HR 6575, the CommonGround for Affordable Health Care Act, extends enhanced premium tax credits for health insurance through 2026, directly benefiting millions of lower and middle-income Americans purchasing coverage through the ACA marketplace. The bill modifies income thresholds for premium subsidies, creating new income tiers that maintain or increase financial assistance for households earning up to 1,000% of the poverty level. It includes provisions to prevent fraud in health insurance exchanges by imposing civil penalties on agents and brokers who provide false information, and requires transparency in pharmacy benefit manager contracts to improve drug pricing accountability. The legislation also extends the annual open enrollment period for health insurance exchanges for the 2026 plan year, allowing more time for people to enroll or change coverage.
HR 7400, the "Making Homeownership Affordable Again Act," removes the current $250,000 ($500,000 for married couples) limit on tax-free profit when selling a primary residence and extends this exclusion to sales involving first-time homebuyers. It directly affects homeowners selling their current home and first-time homebuyers purchasing a home. The key provision eliminates the dollar cap on capital gains exclusion under tax code Section 121 and defines "first-time homebuyer" as someone without home ownership in the past three years. This policy change applies to home sales occurring after the bill's enactment.
HR 7327, the Empowering Young Readers Act of 2026, creates a $10 million pilot program to fund book access initiatives for children under 19. It authorizes the Education Secretary to award competitive grants (max $200,000 per grant for two years) to eligible nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations for activities like purchasing books, hosting reading events, or donating to public libraries. Grant applications must be reviewed using viewpoint-neutral criteria, and recipients must report on book distribution numbers and community impact. The program runs through fiscal year 2027, with a final report due to Congress six months after completion.
HR 7138 disallows tax deductions for mortgage interest and depreciation on single-family homes (1-4 units) owned by large investment entities with over $100 million in assets, while imposing a 100% excise tax on sales or transfers of such properties. The bill directly affects institutional landlords (e.g., large real estate investment firms), excluding government entities, nonprofits, and federally assisted housing. Revenue from the tax will fund low-income housing programs via the Housing Trust Fund. It also prohibits Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae from purchasing or guaranteeing mortgages for these properties. The provisions apply 18 months after enactment.
The Save for Success Act (HR 7393) amends the tax code to allow distributions from 529 college savings plans to be used for first-time homebuyers' housing expenses, such as purchasing a principal residence, closing costs, and mortgage payments. It directly affects individuals using 529 plans who qualify as first-time homebuyers - defined as those with no ownership of a principal residence in the past three years. The key provision expands the list of qualified expenses under 529 plans beyond education costs to include home purchases, while maintaining the "first-time homebuyer" definition from existing tax law. This change takes effect for distributions made after December 31, 2026.
The First Home Affordability Act establishes a refundable tax credit for first-time homebuyers purchasing a primary residence in the U.S. The credit equals 2% of the home's purchase price (capped at $25,000 per purchase), with special provisions increasing the credit to 10% for teachers, childcare workers, and first responders. The credit is reduced for higher-income households relative to local area median income and home prices, and requires the homebuyer to be at least 18 years old. Homebuyers must meet specific criteria including no prior home ownership in the past three years and using a federally backed mortgage. If the home is sold within the credit period, a portion of the credit may need to be repaid to the IRS.
This bill increases tax deductions for small businesses and manufacturers by raising limits on expensing equipment and assets. It permanently extends a business interest deduction rule and boosts the Section 179 deduction cap from $1 million to $2.5 million (with the phaseout threshold rising from $2.5 million to $4 million). The changes apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2024, and include inflation adjustments starting in 2025. These provisions directly benefit eligible small businesses and manufacturers by reducing their taxable income when purchasing qualifying equipment.
S 697 establishes the Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025 to strengthen training and retention for air traffic controllers. It creates a $20 million annual grant program (2026-2031) for colleges to develop enhanced curriculum, faculty support, and equipment for the Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI), directly benefiting institutions and future controllers. The bill also mandates a committee to modernize CTI curricula and the Air Traffic Skills Assessment exam, while adding retention bonuses for certified controllers. Additionally, it requires new mental health training for controllers and aviation medical examiners, and a report on airport radar systems. These changes aim to improve workforce pipeline efficiency and controller well-being.
Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 This bill expands a requirement for federal agencies to report expenditures on the USAspending.gov website to include other transaction agreement expenditures. (Other transaction agreements, or OTAs, are contractual instruments other than standard procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements; they are exempt from many federal procurement laws and regulations). Under current law, federal agencies must report expenditures on federal awards to USAspending.gov with the term federal award defined as federal grants, loans, cooperative agreements, contracts, and certain other types of expenditures. This bill expands the definition of federal award to include expenditures under OTAs, and therefore such expenditures must be included on the USAspending.gov website. The Department of the Treasury must ensure that data relating to OTAs are automatically transmitted to the website and a centralized view of this data is available on the website. Treasury must also annually post on the USAspending.gov website a report that includes (1) the total amount of federal spending on federal awards for which data has not been posted on the website, and (2) the reason why such spending data was not posted. For 10 years after enactment, the Office of Inspector General of specified federal agencies must periodically submit to Congress and make publicly available a report assessing the agency's spending data and use of data standards.
The Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends funding for the nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods program through fiscal year 2030, supporting collaboration between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies across all 50 states and territories. It expands allowable uses of grant funds to include hiring crime analysts, covering overtime for officers and support staff, and purchasing technology for violent crime reduction. The bill adds specific funding for multi-jurisdictional task forces and requires the Attorney General to annually report to Congress on fund allocation, community outreach efforts, and violent crime statistics (including murder, robbery, and aggravated assault). These changes update the program’s funding structure and transparency requirements without altering its core focus on reducing violent crime through community-based strategies.
