HR 904, titled "No Tax on Social Security," would amend the tax code to exclude Social Security benefits from taxable income for future tax years. This change would directly affect millions of Social Security recipients, including retirees, disabled individuals, and survivors, who currently may pay federal income tax on a portion of their benefits. The bill includes a funding provision to appropriate money to Social Security trust funds, replacing revenue lost from the tax exclusion. The policy would take effect for taxable years beginning after the bill's enactment.
HR 705 establishes a Military Firefighters Compensation Fund within two years of enactment to provide compensation for current and former military firefighters (including some contractors) who develop illnesses due to PFAS exposure during their duties. It presumes exposure occurred if they worked at military installations or National Guard facilities during periods when PFAS was present. Compensation covers disabilities or death from such illnesses, with payments prioritized to surviving spouses, then children, parents, and other relatives as specified. The fund also covers related medical benefits, transportation, and supplies for qualifying individuals.
HR 1306, the Tax Fairness for Survivors Act, exempts certain payments received by survivors of sexual assault or harassment from federal income taxation. Specifically, it excludes from gross income any judgment, award, or settlement (including backpay, frontpay, punitive damages, and attorney fees) related to these claims, as defined under federal, tribal, state, or local law. The bill amends multiple tax codes (including income tax, Social Security, railroad retirement, unemployment, and wage withholding) to ensure these excluded payments are not subject to those taxes. This directly affects survivors who receive such compensation through legal settlements or court awards. The exemption applies to taxable years beginning after the bill's enactment.
This bill requires the Secretary of Defense to create regulations within 180 days that exempt active-duty military members taking parental leave (over 31 consecutive days) from performance evaluations during that leave period. It directly affects service members using the expanded 12-week paid parental leave for birth, adoption, or placement of a child. The key provision mandates that members can take this leave without needing special waivers from their commanding officer, addressing inconsistent current policies across military branches. The bill also aims to reduce paperwork burdens by allowing leave use within a two-year window after the birth or adoption event. These changes implement a 2022 policy expansion to ensure military parents aren't penalized for taking leave.
HR 1242, the "Hire Veterans Act," creates a 5-year pilot program to help veterans secure jobs with five federal land management agencies: the Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation. The bill requires these agencies to administer tests assessing veterans' strengths in 20 specific career fields (like firefighting, ecology, land management, and engineering) and refer qualified veterans for noncompetitive appointments. Veterans who don't initially qualify must complete agency training and retake the test until they meet requirements. The program aims to streamline hiring for veterans with relevant skills while providing pathways for those needing additional preparation.
Blind Americans Return to Work Act of 2025 This bill requires the Social Security Administration to carry out a demonstration project during which blind Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries receive reduced benefits commensurate with income above certain thresholds. Under current law, only individuals who earn under a specified monthly income, known as the substantial gainful activity (SGA) threshold, are considered disabled and thereby eligible for SSDI benefits. For blind workers, this limit is $2,700 per month in 2025. SSDI beneficiaries may earn beyond the SGA threshold for a limited period of time, known as the trial work period , before their benefits are suspended and ultimately terminate. The bill establishes a 20-year demonstration project during which individuals who are entitled to SSDI benefits by reason of blindness and who earn above the SGA threshold continue to receive benefits at an amount gradually reduced commensurate with their earnings beyond a specified amount. During this period, blind workers’ SSDI benefits must be reduced by $1 for every $2 that a worker earns above the sum of (1) the SGA threshold, and (2) the worker’s expenses reasonably attributable to their work. The SGA threshold may not be used to determine whether an individual is disabled during this period, and blind workers’ SSDI benefits may not be terminated due to work-related earnings. The trial work period also must not apply. After 10 years, affected beneficiaries may opt out of the modified benefits structure.
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This bill requires the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to recalculate monthly pension benefits for retirees in six specific Delphi-related pension plans to reflect the full vested amount they would have received without prior benefit limits. It mandates lump-sum payments for past underpayments, including 6% annual interest, to eligible retirees and beneficiaries who received lower benefits than guaranteed under ERISA. The PBGC must fund these payments through a new Delphi Full Vested Plan Benefit Trust Fund established in the Treasury. This directly affects retirees in the Delphi Hourly-Rate, Delphi Retirement Program for Salaried Employees, PHI Non-Bargaining, ASEC Manufacturing, PHI Bargaining, and Delphi Mechatronic Systems pension plans. The law does not alter existing PBGC rules for other plans or change how the agency administers benefits generally.
The Warriors to Workforce Act increases VA educational assistance payments for veterans in their first year of full-time apprenticeships or on-the-job training from 80% to 90% of the full rate. It directly affects veterans using Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) benefits for these programs. The key provision amends 38 U.S.C. §3313(g)(3)(B) to adjust the payment percentage. This policy change provides higher financial support during the initial training year.
This bill creates a new tax deduction for cash tips received by workers in specific service occupations that traditionally accepted tips before 2024 (like servers, barbers, and beauticians). It allows a deduction of up to $25,000 per year for qualified tips included on employer statements, but excludes employees who earned over a certain threshold ($220,000 in 2023) from the same employer the previous year. The deduction applies to taxable years beginning after December 2024 and is designed to reduce taxable income for eligible workers. It directly affects service industry workers in qualifying tip-dependent jobs who receive cash tips, not the general public.
Health Care Workforce Innovation Act of 2025 This bill establishes the Health Care Workforce Innovation Program within the Health Resources and Services Administration to provide grants to federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, and post-secondary vocational programs for developing education and training for allied health professionals (e.g., professionals providing clinical or non-clinical support services, community health workers, and health education specialists). Specifically, grant recipients must use the funds to carry out innovative, community-based programs to train allied health professionals, with a focus on supporting rural and underserved areas. Grant recipients may use the funds to launch or expand health care professional partnerships (e.g., between a grant recipient and a school), establish apprenticeship or other career programs, or invest in training equipment, among other activities.
