Commonsense Legislating Act

Bill Number: H.R. 6039
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Government Operations and Politics
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2025-11-20: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Last Updated: 2026-05-16T08:08:00Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The "Commonsense Legislating Act" (H.R. 6039) aims to address a range of domestic priorities through targeted amendments to existing laws, new programs, and interagency coordination. It focuses on supporting small businesses, promoting tourism in Native communities, aiding military families and veterans, enhancing protections for commerce, coordinating federal efforts on family and drug issues, and improving congressional ethics and oversight.

Key Provisions

The bill is organized into 11 titles, each addressing specific areas:

Title I: Small Business Support
Extends the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program, which helps small businesses access federal research funding, through September 30, 2030.
Requires federal agencies to provide assistance to small businesses applying for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, including outreach to states with low historical participation.
Mandates enhanced outreach to minority-serving institutions (e.g., historically Black colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions) to boost their involvement in SBIR and STTR.

Title II: Native American Tourism Grants
Adds a new grant program under the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act, allowing the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, and other federal agencies (e.g., Commerce, Transportation) to fund Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian groups for tourism promotion.
Authorizes $35 million in appropriations for fiscal years 2026–2030.

Title III: Tax Incentives for Military Spouses
Expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (a federal tax break for employers hiring from certain groups) to include spouses of active-duty military members, effective for hires after enactment.

Title IV: Veterans' Mental Health
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer annual mental health consultations and outreach to veterans receiving disability compensation for mental health conditions (e.g., PTSD).
Consultations assess needs and discuss care options without affecting compensation eligibility.
Mandates a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report within two years evaluating implementation, including barriers to access.

Title V: Protections for Interstate Carriers
Amends federal criminal law (18 U.S.C. § 659) to extend theft protections to packages handled by private or commercial interstate carriers (e.g., UPS, FedEx) before the recipient takes possession, similar to existing protections for U.S. mail.

Title VI: Interagency Task Force on Working Families
Establishes a "Working Families Task Force" led by the Department of Labor, involving nine federal agencies (e.g., Health and Human Services, Education, Treasury).
Duties include identifying economic challenges (e.g., inflation, child care, housing, health care), assessing federal policies, and recommending improvements like tax credits or workforce training.
Requires quarterly meetings, stakeholder consultations, and an initial report to Congress within 180 days, plus public availability.

Title VII: Fentanyl Disruption Efforts
Creates a Fentanyl Disruption Steering Group within the National Security Council, chaired by the National Security Advisor, with representatives from 11 agencies (e.g., State, Defense, Homeland Security, intelligence community).
Oversees anti-fentanyl strategies, sets disruption goals, ensures resource coordination, and updates border protection plans.
Requires annual agency reports on multi-agency initiatives (e.g., task forces) and a strategic plan for public-private partnerships, with reports to Congress.

Title VIII: Congressional Hearings
Directs each House standing committee to hold a hearing within one year on the bill's implementation, enacted as a House rule with flexibility for changes.

Title IX: Ethics Rules
Amends House Rules to prohibit members, delegates, officers, or employees from serving as officers or directors of public companies (defined as those with registered securities under federal law).
Allows the House Ethics Committee to issue regulations on other conflict-of-interest positions.

Title X: Budgetary Effects
Directs compliance with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act (a law ensuring new spending is offset) by referencing a specific congressional budget statement.

Title XI: Appropriations
Provides $1 million each to various programs for fiscal year 2026, including:
National Institutes of Health (diabetes, digestive, kidney research).
Congressional Research Service (operations).
Small Business Administration (entrepreneurial development).
Department of Defense (Marine Corps maintenance).
Department of the Interior (bird conservation).
Department of Housing and Urban Development (housing inspections).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Small Business Act Amendments: Extends the FAST program (previously expired in 2005) by 25 years and adds new application assistance and outreach requirements for SBIR/STTR, emphasizing underrepresented groups and states.
Tax Code Changes: Adds military spouses as a new eligible group for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, broadening employer incentives.
Veterans' Law (38 U.S.C.): Shifts mental health consultations from one-time to annual for affected veterans; renumbers the section for clarity.
Criminal Law (18 U.S.C.): Expands theft penalties to explicitly cover private carriers, closing a gap in protections for non-postal shipping.
House Rules: Introduces a outright ban on public company leadership roles for House members, with regulatory flexibility, replacing prior vague ethics guidance.
New Entities: Establishes the Working Families Task Force and Fentanyl Steering Group, requiring interagency coordination not previously mandated.
Tourism Act: Inserts a dedicated grant section with multi-agency involvement and funding authorization.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Increases workload for agencies like the Small Business Administration, VA, and National Security Council through new outreach, consultations, task forces, and reporting; provides modest funding boosts to enhance operations in health, defense, housing, and small business programs.
Citizens: Benefits small business owners (easier access to innovation funding), military spouses (tax incentives for jobs), veterans (better mental health support), working families (coordinated policy recommendations on affordability), and Native communities (tourism economic development). Enhances consumer protections against package theft and supports anti-fentanyl efforts to reduce drug-related harms.
International Relations: The fentanyl steering group could strengthen U.S. coordination with foreign partners on drug trafficking, potentially improving border security and diplomatic efforts, though primarily domestic-focused.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Small Businesses and Innovators: Gain extended programs and assistance for federal research grants, especially in underrepresented areas.
Native American Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Native Hawaiians: Receive new funding opportunities for tourism and economic growth.
Military Families: Spouses eligible for expanded tax credits to encourage employment.
Veterans with Mental Health Disabilities: Offered proactive annual care and outreach from the VA.
Shipping Companies and Consumers: Private carriers protected from theft, reducing losses in interstate commerce.
Working Families: Impacted by task force recommendations on economic issues like wages, child care, housing, and health.
Federal Agencies and Congress: Involved in new coordination groups, hearings, and ethics rules; receive targeted appropriations.
Public Companies and Investors: Affected by restrictions on House members' involvement in leadership roles.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Legal: Amends multiple statutes (e.g., Small Business Act, Internal Revenue Code, U.S. Code titles 18 and 38) to expand eligibility, protections, and programs; requires GAO review for accountability in veterans' provisions.
Constitutional: The House hearings provision exercises Congress's internal rulemaking authority under Article I, affirming the House's right to self-govern procedures while allowing future changes; ethics rules promote transparency but could face challenges if seen as limiting members' rights.
Political: Encourages bipartisan oversight through mandatory hearings and interagency task forces; the ethics ban addresses conflicts of interest in a politically charged area (congressional stock trading), potentially reducing perceptions of insider advantages without mandating divestment. The bill's broad referral to 20+ committees signals comprehensive but fragmented legislative intent.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]

Recent Actions

2025-11-20: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
2025-11-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-11-12: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Bill Versions

Commonsense Legislating Act — issued 2025-11-12 — PDF (22 pages)