Government & Policy
Legislation, executive orders, regulatory changes, and government actions that directly impact personal finances, taxes, benefits, or the economy.
Latest in Government & Policy
The Education Department has paused wage garnishment and tax-refund seizures for defaulted student-loan borrowers while it rolls out a new plan
Federal student-loan borrowers in default will not face wage deductions or tax-refund seizures while the U.S. Department of Education prepares to launch new repayment options....
More than 1 million older adults aged 55 to 64 are projected to lose food stamps as new SNAP work rules raise the age limit
More than 1 million adults between the ages of 55 and 64 face the loss of their food assistance benefits as expanded work requirements under...
Trump’s promised $2,000 tariff “dividend” checks aren’t coming, analysts say, with no law passed and the odds near zero
Americans waiting for $2,000 tariff “dividend” checks from the federal government will not receive them. No law authorizing the payments has passed Congress, the Supreme...
Starting January 2027, Medicaid will require many adults to work or volunteer 80 hours a month to keep their coverage
Starting in January 2027, many low-income adults on Medicaid will have to document at least 80 hours a month of work, school, or community service...
An estimated 5.3 million more people could become uninsured as Medicaid adds work requirements
Millions of adults who currently receive Medicaid coverage face the prospect of losing it under a new federal rule that ties eligibility to monthly work...
Who pays more now that Obamacare’s enhanced subsidies have lapsed? Households earning above four times the poverty line lose help entirely
Millions of Americans who earned above 400 percent of the federal poverty line just lost their Affordable Care Act premium subsidies entirely. Congress temporarily removed...
Oregon now shields at least $400 of weekly wages from garnishment
Oregon workers facing wage garnishment for consumer debt will keep more of each paycheck starting July 1, 2026, when the state’s protected weekly earnings floor...
From July 1, Virginia bars foreclosing on a home over medical debt
Virginia homeowners who owe money for medical care will gain a direct legal shield against losing their homes when the state’s Medical Debt Protection Act...
A new Connecticut law makes subscription services send yearly renewal reminders and an easy way to cancel
Connecticut residents who have been blindsided by surprise subscription charges now have stronger legal backing. The state’s autorenewal law requires subscription services to obtain a...
Most states cut property taxes for veterans, and fully exempt many disabled vets
Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can eliminate their entire property tax bill in several states, a benefit that saves thousands of dollars a year for...
A federal program with about $4 billion in funding helps low-income households pay summer cooling bills, but you must apply
Millions of low-income households across the United States face rising summer temperatures with no guarantee they can afford to run air conditioning. A federal block...
Veterans filing new PACT Act toxic-exposure claims now get benefits only from the filing date, since the backdating window closed
Veterans who file new toxic-exposure disability claims under the PACT Act now receive compensation starting only from the date they submit their paperwork. The special...
The VA will pay $220 billion in disability benefits to more than 7 million veterans and survivors this year
More than 7 million veterans and survivors are set to receive a combined $220 billion in disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs during...
Starting July 1, a new Virginia law bars hospitals from charging interest or late fees on medical debt until it’s 90 days overdue
Virginia patients who owe money to hospitals will get a 90-day buffer before any interest or late fees can be added to their bills, starting...
Summer EBT sends families $120 per school-age child in 39 states
Millions of families with school-age children across 39 states are set to receive $120 per child this summer through the federal Summer EBT program, a...
More than 1 million older Americans ages 55 to 64 are set to lose food stamps under new work rules
More than 1 million Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 face the loss of food assistance after new federal work rules stripped away...
The $186 billion cut to SNAP signed into law is the largest reduction to food assistance in U.S. history
Millions of Americans who rely on federal food assistance face the steepest spending reduction the program has ever seen. The law known as the One...
Adults 60 to 64 must now prove SNAP work rules or lose their food benefits
Hundreds of thousands of Americans between 60 and 64 who rely on SNAP benefits now face a new requirement: prove they are working, in a...
A new federal tax credit now rewards donations to private-school scholarships in 27 states
Families weighing private-school options in more than half the country just gained a new financial tool. Twenty-seven states have opted into the Federal Scholarship Tax...
Florida could put homestead property-tax elimination directly to voters on the 2026 ballot
Florida homeowners could soon vote on whether to shield the first $250,000 of their property’s assessed value from taxation. The state Legislature passed CS/HJR 1-F...