bicycle Infrastructure Pedestrian Safety Traffic Safety

Track

in committee · United States · House Dec 2, 2025

HR 6348: Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act of 2025

This bill establishes a $50 million annual federal fund to support transportation infrastructure for U.S. cities hosting major international sporting events like the Olympics, Paralympics, or FIFA World Cup. It provides grants to eligible entities - including host cities, nearby jurisdictions within 100 miles, and transportation agencies - to fund permanent transportation projects (e.g., road improvements, transit upgrades) that aid event logistics or mitigate traffic impacts, but excludes temporary event infrastructure or bid preparation costs. Assistance is limited to the 5-year period before an event begins through 30 days after it ends. The bill directly affects communities selected to host these events and their surrounding regions, ensuring federal support for sustainable transportation planning tied to the events.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates $50M annual federal fund for transportation infrastructure, directly establishing new government spending (appropriation) within budget management.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill creates $50M annual federal fund specifically for transportation infrastructure projects (road improvements, transit upgrades) in host cities for major events, directly funding transportation infrastructure.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Airports Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 20, 2026

HR 7665: Friends in the Field Act

HR 7665, the Friends in the Field Act, adds "biological pest control" as a priority area for federal agricultural research funding. It directly affects researchers, extension services, and farmers by allowing grants to support projects using natural methods (like beneficial insects or microbes) to control pests instead of chemical pesticides. The key provision amends a 1990 law to explicitly include biological pest control in funding categories for research, education materials, and outreach programs. This aims to reduce crop damage and food-borne illnesses through sustainable pest management practices. The bill changes funding priorities but does not create new programs or impose new requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly directs federal funding toward agricultural research on biological pest control, increasing budget allocation for this priority area.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds biological pest control (replacing chemical pesticides), reducing environmental pollution and promoting sustainable agriculture per bill's core purpose.95% confidence

Tags Agriculture

Track