Changes from the 2025 reconciliation law took effect Nov. 1, 2025, raising the top age for SNAP's work requirement from 54 to 64 and narrowing exemptions, and states are still working through the backlog effects in 2026.
The IRS told state tax agencies in November 2025 that Direct File would not be available for the 2026 filing season and set no launch date for a future one, leaving Free File and state programs to fill the gap.
CMS said Nov. 25, 2025 that it reached agreements on negotiated prices for all 15 drugs in the second negotiation cycle, then turned around in January and selected the third round of drugs whose prices take effect in 2028.
Federal Student Aid opened Income-Based Repayment to borrowers without a partial financial hardship on Dec. 22, 2025, the latest turn in a two-year court fight that has left millions of SAVE-plan borrowers in limbo.