Government & Policy
Legislation, executive orders, regulatory changes, and government actions that directly impact personal finances, taxes, benefits, or the economy.
Latest in Government & Policy
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...
California will require restaurants to list major allergens on menus this July
Diners with food allergies who eat at chain restaurants in California will soon see allergen information printed directly on menus. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB...
North Dakota would cut up to $1,550 off every homeowner’s property-tax bill
North Dakota homeowners stand to save up to $1,550 or more on their annual property tax bills after Governor Kelly Armstrong signed House Bill 1176...
Property-tax bills have outrun home values, fueling the push to scrap them
Homeowners in several states are watching their property-tax bills hold steady or rise even as the market value of their homes flattens or falls. The...
Starting July 1, Oregon shields more of your paycheck from garnishment — the greater of 75% of pay or $400 a week
Oregon workers facing wage garnishment will keep more of their paychecks when a new protection takes effect on July 1, 2026. Under the state’s updated...
Georgia would cap yearly property-assessment increases at 3% or inflation, whichever is less
Georgia homeowners in fast-appreciating neighborhoods could see their property-tax bills grow more slowly under House Bill 1116, a proposal that would cap yearly assessment increases...
Pulling more than $10,000 in cash out of your bank triggers a federal report, and splitting it into smaller trips is its own crime
Anyone who walks into a bank and withdraws more than $10,000 in cash triggers a federal filing that lands directly with the U.S. Treasury. That...
Virginia will bar lenders from foreclosing on a home over unpaid medical debt starting July 1
Virginia homeowners who owe money for medical care will gain a direct legal shield against losing their homes when a new state law kicks in...
Florida’s governor wants to quadruple the homestead exemption to $150,000 on the way to ending property taxes
Florida homeowners could see their property-tax bills drop sharply starting in 2027 after the state legislature cleared a constitutional amendment that would raise the homestead...
Indiana lawmakers have floated abolishing homeowner property taxes entirely starting in 2027
Indiana homeowners could see their property tax bills disappear entirely under a proposal introduced in the 2026 legislative session. House Bill 1288, filed in the...
New data-privacy laws in Arkansas and Utah let residents demand companies delete their data on July 1
Residents of Arkansas and Utah gained a direct tool to control their personal data when new privacy statutes took effect on July 1. Under the...
California will bar streaming services from blasting ads louder than the show you’re watching, starting in July
Streaming viewers in California who have grown tired of reaching for the remote every time an ad break sends volume levels spiking will soon get...
States are racing to wipe out homeowner property taxes, and Oklahoma’s plan would end them for anyone over 65 who owns a home outright
Older homeowners in Oklahoma who have paid off their mortgages could soon owe nothing in property taxes, under a proposal the state House advanced earlier...
Breaking a big cash deposit into chunks under $10,000 can bring up to five years in prison, even if the money is clean
Federal law treats splitting a large cash deposit into smaller chunks under $10,000 to avoid bank reporting as a crime that can send someone to...