Government & Policy
Legislation, executive orders, regulatory changes, and government actions that directly impact personal finances, taxes, benefits, or the economy.
Latest in Government & Policy
$1,000 is the most Pennsylvania’s expanded rebate now sends renters and homeowners, with the income cap up to $48,110
Starting July 1, Pennsylvania will begin sending rebate payments of up to $1,000 to eligible renters and homeowners, with the household income ceiling now set...
23 new burn-pit conditions can now qualify veterans for disability pay without proving the cause
Veterans diagnosed with cancers and respiratory diseases linked to burn-pit smoke no longer have to prove their illness was caused by military service. Under the...
Ford is recalling 741,195 F-150s, Explorers and Expeditions that can roll away in park
Ford is pulling 741,000 vehicles off the road for repairs after federal regulators flagged a transmission defect that can let trucks and SUVs roll away...
Montana becomes the first state to make Medicaid enrollees prove 80 hours of work a month on July 1
Montana is moving into uncharted territory for Medicaid, requiring certain adults to document at least 80 hours of work or other “community engagement” each month...
$48 more a week in unemployment benefits reaches Virginia claimants starting July 5
Starting July 5, 2026, every new unemployment claim filed in Virginia will pay $48 more per week than it would have under the previous benefit...
Between 2.2 million and 7.3 million people may drop Affordable Care Act coverage as 2026 premiums jump
Millions of Americans who buy health insurance through Affordable Care Act exchanges face a sharp jump in what they pay each month starting in 2026,...
80 hours of monthly work is what Arkansas will soon require of Medicaid enrollees, warnings starting July 1
Hundreds of thousands of Arkansas adults enrolled in Medicaid expansion will start receiving letters next month telling them whether they meet, fall short of, or...
New York is mailing inflation-refund checks to more than 8 million residents this year
More than 8 million paper checks worth up to $400 each have landed in New York mailboxes as part of the state’s first-ever inflation refund...
SNAP enrollment has fallen in every state, with Arizona down 51%
Millions of Americans who relied on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to afford groceries now face a sharply different reality. SNAP enrollment has declined in...
Maryland is the first state to ban personalized grocery pricing
Grocery shoppers in Maryland will no longer face the risk of paying a different price than the person next to them for the same box...
Connecticut now requires advertised prices to include every mandatory fee
Connecticut shoppers booking a hotel room, buying event tickets, or signing up for a subscription will now see the full cost up front, with no...
18 states will block SNAP recipients from buying soda, candy and desserts with their benefits this year
Eighteen states plan to stop Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients from using benefits to buy soda, candy and desserts this year, according to federal waiver...
Several states are sending rebates this year, from Oregon’s $1.4 billion kicker to Colorado’s TABOR refund
Oregon taxpayers are set to receive a share of $1.41 billion in surplus state revenue, while Colorado filers will again see refunds triggered by the...
The VA cleared 2 million disability claims this year, cutting the average wait to 78.6 days
Veterans filing disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs are getting answers faster than at any point in recent memory. The agency reported that...
A federal law bans surprise bills for out-of-network emergency care, but hospitals still send them
Patients who arrive at an emergency room with no time to choose a doctor or check whether a facility is in their insurance network are...
Starting July 1, Virginia banks must automatically shield part of your wages and benefits from garnishment
Virginians who receive Social Security, veterans’ benefits, or other federal payments through direct deposit will gain an automatic layer of protection when a creditor tries...
Regulators recalled “Diablo Rising” fireworks that can explode and burn users before July 4.
Bada Boom Fireworks is pulling its Pyro Diablo “Diablo Rising” 9 Shots aerial device, model PD-C5001, from the market after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety...
A new veterans bill in Congress would cut disability pay for up to 1.5 million veterans to help fund a benefit for the combat-injured.
Up to 1.5 million veterans could see their disability compensation reduced under a bill that pairs those cuts with an expanded benefit for combat-injured military...
California will require chain restaurants to list major allergens on their menus
Millions of Californians who manage food allergies will soon get a new layer of protection when eating at chain restaurants. Starting July 1, 2026, food...
LIHEAP helps lower-income households pay heating and cooling bills, yet many who qualify never apply
More than one in four U.S. households reported difficulty paying for energy in 2020, yet the main federal program designed to help covers only a...