Government & Policy
Legislation, executive orders, regulatory changes, and government actions that directly impact personal finances, taxes, benefits, or the economy.
Latest in Government & Policy
A new law bars streaming services from making ads louder than the show
Streaming viewers in California will no longer have to lunge for the remote when an ad break hits. Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 576, a...
SNAP just ended work-rule exemptions for veterans, homeless adults and former foster youth
Veterans, adults experiencing homelessness, and young people who aged out of foster care lost their temporary protection from SNAP work-rule time limits after the One...
Montana’s new homestead tax cuts many homeowners’ property bills about 18% this year
Montana homeowners who live in their primary residence stand to see property tax bills drop by roughly 18 percent starting this year, after the 69th...
The federal flood insurance program expires September 30 unless Congress renews it
Homeowners who depend on the National Flood Insurance Program to protect their properties face a hard deadline. Federal law bars the NFIP from writing new...
Parents on SNAP lose their work-rule exemption once their youngest child turns 14
Parents who rely on SNAP to feed their families now face a sharp new deadline. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, signed...
Airlines no longer have to show checked-bag fees upfront after a July 1 rule rollback
Travelers shopping for flights online lost a key price-transparency tool on July 2, 2026, when the Department of Transportation formally rolled back a 2024 rule...
Lawmakers are floating a 10% cap on credit-card interest, now averaging about 21.5%
Americans carrying credit card balances could see their annual percentage rates cut by more than half under companion bills introduced this Congress by a bipartisan...
SNAP work rules now reach adults up to 64, and about 4 million have dropped off
Millions of adults in their 50s and early 60s who rely on food assistance are losing benefits after Congress extended SNAP work requirements to cover...
California is standardizing confusing “sell by” and “use by” food labels to cut waste
Grocery shoppers in California will no longer encounter the confusing mix of “sell by,” “best by,” and “use by” stamps that have long led people...
A House-passed bill would let banks freeze suspicious withdrawals to protect seniors from scams
Older Americans targeted by financial scams could soon gain a new layer of protection at the bank counter. The House passed H.R. 2478, the Financial...
The Education Department paused garnishing wages and Social Security checks from defaulted student-loan borrowers
Federal student-loan borrowers in default will no longer see portions of their paychecks or Social Security benefits seized, at least for now. The U.S. Department...
Connecticut now requires the full price, including every mandatory fee, up front
Consumers booking hotel rooms, buying concert tickets, or ordering restaurant delivery in Connecticut will soon see the full cost of those transactions before they reach...
The VA is now deciding disability claims in about 79 days, down from 141 a year and a half ago
Veterans waiting on disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs are getting answers faster than at any point on record. The average time to...
Gas fell in only one state this year, Indiana, after it suspended its gas tax
Drivers in Indiana are paying less for gasoline than they did at the start of the year, a distinction no other state can claim. The...
A court froze junk-food food-stamp bans in five states, including Tennessee’s July 31 rollout
Millions of SNAP recipients in five states lost clarity on what they can buy with their benefits after a federal court froze junk-food restriction waivers...
Georgia permanently cut its income tax to 5.19% for 2026
Georgia taxpayers will pay a lower income tax rate starting in January 2026, after the state locked in a permanent flat rate of 5.19 percent...
Virginia now bars hospitals from foreclosing on a home over unpaid medical debt
Virginia homeowners who owe money to a hospital will no longer risk losing their house over the bill. The Medical Debt Protection Act, signed by...
Albertsons and Safeway will pay $5.95 million over unwanted marketing texts
Albertsons and Safeway will pay $5.95 million to resolve claims that the grocery chains sent marketing text messages to consumers who never agreed to receive...
Pennsylvania’s expanded property-tax and rent rebate now pays eligible seniors up to $1,000
Pennsylvania seniors and residents with disabilities who pay property taxes or rent can now receive up to $1,000 through the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program,...
Colorado is sending TABOR surplus refunds to residents who filed a state return
Colorado residents who filed a state income tax return are receiving money back from the state under its Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, known as TABOR....