From the US court system to local gym memberships, here are secluded provisions lurking in the wide Republican tax bill.
Donald Trump is “disappointed” with Vladimir Putin
President Donald Trump told reporters that he was “disappointed” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, referring to the latest attacks on Ukraine.
WASHINGTON – A massive Republican policy bill will extend income tax cuts, add restrictions on Medicaid and food stamps, and do more than pour funds into President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign.
The 1,000-page bill includes several lesser known provisions that could affect American lives, from the court system to the gym.
The bill is likely one of the most important laws passed during Trump’s second term. The immense pressure from the White House to pass the bill will be a convenient way for lawmakers to add policies they like and increase the likelihood of leading them to the law.
Still, the bill is not set on stone. The Senate will begin to consider the bill next week, and the measure could undergo substantial changes. Here are nine parts of the bill you may not know yet:
Make it easier to ignore court rulings
Republicans included provisions in the bill that would limit the ability of judges to hold them liable for violations of court orders.
Some judges are now considering a light-empt ruling against the Trump administration over bypassing court orders that restrict their actions.
The Act prohibits enforcement of a light empty ruling if the government generally sets zero or does not initially order bonds if it claims it is unconstitutional.
Democrats argue that bypassing the court is a clear attempt, but Republicans say it’s an incentive to stop frivolous lawsuits by asking plaintiffs to pay.
No AI regulations
The bill will allocate $500 million to help modernize governments with the help of artificial intelligence, preventing states from creating new regulations to shape how AI is used.
It also blocks dozens of states from enforcing the AI regulations and monitoring structures they have already implemented. Currently, there are no federal AI regulations to replace state policies.
Tech industry leaders support this approach and warn that regulations could hamper innovation in new industries. However, some Republicans in the Senate have raised concerns that a ban would not be a good idea without a replacement federal structure.
Cheap gun silencer
Republicans have added a provision to the bill that will remove the $200 registration fee for gun silencers, which has been around for more than 90 years, and remove the requirement for gun owners to register silencers.
“Who asked for this – was it the lobby of the assassins?” D-Nevada MP Steven Horsford said at a law hearing in early May.
However, Republicans argued that eliminating fees would coincide with a second amendment that would protect the right to pay the weapon and protect hearings for gun users.
Tax-free gym membership
The bill qualifies sports and fitness costs as qualified healthcare, allowing people to pay tax-free through their health savings accounts.
People can spend up to $500 a year on gym membership through HSA, or $1,000 for couples.
The benefits were not available in members-owned “private clubs” or facilities that provided golf, hunting, voyage or horse riding facilities. The health and fitness part of the business cannot either “attach to the overall function and purpose.”
The Benefits of Purple Heart
Some people who have won Purple Hearts in the Army – decorations of service members injured or killed during action – are eligible for a new income tax credit under the law.
Purple Heart recipients who have lost some of their Social Security Disability benefits can get a higher earned income tax credit to compensate for Social Security benefits in order to obtain the income tax credit they earned for getting a job.
“Trump Account” for Kids
The bill will create a new savings account called the “Trump Account,” which allows babies born between January 2025 and January 2029 to benefit from a single $1,000 payment from the federal government placed in their account.
Parents can then donate up to $5,000 a year. Savings are invested in equity funds that grow along with the US stock market.
Once a child reaches 18 years of age for education, training, first home purchase, etc., they may have access to some of the money. They can use the full balance at age 30.
Changes to Pergrant and student loans
The bill includes changes to the Pell Grant program, providing federal assistance to low-income students to attend college.
Currently, students are considered full-time and are eligible for the maximum amount of aid if they earn 12 credits in the semester.
The bill changes it to 15 semester credits. This estimates that the National University Achievement Network will reduce the benefits of students who are unable to increase the course load for work or care by nearly $1,500.
It also terminates multiple existing programs to pay off student loans, such as Biden-era programs that adjust payment requirements to suit the person’s income. It will be replaced by a new fixed-rate program.
Charging foreign workers
Immigrants often move to other countries and send money home to their families and communities. The United States is the world’s largest source of these relocations known as remittances.
The Republican bill would implement a 3.5% tax on these transfers, which must be paid by the person sending the money. This exempts US citizens and citizens who send money abroad.
New immigration costs
The GOP proposal will charge new fees to those seeking to migrate to the United States.
Among the proposed fees, $1,000 claiming asylum, $550 every six months to grant work, $500 to apply for temporary protection status, $1,000 for undocumented immigrants being paroleed in the country, and $3,500 sponsoring non-company child immigrants.
