Budget & Taxes (Fees & Licensing)

This bill, titled the Working Americans' Tax Cut Act, proposes two main tax changes: it creates an alternative maximum tax rate of 25.5% for low- and middle-income individuals earning less than 175% of a cost-of-living exemption, and it imposes a progressive surcharge on high-income individuals earning over $1 million. The low-income provision calculates taxes based on income above a living expense threshold that adjusts annually with inflation, while the high-income surcharge applies rates of 5%, 10%, and 12% to income brackets above $1 million, $2 million, and $5 million respectively. Both provisions use modified adjusted gross income as the base for calculations and apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. The bill would directly affect individual taxpayers by altering how their income is taxed under the Internal Revenue Code.

HR 2418, the Federal Reserve Regulatory Oversight Act, requires the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Banks to cover non-monetary policy administrative costs through fees instead of direct congressional appropriations. Specifically, it mandates that costs related to supervising banks (including examinations, stress tests, and regulatory reporting), staff training, and operational support must be recovered via fees collected and deposited as offsetting collections to the Fed's budget account. This applies only to non-monetary policy activities (like bank supervision), excluding monetary policy functions such as interest rate decisions. The new rules take effect for expenses paid and fees collected on or after October 1, 2025.

This bill would allow national parks to add a surcharge to entrance fees for international visitors (defined as tourists on certain nonimmigrant visas). Park managers could set the fee amount to maximize revenue while maintaining visitation levels, with proceeds staying with the specific park for maintenance, visitor services, and staffing. Exceptions include no surcharge at the Washington Monument and for certain International Peace Parks managed under international agreements. A similar surcharge would apply to international visitors purchasing park passes, with those funds directed to a national restoration fund instead of local parks.

This bill creates a user fee system for facilities that manufacture over-the-counter (OTC) monograph drugs, which are medications generally recognized as safe and effective. The fees will be assessed for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, with specific payment schedules and revenue targets that account for inflation and other factors. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report on the use of these fees annually. The fee system will end on October 1, 2030, with reporting requirements continuing until January 31, 2031.

HR 6458 requires the IRS to implement a fully automated electronic filing system for employment tax returns (like Form 941) within one year of enactment, starting with the adjusted quarterly return (Form 941-X). Employers who file all employment taxes electronically for the first time in a quarter receive a $1,000 tax credit, with an additional $1,000 available in the following year for continued electronic filing. Employers filing paper returns face a $250 user fee (effective two years after enactment), though exceptions apply for rural access issues, emergencies, or first-time filers. The bill directly affects businesses required to file employment tax returns, aiming to replace paper-based processes with electronic filing as the standard.

HR 6167, the HEALTH Act of 2025, creates a new tax deduction for physicians providing unreimbursed charity care to patients enrolled in Medicaid (Title XIX) or CHIP (Title XXI) programs. The deduction equals the Medicare fee schedule amount for such care, but excludes services like sex reassignment surgeries and hormone treatments for gender transition. Additionally, the bill adds liability protection for physicians providing this charity care, shielding them from civil lawsuits for non-intentional harm during such services, and preempts conflicting state laws. This directly affects physicians who serve low-income patients through public health programs.

# Summary of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 This comprehensive appropriations act provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies for fiscal year 2026. Key elements include: ## Major Funding Areas - **Rural Development**: Significant funding for rural housing, water and waste disposal systems, broadband access, and business development programs - **Food and Nutrition**: Funding for school meal programs, food assistance, and child nutrition initiatives - **Agricultural Programs**: Support for crop insurance, conservation, research, and marketing - **Food Safety**: Resources for FDA inspections and enforcement ## Key Provisions 1. **New Programs**: - $2 million for a Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program - $4 million for a new Energy Circuit Rider pilot program - $6 million to continue the Institute for Rural Partnerships - $700,000 for tribal meat inspection fee coverage 2. **Restrictions**: - Prohibits using funds to close or consolidate USDA laboratory locations without congressional approval - Bans funds for horse inspections under certain acts - Limits use of funds for certain travel and administrative activities - Requires specific notification for large grant terminations ($1 million+) 3. **Program Changes**: - Updates to hemp definitions and regulations (Section 781) - Modifications to the Rural Business Program (Section 760) - Changes to the definition of "hemp" and "cannabis" for regulatory purposes - Updates to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard 4. **Allocation Requirements**: - Requires at least 10% of certain funds to be allocated for persistent poverty counties - Mandates specific reporting for FDA user fee programs - Requires notification for certain program changes 5. **Specific Restrictions**: - Prohibits using funds to procure poultry or seafood from China for school meal programs - Limits funds for certain FDA activities related to e-cigarettes - Prohibits funds for certain types of enforcement actions until specific data is available This act also includes numerous technical amendments to existing laws and establishes new reporting requirements for various programs across the Department of Agriculture.

This bill imposes a new tax on entities receiving funding for civil lawsuits through litigation financing agreements. It requires a 3.8% surcharge (added to regular income tax rates) on profits from such funding, applied at the entity level for businesses like partnerships. The tax applies to third parties (e.g., corporations, individuals) who receive funds for lawsuits but excludes small agreements under $10,000 and standard loans with interest capped at 7% or 2x Treasury rates. The tax takes effect for 2026 taxable years, with 50% of the tax withheld directly from settlement payments.

This resolution would block an IRS rule that would have imposed new user fees for estate tax closing letters. It targets a specific rule (90 Fed. Reg. 21410, published May 20, 2025) requiring fees when the IRS issues closing letters for estate tax returns. If approved, the rule would be voided, preventing the new fees from taking effect for individuals and professionals handling estate tax matters. The resolution is a procedural step under Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code, to disapprove the rule without creating new law.