🏛️ Legislative Branch |
Congressional Bills |
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If the President signs this bill, it would make time that the IRS pauses tax deadlines because of a federally declared disaster (or a big fire, terror, or military action) count as an official extension when figuring refunds and when the IRS can send collection notices; that means payments made before a delayed return are more likely to count toward a refund under the normal 3‑year rule, and the IRS must wait the postponed time before mailing demand letters. The bill has passed Congress and was presented to the President on December 18, 2025, and its changes apply to refund claims and notices made after the law takes effect. People who had tax deadlines delayed by disasters (and tax preparers and the IRS) would be helped, because it protects refund rights and prevents premature collection actions. Read full document →
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If signed into law, H.R. 504 would add a part of Everglades National Park called Osceola Camp to the Miccosukee Reserved Area (the change is shown on map no. 160/188443 dated July 2023) and require the Secretary of the Interior, working with the Miccosukee Tribe, to take steps to protect buildings in that area from flooding within 2 years after the law goes into effect. The enrolled bill was presented to the President on December 18, 2025 and is now waiting for the President to sign it or veto it. The Miccosukee Tribe, the National Park Service, Miami‑Dade County, and people who live in or use Osceola Camp would be directly affected, and nearby communities could see flood‑protection work. This matters to everyday people because it gives the Tribe formal protection inside the park and requires the government to act to reduce flood damage to homes and buildings, though the bill itself does not specify money to pay for the work. Read full document →
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If signed into law, this bill would give eligible Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans (or their heirs) five more years to apply for up to 160 acres of federal land in Alaska by moving the deadline from December 29, 2025, to December 29, 2030. The bill has already passed Congress and was sent to the President on December 18, 2025. It affects Alaska Native veterans who served in Vietnam between August 5, 1964, and December 31, 1971, and their families. It matters because it gives those veterans more time to get land they can use for a home, work, or traditional hunting and fishing, and it changes how public land in Alaska is managed. Read full document →
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If the bill becomes law, it will let a U.S. program that watches, studies, and researches the Great Lakes keep getting money until fiscal year 2030 by changing the law so it no longer ends in 2025 (reauthorizing means allowing the program to continue). The bill was sent to the President on December 18, 2025 and now needs the President’s signature or veto. The main people and groups affected are the U.S. Geological Survey’s Great Lakes Science Center, state and tribal fishery managers, commercial and recreational fishers, businesses and communities that depend on the lakes, and partners in Canada. It matters because ongoing research helps protect fish, fight invasive species, keep seafood and beaches safer, and support jobs and recreation tied to the Great Lakes. Read full document →
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If this law passes, it would keep the board that runs the Congressional Award Program working until October 1, 2028, and that extension would count as if it started on October 1, 2023; it also removes the rule that medals must be made only from certain metals. The bill was sent to the President on December 18, 2025. It affects the people who run the program, the young people who earn the awards, and companies that make the medals. It matters because it keeps a national program that rewards youth for public service and personal goals running and gives the program more flexibility in how awards are made. Read full document →
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This bill would change how the government fights ocean trash: it updates the rules for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and the Marine Debris Foundation, lets NOAA pay for projects with things other than cash (like equipment or services), and adds $2,000,000 for the Foundation for fiscal year 2025 while reauthorizing the program through fiscal year 2029. It was passed by Congress and was presented to the President on December 18, 2025, so it is waiting for the President’s signature. The people and groups affected include NOAA, the Marine Debris Foundation, coastal towns and businesses (like fishing and tourism), nonprofit groups, regional and foreign partners, and Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations who will get clearer outreach and support. It matters to everyday people because it aims to keep beaches, seafood, and shipping lanes cleaner and safer, and it helps pay for and organize the work that removes trash from oceans and coasts. Read full document →
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If passed, this law would make the Forest Service and the Interior Department create common standards for maps and location data and then put online clear, digital maps showing where federal rivers, lakes, and waterways are open or closed and what kinds of boats or fishing are allowed; the agencies must finish the standards within 30 months of the law and put the data online within 5 years, update most maps at least twice a year and fishing rules in real time, and send yearly progress reports through March 30, 2034. The bill was introduced on January 3, 2025, and was presented to the President on December 18, 2025, so it is awaiting the President’s signature or veto. People who would be affected include boaters, anglers, swimmers, others who use public waters, plus State and Tribal natural resource agencies and groups that make maps and apps. This matters because everyday people would have easier, faster access to accurate information about where they can go and what rules to follow, which helps with safety, planning, and avoiding fines. Read full document →
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If this bill becomes law, it would put about 40 acres at Wounded Knee, on the Pine Ridge Reservation in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, into a special status that keeps the land owned by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe but prevents it from being sold, taxed by state or local governments, or used for casino gaming, and requires it to be kept as a memorial and sacred site under a covenant dated October 21, 2022; the Interior Department must finish the paperwork and any small survey fixes within 365 days after the law starts. The bill was introduced on January 3, 2025, and was sent to the President on December 18, 2025, where it now awaits his signature. The people affected include the two tribes, nearby reservation residents, local governments and utilities, and anyone who visits or cares about the Wounded Knee site. It matters because it protects a historic and sacred place, clarifies who controls the land, and stops commercial or gaming development there. Read full document →
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If this law passes, it changes who pays for the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a pipeline that brings water from Pueblo Reservoir to towns in Colorado: communities would only have to cover 35% of the project’s cost, while the rest must come from money given during construction by non‑federal groups or, if a community proves it cannot pay, from a loan repaid over up to 75 years with interest charged at half the usual federal rate; the local contract holders would also be in charge of running and fixing the pipe. Congress has passed the bill and it was sent to President Trump on December 18, 2025, so he can sign or veto it. The people affected are residents and local governments in the Arkansas River Valley (especially households without reliable water), the groups that might fund construction, and the federal water agency; it matters because it can lower immediate costs for towns and help people get steady water, but it also creates long‑term payment and upkeep responsibilities. Read full document →
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If this law passes, the U.S. would sell about 3,400 acres of Bureau of Land Management ground in La Paz County, Arizona to La Paz County if the county asks for it, and the county would pay the land’s fair market value plus the costs for surveys and appraisals; the land would be removed from U.S. mining and mineral leasing rules, and the county and any later owners must try to avoid hurting tribal artifacts, work with the Colorado River Indian Tribes’ preservation office, and allow tribal representatives to rebury finds near where they were found (the map of the land is dated June 29, 2023). The bill passed both Houses of Congress and was sent to the President on December 18, 2025, so it now waits for the President to sign or veto it. People affected include La Paz County residents and local government, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Bureau of Land Management, and businesses that might develop the land (for example for solar projects and jobs), and everyday people could see new local jobs or development, changes in public land use, and protections for tribal cultural items. Read full document →
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