Category: Legislative Updates

Congress Returns – Government Funding – Health Care Subsidies Top Priority

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by LICA-National

Congress returned this week from the holiday recess facing a long list of unfinished legislative business. Top on the list is to complete action on the remaining FY 2026 funding bills. In its last action prior to recess, Congress ended the longest government shutdown by passing a package three of the twelve full-year appropriations bills and approving a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the rest the government until January 30, 2026. Nine bills still need to be finalized. The Department of Agriculture legislation was one of the three approved bills so USDA programs are no longer threatened. The transportation appropriations bill was not finalized which could affect some programs; however, highway and bridge construction programs are not directly impacted because they are funded through the Highway Trust fund. Negotiations are ongoing for the remaining bills, but key disagreements, especially on Defense and HHS, suggest another temporary fix (CR) may be needed.


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Farm Bill Could Be on Congressional Agenda

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by LICA-National

Looking ahead to other action on Capitol Hill, Agri-pulse reports that House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., has said he wants to move a farm bill this month to reauthorize key programs not included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last July. The piecemeal approach follows lawmakers failing once again last year to clear a full, five-year ag measure. The last time that happened was 2018, and the partisan divide since then has only widened.


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Legislation Introduced to Significantly Increase OSHA Penalties

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by LICA-National

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) has introduced the “Lets Protect Workers Act” which would increase penalties on employers that violate federal labor and employment law. The bill has been co-sponsored by seventy-three (73) other Democrats. Specifically, the bill would 1) significantly increase the civil penalties for violations of OSHA standards, and 2) resurrect OSHA’s “Volks” rule by extending the period during which OSHA can issue a citation for injury and illness recordkeeping violations.

Key provisions of the legislation include:

• Increased penalty for willful and repeat violations to $800k from $70k and not less than $60k, currently $5k.

• Increase the penalty for serious violations to $80k from $7k

• Increase the penalty for other than serious violations to $40k from $7k

• Increase the penalty for failure to abate a violation to $80k from $7k

• Increase the penalty for violations of OSHA’s posting requirements to $40k from $7k for each occurrence

The LET’s Protect Workers Act also includes provisions that would raise penalties for violation of Department of Labor (DOL) standards on child labor, farmworker protection, and minimum wage and overtime.

Farm Assistance Plan Introduced

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by LICA-National

President Trump announced on December 8 a $12 billion farm aid package intended to support American farmers struggling with financial losses caused by trade wars, tariffs, and rising production costs. The aid package is designed to provide immediate relief to farmers who have faced declining export markets, particularly after China reduced purchases of U.S. soybeans and other crops in response to tariffs.


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Guidance Issued on Reporting Tax Deduction for Overtime Pay

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by LICA-National

The IRS announced that, for tax year 2025, employers will not face penalties for failing to separately report qualified overtime compensation. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) specifically allows eligible employees to deduct a certain amount of qualifying overtime pay from their federal taxable income for 2025-2028 tax years. This transition relief applies only for 2025, as Forms W-2 and 1099 will not be updated to reflect the new overtime reporting requirements until later years. Employers may still choose to provide separate overtime details to help employees claim new deductions, but it is not mandatory for 2025. Most non-exempt, hourly workers are eligible for the deduction. Industries mentioned as potential beneficiaries in preliminary guidance include construction.


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LICA Joins Call for White House Conference on Small Business

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by LICA-National

LICA is cooperating with the Business Coalition for Fair Competition (BCFC) in calling for a White House Conference on Small Business. Reps. Brad Finstad (R-MN) and Don Davis (D-NC) will be introducing the White House Conference on Small Business Act of 2025 this week. There have been three White House Conference on Small Business (WHCSB) in 1980, 1986, and 1995. They were convened by Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton in an effort to foster better relationships with members of the business community, Congress and the White House to develop innovative policy solutions to economic problems.


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DOT Continues to Clarify DBE Program Requirements

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by LICA-National

The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Dec. 1 provided further guidance on the implementation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program to clarify issues raised in its Interim Final Rule (IFR) which governs the program’s implementation until final rules are issued. This is US DOT’s second set of clarifications.


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Agriculture Support Package Announcement Imminent

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by LICA-National

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said an announcement on a support package for farmers is imminent and could land at soon as this week. The Deputy Ag Secretary added that the payment plan would take into account recent changes in commodity markets.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) warned last week that its analysis of the seven major crops indicate that five are set to see larger average losses this year. AFBF said rising input costs and export uncertainty is exacerbating the economic squeeze on producers and increasing the need for further assistance. Some farm program critics are pushing the administration to learn from the assistance programs implemented in Trump’s first term to improve efficiency and avoid overspending. In a letter to Secretary Rollins the critics said that any aid should be subject to strict payment limits and oversight.

“USDA should take prudent measures to direct aid to where it is needed most and avoid unnecessary spending or waste that could further exacerbate our fiscal outlook,” the groups argue.

Limits on EQUIP and Conservation Funding Lifted

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by LICA-National

Agripulse reports that federal conservation funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) will no longer limit how much farmers can receive. The continuing resolution (CR), passed by Congress before the Thanksgiving holiday, funds through Jan. 30 those parts of the government not covered by three agency specific appropriations bills approved as part of the CR legislation. The CR funds USDA programs and extends the farm bill another year, does not limit payments for both programs allowing projects to receive more funds than they have in the past.


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US DOT Continues Crack Down on Non-US Truck Drivers – CDL Schools

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by LICA-National

The U.S. Transportation Department said this week it may withhold up to $30.4 million in federal highway funding from Minnesota over commercial driver licenses issued improperly to non-U.S. residents. The letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz gave the state 30 days to come into compliance and revoke the licenses after a federal audit. In September, the Transportation Department issued emergency rules to drastically restrict commercial driver licenses to non-U.S. citizens after a fatal crash in Florida and a government audit.


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