The Affordable Housing Incentives Act allows property owners to avoid paying capital gains taxes when they sell real estate to qualified housing operators for use as affordable housing. To qualify, the property must be subject to a binding legal agreement that ensures it remains affordable or used as a homeless shelter for at least 30 years. The sale price cannot exceed the value determined by a professional appraisal, and the seller must notify the Treasury Department within 90 days of the transfer. The Treasury is required to audit these properties every five years to verify they continue to meet the affordability requirements throughout the 30-year period.
The PERFORM Act restricts the ability to award bonuses and other performance-based compensation to the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service under specific conditions. These restrictions apply if the Postal Service runs a budget deficit, fails to meet nationwide service targets, receives a negative financial audit opinion, or does not submit a required annual report to Congress. The bill mandates that the Postmaster General provide a detailed report each year outlining compensation paid to senior executives, the metrics used to justify those payments, and data on financial and service performance. Additionally, the Postal Service Inspector General is required to review these annual reports to ensure compliance with the new reporting and compensation rules.
The DHS Surveillance Technology Moratorium Act of 2026 temporarily halts the Department of Homeland Security from using funds to start, renew, or expand contracts for surveillance tools used in immigration enforcement, such as facial recognition and predictive analytics. This pause applies to agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, though existing contracts can continue until a review is complete. The bill mandates an independent audit within 180 days to examine data collection practices, privacy impacts, and the accuracy of these technologies, followed by a public report detailing their use and capabilities. The funding ban remains in effect until the audit is finished, a public report is released, and the department demonstrates it has implemented necessary safeguards to protect civil liberties. Once these conditions are met, the moratorium lifts, but the department must submit annual reports on its continued use of these technologies and any related privacy complaints.
This bill limits the overhead costs universities can charge on federal research grants to match the average rate charged for private research grants. It requires the Office of Management and Budget to calculate this average rate annually and caps federal indirect costs at that level. The Comptroller General must also study current federal and private indirect cost rates - including how funds are used for administrative staff - and submit a report to Congress within one year. The bill directly affects colleges and universities receiving federal research funding from agencies like the NIH and NSF.
HR 1792 prohibits U.S. federal funds from being provided to three United Nations agencies: the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study identifying all U.S. funding to these agencies from 2021-2025, including amounts and restrictions, and to assess any funds owed to the U.S. government. It also mandates an audit of the State Department’s Refugee Travel Loan Program. The GAO must submit a report to Congress within 180 days of the bill’s enactment detailing these findings. This bill directly affects federal funding mechanisms for international refugee and migration programs.
This bill repeals federal laws that gave the Government Accountability Office (GAO) oversight authority over the District of Columbia government. It removes the District from GAO's annual audit requirements, reporting obligations to Congress, and evaluations of District programs. The bill also deletes DC-specific reporting duties from the District's Home Rule Act, including provisions requiring the mayor to address GAO recommendations. These changes directly affect the District government by eliminating federal oversight mechanisms previously applied to its operations.
HR 7161, the "No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act," prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using private contractors for immigration enforcement tasks like tracking individuals (skip tracing), surveillance, or location verification. It bans DHS from entering new contracts for these purposes after enactment, terminates existing contracts allowing them, and amends others to prohibit them. The bill also blocks federal funds from paying private entities per-person or via bonuses for locating individuals under immigration detainers, except for limited government-supervised data tools. DHS must audit all relevant contracts within 30 days of the bill's enactment to ensure compliance.
This resolution (HRES 199) condemns specific U.S. foreign aid programs listed in the resolution, including grants for transgender health services in Guatemala, diversity training in Serbia, drag HIV awareness campaigns in South Africa, and cultural events like a transgender opera in Colombia. It does not create new policy but demands that the House oppose such programs as wasteful, requesting a government audit of all State Department and USAID grants since 2021. Key provisions include suspending similar grants pending review, requiring public disclosure of all grant details, and proposing a 0.1% cap on cultural exchange spending. The resolution aims to redirect funds to domestic priorities like infrastructure and veteran care, with no binding effect on actual aid spending.
