Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (HR 2808) – Introduced by Rep. John Rose (R-TN) on April 10, the House passed this bill on June 23, and the Senate passed it on Aug. 2. Signed into law on Sept. 5, this bipartisan bill prohibits a consumer reporting agency from selling a mortgage applicant’s personal information to other lenders without their explicit consent. The legislation is designed to safeguard homebuyers’ personal financial information and eliminate the frequent bombardment of other lender marketing offers during the financing process underway with the applicant’s existing lender.
SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (HR 2483) – This bill renews billions of dollars in federal funding for programs responsible for preventing overdoses and further strengthening treatment and recovery services. The renewal of funds to nationwide county programs is timely, given the current behavioral health and substance abuse disorder crises. The bill was introduced by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) on March 31, passed in the House on June 4 and in the Senate on Sept. 18; it currently awaits signature by the president.
TRAVEL Act of 2025 (HR 3400) – Also known as the Territorial Response and Access to Veterans’ Essential Lifecare Act, the purpose of this bill is to enable VA physicians and specialists to travel to hard-to-reach areas in U.S. territories for up to one year. The Act is designed to help fill critical gaps in VA medical services across the Pacific territories by compensating providers with travel bonuses. The legislation was introduced by Representative Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands) on May 14. It passed in the House on Sept. 15 and currently lies with the Senate.
Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025 (S 306) – Introduced by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on Jan. 29, this legislation would establish a fire weather program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The new program would enable scientists to better predict wildfires, fire weather, and fire risk via forecasting, detection, and modeling, as well as respond quickly to prevent devastation to families, homes, and businesses due to wildfires. The legislation was passed in the Senate on Sept. 10 and is now under review in the House.
Enhancing First Response Act (S 725) – This bill was introduced on Feb. 25 by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and passed in the Senate on Sept. 10. The law would reclassify 911 dispatchers as public safety workers from their current role as office and administrative support in the federal Standard Occupational Classification system. In addition, the bill contains provisions to improve access to the 911 call system during major disasters and make the system more resilient against outages and disruptions. The fate of this bipartisan bill now rests in the House.
National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act (S 433) – This Act was introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) on Feb. 5. It seeks to establish a working group of representatives from industry, labor, and academia to advise Congress on policies and programs to enhance domestic manufacturing despite the challenges of global competition, U.S. supply chain issues, and the current tariff solution. The bipartisan legislationwas passed unanimously in the Senate on July 14 and is currently under review in the House.
When it comes to running a business, having outstanding invoices that turn into uncollectible receivables or simply bad debt is a fact of life. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a safe harbor that permits businesses to reduce consideration of such bad debt from taxation if it qualifies. However, understanding how to determine if a business is eligible is essential to making the most of it when a business files its taxes.